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What is the best execution of the single player fighting game concept?

SoulCalibur 2 is GOAT

1ed8a84ad9e70ca95ca817ee8133ea28.jpg

Yep, this person gets it.

I'll also put my vote in for Tekken series. My favourite being Tekken 5, ther SP content of that game is FUCKING insane, and easily consumes tons of your time.

Tekken force is a stand out. Let's not forget as well Devil Within in Tekken 5. awesome stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dbO51V9a9w
 

ItIsOkBro

Member
I'm gonna say Mortal Kombat Deception, actually getting to run around and explore in the realms was quite the experience. It also had some neat side-quests that reference past MK lore.
 
Hi5's out for one must fall recognition.

I'vw always been a big fan of Street fighter alpha 3 single player modes. I wish they look to that game as a basis for all of their street fighter games.
 

Seyavesh

Member

oh fuck
i forgot about this

yes this is the answer holy shit, this is the answer

that customizable char, the story, the fights and gimmicks
the soundtrack, obviously

all of it is easily better than anything i've seen in any traditional fighting game

that fuckin' fight vs sticky fingaz + the song is still burnt into my head

edit:
hell yes someone put the instrumental on youtube. when the fire flares up and the parts with the strings start playing + chorus "MAN UP!" aaaaaaa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxyC_kQDkWA
 

Skilletor

Member
SE's fighting games. Bushido Blade, Ergheiz, Tobal 1 and 2, Dissidia 1 and 2.

Doesn't get much better for me than that.
 

Tain

Member
I would think Tobal 2.

Can you even imagine Tobal 2's structure mixed with VF's mechanics and customization? One of my dream games is basically that, in some kind of Shenmue-ass setting, with multi-person battles.
 

gfxtwin

Member
Tekken 4 is my favorite because of the rad character design (Kazuya, Hwoarang, Jin, Steve, Yoshimitsu, Paul, etc all look the coolest in this game) and the music and the cheesy kung-fu movie inspired cut scenes. But Mortal Kombat 9 and X take story mode to another level with the weaving of fighting gameplay within a cinematic context and that style brings a lot of value to single player modes in fighting games I reckon.
 
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution's quest mode.

Quest Mode, Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution.

VF4 Evolution!

Just here to echo Virtua Fighter 4:Evo quest mode. It's disappointing it's not really been replicated by other series. I'd love something similar in Street Fighter.

Not interested in those games that have modes where the gameplay isn't a one on one fight as that not why I bought the game. So no interest in those weird Tekken side modes.

Not the best but I liked Soulcalibur III's goofy RTS-lite mode.

VF4 Evo is the king though.

It's mostly the same thing. The AI of the CPU opponents is far less impressive, and easily cheesed, but it's still a lot of fun.

Virtua Fighter 4 Evo remains king tho.

impressive.gif

VF4 Evo still beats VF5, since it has that much more to do and teaches you better than any other fighter. Tutorials and trials get you started. Quest mode mimics going through different arcades in different regions, playing in arcades, coming across different players, earning things just like if you had been going through Japanese arcades (sans spending 100y a play).

It encourages you to have better habits. The AI isn't a slouch but actually plays fair and gets better the further into the scene you get. The missions you need to do to progress actually help keep the habits you need to win, while getting more and more specific and useful as you progress.

Winning Kakuto Shinseiki II was still amazing, since it actually took a ton of work and learning.
 

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
impressive.gif

VF4 Evo still beats VF5, since it has that much more to do and teaches you better than any other fighter. Tutorials and trials get you started. Quest mode mimics going through different arcades in different regions, playing in arcades, coming across different players, earning things just like if you had been going through Japanese arcades (sans spending 100y a play).

It encourages you to have better habits. The AI isn't a slouch but actually plays fair and gets better the further into the scene you get. The missions you need to do to progress actually help keep the habits you need to win, while getting more and more specific and useful as you progress.

Winning Kakuto Shinseiki II was still amazing, since it actually took a ton of work and learning.
tumblr_niuxd0ghSM1qah8uno1_400.gif


The once and future king
 
I still consider earning this to be a badge of honor:

Aoi-VF4Evo.jpg


I was slightly enraged that completing the trial challenges only gave you a wallpaper for the game, but it was also the only way to get it. I made it a point to capture it on my old crappy capture card, too.

I really wish I could have this in a higher resolution, now.
 

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
I still consider earning this to be a badge of honor:

Aoi-VF4Evo.jpg


I was slightly enraged that completing the trial challenges only gave you a wallpaper for the game, but it was also the only way to get it. I made it a point to capture it on my old crappy capture card, too.

I really wish I could have this in a higher resolution, now.
I actually didn't know about this. cool!!
 

duckroll

Member
Dissidia 012's Labyrinth mode comes pretty close for me. I played the shit out of that, and it got to a point where I was playing it so regularly that I had no qualms with buying the new music and costume DLC every week just to add variety to the game. I would probably have given S-E another 50-100 bucks at the very least if not for the PSN outage. Once that happened, the DLC releases died completely and by the time PSN returned S-E moved on, and I had finally stopped playing the game.
 
I actually didn't know about this. cool!!

Basically doing each level of trials gets you something. It's been a while but I think the mission practice is where you get the glowy bracelet, tactics and advice is for the character item and challenge (the hard one with crazy shit like EQTE) is where you get the character wallpaper. Can't remember what the basic tutorial gets you, I think 10000g or something.
 

leroidys

Member
I became super engrossed in Rival Schools singleplayer, even though it wasn't much to write home about. Apparently the japanese version had a more substantial single player mode where you created your own character.
 
