It’s been one heck of a year for fighting games on the PlayStation 4, what with a slew of fighters being available on the console. Continuing with our final Best of 2016 game awards winner for the day, we pick the best fighting game released on the PS4 this year.
We’ve plucked the best of the bunch, and they are a varied set of nominees, too. It’s been a fantastic year for fighting game fans and this is one award that’s bound to have different winners based on a gamer’s fighting game preference. Like in our other Best of 2016 awards, the winner was picked based on the total number of votes it got among staff, and not based on just the review score.
Surprised by our winner? What game would have you picked?
Don’t forget to check back all throughout the month for our other “Best Of” picks of the year! Be sure to follow PlayStation LifeStyle on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram and YouTube for the latest in PlayStation coverage.
You can check out the other Best of 2016 winners here!
Essential Reading:
- Everything Wrong With Street Fighter V
- 10 Best Video Game Friendships
- Anime Game Adaptations That Should Happen
Best of 2016 Game Awards - Fighting
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Best of 2016 Game Awards - Fighting
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BlazBlue: Central Fiction
BlazBlue: Central Fiction is a strong note for the series to go out on, if it really does end here. It’s the ultimate package due to the fighting systems being more interesting than ever, and there being over 30 characters to play as. There are a few disappointments such as the lack of English voice acting, but that’s not enough to mar what is otherwise a great game. All fighting game fans can have a great time with Arc System Works' latest.
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The King of Fighters XIV
The King of Fighters XIV is a fully featured fighting game. It still feels like its classic predecessors, but it has been updated in some important areas to feel like a modern take. The only weak spot was its visuals, but even that has been improved over the year by SNK. It's great to see KoF back in the spotlight.
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Street Fighter V
Street Fighter V continues the long-running series' dominance in the fighting game category with a solid, if lightweight, entry. The game launched with a small handful of characters, but this roster was not static and more characters were steadily added throughout the year. Frame counters, this one's for you.
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EA Sports UFC 2
EA Canada went to great lengths to listen to their critics from the previous release and have made a bunch of much needed improvements to EA Sports UFC 2. While we are still in need of a great next gen Boxing game, Knockout mode at least gave us a nice taste of pugilism to tide us over.
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Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator
Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- will hopefully help usher in a new era of fighting games. One where new players are encouraged to learn what makes the genre special, and feel invited. It’s training tools raise the bar at which other fighters are measured to, and it’s a real triumph in that regard. Whether you’re a veteran or a newcomer, there’s a lot to learn here.
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Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
With all of the side missions, skills to unlock, items to craft, hilarious side quests such as the milk delivery quests, Parallel Quests with co-op capability, offline and online matches, and not to mention the main missions, there is more than enough for players to sink their teeth into. It will feel padded to some, especially those who played the first game. Dimps undoubtedly forced in the RPG-grinding to lengthen the game and separate it from the Budokai games, which does it make more unique, and at the same time, a bit annoying for a title that is, at its core, a member of the fighting genre. Those who never picked up the first title will easily jump into Xenoverse 2 with amazement and wonder and love every minute of it. Those who already played the first game will appreciate the solid online mechanics, but won’t find much motivation in going through a main storyline that they’ve already done time and time again.
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And the winner is...
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Winner - The King of Fighters XIV
The King of Fighters XIV is a fully featured fighting game. It still feels like its classic predecessors, but it has been updated in some important areas to feel like a modern take. The only weak spot was its visuals, but even that has been improved over the year by SNK. It's great to see KoF back in the spotlight.
