Best way to (almost) peacefully settle a conflict, or simply to let off steam, the VS Fighting are aimed today at all audiences, from novices in the field to veterans of combos. Let's take a look at this genre, much broader than we imagine, and the best fighting games it can offer.
Even today, some fighting games are developed primarily for arcade terminals. Nevertheless, they are fairly quickly ported to PC and consoles (home and/or laptop) to be accessible to the general public, the new preferred target of versus fighting.
Some franchises fully assume their rather elitist side, with demanding gameplay reserved for veterans of fighting games. While others are open to beginners via very educational game modes, geared towards learning, or by targeting them specifically.
And by featuring well-known characters from other video game universes, they cast a wide net to enlarge the VS Fighting community. Thus, they are aimed at all audiences, and it's time to see which title would suit you best among the best fighting games.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - kick your friends out!
See the priceSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Ever-increasing customization
- Huge content
- A generous adventure mode
It's hard to ignore one of the best Switch games in this selection of fighting games! Indeed, despite their very particular style since the release of the first opus in 1999 on Nintendo 64, the games of the Super Smash Bros series are among the classics of the genre, with a very active eSports scene despite a long lack of love on the part of the game. game editor.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate deserves its place here all the more as it is the successful form of the saga. Indeed, it benefits from the years of experience of the four previous opuses, and it offers affordable gameplay without being simplistic. Finally, due to its principle of melting pot of diverse and varied heroes, it skilfully combines the strengths of Nintendo games.
Thus, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features 89 playable characters, of which Sora from the Kingdom Hearts series is the latest fighter added to the roster. Accompanied by a plethora of content, between solo game modes and multiplayer in shambles, you will not get tired of sending your friends flying out of the "ring"!
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 - for fans
Naruto Shippūden : Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
- Gargantuan content
- Nice tribute to the manga
- Successful story mode
Released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows in February 2016, then on Nintendo Switch in April 2020, Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is the direct sequel to the previous opus. Thus, the action begins during the second part of the great ninja war and takes place in five chapters and an extension, Road to Boruto.
Several DLCs have also graced this fighting game, capable of supporting up to eight players online, against one to two players locally. The particularity of this title is that it offers one-on-one combat with support characters, non-playable, taking place in three-dimensional arenas.
Whether you're in the story mode with boss fights or in Versus, you can recreate legendary teams or shape your favorite group, whose leader you can change in the middle of battle, in order to effectively combine their unique skills and obtain a technique ultimate collaborative when certain heroes are associated with each other.
Mortal Kombat 11 - the unmissable franchise
Mortal Kombat 11
- A visual slap
- Rich and varied content
- Successful story mode
Unmistakable, the now thirty-year-old franchise has been shining since the release of its first opus in 1992, when Mortal Kombat made the Street Fighter emperor tremble, with its graphics but above all, with its spectacular kills!
As for the variations, we can also note that the film Mortal Kombat signed in 2021 the biggest start on the HBO Max platform. In short, we are approaching a behemoth of its kind. So back to the games, and more specifically to the latest title in the series.
Thus, Mortal Kombat 11 was released in April 2019 on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, then on Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X | S. In July 2021, the title exceeded 12 million copies sold. It must be said that the reviews when the title was released were particularly laudatory on the part of players and the specialized press.
In particular its revised combat system (clearly for the better), the large amount of content to unlock, and its successful Story mode. Without forgetting what has contributed to the success of the franchise since its inception: Mortal Kombat 11 is a visual slap!
It's time for a little digression for fans of the DC Comics universe: if you like the gameplay of Mortal Kombat 11 (and its predecessors), you'll love the Injustice franchise (The gods are among us in April 2013, then Injustice 2 in May 2017) which transposes the same recipe with DC Comics superheroes in a world subject to a totalitarian regime led by Superman.
Dragon Ball FighterZ - summon the Genki Dama too!
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Dragon Ball FighterZ
- The best game in the franchise
- Easy to play, but not simplistic
- Animation quality
Fans of Akira Toriyama's work have been waiting for it for a long time, and it was in 2018 that the best fighting game based on the Dragon Ball universe was released. Available on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S and Nintendo Switch, Dragon Ball FighterZ offers an intense experience, appreciable as much for neophytes as for insiders of fighting games.
Indeed, Bandai Namco's ultimate title offers an accessible combat system, with plenty of room for improvement, but not lacking in depth. And we can't miss this detail, since it's the first thing we notice: Dragon Ball FighterZ is incredibly beautiful, with sublime animations during the fights.
And if you know little or nothing about the world of space warriors, don't panic. Certainly, the title contains a multitude of references to the manga (to satisfy the fans), but the uninitiated are not lost. Thus, Dragon Ball FighterZ is affordable in many ways. It should be noted, finally, that the game allows you to fight in groups, 3 against 3, online.
Tekken 7 - a demanding title that is (rather) aimed at experts
JVFR
See priceTekken 7
- A demanding title for veterans
- Successful story mode
- Immersive music and sound design
Here we are faced with a pure and hard representative of the versus fighting genre, which first appeared in 1994. As always since the beginning of the franchise, this latest opus was initially released on arcade machines, then was ported to PC and consoles in June 2017. True to its predecessors, it features 3D, partially destructible arenas.
