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Killer Instinct (2013 video game)

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Killer Instinct
File:Killer instinct (2013) logo.jpg
Developer(s)Double Helix Games[1][2]
Rare Ltd.
Publisher(s)Microsoft Studios
Composer(s)Mick Gordon
SeriesKiller Instinct
EngineHEX Engine[3]
Platform(s)Xbox One[1]
Release
  • EU: November 22, 2013
  • NA: November 22, 2013
  • JP: TBA
Genre(s)Fighting game
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Killer Instinct is a fighting game in the Killer Instinct series, developed by Double Helix Games under supervision of Ken Lobb.[4] The game was announced during Microsoft's E3 2013 press event, and was released exclusively as a launch game for the Xbox One on November 22, 2013.

Gameplay

File:Killer Instinct 2013 gameplay.png
A promotional gameplay screenshot, depicting Orchid fighting Sabrewulf.

Killer Instinct is a return to the series which retains its traditional combo-based gameplay. The main mechanic of combos is the "Auto-Double" (button presses following special attacks will create automatic combo hits instead of each individual hit requiring player input). A signature feature of Killer Instinct, the Ultra Combo, is included (an Ultra Combo is an automatic combo that can only be done to end a match and consists of a long string of attacks).[5] "Combo Breakers" also return (attacks that, when timed properly, can stop a combo), with the new addition of "Counter Breakers" (the ability to reverse a Combo Breaker into a "Lockout" instead, the failure state of a Combo Breaker which prevents another breaker attempt for three seconds). A two-segmented super meter enables the use of "Shadow" moves that have upgraded hit properties and can cause more damage/combo hits.

A notable new feature to the Killer Instinct gameplay is the addition of "Instinct Mode". By filling up a secondary bar beneath the character's lifebar, each character can trigger a unique enhancement for a limited period (so for instance Glacius can cover himself in ice armor for better damage resistance or Thunder's dash becomes invincible and moves farther). The enhancements are built around complementing the character's playstyle traits. Instinct Mode can be used to perform an instantaneous cancel during a combo and also reset the "knockdown value" (a meter that appears during a combo that determines how close the engine is to automatically ending a combo). Instinct Mode can also be used to stop an Ultra Combo in order to chain it to other moves and even into another Ultra for an even more stylish finish than a simple Ultra Combo can provide.

The game features the ability to unlock and use classic Killer Instinct music and costumes in place of their updated counterparts. Chris Sutherland, the announcer from the first two Killer Instinct titles, also appears as an optional announcer available for use.[6] The game uses Kinect's facial recognition software to save players' personalized game settings.[7]

Plot

The game is set several years after the events of Killer Instinct 2.[8] Each character has their own story-arc in the game; a story mode featuring campaigns for each character will be released in March.

  • Jago is suffering a crisis of faith following the discovery that the Tiger Spirit guiding him was actually Gargos.
  • Sabrewulf has submitted to his feral side and torn out his cybernetic implants, restoring his arms through the use of dark arts.
  • Glacius has resolved to recover and use his lost alien technology for the benefit of Earth.
  • Thunder, having learned that his brother Eagle was killed in the first Killer Instinct tournament but not knowing how or why, resorts to making something of an alliance with a "not-so-familiar face" in order to obtain the information he seeks and finally receive closure.
  • Sadira and her assassins are on a mission, hunting the other competitors for bloodsport.
  • Orchid, for reasons unknown as of now, has been disavowed by her agency. Despite their apparent destruction at her hands, Orchid believes that UltraTech is still active, and fully commits herself to finding and eliminating what remains of them. To accomplish this, she has emigrated to a different part of the world to establish a rebel group. She also apparently suffers from paranoia to some extent.
  • Spinal, once again resurrected and armed with a new living shield, seeks to remove the curse causing his immortality so that he might finally rest in peace.

Characters

Main article: List of Killer Instinct characters

The game currently features seven characters, with one additional character to be added in March 2014 and one exclusive for Gold suscriptors.[9] Each character has his own stage. Additional characters are planned to be included as part of a "second season" of downloadable content.[10] In addition, Double Helix hopes to introduce brand new characters into the franchise, particularly female ones.[11]

Season 1

Character First Appearance
Jago Killer Instinct (1994)
Sabrewulf Killer Instinct (1994)
Glacius Killer Instinct (1994)
Thunder Killer Instinct (1994)
Sadira Killer Instinct (2013)
B. Orchid Killer Instinct (1994)
Shadow Jagoa Killer Instinct (2013)
Spinal Killer Instinct (1994).
Fulgoreb Killer Instinct (1994).
Notes
^a : Exclusive for Xbox Live Gold members.
^b : Forthcoming character.

