The King of Fighters XI
The King of Fighters XI
The King of Fighters XI est un jeu de combat développé et édité par SNK Playmore, sorti le 26 octobre 2005 sur arcade, PlayStation 2 et PlayStation 3. Constituant le onzième volet de la série The King of Fighters, il fait suite à The King of Fighters 2003 et a été conçu sur le moteur Atomiswave.
L'opus propose un roster de 33 combattants, dont quatre personnages inédits, et permet à un ou deux joueurs d'affronter des équipes rivales dans un format d'affrontement continu. Une cinquième touche de contrôle a été ajoutée au gameplay, permettant d'asséner un coup dévastateur à l'adversaire au moment opportun. Un nouveau jaugeur de compétence, baptisé Skill Gauge, ouvre la voie à des attaques supplémentaires et à des manœuvres de changement d'équipe. Les joueurs peuvent par ailleurs composer librement leur propre trio de combattants.
Le scénario du jeu se poursuit sur les événements de l'opus précédent. Mukai, membre du groupe « Those from the Distant Land », a volé le sceau du démon Orochi. Profitant de cette situation, Ash Crimson a attaqué Chizuru Kagura alors qu'elle était affaiblie, lui dérobant le Miroir Yata et lui faisant perdre ses pouvoirs. Un nouveau tournoi est alors organisé, cette fois sous l'égide de « Those from the Past », un groupe composé de Shion, expert en armes et sous-boss du jeu, et de Magaki, manipulateur de dimensions et boss final. À la défaite de ce dernier, Magaki tente de s'emparer du pouvoir d'Orochi, mais finit par être tué par son propre allié.
Du point de vue technique et artistique, la presse a salué la qualité globale du titre. AceGamez a souligné que le jeu est si bien assemblé qu'il n'est pas nécessaire de chercher à plaire à tous les goûts, le jugeant supérieur aux déceptions récentes que furent Neowave et l'opus en 3D. Armchair Empire a, quant à lui, apprécié la bande sonore et le style visuel signature de SNK, estimant que l'ensemble parvient à surpasser Neo Geo Battle Coliseum. Côté joueurs, des avis très enthousiastes ont été relevés, certains qualifiant The King of Fighters XI de meilleur jeu de combat jamais joué, vantant notamment sa jouabilité et la difficulté de son boss final, tandis que d'autres ont rappelé leur attachement de longue date à la série et à ses traditions.
Avec un temps de complétion estimé à environ deux heures pour l'histoire principale et pouvant atteindre 120 heures pour les joueurs souhaitant tout explorer, The King of Fighters XI bénéficie d'une note agrégée de 78,61 sur les plateformes de critique.
Médias
Avis des critiques et joueurs
Critiques de la Presse (Metacritic)
« There is no need to attempt to cater to tastes when a game is this well put together. After the relative disappointment of Neowave and the simply appalling 3D Maximum Impact series, SNK: Playmore have finally come good with one of the finest 2D fighters around. If you are a fan of the genre, or even slightly curious, then you simply must pick up a copy of King of Fighter XI just as soon as you can. »
« Combined with an excellent soundtrack and the same stylish look that SNK is know for, this somehow manages to beat even Neo Geo Battle Coliseum as one of the best 2D fighters they’ve put out in a long, long time. »
« The most important quality in any relationship is personality, and The King of Fighters XI has personality in abundance. [JPN Import, Oct 2006, p.78] »
« It’s a mystery how two such very different games manage to share so many things in common. In away it’s almost a relief that Maximum Impact 2 is so poor, as it allows XI to bask in its own glory, an example of how the 2D fighting genre isn’t dead and hopefully an opportunity for younger gamers to appreciate the concept of gameplay being greater than eye-candy. »
« While King Of Fighters XI is somewhat average in the graphics department compared to other fighting games of the modern 3D era, it makes up for it with refreshingly and uniquely refined gameplay. »
« Balanced, a little hasty, and enjoyable, King of Fighters XI is what people were expecting: an enjoyable game with new features and a stylish look that keeps in line with the rest of the series. »
