GameHaven

Graphics-5/5
The first thing that pops out at the player when they boot up KOFXII are the absolutely stunning graphics. All the characters are beautifully drawn and the animations are top-notch. The backgrounds are very detailed and full of motion and nice effects. Everything from special effects to simple counters cause beautiful effects to appear, both from the characters and in the background. There really isn't much negative to say about the graphics- they're full of old-school 2-D appeal but sharper and crisper than ever.

Sound-3/5
While the graphics are great, the same can't be said for the sound. Yes, the music is great and fits the atmosphere marvelously. The effects, however, begin to grate on the player's nerves after just a few matches. There's only so many Japanese yelps and cries that a man can take before he begins to lose his mind.

Gameplay-3/5
KOFXII is a hardcore game. Button mashers need not apply- I tried and failed miserably. It's all about knowing a character's strengths and weaknesses and mastering all their combos. There's Arcade mode, Versus, Practice, and Online mode. Arcade is standard 3-on-3 KOF, trying to win as quick as possible. Versus is Player vs Player action, while Online just takes that action online. Practice is just that- a place to hone your abilities. The game is nice and plays nice enough, but it feels behind it's time. People want games that are easy to pick up and play, and KOF definitely isn't enjoyed best this way.



Online-3/5
Online's simple and fluid enough, with the standard quick matches, custom matches, and friend matches. I jumped into quick match for a bit and found the competition tough but it was fun enough. Players can also spectate other matches while they wait for theirs to begin, which is nice. However, there's just too much wait time between matches to stay hooked for too long.

Extras-3/5
The game comes with a custom KOF theme on the same disc and there's an in-game gallery mode, so those are both nice. But beyond that, there really isn't much extra to see or do here. It's nice addictions for big fans but otherwise nothing too special.

Closing Comments
KOFXII is a nice game for hardcore-fighting game fans and KOF die-hards. However, to the average fighting fan or casual gamer, it really can't be recommended when there are such better alternatives such as Street Fighter IV, Soul Calibur IV, or even Blazblue. Rent it for the trophies if you must, and if it happens to keep you hooked, then congratulations.

Overall: 3/5
Good: Beautiful graphics, nice sound, challenging
Bad: Hard for casual players, a bit too "old school"

-lol_its_raph

NOTE: Thanks to Romeo Corsi and RocketXL for sending me the review copy as well as supplying assets.