As the year nears its end, it’s important to highlight the array of intense, strategic, and visually stunning fighting games offered to enthusiasts and fighting game fanatics in 2023.
Whether you’re a seasoned brawler or a newcomer to the genre, this list is your passport to the best fighting games of 2023.
EA Sports UFC 5
EA’s UFC fighting games have been a staple of the mixed martial arts fighting game world for a while now, and the latest installment, EA Sports UFC 5, is one of the better titles in the long-running series. UFC 5 attempts to distinguish itself from previous titles by including an all-new realistic damage system that—thankfully—delivers. Hits are more weighty, precise, and painfully detailed, with each punch providing brutally noticeable feedback. The visuals are also phenomenal, showing every broken nose, bruised limbs, heavy impact, and glistening sweat in glorious detail.
What’s more, there are a variety of modes on offer to keep you entertained, such as matches where you can challenge the reigning champions and matches to determine who can damage their opponents the most. Couple this with all the new improvements and settings, and you have one of the most immersive and entertaining MMA games in a long time, which is why it deserves its spot on this list.
Party Animals
The goofiest entry on this list, but the most whimsically fun. Party Animals is a silly party fighting game that sees you taking on furry animal personas to fight against furry friends with goofy physics-based movements as you flop around, kick, punch, and throw enemies off stage to achieve victory. The game is especially fun with a good group of friends, be they casual or competitive. Hilarity will always ensue as players struggle in some shape or form as they try to best their opponents by any means necessary, which always leads to a good time.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
The most recent title on this list, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is GameMill Entertainment’s latest arena fighting game and the sequel to Nickelodeon’s 2021 brawler. The sequel lets you control many characters from Nick’s back catalog as you wallop away in casual and competitive modes in nostalgic stages from Bikini Bottom and Jimmy’s Lab. The sequel also offers many new features, animations, modes, and stages, alongside revamped visuals, giving it an edge over the first game. But the most notable new inclusion is the new Campaign mode, which adds even more content to those looking for a story based around their favorite characters.
As an arena fighting game, however, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 always feels precise, and knocking players off the stage is always satisfying. Compared to other arena fighters released over the past years, it’s noticeably more casual but still offers enough tools that fighting game fans can utilize to have fun.
The King of Fighters XIII: Global Match
Returning to traditional fighting games, King of Fighters is another long-living and beloved series in the FGC community. While one of the most beloved titles in the series, KOF XIII, was first released way back in 2010, the latest version, KOF XIII Global Match edition, provides not only the best version of the game through its new multiplayer features but also includes a critical feature all good fighting games should have: rollback netcode. These features make fighting against opponents online, a previously painful process, much easier and more approachable, allowing modern players and veteran players to experience one of the best games the series has to offer.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
Another long-running 2D fighting game series has a new entry this year via Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. What makes Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising stand above previous titles in the series is the sheer number of features it offers fighting game fans. These include a vast roster, a slew of graphical enhancements, an expanded lobby from previous games, and a shocking number of basic, ultimate, and special moves for each character. And if all that wasn’t enough, the game also includes rollback netcode at launch, an approachable ranked and casual online experience, and full crossplay support, so both new fans and series veterans have a lot to experience and enjoy with the latest title.
Mortal Kombat 1
The newest installment in the Mortal Kombat series adds several new features like the Kameo mode, which has a new level of depth and competitiveness to combat with satisfying combos that flow incredibly well, all-new shocking and intense fatalities, new characters to master, and new modes to explore. The game’s visuals are impeccable, and the online modes breathe new life into the series and the community. Mortal Kombat 1 is tailored to hardcore fighting game fans with features like the option to filter opponents by connection type and rollback netcode, making it one of the most approachable and engaging games in the series yet.
Street Fighter 6
Street Fighter returned this year with a bang with Street Fighter 6. Despite being a new title in the series, it’s already regarded as one of the best fighting games available right now. Street Fighter 6 provides players with lots of new modes and features that fighting game fans will enjoy. These include all-new control types, which range from classic controls tailored to older fans to modern control types that allow casual players to compete on even ground. MK1 also includes updated character looks that reflect the series’ age, great new characters that sport interesting movesets, and a new vibrant and intricate aesthetic. The gameplay also feels phenomenal as attacks are precise, executing combos is fun, and the process of learning every character’s moveset is highly satisfying.
Aside from that, competing against other players is both a fun and painless process, thanks to its many performance and multiplayer options. The masterful combination of all these elements is why Street Fighter 6 is one of the best fighting games released this year and why Street Fighter is still among the best fighting game series in the world.
