The King of Fighters XIII PlayStation 3
User Score
8.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 43 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 43
  3. Negative: 4 out of 43

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  1. frantisek
    Nov 22, 2011
    10
    King of Fighters XIII is probably the best 2d fighting experience you can have in the current generation, and one of the best 2d fighters ever created. Not only has the overall package been extremely improved in both quantity and quality, with tons of modes, new characters, beautiful stages that will remind you of the best SNK games on NeoGeo, new systems that actually add a lot of depth to the game (drive cancel, extra versions of special and desperation moves, and many other things) but the game has also a good netcode that, so far, hasn't let me down a single time. KoF13 has already been a favorite in the competitive scene for some time, and it's likely to gather a decent following in order to build a sizeable community in the future. The 4 CD soundtrack provided by Atlus USA surely helps to improve the value of an already exceptional game.… Expand
  2. rempel
    Nov 22, 2011
    10
    while i was burned by kof12's lack of contents and poor online, i must say that kof13 is really different, to the point of being completely different both regarding gameplay and available modes. if kof12 had practically nothing aside from arcade, versus and practice, here we have a great story mode with multiple paths, a nice arcade mode with dialogues between matches, versus, time attack, survival, tutorial, training, missions, a great color edit mode and a competent online mode that is surely on par with most other beat'em ups.

    the new features, like special versions of moves and supers are also welcome additions, and i think anyone remotely interest in this genre should buy this gem asap    … Expand
  3. Roxas0
    Nov 22, 2011
    10
    i loved kof98um and 2002um, but 13 seems to be far better because of its new systems... the ex moves are really a big improvement, and the neomax move are really satisfying when you manage to pull them off during an actual fight. movesets are also far more expanded compared to kof12, and the story mode is packed with old characters like heidern or vanessa and brings the story of ash crimson to closure. to my surprise, the online mode worked very well in my experience, especially with people with at least 3 connection bars. it's not blazblue level, but it's definitely on par with super street fighter 4 ae or mvc3.… Expand
  4. Brunuman
    Nov 22, 2011
    8
    The king of fighters was always a well known and beloved fighting series, starting in 1994. As an snk fan since long forgotten times, these series always had a special place in my fighting spirit. And saying that kof XIII is a bad game is to fail to understand these beloved series.
    Kof XIII is a big inprovement over kof XII, the fighting system is well tweaked and the characters animations     and stages look AMAZING!
    the story mode is easy to follow to who really follow the story from previous kof, leaving the new and not-so-interested players a little confused whith all the fuss around the characters, but its a great addition no doubt about it! To those saying this game has cheap bosses, please, tell me that the other fighting games dont have them! if you do... well god help your ability of judgement!

    the online is still a little laggy, but who can say better from all the other online fighters? its a common headache for all, some a little better, some way worse.

    Whith a ton of addictions, the great new stages, a pile of new characters, new and improved (and fun) playability, kof is an excellent choice to al the kof fans and the pixel punching fans in general!

