Summary
The problem with fighting games is that even their simplest, pick-up-and-play entries can be tricky to master. People who dabble inSuper Smash Brosfor larks with their friends can end up in trouble if they can’t do space control without items in ‘For ‘For Glory’ mode. This isn’t all that dissimilar to its more traditional rivals, likeFatal Fury: City of the Wolves, where quarter-circle, half-circle, and 360º motions still rule the roost.
Still, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and with enough practice, novice players could end up mastering the likes of Hotaru, Rock Howard, or Terry Bogard without much trouble — particularly with the new Smart Style simplifying commands. But, even that doesn’t take the edge off the game’s trickier roster members. Whether it’s due to how they move or how specialized their skills are, these are the hardest characters to master inFatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
7Hokutomaru
Players Need to Study More to Master the Shiranui Student
The protégé ofAndy Bogard and Mai Shiranui,Hokutomaru, isn’t the hardest character to get to grips with — particularly if players can handle Arcade Style, which will let players throw shuriken at two different angles and in midair. They could spam them all day to annoy people, then double jump away to keep their distance from their opponent, turning the term ‘zoner’ into a figurative four-letter word in the process.
However, he works better on offense, from his dashing Zan’ei Ken attack to his Kuuha Dan, where he can keep attacking up-close. It also puts him at risk of being pummeled, as he can’t withstand punishment as well as others. If he’s put on the defensive, he’ll have to play keep-away until he can find another chance to strike. He’s also vulnerable to jump-ins as, aside from his Chou Hissatsu Tatsumaki supers, he doesn’t have many anti-air attacks to counteract them.
6Kevin Rian
From Top Tier to B-Lister
If this list was aboutKevin Rian’s debut inGarou, he’d have been one of the more beginner-friendly characters thanks to his swift, hard-hitting attacks and his Gatling Freezer super, which froze opponents in place for more punishment. InFF: CotW, it makes them float about in the air instead. This can still put Kevin at an advantage, as he’s quite good at comboing his opponents in the air (juggling), and he still hits like a tank.
He just moves more like one now too, as Kevin’s gotten bigger and slower inFF: CotW. Now, it’s easier for opponents to knock him out of his moves mid-stride or punish him on block, as it takes him longer to recover from his special moves too. Still, if players can get the hang of Kevin’s high-impact juggles, they’ll wipe the floor with their foes with just a few combos.
5Kain R. Heinlein
Still the Boss of Putting Pressure on His Foes
PerformingKain R. Heinlein’s moves isn’t hard to do.Be it Arcade or Smart Style, players can still chuck out Schwarze Flammes all day, or dash into them with a Schwarze Panzer. However, as simple as they are to execute, they’re not exactly spam-friendly. Kain is all about spacing and pressure tactics, as his Schwarze Flamme makes him jump back with each shot, maintaining distance with his opponents.
Additionally, his supers either rain punishment down from the sky or linger around on screen to keep his opponents from getting close. Once they’re knocked down, he can catch them on wakeup with more projectiles — or right into his Schwarze Lanze for a juggle combo. For beginners, Kain’s style of play will take a lot of getting used to. For experienced players, they’ll get a lot out of his zoning game and pressure tactics.
4Kim Dong Hwan
The Eldest of the Kim Brothers Requires More Experience to Master
Kim Dong Hwanmay share fighting styles withhis famous father, Kim Kaphwan, and his younger brother, Kim Jae Hoon, but he isn’t as straightforward as his fellow Tae Kwon Do fighters. Players can’t just rush toward their opponents and kick them around like a football. He’s more about cracking defensive players open and catching them unaware — particularly with his jump-in strikes.
Kim Dong Hwan zaps people with his Raimei Zan overhead heels, divekicks towards them with his Hishou Kyaku, and even crosses them up with his Mule Kick. He can even shock them on the ground with his Shiden Kyaku stomp to knock them off their feet and leave them open for a juggling combo. He’s got a specialized toolkit that has found favor with some expert players, like Justin Wong, but for others, it’s a little too specialized for their tastes.
3Cristiano Ronaldo
Kicking Off with Ronaldo Can Put Newbies into an Own Goal
Speaking of football,Cristiano Ronaldomay be the firstguest character in a fighting gameto be based on a real-life person — not someone playing a role or character likeTekken 7’s Negan, orMortal Kombat’s different movie characters. If he isn’t the first, he’s one of the most high-profile ones as he’s been front and center of the game’s marketing with a certain DJ. Footie fans who picked up the game just to play Ronaldo, however, might find him trickier than they hoped.
If they want to make him their main, they’ll have to learn how to juggle his football during his Deep-Footed Step to improve his mixups, as well as how his different follow-up attacks can keep opponents guessing. His strikes also often leave him unsafe, so players have to be sure they’re going to land if they’re going to use them for combos. Otherwise, their foes can block them, then give Ronaldo something worse than a red card.
2Tizoc the Griffon
A Griffon in the Right Hands, An Albatross in the Wrong Ones
After spending the past few years inKing of Fightersas King of Dinosaurs,Tizoc the Griffon(or Griffon Mask in Japan) goes back to his heroic persona forFF: CotW. He comes complete with his classic moves, like his Justice Hurricane command throw, Poseidon Wave lariat, and the deadly power of his Big Fall Griffon super. However, being a grappler, that means he suffers from their cons as well as their pros.
Tizoc’s great up-close, delivers heavy damage, and has plenty of distance-closing attacks and anti-air attacks to catch his opponents unaware. But, he’s also hard to learn with his stick-spinning motions for throws. Smart Style makes them simpler to do, but it doesn’t stop him also being big and slow, which makes it easier for his foes to strike him out of moves — and harder for him to close in on zone-happy chappies like Kain.
1Salvatore Ganacci
Stay on the Beat or Become a Punchline
Out of the two real-life celebrities inFF: CotW’s roster (so far),Salvatore Ganaccihas proven to be the more popular of the two, likely because he’s a bit of a character himself, as each of his moves and motions are based on the things he does in his music videos. Instead of being any dull random DJ, he’s a quirky guy who fits in surprisingly well as the European EDM equivalent of 90s funkFFveteran Duck King.
Still, he is ultimately a joke character, but one in the vein ofTekken 3’s Dr B, as he’s more technical than he needs to be. He’s got multiple stances with multiple follow-up attacks players need to memorize, and they’re all stiff, stubby strikes that work best at close range. If Ganacci isn’t in the opponent’s face making them feel the beat, he’s getting beaten himself.
