Best Fighting Games of 2019

It’s award season here at Twinfinite! Today, we’re looking back at the best fighting games of 2019.

Voted on by our editors, these games provided players with some hot fighting action this year.

Let’s start or two runners-up followed, of course, by our overall winner for 2019.

Best Fighting Games of 2019

Second Runner-Up: Dead or Alive 6

News Editor Giuseppe Nelva: Dead or Alive 6 is a very solid entry in the fighting game genre. While it doesn’t represent a revolution compared to previous entries in the series, it’s a fast and fluid game that is entertaining both to play and to watch.

It features very unique mechanics that give it a very different feel compared to other games in the genre, but one of the major innovations in this game is a solid set of tutorials and features to help newcomers feel more at home.

Its release certainly suffered by unclear messaging that made many wonder if the franchise was still true to itself, Team Ninja has since righted the course openly catering to the core fanbase. That being said, the DLC monetization remains arguably too aggressive.

Best Fighting Games of 2019

First Runner-Up: Samurai Shodown

News Editor Giuseppe Nelva: Samurai Shodown brought back a series that has been basically dormant for eleven years, and did so in basically the best way possible.

SNK honored the legacy of the franchise with an awesome fighting game that remains true to its roots while underlining its uniqueness compared to the rest of the genre. Samurai Shodown features fights played pretty literally on the razor edge of a Katana, and a single hesitation can make all the difference between victory and defeat.

This game is the perfect example of the fact that sticking to one’s guns and catering to a franchise’s core fans are strong assets towards a successful return under the spotlight.

On top of that, the new characters are awesome, which is always a welcome bonus.

Best Fighting Games of 2019

Winner: Mortal Kombat 11

Editor-in-Chief Ed McGlone: Mortal Kombat 11 moved the bar forward for fighting games in just about every area worth mentioning this year.

The genre in general is not known for storytelling (usually), but Mortal Kombat 11’s tale was not only great by fighting game standards, it was just a solid narrative period.

MK11’s story was the big payoff that longtime fans have been waiting for. Finally all of the different timelines and narrative threads explored in various games throughout the years finally converged into one point.

It was only recently with the soft reboot back in 2011 that it appeared NetherRealm was taking the overall story of the series seriously, and MK11 wrapped everything up in an impressive and satisfying way allowing them to go forward with a tighter narrative if they choose.

The modern take on the classic gameplay is still very much intact here and thanks to improved tutorials and practice modes, the ability for newcomers/novices to get better at the game is as accessible as possible, but the ceiling for pro players is just as high as ever too.

There’s lots of stuff to grind for in Mortal Kombat 11 for the completionists that want to say they got their hands on everything, but those that just want to fight have plenty of single-player and competitive multiplayer content to sink their teeth into.

Finally, Mortal Kombat 11 might be one of the most visually impressive games ever made. The Krypt, the environment, characters and their fatalities and special attacks are all a feast for the eyes.

In so many ways, Mortal Kombat 11 sets a new bar for all fighting games going forward and that’s why it’s our editor’s choice for fighting game of the year for 2019.