6 Fighting Games to Look Forward to in 2018

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Fighting Games to Look Forward to in 2018

We’re only a month into 2018 and already there’re a couple of big fighting games to get excited for. There’s a familiar name leading the charge with Capcom delivering the Arcade Edition of Street Fighter V earlier this month, and this week we’ve got Arc System Works’ attempt at translating the Dragon Ball franchise into a 3 vs. 3 fighter.

Dragon Ball FighterZ pits a number of familiar faces from the long-running Manga and Anime series in a 2.5D arcade fighter that fans will no doubt find plenty to get excited about, the most important of which is a brand new story created specifically for the game. When an army of advanced androids created in their image attack Earth, Goku and the gang find themselves in a struggle for survival. Players will get the chance to step into the shoes of three major cast members from the show, Goku included, as new character Android 21, designed by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, plays a major role in turning everything upside down.

For those unfamiliar with the series, you can expect very similar action to the Marvel vs Capcom games in 3 vs. 3 local or online multiplayer battles, with characters switching during play and massive super moves and combos. Dragon Ball FighterZ arrives Jan. 26 on PS4 and Xbox One.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT

Fighting Games to Look Forward to in 2018

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is the third in a series of spin-off fighting games from Square Enix’s RPG powerhouse and rounds out a meaty January lineup of fighters, though with a very different style.

Co-developed with Team Ninja, itself very familiar with the genre through Dead or Alive among others, every Final Fantasy character you can think of has been brought together to battle it out in a 3 vs. 3 3D arena. Various classes will determine the outcome of each fight in an elaborate rock, paper, scissors style system of one class having advantages over another and so on. Because the arenas are larger and not stuck to a 2D plane, you’ll be targeting the enemy across vast locations to ensure your attacks land, while summoning various allies to aid you in battle.

But let’s face it, the real reason the Dissidia series exists is to answer the age-old question; who would win in a fight between Squall Leonhart and Cloud Strife? You’re welcome to post your answers in the comments down below.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT launches exclusively on PS4 on Jan. 30.

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle

Fighting Games to Look Forward to in 2018

If you thought Arc System Works had their hands full already with Dragon Ball FighterZ, the studio is also hard at work on another all-star fighter set for later this year.

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle brings together a number of familiar faces from the BlazBlue fighting game series in 2 vs. 2 tag team battles, with guest characters from the Atlus published Persona 4 Arena, fellow Japanese studio French Bread’s Under Night In-Birth and Austin based RoosterTeeth Studio’s RWBY animated series. So far 20 characters have been confirmed with another 20 confirmed to arrive as DLC at a later date.

Most of Cross Tag Battle’s gameplay mechanics come straight out of existing BlazBlue mechanics, such as the many combo systems and inputs that will send characters flying left and right, along with a few modifications and additions from the other two fighting game franchises. The obvious exception are the RWBY cast members, making a cameo appearance in their first 2D fighter (though they aren’t making their video game debut). Being a tag fighter, you’ll be able to switch between characters at will during battle and combine for some devastating special moves.

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle will be released on PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch Jun. 5 in the US and in Japan on May 31.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection

Fighting Games to Look Forward to in 2018

Capcom has a busy year ahead of it to celebrate Street Fighter’s 30th Anniversary. Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition is a start, but an upcoming compilation of Street Fighter’s past should please fans of all ages.

The 30th Anniversary Collection goes all the way back to the beginning, compiling 12 arcade classics in one package, including Street Fighter itself which originally released in 1987 and introduced the world to Ken and Ryu. The back catalog also includes the many arcade iterations of the legend that is Street Fighter II, plus the Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighter III trilogies.

Four of the titles, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Super Street Fighter II: Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha 3 and Street Fighter III: Third Strike, will also include new online features, allowing fans to go head-to-head in ranked and casual match options with dedicated leaderboards. The package is rounded off with a host of extras including an interactive timeline, character bios, art galleries and a music player.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection arrives May 2018 on PS4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch. There’s no indication thus far if there will be any cross-platform multiplayer, though one can hope.

SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy

Fighting Games to Look Forward to in 2018

Recently announced during Nintendo’s Mini Direct, SNK Heroines is a new tag team series that pits a number of female heroes against each other in a colorful arcade-style brawl.

Information on this one is still a little light on the ground so far, but a number of characters from the SNK staple are expected to be included in the female-focused roster, including Athena Asamiya from King of Fighters, Mai Shiranui who debuted in Fatal Fury, and Yuri Sakazaki from Art of Fighting. The fighting itself will be simplified from the usual multi-button combo affair with a one button attack and special attack functions, with the ability to use various special items during combat. Characters can also be fully customized by collecting various cosmetic items, too.

SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy debuts on Nintendo Switch as well as the PS4 later this year.

Soul Calibur VI

Fighting Games to Look Forward to in 2018

There’s even less information out there on Bandai Namco’s return to the Soul Calibur franchise, but hopefully, it will arrive towards the tail end of the year to help celebrate Soul Calibur’s 20th anniversary (or more, if you want to count Soul Edge).

Soul Calibur VI was a surprise announcement during the 2017 Game Awards, showing off some slick footage of Sophitia taking on Mitsurugi. So far, the only tidbits that have been shared is the fact that this is somewhat of a reboot for the series, going back to the original timeline of the first game (and hence, why both characters appear younger than the last time they appeared), and some of the combat has been simplified to make things easier not just for the pros, but for any new fans out there, too.

There’s no official release date set for Soul Calibur VI outside of releasing sometime in 2018, but it’s expected to appear on PS4, PC and Xbox One.