    I give it an 8, the same i give to ssf4, has the same online issues and we have to understand its 2 very different games, the choice is up to you and your taste!    … Expand
  5. Alenth
    Nov 22, 2011
    9
    In the era of casual fighting games with ridiculous comeback mechanics this game comes to save the day and show us how real fighting games should be: in the old school format, this game rewards skill and if you want to be the best you must to earn it, this game improves a lot since the last game, the net code is good (not perfect) more characters and more depth in the fighting system, Thanks to SNK to bring us a great experience of how a true fighting game should be.… Expand
  6. metatcn
    Nov 24, 2011
    6
    Finally a finished game. This game is leagues better then XII and has finally added lots of content in SP. The sprites are gorgeous and the game is finally reminiscent of kof98 glory days.Nice balance of character diversity for defensive, grapple, rushdown play styles and no comback mechanics, kofXIII finally heading in right direction. Plus it has 1v1 and 3v3 battles, nice mix. But unless you live in a areas with tournies this game is a huge let down. The online is still below par and it's even worst then Marvel vs capcom 3 and that game has spotty online, face it fighting games are meant to be played with other people. Empty promises by the company to fix the online netcode was met when they announced they'd use the same GSS system as XII. The best thing right now is atlus have started a discussion on their forums of people interested in a patch. Atlus gave us nice bonuses like the 4CD soundtrack and glad they are considering doing online patch if fans want it. Funny how the publisher cares more about fans then the actual developers. But as is right now better off waiting for price drop if it's only SP focused. KOFXIII while improved still has a long way to go to play with the big boys in fighting genre. Doesn't help 2D sprite games like arcana hearts 3 and blazblue have perfected netcode and skullgirls is pulling all punches with ggop, kofXIII is pretty disappointing. KOFXIII could have really benefit from ggop like netcode due to having 1 frame links.… Expand
  7. SabinFrost
    Dec 28, 2011
    8
    I admit, I've never been the largest fan of the King of Fighters series, gravitating towards Capcom staples are more recently Blazblue. King of Fighters stands as a highly technical experience, while the mechanics were solid in XII, the game lacked depth outside of local competition against other die-hard players, a rare occurrence unless you happen to know such individuals. Thankfully the online is vastly improved in XIII, however the games unforgiving nature and reputation as a fighters, fighting game have not changed. King of Fighters XIII is not the most "fun" on the market, but if you understand what frame trapping means you'll salivate all over it.… Expand
  8. VidsRule
    Feb 25, 2012
    9
    Are you kidding me? I feel like I could just sit there and play this forever because the characters and balance just keep me glued to the tv. It's more than the sum of it's parts, and much better than 12, although that was kinda fun too. There's something 'friendly' about this game.
  9. sinadoom
    Dec 10, 2012
    5
    Given that this is a full retail game from 2011, I'd be lying if I said it isn't laughably pathetic. Those graphics are simply unnacceptable. I know it's a fighting game and graphics don't matter, but at least SOME effort would have been nice. The original Street Fighter 2 is better looking, and SSFIITHD is by far better looking. Characters in this game have zero detail and the stages don't look great either. Although there is a tutorial, the commands in the tutorial and trials mode could not have been any less clear. Not only do you have to sit down and sketch the shape of the stick movement, but also each move is not clearly indicated, since they're all on one line rather than a line for each move (like on Street Fighter IV). All the standard modes you'd expect from a fighting game are here; arcade mode, multiplayer, local versus, time attack, trials). However, the quality of these is very low compared to Street Fighter IV. Everything about this game feels low budget and certainly not high quality. The characters lack variety and a fair few are obvious copies of Street Fighter characters like El Fuerte, Dan, Ryu, Ken, Yang, C. Viper, Hugo and Gen. What sets this game apart is not characters, quality or game modes. It's the 3v3 rather than 1v1 but still two players, but each has 3 characters. The game is fairly easy to pick and play, especially compared to more technical fighting games. However, the controls and command list are aweful because they are so unclear on how to perform each move. The tutorial is horrible too. However, as a very very very cheap aracde game (if not a couple of quid, certainly free) it's not bad for getting trophies or achievements. I struggle to take this game seriously even if it was an aracde game for less than £8. As a full game, it's a joke, if not an obvious troll of a fighting game. It's satisfying to play even against the AI and it's not a complicated game at all, but the overall quality lets it down hugely.… Expand
  10. Mando
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    Easily the best fighting game of this generation and an enormous improvement over XII. The mechanics in this game truly allow you to play characters the way you want to play them and there's no shortage of things to learn. Tons of single-player modes and features, respectable cast of characters, excellent soundtrack (which can be changed to play certain KoF XI/2002 songs), beautiful sprites, etc. etc. If there was ever a game to support balanced high-level competitive play, this is it. The only cons I can think of are the netcode and accessibility for new players. Find a 3-4 bar match and you're set, but 1-2 bars is unplayable as one would expect. As for accessibility, you'll notice this as soon as you enter trial mode. The game requires a hefty amount of execution to pull off some of the flashier combos and you're gonna have to do some studying if you want to get good (There are some great tutorials online made just for this). Overall, it's a must-buy for any serious fighting game fan or just someone looking to mash it out with friends. If you liked Capcom vs SNK 2 or any previous King of Fighters game, you'll love this.… Expand
  11. brunogabriele
    Dec 15, 2011
    8
    Well, I'm not so keen on fighting games or experience but this game is really great! I love the different characters and the scenes where they fight are very well-done! I like also the different options this game has got for example, playing a tournament, multiplayer or a quick play! That's great! So I like it!
  12. Whodigiya
    Jan 4, 2012
    10
    This game made me forget about he debacle that was KOF XII. This is what KOF should have been and it's what I hope KOF will be in the future. This is probably one of the best playing and best looking fighting games I've played this year. This game is chock full of energy and brilliant character designs. It features a deep fighting systems and a variety of playmodes. I would not hesitate to recommend this game to any fan of fighting games, letalone 2D fighters.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Multiplayer.it
    Mar 30, 2012
    90
    The King of Fighters XIII comes back as the leader of technical fighting games. A lot of single player modes, characters and the good online experience but first of all a solid and difficult gameplay make this last release a must buy for all the fans.
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  2. DarkZero
    Feb 6, 2012
    70
    While many, many improvements have been made over its predecessor, The King of Fighters XIII is not without its faults. One of the biggest requests from fans was that of better netcode. The King of Fighters XII was known for its downright terrible and horrendous lag. SNK has stated multiple times that XIII will feature a better online experience but I can't say they've made good on that promise. While input latency has definitely been cut down, it is still quite noticeable.
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  3. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Feb 2, 2012
    60
    The game looks crusty. The sprites introduced last year are pixilated and their animations limited. Plus the game lacks any creative flourishes during the massive super moves. We love the idea of a stunning 2D fighter, but there's no technical or artistic creativity here. Note to SNK – invest some money to make it look like a cartoon made by a ninja Walt Disney. [January 2012, p.76]
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