Itching for a fight? Why not get those fists bloody with the best fighting games you can play right now!
Ever since Street Fighter II took the genre mainstream in the early ‘90s, fighting games have been with us in every shape and form. And as long as there are faces to pummel, and shooting fireballs, spears, or lightning out of your bare hands retains its visceral appeal, there will always be fighting games.
But these games also demand focus. If you want to become the brawling champion, you’ll have to devote your time and energy to a select few. With an overabundance of fighting games out there, how do you figure out which ones most deserve your attention?
Well, we’re here to help. Ranked from best to worst, here are our Top 10 Best Fighting Games to Play in 2015.
1. Mortal Kombat X
It doesn’t get more epic than this!
When 2011’s Mortal Kombat reboot revitalized a franchise that had grown stale from too many uninspired sequels, we knew an excellent follow-up was inevitable.
Come 2015, and we have Mortal Kombat X – already being considered by many as the series’ best entry.
With X, Mortal Kombat is back and more gruesome than ever. It injects the franchise with new blood courtesy of eight new characters – some of whom are direct descendants of returning veterans like Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade. And though there are only two dozen characters upon release, each character has a trio of distinct fighting styles to choose from, effectively multiplying the roster number by three.
Add to this the return of the much-lauded story mode, robust multiplayer modes, a first-person Krypt, and DLC characters such as Friday the 13th’s Jason Vorhees and the Predator, and it’s no surprise Mortal Kombat X is first on our list of best fighting games to play in 2015.
Our rating - 5/5
2. Ultra Street Fighter IV
As good as it gets
After a hiatus of nine years, Capcom brought public interest back to the fighting genre with 2009’s Street Fighter IV. A solid entry in one of the industry’s most influential franchises, IV was nevertheless imperfect.
Fast-forward several years later, and we have Ultra Street Fighter IV – the culmination of countless patches, upgrades, and rebalances, not to mention thousands upon thousands of hours of play across the world.
It also seamlessly incorporates into Street Fighter IV’s complex mechanics those characters introduced in Street Fighter X Tekken – such as the immovable giant, Hugo, and the whip-lashing femme fatale, Poison. Add a totally new character in the form of Bison doll Decapre, and we’ve got a whopping total character count of a 44.
The result? The best, most complete version of Street Fighter IV you can ask for.
Our rating - 5/5
3. Dragon Ball Xenoverse
It's over 9000!!!
The granddaddy of super-powered martial arts anime, Dragon Ball brings to the genre its own flavor of hand-to-hand combat with Dragon Ball Xenoverse.
Unlike other games on this list, Xenoverse gives players freedom to roam enormous locations, allowing them to fight on the ground, in the air, or even underwater. True to the Dragon Ball formula, these environments are destructible.
Xenoverse also lets you customize your own character, with whom you can then fight other player-created characters, visit towns, train under heroes, and go on quests.
Its RPG elements and create-a-character functionality have been praised, making it one of the top fighting games currently on the market.
Our rating - 4/5
4. Tekken Tag Tournament 2
The strongest man in the universe!
The sad thing about sequels is that, ultimately, you’ll have to say goodbye to some of your favorite characters.
Not so with the Tekken Tag Tournament 2. As a service to loyal fans, the game features every character introduced in the series so far, making otherwise impossible matches a reality. Want an epic confrontation between Jin Kazama and his mother, the missing and often presumed dead Jun Kazama? Look no further than Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
The game allows you to pit two characters of your choice against an opposing duo. It’s a fast-paced, tactical tag team battle to the finish, where mastery of your chosen characters’ versatile skill set is rewarded, and the precise delivery of attacks can go a long way.
With its well-polished mechanics and signature humor, it’s no surprise Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is one of the top fighting games in recent years.
Our rating - 4/5
5. Guilty Gear Xrd –SIGN–
2D or 3D? You decide!
If you’re sick unto death of Shoto-clones and lazy reskins of the same, boring archetypes, fighter rosters don’t get more diverse than Guilty Gear’s.
The fighters in Guilty Gear Xrd –SIGN– are the most unique in the genre, so much so that, even within the game, you’ll be hard put to find two characters who play similarly. Some of the zanier warriors include Venom, who lays billiard ball traps all over the arena; Elphelt, who snipes her enemies from a distance; and Faust, whose hilarious antics serve to confuse while beating opponents blind.
