King of Fighters 15 Could Have Shattered Expectations With More Unique Characters

gamerant.com:

When The King of Fighters 15 was announced, it touted a roster that would “Shatter All Expectations.” This roster was meant to include fighters that would shock and surprise fans of the franchise with their inclusion. With release around two weeks away, the final roster (as well as the first two DLC packs) have been revealed, and the roster is strong. However, much of the roster features many of the mainstays that fans have grown accustomed to in King of Fighters. Terry Bogard, Kings, Athena, and Benimaru are here and accounted for. Some of them are in different teams, but there are some notable missing characters, like Kim Kaphwan, Takuma Sakazaki, and Shingo Yabuki.

Still, there are no characters from other SNK franchises that have never made a KOF appearance. There are only three new characters, and they all have a fighting style similar to another character in the game. It could be argued that the roster lacks deep cut choices and picks that aren't likely. The roster selections meet expectations. There are two teams coming in the Summer and Fall of 2022 via DLC packs that could include more obscure choices, but for now, some roster additions would be quite inspired for The King of Fighters 15.

2022 Should Be An Incredible Year For Fighting Games

One game in the Art of Fighting series that tends to get overlooked is Art of Fighting 3. Outside Kasumi Todoh, none of the new characters in this game have been seen in another title. As a result, including a team from this game would definitely be unexpected. Out of the Art of Fighting 3 roster, a team consisting of Rody Birts, Jin Fu-Ha, and Sinclair. Rody and Sinclair are unique in that they are weapon fighters, using tonfas and a scimitar sword respectively, and Jin has a