« If you've been looking to get a fix on some 2D fighting, you really can't go wrong here. Solid presentation, nearly non-existent load times, a large roster to pick from, and some really solid gameplay make this a definite buy for fans. »
« Sure, the game’s far from perfect. Still, it’s one of best fighting games ever to grace the PS2, and for only 20 bucks, it’s about the best deal in gaming today. »
Avis des Joueurs (Metacritic)
« The best fighting game that i played in all my life. I really love the jugability and the final boss battle that is the most difficult that i played 10/10 »
« I have been playing fighting games since the 90's and The King of Fighters series is my favorite of all time because of its several traditions like four action buttons, team 3-vs-3 battles, iconic SNK characters and the memorable soundtracks. However in this chapter, the level of innovation is unprecedented: we have a 3-vs-3 tag team mode with the highest speed, a variety of tools that accelerates the matches, a surprising judgment system to "time over" results and a powerful stylish selection of fighters. KOF XI has a poweful selection of new, old and returning fighters like Eiji Kisaragi, Kasumi Todo, B. Jenet, Sie Kensou and the splendid new protagonist, Ash Crimson. KOF XI was the most bold production of all time in the series, ahead of its time, that guarantees a mix of fun and competitive system. The game's balance has a lot of problems, but the new combo mechanics as Quick Shift, OTG hitting moves and juggle new system brings the best combo exhibitions since the KOF 2002. The artworks, menus and sound choices are praised by fans until the nowadays. The PS2 version added a lot of things to do: 40 missions - that unlocks 7 extra characters, 10 new high-quality BGM, an arranged collection of BGM, new backgrounds and even an arranged system of balance. The only poor decisions made by this game: 1) The final boss battle. No one of SNK's bosses is capable to do things like Magaki does. (WE hate him). 2) Absence of Mai Shiranui, Joe Higashi, Leona Heidern and Robert Garcia as playable characters. Two of them appears in PS2, as their 2005's Neo Geo Battle Coliseum appearances. In 2023, the Fighting games Community still waits for a modern consoles port; This game is in the memory of a lot of passioned fans of genre, as the perfect painting that was not showed to the world. Bring back my son, SNK! »
« The King of Fighters series is my favorite in the fighting game genre. KOF 11 is not only one of the best KOF games but one of the best 2D fighters ever. Gameplay wise, while keeping the traditional four button layout, it has faster and smoother mechanics than its predecessors. The game modes of arcade, team, single, survival, and online play gives many options for players that want to have a fun experience. There is a starting roster of 36 characters with an additional 14 that you will have to unlock. Story wise, it may not be like a Final Fantasy story with rich detail but comparing it to other fighting games, it is one of the most compelling stories out there by taking place in the middle of the Ash Saga with suspenseful events. The soundtrack is my favorite in fighting games and the pixelated graphics are crisp. Overall, KOF 11 is an experience and I recommend getting this on the Ps2 or by emulating it. I played it on the Ps2. It will be very fun. »
« Played on PlayStation 2. Gameplay: GREAT. Story: GOOD. Graphic: GOOD. Music/Sound: GREAT. Dialogue: GOOD. »
« This is my favorite 2D fighter of all time. I have extremely fond memories of going to a now closed down arcade with a close childhood friend and blowing all our quarters on this game. This is one of the games that made me a lifelong fan of fighting games. The art is simple gorgeous, the game, while relatively difficult when compared to most fighting games, still is fun with enough time put into it (in our case, throwing countless quarters into) and taking the time to get the move execution down. After that arcade closed down, I discovered this game in a gaming store for $12.99 and had more hours of fun, and more quarters in my pocket! I still play it from time to time to relive those precious childhood memories and just have a blast. »
