2020 hasn’t been a particularly amazing year for fighting games. While the big mainstays of the past few years like Tekken 7, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate continued to receive new content, new games were few and far between. The fact that competitions all over the world had to be canceled or switched to online-only formats also made it hard to showcase the new titles released in the past 12 months.
However, this is not to say that the year has been completely bad for the genre. 2020 saw the launch of what could possibly become a household name as well as the launch of new entries in fan-favorite series and expansions to already released games. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the best fighting games released in 2020.
Also in Wccftech’s Best Games of 2020 lists: Action, Adventure, Horror, Platformers, RPGs, Shooters, Strategy & Simulation, Sports & Racing, Multiplayer
Street Fighter V is definitely among the most controversial fighting games released in recent years. Originally released in 2016 in a very poor state, the game made great progress over the years, progress that culminated with the release of the Champion Edition.
The Street Fighter V Champion Edition includes all the content released for the game up until February 2020, including two returning boss characters – Gill from Street Fighter III and Seth from Street Fighter IV. The release of the Champion Edition also marked the introduction of second V-Skills for all characters which further expanded the V-System that sets Street Fighter V apart from previous entries in the series.
While Street Fighter V Champion may have not introduced any significant change in the gameplay, it is a solid, finally feature complete fighting game, and the only proper way for newcomers to get into the game without having to deal with multiple DLC and Season Passes.
The Mortal Kombat series is mostly remembered for its gory Fatalities and over-the-top violence, but NetherRealm Studios has proved with the latest entries in the series that this classic series has matured a lot. The violence is still there, but the cinematic story modes at least provide some context for all the limb-cutting and head-severing action seen in the past 30 or so years.
Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath builds upon this story focus by introducing a brand new cinematic story mode that serves as an epilogue for the Mortal Kombat 11 story as a whole. The expansion also brings back a couple of fan-favorite characters such as Sheeva and Fujin, and a guest character that no one who was born in the ’80s will fail to recognize: Robocop.
By itself, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath may not offer much for its price tag, but those who are entering the world of Mortal Kombat 11 for the first time will find great value in the Aftermath Collection, as highlighted by Nate in his review of the expansion.
Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath lets its villains strut their stuff in a fun epilogue, and the new fighters are all welcome additions, but an overall lack of content makes it tough to wholly recommend this expansion at its full $40 price tag. Those new to Mortal Kombat 11 can get a much better deal, but if you’ve already bought the game, this Aftermath may not add up.
Arc System Works is a name that all fighting games fans should know. Not only the Japanese developer created the Guilty Gear series, but it has also made what is one of the best fighting games released in recent years: Dragon Ball FighterZ.
In 2020, the Japanese developed managed to once again deliver a solid fighting game experience with Granblue Fantasy Versus. Coming from the success of Dragon Ball FighterZ, the Japanese developer did not rest on its laurels, as some would have expected, creating a fighting game that feels fresh, thanks to the unique RPG mode, but also extremely familiar and newcomer-friendly.
With an instantly recognizable cast, easy to pick up but harder to master experience, and the promise of prolonged support, Granblue Fantasy Versus is definitely among the best fighting games released in 2020, if not the very best, as Dave pointed out in his review.
Granblue Fantasy: Versus is a top-quality fighting game. It looks great and has carved out its own niche, introducing a style of gameplay that is both familiar and very new. The varied cast of characters and fun RPG mode enhance what is an already excellent package. A great game both for less experienced fighting game players who are interested in the genre, and an essential for those looking to conquer yet another game in ranked mode.
The EA Sports UFC series has been going strong for a while now, and the latest entry in the franchise is an extremely solid game that no fan of the genre should pass on.
The amount of care placed in the development of EA Sports UFC 4 is evident from its gameplay mechanics that build upon those seen in the previous entries, with a few additions like Grapple Assist, revamped ground and pound mechanics, and new submission minigames. Sadly, the lack of single-player modes, the monotonous Career Mode, and limited online options prevent it from being a game that those with only a passing interest in Mixed Martial Arts can enjoy, as highlighted by Nate in his review. Still, a solid fighting game that is more than worthy of a look.
EA Sports UFC 4 is obviously made by people with a true love and respect for MMA, but it’s also pretty clear they didn’t have a ton of resources to work with. The action is better than ever, but the flash and depth you expect from an EA Sports title is MIA. This year’s UFC game comes out of its corner hot and provides a few exciting moments, but doesn’t quite have what it takes to go the distance.