Development

For many years after Killer Instinct 2's 1996 release, rumors of a possible follow-up continued to swirl around the internet. In March 2010, Ken Lobb, Microsoft Studios creative director and co-designer of the original Killer Instinct games, announced that they are not working on Killer Instinct 3, but may some day bring the game back.[12] In July 2010, Lobb said Rare wants to make Killer Instinct 3.[13] Rare studio manager Mark Betteridge said that Rare would like to bring Killer Instinct to the Xbox Live Arcade.[14] In an August 2012 interview, Rare veteran Donnchadh Murphy said, “We all wanted to make KI3, but Microsoft [was] more interested in broadening their demographic than making another fighting game. So it never got made, I doubt it ever will.”[15]

In September 2012, Microsoft applied for renewal of the Killer Instinct trademark.[16] In an October 2012 interview, Rare veteran Lee Musgrave, who was the former head of art at Rare, spoke on the issues of making Killer Instinct for XBLA: "We came close to firing off a conversion of Killer Instinct a few times, but there were licensing obstacles to that, and it never really had enough perceived interest to push it forward."[17] In December 2012, Microsoft's renewal for the Killer Instinct trademark was rejected by the United States Patent and Trademark Office due to the possibility of the game being confused with the unrelated TV series of the same name that lasted for one season in 2005.[18][19] Microsoft had six months to respond to the ruling.[20][21] The trademark dispute was settled when Microsoft and Fox reached an agreement in April 2013.[22][23]

A showing of the game's demo version at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2013

At the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2013, Microsoft and Double Helix Games announced Killer Instinct exclusive for the Xbox One.[1] A trailer showed the series' mainstays Jago, Sabrewulf and Glacius. Ken Lobb said more characters would be announced at upcoming events such as Evolution Championship Series 2013, during which Chief Thunder's return was teased.[24][25] Two polls conducted by Double Helix asked fans what characters they would like to see return.[26][27]

A live demonstration of the title at E3 2013 between producer Torin Rettig and Xbox community manager Ashton Williams was poorly received by a number of bloggers, journalists and developers, including Jonathan Blow.[28] The demonstration had the two competing against one another and exchanging banter in a manner that some viewers interpreted as scripted and alluding to rape.[28] Williams later commented that the dialogue was unscripted and no ill intent was meant on the part of either individual.[29] Nevertheless, Microsoft's Phil Spencer issued an official apology stating in part that at Microsoft "bullying and harassment of any kind is not condoned and is taken very seriously."[28]

Following the announcement that Double Helix Games had been purchased by Amazon, Microsoft confirmed that support for Killer Instinct would continue, saying that they would announce their new development partner on the project soon.[30]

Release

Killer Instinct was released as a free game demo that includes all available game modes but only one playable character, Jago, with the ability to purchase additional fighters individually.[31] Alternatively, players can purchase the "Combo Breaker Pack" for a single fee, which will provide immediate access to all six launch characters, as well as early access to the two post-launch fighters. Players can also purchase the "Ultra Edition", which includes all eight characters, sixteen additional character accessory packs, eight additional costumes, and a playable version of the original Killer Instinct arcade game under the title Killer Instinct Classic.

An official arcade stick made by Mad Catz was released to coincide with the game's launch.[32] A second season of downloadable content featuring eight additional characters is planned for 2014.[10][33]

Reception

The game has received mixed to positive critical reception, scoring a 73/100 and a 73.59% approval rating from aggregate review sites Metacritic and GameRankings respectively.[35][34] While most reviews praised the gameplay itself, the biggest qualm has been the lack of content.

