Best Fighting Pc Games of 2016

 

Divekick

Iron Galaxy Studios' Divekick is the most hipster game ever created. It's the product of the indie scene, and it mercilessly parodies fighting games and their diehard community, yet demands that you be part of the underground circle to fully get all of the references and in-jokes. It's also a lot of fun if you open your mind to the insane concept of a one-on-one fighter based almost entirely on the idea of jumping and kicking.

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Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign-

Guilty Gear is a niche series within a niche genre, one that's enjoyed a cult following since its first appearance in 1998. With Xrd -Sign-, developer Arc System Works ditches the series' 2D sprites in favor of 3D cel-shaded graphics in an attempt to expand its audience. Likewise, series creator Daisuke Ishiwatari sought a more approachable play style that maintained the depth and high skill ceiling that long-time Guilty Gear fans love. The result is a feature-packed fighting game that boasts incredible graphics and deep mechanics. Unfortunately, it arrived on PC after many Guilty Gear fans had moved on to the next game in the series: Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator-. So, like The Last Blade, Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- is a game that's worth buying if you don't mind local play and the lack of online competition.

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The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match Final Edition

The King of Fighters '98 is widely regarded as one of the best fighting games ever made, so it's no surprise that developer SNK Playmore has returned to the title many times since the game's original release. In 2008, SNK Playmore celebrated the game's tenth anniversary by porting the team-based fighter to the PlayStation 2 as The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match, a game loaded with extra characters, stages, and gameplay modes. Now, a tweaked Ultimate Match is available for PCs as The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match Final Edition, a game that rebalances the massive 64-character roster and adds Steam trading cards and achievements. Final Edition's gameplay retains its predecessor's wonderfully deep and flexible fighting mechanics, but it's missing features that were present in the beloved PS2 version.

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The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition

One of the most impressive sprite-based games ever created, The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition brings SNK Playmore's excellent 3-on-3 2D fighter to the PC via Valve's digital distribution platform. If you've rumbled with friends and foes in the version that appeared on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms, you'll feel right at home here: the intricate combat mechanics, gorgeous graphics, and up-tempo music are successfully ported over to this Steam game. Even better, The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition contains all of the console DLC, the King of Fighters XIII: Climax arcade features, and PC-centric graphics options.

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The Last Blade

SNK put weapons-based 2D fighting on the map with 1993's delightful Samurai Shodown, but the developer went on to refine the idea of sword combat four years later in a somewhat lesser-known Neo Geo title: The Last Blade. Recently released to the Steam platform with several contemporary bells and whistles, The Last Blade ($9.99) boasts excellent swordplay, a dozen exquisitely designed characters, and a gorgeous anime- and manga-style presentation that make its 19th-century Japanese setting one of the most beautiful in fighting-game history. Genre fans shouldn't hesitate to pick up this excellent PC fighting game, but the barren online play means most matches will take place locally.

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Mortal Kombat X

Mortal Kombat X is the game that places NetherRealm Studios' iconic series in the top-tier fighting game bracket alongside the likes of Street Fighter and Tekken. Despite the console versions boasting a slight advantage over this Steam game in terms of downloadable content and patch support, Mortal Kombat X for PC has graphics enhancements that complement the compelling story, as well as the series' trademark hyper-violent, bloodletting combat. With its X-Ray Attacks, Stamina Meter, and Fatalities, Mortal Kombat X is easily one of the best PC fighting games on the platform.

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Street Fighter V

In February 2016, Capcom's newest one-on-one fighting game arrived on PC with many flaws that detracted from the stellar gameplay, including awful server instability, no true single-player mode, and a surprisingly limited multiplayer Battle Lounge. However, several updates have since addressed many of those issues and added new playable characters. The fixes, combined with new and classic characters, fresh and returning fight systems (like the cool V-Skills and V-Triggers), and cross-platform play with PlayStation 4 owners, finally make Street Fighter V a game to pick up even for gamers who don't have Evo dreams.

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Ultra Street Fighter IV

Ultra Street Fighter IV marks the fourth version of Street Fighter IV and the third version available on the Steam platform. This final iteration of the one-on-one fighting game adds five new characters, six new stages, a YouTube upload option, and a host of gameplay tweaks. It's Street Fighter IV's best and meatiest update, though some balance and DLC issues prove a bit irritating. Still, Ultra Street Fighter IV is an excellent competitive fighter with strong netcode

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