Rethinking the Fighting Genre

Last month I bought KOFXIII, and while it is a great game, I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed with the game. Initially I thought it was simply because I've been watching match videos for the game for over a year, or that the game didn't add that much to the arcade version of KOFXIII despite being in development for over a year. But after thinking back on the fighting games I've played this console generation; I think it may be that I'm beginning to get tired of the "classic" style of fighting games.

A few months ago, new head of Team Ninja, Yosuke Hayashi, said that, at their foundation, all fighters are the same, and that formula is starting to show its age. After giving it some thought, I have to agree with him. Ever since Street Fighter II, the basic foundation of the fighting game has remained the same; from the way combos are executed to button lay-outs; things really haven't changed.

So, is this a bad thing? Not really. After all, there are many videogame formulas that don't need changing because they work. Perhaps its an over-saturation of the market recently, but even then, I'd probably pick up the fighting games that did get released simply because of the lack of fighters out.

Now, there are fighters that do try to switch things up, such as Blazblue having the "Special" button added to common bread-n-butter combos, or fighters that put a lot of work into having characters that play very differently, the soon-to-be-released Skullgirls and aforementioned Blazblue being examples. I think this style works, as it feels like they're trying to differentiate themselves from the Street Fighter II or Vs. Capcom style where there are only 4 or 5 gameplay styles that simply mask themselves as multiple characters. I can see the approach that BB and SG are taking to produce some great fighters in the future that could bring back the refeshing aura once brought by the SFIII series, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and The Last Blade series.

The core foundation of the fighter doesn't have to change, but some new ideas in gameplay mechanics and presentation really need to come about; at least for me, because after thinking it over, I am beginning to grow bored with the "classic" fighter, as shown by my disappointment with KOFXIII, a game I was hyping up for over a year.

Another part of my lacking interest with the core fighter is due to two very different styled fighter that released this generation: the Dissidia: Final Fantasy games and the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm games. These games took a while to grow on me, but I'm now beginning to see the great potential in their gameplay style, especially that found in the Dissidia: Final Fantasy series. Not only does the Dissidia series focus on creating very unique, individual characters, but the core mechanics of the game are well executed and very unique. The Brave and Health damage mechanic is excellent, as it creates a whole other layer to the battle strategy beyond the classic "attack opponent until their health depletes to zero", and the focus on special moves rather than bread-n-butter combos. Furthermore, elements such as dodging, countering, dashing, and environment interaction are on a level beyond that seen in other fighters, 2D or 3D. And on top of all of this is the customization elements of an RPG. It all comes together in a fighter that at first seems simple, but actually has a lot of depth, just in a different way than the "classic" 2D/3D fighters. The Naruto Ultimate Ninja series uses a similar style to Dissidia, but in a much more simple execution.

The Dissidia series, specifically 012 duocedim,has really opened my eyes to the potential that fighting games have, and that leaves me disappointed by the fighters that stick to the "classic" formula. I suppose that there will always be a place for "classic" fighters, but I think that a new type of fighting game needs to come into the fray. Fighting games really need to push forward, and this new foundation established by Square's Dissidia series and continued with the Naruto Storm series is a great way to begin, imo.

As far as 3D fighters go, Tekken will always remain the "classic" series, while the Soulcalibur series utilizes a system that grew past the "classic" formula back in 1999, so there's not much for the SC to go, as it hasn't grown stale as of yet. It's 2D fighters that I want to see evolve. Where that will come from is still unknown to me, but I hope it comes soon. The Dissidia and NUNS series have no set genre as of yet, but I hope their style grows and evolves into a style that stands beside the 2D and 3D fighting genres.

As for where the future of fighting games resides, I'm looking at Team Ninja's Dead or Alive 5, which has been stated to try something new for the genre, the next Naruto Storm game, which CyberConnect2 is attempting to give deeper gameplay, and for Square to continue the Dissidia series and bring more elements to it, preferably on the PS3 console so not to limit the game's capabilities.

It's strange how much playing Dissidia 012 has changed my outlook on the fighting genre, but its impact has been made clear for me. In my eyes, Dissidia shows the potential that the fighting genre has, and I'm afraid I may never see that potential realized unless Square decides to continue the series, for taking risks and innovating is perhaps the biggest risk in the gaming industry today, especially in a genre owned by Capcom, who has seen nothing but success in developing fighters in the "classic" style.