Tekken 7 offers players a multitude of playable characters to customize, some of which are recoverable via DLC. Note that in this list, some figures come from other universes such as Akuma (Street Fighter), Geese Howard (Fatal Fury), the terrible Negan (The Walking Dead) or Noctis Lucis Caelum (Final Fantasy XV).
It is a title rather difficult to access for neophytes of the genre. Indeed, the game successfully relies on its demanding side and always demands more technique and precision from the players who come up against it. Something to delight fans of VS Fighting, but rather frustrating and discouraging for the curious.
Street Fighter V - the safe bet of VS Fighting
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Street Fighter V
- Good roster of varied characters
- Gameplay efficace
- Rich content
So far we've spent a lot of time on the Bandai Namco side, it's time to see what Capcom has to offer, right? But we have to be honest: with its rather meager content and its multitude of bugs, Street Fighter V did not really sell dreams when it was released in February 2016 on PC and PS4.
Nevertheless, after numerous DLCs and other patches, the title has indeed caught up to offer players a truly complete experience, with a beautiful roster of characters and delightfully rebalanced gameplay. It is therefore impossible not to mention the Street Fighter franchise which celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2022!
Admittedly, its gameplay is generally less subtle than those of the Tekken or Mortal Kombat franchises. However, Street Fighter remains a license very appreciated by fans of fighting games, even on the side of casual players. It must be said that everyone, or almost, knows the brothers in arms Ryu and Ken, or even Chun-Li, the first fighter of the saga.
Like its predecessors, Street Fighter V is an excellent gateway for the curious who would like to take an interest in VS Fighting games, then progress to rub shoulders with more demanding titles later.
Guilty Gear Strive - to play online
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Guilty gear strive
- Dynamic gameplay
- Slick graphics
- Music
Head to the 22nd century and the dystopian franchise that takes place there: Guilty Gear, whose latest opus Strive was released in June 2021 on PC and PlayStation 4 / PS5. At the controls, we find Arc System Works, already behind the excellent Dragon Ball FighterZ and other titles in the genre of fighting games.
As usual with this saga started in 1998, the graphics are particularly polished to the point that we quickly feel like an actor in an interactive cartoon. However, on this last opus, we can regret a certain lack of visibility during the fights.
Voted best fighting game at the Game Awards 2021, Guilty Gear Strive is less technical than its predecessors, because its ambitions are very clear: to open up to the general public thanks to simplified gameplay. Novices will obviously appreciate, but regulars may be disappointed.
In truth, fans of twisted combos to blister their fingers will just have to relearn how to play, in a different way. Finally, if the solo content is quite hollow, the online mode is very solid and is the real strength of the title.
SoulCalibur VI - for the Witcher, Geralt of Riv!
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SoulCalibur VI
- Dynamic fights
- Thoughtful training mode
- Geralt de Riv as a guest
Let's come back to the Namco Bandai side to talk about one of the most popular 3D VS Fighting licenses: SoulCalibur. It was in October 2018 that the franchise released its final opus, SoulCalibur VI, on PC and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles.
Visually, the game falls a bit short of what you'd expect from a game of the genre when compared to competing titles. Nevertheless, it offers the essentials: nervous combat and a pleasant experience to become addictive, thanks in particular to a certain welcome renewal of the gameplay.
Like a certain Tekken 7, SoulCalibur VI draws a few guest characters from other universes, such as Geralt de Riv from The Witcher or 2B from Nier: Automata. Something to interest a few curious people to skillfully introduce them to fighting games.
Especially since, like several titles presented in this selection, SoulCalibur IV has the advantage of being accessible to beginners thanks to its particularly well thought-out Training Mode. Indeed, it can accommodate novices quite comfortably, without neglecting veterans.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite - perfect for beginners
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Marvel vs. Capcom : Infinite
- Gameplay accessible to beginners
- Really fun game system
- A limited but varied roster
Let's end this selection with Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, a title that will certainly make those of you cringe who would have preferred to see the unbeatable Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 released in November 2011. However, it must be admitted, this title is perfect for beginners .
So, yes, the roster is quite limited with less than 40 Marvel and Capcom characters, despite several DLCs. And yes, the available modes are not particularly inventive in addition to being quite few...
Nevertheless, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite offers fun and very accessible gameplay, which makes it very easy to create sequences. Beginners will be able to try their hand at the genre with much less frustration, compared to the feeling that a more demanding title can provide.
Fighting games deserve much more attention given their complexity and the technicality they require, and it is a good omen that certain titles are accessible to novices, even that they are dedicated. This is how a community grows.
Prepare for battle!
We have come to the end of our selection of the best fighting games, whether in the purest tradition of versus fighting or through games with different mechanics. Other titles come to mind, but we couldn't name them all...
So we had to make choices, and they are ours. But we are obviously curious about your list of the best fighting games! And above all, why you particularly like these titles. So, do not hesitate to share with us your best versus fighting and other beloved fighting games!