It’s insanely fast, and boasts a technical depth that will please all serious fighting game enthusiasts. Not to mention it’s arguably one of the most beautiful games you’ll ever set eyes on. While Xrd’s a 2D brawler like its predecessors, its graphics are completely in 3D – only the cel-shaded character models are so gorgeously done that you’ll swear you’re watching an anime film with cutting edge production values.
For all these reasons, Xrd is one of the best fighting games available today.
Our rating - 5/5
6. Street Fighter X Tekken
When giants collide
What happens when the biggest names in fighting games collide? Why, you get Street Fighter X Tekken, of course!
Everybody wondered if it could be pulled off. After all, Street Fighter is a vastly different fighter from Tekken. But Capcom proved it could transpose the Tekken stars into the 2D fighter mold, resulting in characters who play as if they’d always belonged in the Street Fighter universe. In fact, Tekken characters like Kazuya and Hwoarang make exceptional Street Fighter characters, to the point that they outshine personalities like Ryu and Guile, who seem positively mundane by comparison.
Insert a tag team feature a la Tekken Tag Tournament, and you’ve got one of the most explosive fighting games in the industry.
Our rating - 4/5
7. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
First, the Chitauri. Then, Ultron. And now… some video game character?!?
Crossovers don’t get crazier than Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
In the game, players form a tag team consisting of three characters selected from across Marvel and Capcom’s disparate universes. Ever wondered how effective a team player Wolverine would be when forced into an alliance with Chun-Li and Viewtiful Joe? How about a team-up between Amaterasu, Spider-Man, and Thor? Now’s your chance to find out.
It’s a series that has always reveled in chaos, specializing in furious fisticuffs, special moves that fill the entire screen with explosions, and combinable super attacks for wanton destruction. Ultimate updates an already brilliant gem with a dozen new faces, from Ghosts ‘n Goblins’ Firebrand to Doctor Strange, Rocket Raccoon, and Ghost Rider.
While Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is one of the top fighting games in existence, the utter pandemonium that is its 3-way tag team combat might prove intimidating to newcomers.
Our rating - 4/5
8. Tekken 6
Hell match
When it comes to 3D fighters, Tekken continues to reign supreme. Tekken 6 doesn’t do much to upend the status quo, sticking to a formula that’s heavy on juggle combos and intense yet intelligent rush downs. The new “rage” system ensures characters become more dangerous as their health declines, while the “bound” system smashes competitors to the ground so hard they bounce into the air, making them vulnerable to combos.
Released in 2009, Tekken 6 is the oldest title on this list, and is already showing its age, graphics-wise. Still, thanks to its intricate fighting system and bombastic personality, it remains one of the top fighting games around.
Our rating - 4/5
9. King of Fighters XIII
Still king (image from GameRate)
When it comes to slick, anime-inspired visuals, King of Fighters XIII absolutely delivers. But this fighter’s brilliance is more than skin deep, offering gameplay that’s total, nonstop action.
Its system is comparable to Street Fighter’s, with players relying on a combination of mix ups, pokes, cancels, precision, combo mastery, and other techniques to win. What’s different is that in XIII, players get to build teams of three characters, with each then challenging the opposition in the order of their selection.
It’s one of the best fighting games out there, and sits at spot number eight on our list.
Our rating - 4/5
(Image from GameRate)
10. Dead or Alive 5: Last Round
More fighters, less clothing
Whether you enjoy the series’ gratuitous fan service or not, Dead or Alive 5: Last Round remains an exhilarating experience.
Last Round is one of the more accessible fighting games on this list. Its peculiar Triangle System thrusts mind games to the forefront of combat, so that against real opponents, you can’t button-mash your way to victory. The series’ signature destructible environments also return, making for some ridiculous, yet gratifying scenarios, such as smashing an opponent into a speeding locomotive.
Sadly, Last Round’s new characters are a little generic, including the unsatisfying Honoka, and Phase-4, who’s basically a lazy Kasumi clone. Despite this hiccup, Last Round is the definitive Dead or Alive 5 experience.
Our rating - 4/5
And thus concludes our Top 10 Best Fighting Games to Play in 2015, Ranked from Best to Worst. Which games on this list do you think you’ll be playing? And which of those titles that didn’t make the cut do you believe deserve to be on this list?
