Fighting games are known for their buzzing stages filled with personality, and The King of Fighters XV mostly follows that to a great degree. From the worst to the best, we rank which stages pull us into the immersive game and which ones we’d try to avoid at all costs.
Worst: Coliseum Arena
For a final stage during the story mode, the tournament certainly ends with a whimper. Coliseum Arena is located in a coliseum. The environments are quite bland. There are pillars making their way to a main stage in the background. There are no characters or interesting aspects of the stage close to the characters. The audience is hard to see as they’re far away from the action. For a charismatic game like The King of Fighters XV, it’s strange to see such a generic stage. Unfortunately, it also plays the familiar King of Fighters XIV main theme, which is odd for a new title in the series.
Concert Hall
The Concert Hall may explain why the audience isn’t closer to the action. The textures look low quality, and as we mentioned in our review, they look ripped straight from the PlayStation 1 era. The band performing in the background isn’t impressive either, with a few simple animations. However, what makes up for the non-sensical textures is what’s happening around them. The pyrotechnics are fantastic as they flicker through the background of the action. Meanwhile, big screens around the stage give information about the fight, similar to Super Smash Bros’ Punch Out! stage.
Esaka Construction Site
Set deep within a city landscape, the Esaka Construction Site is when The King of Fighters XV starts to shine with its stages. The builders in the background are charismatic as they’re excited to watch the match. In the far distance behind the action, you can see a bunch of skyscrapers, one of which has the SNK logo on it. The main section of the stage are two massive yellow construction vehicles, and while nothing happens with them, they’re a decent set piece for the construction-themed stage. The downfalls likely come from a lack of budget. The builders’ models, while they add some personality, are sometimes copied to help create the scene. Also, it’s not the most interesting setting for a battle.
Subway Tracks
The King of Fighters XV takes it to the streets as the fight moves to the subway. It’s fairly empty, but the integration of the train, a rat, and excellent music make it stand out. Unlike the construction vehicles of the last stage, the trains move in and out of the track, making this stage more exciting to engage with. As they pass by, you can see graffiti with KOF planted on it. You’ll also notice small rats scurrying on the ground. What makes this stage really work is the music. It’s a neat jazzy, hip-hop lyrical track that gives more context to the surroundings. It’s not the most exciting landmark to focus a stage on, but SNK nailed the little details.
Hyper Galaxy Ring
This stage is pretty awesome. The music first introduces you to a tense atmosphere as two teams struggle to get on top of the match, and then it propels into an engaging rock number that will get the heart pumping. Then, you’ll notice the setting. The battle is set in front of a giant crown building with an amped-up crowd. Yes, the crowd still looks like they’re from the PS1 era, but they’re slightly more obscured behind a fence, creating a better effect. The trophy-like structures shine among the lights, and the big text saying, “King of Fighters” in bold add to the dramatic effect. In addition, diehard SNK fans will likely spot two characters cameoing in front of two ladies holding flags. It’s a stage that deserves praise for going the extra mile stylistically.
Freezing Forest
Freezing Forest is set in a gorgeous arctic paradise. Our fighters battle it out in front of a lake and what seems like a spirit of a deer. The deer is beautiful as it illuminates in a frost-like manner. It’s animated from left to right, just witnessing what’s going on around it. Above the deer is a stunning Aurora Borealis around some snowy hills. We don’t understand how some of the roster lacking the correct gear could cope with the cold, but Freezing Forest truly pulls the player into a magical setting. The music also creates a somewhat sinister tone using a high-pitched singer, but it has this rocky undertone that we can dig.
Pao Pao Cafe
The King of Fighters XV truly is a worldwide affair as this stage takes place in a Caribbean bar. Men in masks are drumming in the background, a full bar with guests is displayed on the left, and purple lighting fills the stage. The surrounding features add flair to the cafe as this nightlife scene exudes a party vibe. The music brings it all together with an upbeat jazzy tune that will further immerse you into this high-class establishment.
Classical Chinese Garden
This stunning Chinese Garden is somewhere we’d love to visit, let alone battle in. Glorious blue flowers glide across the water towards the red-lanterned temple building in the center. It looks immaculate and something we could only dream about. In addition, there’s a detailed and furious dragon sculpture that wraps its tail all over the stage’s pillars, adding a more vicious side to the beautiful temple setting. The only downfall is its poorly fitting music. When the battle starts, there are simple hissing sounds from bugs nearby. It would have been better to stick with silence rather than the game’s heavy rock track SNK has for the stage.
Beach Resort
Set on an American beach, SNK went overboard with the stereotypes in the best way. There’s a flame-painted truck that stands in the middle of the stage. A man with seriously spiky yellow hair is fisting the air with his buddies. There’s a shop on the left with an awesome shark animatronic on top of, and a restaurant with Americans in summer gear watching from the background. We love the addition of the caricature of the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Fittingly, the music is upbeat and sounds inspired by the classic SEGA game OutRun. With the bright blue sky above the fighters’ heads, we could imagine SNK being inspired by the arcade title. While the song won’t be a number one hit by any means, it sounds great for the stage.
Provence Main Street
This French-themed stage looks marvelous in both its day and night variants. Set in front of cafes, the people of the town are coming down to the main street, waving and saying hello. A neat King of Fighters statue lays as the central part of the town center as cars navigate around it in a circular fashion. There are also French flags hung above the charming European buildings. The theme is also fittingly energetic, replicating the prized scenery we all long to visit. Meanwhile, the nighttime variant is host to a bunch of visiting cats, greeting each other in the background. As the felines meet, the lights of the stage glimmer, creating a haunting atmosphere.
The Sahara
There is so much going on with this stage, in the best way. The broken-down vehicles like the airplane and the tank are modeled well amongst the sandy desert landscape. The tank looks almost cel-shaded and brings a Metal Slug vibe to the stage. You can also see a treasure chest submerged below it. On the stage and in the background, you can see shorter men inspired by the itemskeeper in the Metal Slug games. They’re whacky and carry on the ridiculous nature of the stage. Below the wrecked plane, you can see a couple enjoying some meal together, adding to the character of the stage. It all works, and the music playing in the background builds the hype to a high level. It’s certainly the best out of the soundtrack.
Best: Abandoned Theme Park
This creepy stage oozes with atmosphere as the abandoned theme park is filled with creepy homages to its once celebrated mascot. You may freak when you realize the mascot is sitting on a bench nearby. On the right is a Five Nights At Freddy’s-like animatronic that stares into your soul. In its hand lies a weapon is an axe, as it makes a creepy smile towards you.
On the left side of that is a train that comes by every once in a while with an equally horrific green beaming smile. The lighting is gorgeous, with a purple and green presence circling the stage. The big castle domineering castle, matched with an out-of-commission Ferris wheel in the background, builds up the dark atmosphere to create an amazing yet rundown stage. The music, while somewhat creepy, doesn’t really add much to the vibe of the Abandoned Theme Park.
Most of the stages in The King of Fighters XV are well-designed, and some even “shatter our expectations.” However, a few, especially the ending Coliseum Arena, do not match the gorgeous artistry of the Abandoned Theme Park and The Sahara. We hope more stages come to The King of Fighters XV through DLC.
