Killer Instinct

A killer history lesson first. Killer Instinct had a relatively warm welcome at its reveal at E3 2013. The original hit arcades in 1994, Killer Instinct 2 followed in 1996 and was ported to the Nintendo 64 as Killer Instinct Gold, and now, as an Xbox One exclusive, you can snag a digital port of the original (titled Killer Instinct Classic) bundled with the 2013 sequel. Although I never had the privilege of playing the 1994 game in arcades, there’s always a veteran sensibility when I play an old game with a current-gen reboot, a haze of nostalgia sweeps over me, and I’m happy to have it come from an Xbox One exclusive.

Killer Instinct (2013) picks the narrative up where Killer Instinct 2 left off and runs a short but entertaining story. Without buying any extras, you’re solely limited to Jago as he deals with his crisis of faith; buy one of the two combo packs and you’re graced with five to seven extra characters whose own stories are planned for later release. Unfortunately, as of now, you’re essentially given half a game with the promise that it’ll be finished soon. To put it in perspective, the game currently has six characters, a short story and only a few modes. It throws you into a dojo with Jago to learn the basics, Arcade mode won’t arrive until all characters are released, and until then you get Survival mode, pitting you against endless CPU waves for a killer score.

The multiplayer modes are straightforward, local or online, though online play comes with a few hindrances: lag, while relatively minimal, can still disrupt the flow of combat and the ability to land complex combos. Speaking of combos, the combo system is by far Killer Instinct’s strongest aspect. It divides across six buttons, three punches and three kicks, designating weaker hits as Openers, average hits as Linkers and the final hit as the strong Ender. With that, you can build genuinely impressive chains, as long as you master each technique.

Each hit carries different animations, effects and results depending on distance, and learning specific attacks, combo breakers and techniques can change the course of a fight in seconds. That said, the satisfaction of the combo system and the efficiency of the tutorial become a somewhat somber matter when you realise the dojo, your practice arena, is limited to Jago and not the other characters, so mastering the rest means learning on the fly.

All in all, Killer Instinct is an excellent addition to the Xbox One roster even in spite of its limited content. The gameplay is dense and addictive, and it’s one of my top favourites among the Xbox One exclusives. Despite the average rating, I highly suggest giving it a try if you’re a fan of fighting games or of the Killer Instinct series, it’s a solid game that simply needs more content. A solid 7.5 out of 10.