Joystiq - Killer Instinct review: Content breaker

Killer Instinct isn't finished yet. It's an attempt to get players to buy into a promise that the full game is still on the way, that investing now will guarantee an experience on par with other fighting games – eventually.

Right now, there's little else aside from training, survival and online modes. There isn't a story mode or an arcade mode, though the latter is promised for the future. There are only six fighters, with two more to come during the game's first season of content. As it stands, Killer Instinct is a streamlined fighter designed as a far-reaching modular experience, which highlights one of its key problems: a dearth of content.

[user7402931]

so 6/10

[GrizzliS1987]

i believe xbox was mocking ps4 with that "greatness awaits?" twitter comment...karma is a bich

[Bigpappy]

This is not as bad a score as it appears. If you read the review, the guy thinks it is an unfinished release. He wants more. This is a free to play game where you have to buy the rest of it. So by its nature, it is unfinished.

You guys run from one X1 review to the next looking for games to trash. You did the same thing with X1 and Kinect with each feature revealed. Now look: The games are getting positive reviews.

You want to see Karma: PS3 best game KZ is seen by most reviews as barely average. The console itself is having reports of faulty hardware. None of this was negative online hate from Xbox fans, this is all Sony screwing themselves.

[GrizzliS1987]

i get it, i love KI and im sure il buy it when i get the xbone, but still my point stands. Looking at the reviews of KI, dead rising, lococycle, scores are average at best and nothing better than the ps4 games so thus why i said karma is a bich

[SilentNegotiator]

@BigPappy

Except these games are scoring about the same as KZ:SF. So is ~7.5 "positive" or "barely average"?

How much more obvious could you make your double standards?

[JessiePinkmanYo]

@BigPappy-Killer Instinct is an unfinished game missing key components, and if it was priced as such it should rate a decent score. Gran Turismo Prologue was an unfinished game, and even at the time, $39 was steep.

Don't support developers putting out glorified demos that are overpriced.

[Gazondaily]

@Jessie

"Don't support developers putting out glorified demos that are overpriced."

How is it an overpriced glorified demo??

Yes the roster and modes are a bit scarce but the reduced price reflects that.

How about actually playing the game instead of politicising the issue here. The quality of the game speaks for itself. Clearly this is a game that is only set to get better and better but for fighting fans eagerly anticipating the release of Killer Instinct can at least enjoy, what is pretty much unanimously stated to be a great beat em up.

[Bimkoblerutso]

^ I don't think it's unreasonable for people to prefer paying full price for a FINISHED game, as opposed to a slightly reduced price for the promise of a "finished" game at some undisclosed point in the future...

If you put aside the console war BS for just one moment, you'd understand that this is a bad precedent to set for the entire industry, not just a Microsoft system.

[BobBelcher]

or 12/20

[obliteratorFTW]

Standing at 71( metacritic)

[theRell]

More like 74.

[Loki86]

The trolling needs to stop, sounds like they really liked the game, but docked it for a lack of content and characters. This is an unfair judgement since compared to most 60 dollar games it is unfinished. The season structure is an idea I like because it makes you anticipate the DLC and character releases, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for that Orchid reveal. Also, it will keep Evo fresh because they will have to learn new characters constantly with the strengths and weakness of each characters they are fighting. I really can't wait to play this day 1.

[Robotronfiend]

Going to be a really tough road to get this game into EVO. Its not on the tournament standard hardware (Playstation). Requires constant connectin to the internet to have latest software build (no pre-installing patches) - which EVO does not do. Also, the reveal of the game (at EVO) was met with resounding BOOOOS. Check out a youtube video, it was not met with positivity from the fighting game community.

[Bigpappy]

Exactly. Some people gave KZ a decent score then said the gameplay was lackluster.
These guys don' care about the truth though. There are just here to flame.

[SilentNegotiator]

@BigPappy

interesting words coming from a troll going from bad Xbox score to bad xbox score telling everyone how terrible KZ:SF supposedly is.

[Loki86]

They booed the fight stick and the DRM imposed system at the time, everyone that played the demo at EVO loved the game, check your sources.

[Gazondaily]

Its good to know that the core gameplay is brilliant. Its the lack of content that has reduced its score but really, for what it is and for the price that is available, it isn't that big a negative.

Joystiq have decribed it as " a delight to play and a uniquely enticing proposition to fighting aficionados and genre novices alike."

So Dirty Pimp, try as you might to downplay the game, naysayers should remain silent because Double Helix have silenced the critics who said that the developers were incapable of creating a good game.

They have done precisely that, albeit one that isn't complete as of yet by traditional the pricing model.

[scallywag]

Ps4 console got a 3/5 so that means its 6/10. Wow smfh

[Lannister]

six game

[user7402931]

7.3

[BABY-JEDI]

It's great to have a fighter game @ launch, but it's pretty disappointing not to have a complete game. I think MS should have put this out as a demo (no charge) & show some faith in the gamers to buy it when complete.

[Convas]

It is being put out as a demo of sorts. A rotating character per week I believe with the gameplay modes in tow.

People can easily try it out and see if they like it.

[BABY-JEDI]

Well that's pretty excellent.

[likeaboss302]

They do as Jago is free to play in all modes and against all characters at launch. If you want the rest of the lineup you got to pay a whopping $20 bucks for Season 1.

[Fireseed]

I'll use my age old example; League of Legends started with 12 characters. Should they have waited till it was done to launch it? Where would that have been? The 20th character? The 40th? How about the 90th? Heck maybe someone considers it done now with 116 characters. Platforms like this will grow, but the majority of the community is glad to have it this early.

[Dread]

I think it is a fair review given that they are releasing it as a lunch game.

Thankfully, the issues are not with in the gameplay, which most sites praise.

I expect this game to improve with time. So i see it as a potential 8.5 type of game when everything is out.

[kewlkat007]

Is it better to play this with a fighter stick..cause I know the Xbox controller is not good for fighters..

[mhunterjr]

Fair review. This games pricing model is strange, but it all but ensures the game will only get better with time, the core mechanics are there and a $20 for 8 characters, the pricing is alright IMO.