Soul Calibur 1 already perfected the concept (could be made deeper and more expansive but the concept is perfect).

Just make up all kinds of story-based missions. Maybe you're fighting on quicksand, maybe there are explosives in the ring, maybe you're in low gravity, maybe you're poisoned, maybe you're being blown away by wind, maybe you have to use a specific skill, or maybe you're fighting a succession of deadly opponents in a row with no time to rest.

And you're rewarded with artwork and another fun things. Real things. Not an artificial leveling system.
 

Loona

Member
Dissidia

It helps that it's a spin-off of an RPG series on a portable system (you really had to go out of your way to play another human), but the amount and variety of content was insane.

The equipment upgrade system's design alone could beat several games out there (characters could share equipment, so unlocked progress in one could help many others even before you levelled them up).

Not only playing story mode with everyone would unlock a complete chronological cutscene playthough of events, even after that you had modes that enabled you to unlock and upgrade both chacters, their skills and equipment in ways that were great on single player but would have been unwieldy to set up for versus matches in a tournament setting.
 

leroidys

Member
Just looking at that art in the OP... man I really, REALLY want a Warzard Online Edition right about now. One of the few Capcom fighters I've never been able to track down.
 

petran79

Banned
Too bad that VF4 Evolution is not based on the latest arcade revision of VF4, which is VF4 Final Tuned Revision B

I also liked the presentation of Tech Romancer and Rival Schools on Dreamcast.
They felt like a Saturday morning animated TV series. So if you played those games on Saturday noon, they felt perfect
 
Too bad that VF4 Evolution is not based on the latest arcade revision of VF4, which is VF4 Final Tuned Revision B

I also liked the presentation of Tech Romancer and Rival Schools on Dreamcast.
They felt like a Saturday morning animated TV series. So if you played those games on Saturday noon, they felt perfect

I'm still dreaming of a day where we can get a VF Last Revisions pack with VF3tb, VF4FT and VF5FS for modern consoles and PC. I'd be there with bells on.
 

gelf

Member
I still consider earning this to be a badge of honor:

Aoi-VF4Evo.jpg


I was slightly enraged that completing the trial challenges only gave you a wallpaper for the game, but it was also the only way to get it. I made it a point to capture it on my old crappy capture card, too.

I really wish I could have this in a higher resolution, now.

I wish I could get a good number of the wallpapers in that game, there where a few I'd have liked to use outside the game.

I'm still dreaming of a day where we can get a VF Last Revisions pack with VF3tb, VF4FT and VF5FS for modern consoles and PC. I'd be there with bells on.

Seconded, I'd love a VF collection.
 

SomTervo

Member
I thought Injustice: Gods Among Us had a pretty novel campaign. The superhero comic-book crossover angle worked really well for it - you played various heroes and villains, moving 'level' to 'level' playing different ones in each match. It was great for introducing you to lots of the characters, letting you play with them, and weaving a story throughout the whole thing.

However there weren't really any cross-campaign features/mechanics at work.

Isn't God Hand pretty much a single player fighting game? I've been very curious about that game recently and even though you could categorize it as a brawler, the focus seems more on 1:1 combat.

(unless I misunderstood the thread and we're exclusively talking about fighting games.)

The focus isn't on 1:1 combat at all – but the bosses, many of whom are 1:1, are bloody great. It's definitely worth mentioning in the discussion.
 

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
Basically doing each level of trials gets you something. It's been a while but I think the mission practice is where you get the glowy bracelet, tactics and advice is for the character item and challenge (the hard one with crazy shit like EQTE) is where you get the character wallpaper. Can't remember what the basic tutorial gets you, I think 10000g or something.

Yeah I knew about the unlocks in general, and like to go through at least the character specific move utility trials / combo trials before playing around in Quest Mode.

What a fucking good game.
 
Yeah I knew about the unlocks in general, and like to go through at least the character specific move utility trials / combo trials before playing around in Quest Mode.

What a fucking good game.

Same. It's the only reason I even thought about trying out Lau, I'm an Aoi/Akira main. It also taught me enough about each character doing their trials that I had a better defense against most of them.
 

Tain

Member
idk man, if we bring God Hand in here then it's gonna get messy and I'm gonna want to bring Denjin Makai II in here.
 

YoungOne

Member
SoulCalibur 2 is GOAT

1ed8a84ad9e70ca95ca817ee8133ea28.jpg

I tried to play this mode again the other day and found it really boring, Sc 3 had much better modes that I can still go back to and enjoy. As for other games Dissadia, VF:Evo, and fighter's destiny arena mode come to mind for good single player content.
 

bjork

Member
Karateka. You only need one button, and you need to follow the rules or you die.

Also don't forget to kill the bird quickly.
 
I became super engrossed in Rival Schools singleplayer, even though it wasn't much to write home about. Apparently the japanese version had a more substantial single player mode where you created your own character.

I was going to mention Rival Schools. I loved the story mode back then, and I was praying to whatever God would listen for the missing Japanese modes to be brought over to the US at some point.
 
Tobal 2's quest mode is much better on paper. In practice, it's running from fight to fight through barren dungeons and some rpg window dressing against the usual crappy fighting game AI. The platforming mazes in the first game were much more interesting and fun to figure out.
 
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