Killer Instinct is a port of the Xbox One arcade fighting game. Its gameplay consists of local and online side-scrolling fighting that is normally played with a controller or arcade stick (similar to Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter).
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Pros
Pro Well optimized for PC
The game runs well on of spec hardware, meaning there are no dropped frames or other issues if using what the recommended specs for the game are. For being a port there can often be issues with performance, luckily there do not seem to be any here. There are some options available to adjust the games graphics settings, though most are just on off toggles for things like anti-aliasing. The game is also tied to framerate and so is capped at 60fps, though this is often found on fighters so online play is at a level experience for all.
Pro Good mix of gameplay options
There is a full story mode in the game for those that would like the learn the background and story of each character. There is also a mode called shadow lab, which allows the player to unlock points and bonuses through a shadow fighter styled after their own fights in this mode. The better the learned character is the more one can earn. Lastly there is a Dojo area for those that would like to practice with specific characters.
Playing through all three of these modes should offer a good bit of content that can last the player for quite a while, which is great for longevity of the game.
Pro Great graphics
The game looks quite good, with well modeled characters and stages, making for a great looking game that shows a lot of polish in the graphics department.
Pro Supports local multiplayer
For those that would like to play with friends or family on one screen in the same location, the game does support local multiplayer. This is convenient for when you want to play VS but are unable or unwilling to connect to the internet.
Pro Free to play
The game is actually free to download and play, though character choice is limited (they do get rotated though so you can try out different ones with time). This makes for a really convenient way to find out if the game is to the players liking or if it will run well on their system. Of course there is a season pass available for those that would like access to all of the content for a price.
Pro Easy to find opponents in mutliplayer
The online matchmaking in the game works quite well as it will find opponents within a minute, often within a few seconds. This may be due to the game just getting launched on PC, but is a good sign that the netcode works well.
Pro HUD can be easily repositioned
There is a setting in the game that allows users to change the placement of the heads up display. This is convenient for those that may not like the default placement.
Cons
Con Low amount of resolution options
While all the major resolutions are supported, those that use a more niche screen size may have issue finding a size to match 1:1.
Con Direct input seems to be broken or unsuported
While there is a blurb at the bottom of the start screen of the game stating that some arcade controllers are supported, players have reported issue with getting any direct input fight stick working with the game. Sadly there has been no comment about this from the devs nor any date for when they are going to support other sticks.
Con No mouse
It can be easy to see that this was a console port as when the game is booted up there is no mouse icon. Users will need to use their keyboard or a controller to control the menus.