References

  1. ^ a b c Lien, Tracey (June 10, 2013). "Killer Instinct coming to Xbox One". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  2. ^ Leone, Matt (2013-06-14). "Defending Killer Instinct". Polygon. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  3. ^ "About". Doublehelixgames.com. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  4. ^ "Killer Instinct Video – E3 2013: Double Helix Interview". GameTrailers. 2013-06-13. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  5. ^ "E3 2013: Killer Instinct Is a Fun Free to Play Xbox One Launch Game". IGN. 2013-06-11. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  6. ^ "Killer Instinct to offer classic announcer, costumes and music". Polygon. 2013-08-23. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  7. ^ "Killer Instinct Kinect integration will help you in tournaments, says dev". Polygon. 2013-07-17. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
  8. ^ Xbox One Help Guide Manual
  9. ^ "gamescom: Thunder Returns in Killer Instinct". News.xbox.com. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
  10. ^ a b "Killer Instinct - Lobb on Future Characters - Gamescom 2013 - IGN Video". Ign.com. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
  11. ^ "Fulgore, Spinal, and Cinder Set to Return in Killer Instinct, Developers Looking to Include More Female Characters « Shoryuken". Shoryuken.com. 2013-06-12. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  12. ^ "X10: Killer Instinct 3 is still a possibility". Destructoid. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  13. ^ "X10: Ken Lobb: Killer Instinct Has a Place on the XBLA – Xbox 360 News At". Xbox360achievements.org. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  14. ^ "A Rare Look at Rare from". 1UP.com. 1998-06-29. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  15. ^ "Donnchadh Murphy chats about Rare". NotEnoughShaders.com. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  16. ^ "Killer Instinct: Trademark Renewed". playxbla.com. 2012-09-23. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  17. ^ "NES – notenoughshaders.com – Crash Lab: Life after Rareware and Free Radical". Notenoughshaders.com. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  18. ^ "Microsoft denied Killer Instinct trademark renewal". GameSpot.com. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  19. ^ Yin, Wesley (2012-12-04). "Microsoft denied Killer Instinct trademark because of little-known 7 year old TV show • News •". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  20. ^ Sliwinski, Alexander. "Killer Instinct trademark renewal rejected, what it means". Joystiq.
  21. ^ "Killer Instinct Trademark Renewal Refused". IGN. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  22. ^ John, Anthony (2013-04-04). "Microsoft settles its legal dispute with Fox over Killer Instinct". Digital Trends. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  23. ^ "Microsoft And Fox Come To Terms Over Killer Instinct Trademark". GameInformer. 2013-04-04. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  24. ^ "Killer Instinct 720p 60fps Gameplay Interview With Ken Lobb – E3 2013". IGN. 2013-06-13. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  25. ^ "Double Helix Games Teases Chief Thunder in Glacius' Killer Instinct Trailer « Shoryuken". Shoryuken.com. 2013-07-14. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  26. ^ "Double Helix Games asking fans what characters they'd like to see in Killer Instinct". Eventhubs.com. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  27. ^ Duncan, Daniel. "EXCLUSIVE: Vote Now For Which Character You Want Back In Killer Instinct". Rarefandabase.com. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  28. ^ a b c "Did Microsoft presentation include rape joke?". SFgate.com. 2013-05-03. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
  29. ^ "Twitter / ashtonisVULCAN: The comments during the KI". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  30. ^ Farokhmanesh, Megan (2014-02-05). "Double Helix Games acquired by Amazon (update)". Polygon. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
  31. ^ "'Killer Instinct' launching as free-to-play digital download – Gaming News". Digital Spy. 2013-06-18. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
  32. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (11 October 2013). "This is the official Killer Instinct arcade stick". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  33. ^ "Gamescom: Killer Instinct Season 2 in 2014, Launch Explained". IGN. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
  34. ^ a b "Killer Instinct for Xbox One". GameRankings. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
  35. ^ a b "Killer Instinct for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
  36. ^ "Killer Instinct review". Edge Online. 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
  37. ^ "EGM Review: Killer Instinct". EGMNOW. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
  38. ^ "Killer Instinct review". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
  39. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (2013-11-26). "Killer Instinct Review". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  40. ^ Peeples, Jeremy (28 November 2013). "Review: Killer Instinct". Hardcore Gamer. Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  41. ^ "Killer Instinct Review". IGN. 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
  42. ^ Hinkle, David. "Killer Instinct review: Content breaker". Joystiq. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
  43. ^ "Official XBOX Magazine | Killer Instinct Xbox One review". Oxmonline.com. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
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