Best Fighter of 2019 - Article
by Evan Norris , posted on 31 December 2019 / 5,395 Views
On the fighting game front, 2019 was a year for industry stalwarts. The last 12 months saw the eleventh mainline installment of the Mortal Kombat franchise, a bloody and tactical fighter with a spectacular story mode; a tense reboot of Samurai Shodown, a series that began its life in the arcade in 1993; and Dead or Alive 6, a refined and accessible entry in Team Ninja's long-running 3D fighting game. The odd man out in our shortlist: Shovel Knight Showdown, a brawling spin-off featuring heroes and villains from the indie darling Shovel Knight.
The Shortlist:
Dead or Alive 6
Mortal Kombat 11
Samurai Shodown
Shovel Knight Showdown
The Winner:
Mortal Kombat 11
NetherRealm's revivification of Mortal Kombat continues with Mortal Kombat 11, a polished fighter that delivers across several modes. Featuring modified mechanics and shortened combos, it provides a slower, more tactical experience that rewards strategic play and punishes misses. It also boasts an incredibly deep and accessible tutorial, 21 interactive stages, smooth graphics, and a huge amount of online and offline content. Its best feature might be a lengthy, cinematic story mode with production values almost worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster.
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