QCF: Killer Instinct

he Xbox One has been out in the wild for the last two months now and while the tides of success since have been up for debate, the huge two-toned box is currently playing host to one of the most sought after revivals within the last eighteen years of video games.

Microsoft is taking advantage of another Rare property to help spearhead it’s console launch lineup and unlike the dismal affair with Joanna Dark’s return, Double Helix brings back all of the ideals that made Killer Instinct the contender that it was and modernizes them into a spectacular display of brilliance.

Killer Instinct is an experience that’s capable of single-handedly inaugurating the fighting game genre into prominence for the new generation of gaming while validating the early adoption of an Xbox One on the other hand in spades.

The divide between those who saw Killer Instinct for what it was and then those who saw more is a reality that’s very much in force this generation as it was when the series’ first began. From an insensitive yet extravagant roster ranging from a brutish Native American to a sexualized government agent with a leather fetish to the ludicrous setup of foiling an evil corporation’s designs by dropping a car on top of a genetically bio-engineered raptor; these were only some of the things you’d expect out of Rare’s fighter.

Killer Instinct achieved its humble success and rabid cult status from embellishing the Hair-Metal fan fiction that it was and was able to sell its over-the-top fighting system because of it. The question always remained on whether or not these unique distinctions labeled the series a product of an older time—the efforts from both Rare and Double Helix in this entry stand tall as a resounding no.

While there are those who may have looked down upon the presentation that Killer Instinct demonstrates, those who appreciated the provocative yet self-consciously poignant tongue in cheek macabre style will be relieved that those same ideals have been tastefully recreated for this modern sequel. All of the insensitive tropes and caricatures that are revered mostly in nostalgia are now revamped with sensibilities emphasized in the right areas; Orchid isn’t just some objectified sex doll anymore and yet, still retains some sex appeal in her demeanor that’s tastefully portrayed. Thunder isn’t a grunting savage with Cherokee feathers for a Mohawk, instead, he’s an intimidating yet innocuous representation of the Native-American culture that uses actual dialect from his background. It’s touches like these propel the franchise from its crude beginnings in the right direction, and the visuals are some of the best seen out of the new Microsoft system yet—but Killer Instinct’ Sir Loin certainly isn’t the eye-candy, and fortunately, hits the most important target it has the hardest…the fighting system.

The back-to-basics approach with this latest iteration tugs the reigns of the presentation and directs all of the attention to the combat. The physical system at hand is one of the most robust available among its peers. Sure the KI is playing catch up with some of these additions like the Shadow moves, (the fancy title for the prototypical souped-up version of a special move like most fighters) but it’s how it implements them  into action that ensures KI is made of professional grade material that’ll fit right at home with the likes of EVO and eSports.

To start, the meaning of every action taken during combat will illustrate a course of action within seconds, and everything that’s done contains a deceptive meaning behind it to constantly keep your foe guessing on his or her toes. The sheer number of animations that achieve an effective harmonious synchrony between frames and their respective movement that relay the transition of hit boxes to shift to key positions to telegraph an opening  for a specific counter. Among Combo Breakers and counters, Killer Instinct now features Counter Breakers and Shadow Breakers. These special reversals are always at the player’s disposal while some require certain caveats, and all of them operate under their own specific set of rules and circumstance that’s determined from the skill required to execute them along with whatever type of offense your opponent is hurling, if it’s the given one vulnerable against the aggressive turnabout. The once limited array of defense is now augmented with a veritable palate of moves to respond with.

Combo Breaking being the easiest as it as it’s a simultaneous input composed a specific tier of punch and kick against a foes linker mover or their auto-transition move between linkers and if a breaker is attempted during your opponent’s  Auto, it must be exactly one tier of strength higher than the enemy auto-transition. Failed Combo Breakers are far more consequential this go around because if you blow it with the wrong input, you'll endure a lock-out which prevents you from doing any counter period for a total of three seconds, leaving you prey an opponent who no longer has to stress towards varying their assault versus amplifying it. Counter Breakers are character specific inputs that if successful reverse the role of the combo with your fighter launching their respective Auto-transition and subsequent linkers, and Shadow Breakers being a more enhanced proof of the concept. While each character has their own strengths and weaknesses, KI for Xbox One also features yet another new feature that can be initiated for either offensive or defensive use, the Instinct mode. Triggering this transformation enhances your fighter in a variety of ways from changing; anything from the speed and pace in which they move to making them invulnerable during certain attacks—the layer of depth that their deployment can instantly ingratiate the odds, causing a clear divide of skill towards utilizing or defending against it.

While the barrier of entry may seem intimidating from the complexity of the systems in play, the game is constructed specifically towards catering through player growth through two key elements; Trials and the community itself. An endless gambit of trials greets the player to the right of the main menu every time Killer Instinct is booted up; gradually increasing in difficulty as you move along with enough variation to antiquate some skill with the six available fighters. Single player content is mostly sparse other than that, with Survival being the other core mode; beating on a gauntlet rarely scrapes that “worn” feeling though, all thanks to the hook in Killer Instinct’s fighting system and the extent of camber it sinks in—and it only strengthens the already incredibly solid foundation of its online multiplayer.

Double Helix may have developed one of the smoothest online fighting experiences available today, the say that the netcode within KI’s online performance is immaculate would be an understatement. Everything from matchmaking to combat plays just as smooth as it would if were being played locally, with an infrastructure that operates rigorous diagnostics towards signal and ping strength seamlessly in the background; the Rare revival has officially set a new standard for peers to follow. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said towards the complete lack of regulations towards proper competitive conduct. More often than not, finishing off my opponent with an Ultra combo usually resulted in a rage quit from the other end, without a win for my record or a penalty for my sore-losing opponent. With nothing in place to keep ethics in place, the game’s community is subject to some unnecessary backlash that can make the best part about the game quickly become the worst—hell, players now have the luxury of rage-quitting through voice-command and as ludicrous as the prospect may sound, it unfortunately happens all too often.

While the content is gradually growing as Double Helix labors away towards updates and additional content, Killer Instinct at its core, plays very much like a complete game that’s poised to expand into a new benchmark that other fighters will be pressed to surpass in this new generation.