First introduced in SNK’s Samurai Shodown II, the Just Defense mechanic provides defending players more advantages than a regular block. Due to the precise timing needed to perform it, however, Just Defense was relegated mostly to highly skilled SNK fighting game players. In Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Game Division Studio 1 Producer Yasuyuki Oda wants to make fights look and feel just as exciting with the REV System as with Just Defense.
In a recent Famitsu interview, Oda explains that the REV System was designed so that players can fight in a cool manner as soon as the match starts, even if they don’t have a lot of experience yet:
“The Just Defense system from Garou: Mark of the Wolves can make battles look spectacular if you use it well. However, it’s more for advanced players, so the game tends to feel dull until you get better at it. I wanted to make it possible to play cool matches from the start, so I was working on different ideas. In fighting games, you tend to use your special moves to turn the tables or to deal big damage at the end of a combo. The REV system was created to allow you to fight at full throttle from the start of the match. There are many systems in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, but I recommend using the REV system to fight coolly.”
While pressing the back button at the right time to perform a Just Defense rewards players with a small amount of health, an opportunity to guard cancel, and a reduced REV Meter decrease compared to a standard block, it’s the REV actions that make Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves shine.
REV Blows and REV Guards are the closest counterparts to a Just Defense. While a REV Blow combines offense and defense into an armored move that negates oncoming damage, a REV Guard pushes both players into a more neutral stance while negating any chip damage from special moves (the REV Guard input can also be held).
REV Arts and REV Accels are the more offensive options of the REV System, with REV Arts being stronger versions of special moves and REV Accels allowing you to combo several REV Arts together or into REV Blows. All REV actions and normal blocking pull from your REV Meter which, when full, will put you into the Overheat state. Being in Overheat will prevent you from using REV actions and reduce your guard gauge, leaving you open to attacks.
Carefully managing your resources is the key to winning in any fighting game. Thankfully, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves has added more ways for players to learn and enjoy its unique systems and characters.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is available now for the PS4/PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Windows).
