Have you ever enjoyed a demo as much as a full game If the core mechanics are fun enough, even a tiny chunk of a larger whole can prov...

Incredibly entertaining; thanks to great presentation; Deep mechanics; while still staying accessible; Smooth online play

Only six fighters at launch; Scarce single-player content

The sad truth about fighting games is that much of what makes playing them against others interesting is usually kept obscured. succeeds enormously at exposing all of that information to players of all skill levels.

Excellent tutorials; Smart combat system; Gorgeous effects

Limited roster; Character art

Killer Instinct may seem little light with only six characters at launch, no lobbies for online play, and no Story mode until March, but the fighting mechanics are top notch. You can't argue with how easy the game is to pick up and play, and you'll have a ton of fun in the process.

I've been playing Killer Instinct until my thumbs hurt. The left analog stick didn't give me the level of control that I needed so I switched to the Xbox One controller's new-look D-Pad fairly early on in proceedings (side note: it's much superior to the Xbox 360's for fighters).

These past few years have ushered in a great era of fighting games. From Persona 4 Arena to Skullgirls to Marvel vs. Capcom 3, gaming's seen a lot of fresh blood mixing in with the older franchises making a comeback.

Several PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launch titles haven't really taken much advantage of either console's improved hardware, but Killer Instinct looks outright incredible; From intricate character detailing to the splash from blocked fireballs, it's clear that the developers pushed the graphics as...

Fighting games are hard. For many they're impenetrable. Sure, you can do a hadouken; that quarter circle forward motion is ingrained in the psyche of most gamers of a certain generation, but beyond that Well, things get complicated. And online Forget it.

I have fond memories of playing Killer Instinct in the arcades nearly 20 years ago. Lengthy combo counts, the guttural shouts of the announcer, and the excitement of pulling off an ultra combo always brings a smile to my face.

Killer Instinct is back to bust heads and break combos after an almost two-decade-long hiatus. Once you decipher the game's free-to-play pricing , you discover a bombastic brawler whose balanced fighting mechanics buck the trend towards very long, very technical combos while still providing an...

Fights are intense and engaging; Combo and counter breakers emphasize mind games; Online play runs smoothly; Ultra Edition includes classic Killer Instinct

Barebones online and offline modes; Lacks replay sharing

During the '90s, Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat dominated local coin-op arcades as the fighting games fans preferred. But for hardcore fighting fans craving something different, Killer Instinct satisfied a certain itch with its extensive combos and stunning graphics.

Combat is deep; yet accessible and easy to learn; Combos are fluid and can last longer than ever; Feels so good to hear that Ultraaaaaa combo yell; Jago; Thunder; Orchid; Glacius; and Thunder are back..

And how does Sadira fit in; No story mode; Free; with a pay per character model

Killer Instinct isn't what you'd typically call "free to play," and that's bloody marvellous. See, us hacks were quick to mislabel Xbox One's debut fighting game after its E3 showing, but we eventually learned that things were slightly more nuanced than just "F2P.

Fluid; brutal and versatile action feels fantastic on the new D-Pad; Handsome crisp visuals benefit from gratuitous particle effects; Exhaustive playable tutorials and smart business model

Desperately needs the story and arcade modes ASAP; feels a bit flimsy; Jago vs Jago match-ups are already wearing thin; Some classic characters still MIA; more memorable arenas would be nice