With the release of King of Fighters 15, SNK has let out into the world yet another entry into one of the most historied fighting game series in the games industry – and one I like quite a lot! It was great to sit down, during an intense month filled with exciting games flying out from every direction, and play a classic fighting game.
However, to simply pile KoF 15 on top of the stack of other titles that make up the series would be missing out on much of what makes the game special! At the surface level, the game contains plenty of fresh new additions to the series, including new characters and a total netcode overhaul. But if you look deeper into the context surrounding the development and release of the game, you’ll know it was creating in the midst Covid-19 lockdowns – a tumultuous time for any developer – but especially for one that produces games rooted in arcades and social events that revolve around meeting up in person.
As such, I had the chance to chat with creative director Eisuke Ogura, project supervisor Nobuyuki Kuroki, and chief producer for the KoF series Yasuyuki Oda about all this, and more, to learn about their thoughts on development on KoF 15, some of the new parts of the game, and what we can expect from the future.
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