The 2022 Game Awards confused a lot of gamers last year when the action-adventure beat-em-up Sifu was nominated for Fighting Game of the Year. The game features no versus mode, is all single-player content, and features no traditional fighting game mechanics like health bars, super meters, or special moves. The only thing that qualified it as a fighting game was, well, the fact that it was based on martial-arts. Every other game in shared some sort of DNA with the fighting genre: the winner, Multiversus, is based on platform-fighters popularized by Super Smash Bros., King of Fighters XV was a new entry in a decades long team-based fighter and DNF Duel has enough touch of death combos to make a Marvel V.S. Capcom 3 fan blush. Sifu simply didn’t belong in the category.
None of that matters anyway since Multiversus, which has been offline since the top of 2023, won the category anyway. But, it did raise the question of what The Game Awards considers a fighting game. Is it any game where someone throws a fist? Then God of War Ragnarok should have been nominated. Is it based on it having a one-on-one combat system where multiple enemies may join? Then Ghost of Tsushima should have been nominated for Fighting Game of the Year as well. The Last of Us 2 should have entered the fray as well.
This year, though, The Game Awards seem to actually understand what a fighting game is. We have the two biggest releases in the genre, Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat, alongside the newest Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, indie darling Pocket Bravery and rhythm-based, musical combat with God of Rock.
While the category is solid, it seems like a few entries might be filler for filler’s sake. Let’s get the nominees out of the way and see what we think.
Fighting Game of the Year
God of Rock (Modus Studios)
Mortal Kombat 1 (NetherRealm Studios)
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (Ludosity)
Pocket Bravery (Statera Studio)
Street Fighter 6 (Capcom)
Lazy’s Take
God of Rock should not be here. I do not agree with a versus-based rhythm game being considered a fighting game. If so, Guitar Hero cleared the category ages ago. From what I have watched and played, God of Rock is stylish and slick, with super responsive and addictive to play battles against other rockstars and opponents. But there isn’t much in the way of fighting game mechanics, gameplay or strategy.
There aren’t chances to bait your opponent or condition them to do the wrong thing so you can punish. There are super moves and power-ups, but it all feels very routine and closed-ended with the decision making. You press the special when it’s time and hope you can hit all the notes so you block your opponents attacks. Special moves amount to temporary handicaps for your opponent like hard-to-see notes. None of this is open-ended or provides the chance for the player to express themselves, or a specific playstyle, with the tools given to them. This is literally Guitar Hero with powerups and a much prettier backdrop.
While God of Rock is entertaining, has a slick soundtrack and is fun to play with a friend, the actual moment-to-moment gameplay would leave even the most casual fighting game fan disappointed if they picked this title up expecting a fighting game. Nothing in this game provides interaction between players at a meaningful level, opting instead for party game antics.
Mortal Kombat 1, on the other hand, immediately satisfies the requirements of a fighting game as one of the pioneers of the genre. The game has snappy combat, the Kameo partner system adds dozens on dozens of playstyles, character choices and combo routes to choose from and it improves on every aspect of the incredibly polished but polarizing Mortal Kombat 11. At its core, MK 1 is a fantastic, gory, addictive fighting game to either pick up and play or sink into for hours on end grinding online, beating the invasions mode or sharpening up combos in training mode. It scratches the itch, but the game has the stench of being unfinished.
From the numerous glitches that had to be patched out in the first several weeks of release, including a permanent advantage for Player 1, to the egregious, greedy microtransactions in the form of $10 costumes and $15 fatalities, MK 1 is a mess in many ways. WB, the publisher of MK 1, is money hungry and unafraid to show it. Costumes referencing old MK games are locked behind real money and can’t be obtained through regular gameplay. It’s unlike the last two games at all, which were generous with costumes and extra content like new finishing moves. On top of that, the game has several modes, characters and content buried in its code that seem to be unfinished features instead of future content.
I have more than 100 hours in MK 1 and I plan to play it for years to come. It’s personally my favorite fighting game of the year. To be fair, I am a hardcore fan of the series and its bloody antics. But the pricey microtransactions, poor PC performance optimization, lack of online training or lobbies, glitchy start and overall disappointing community support make this one impossible to award with Game of the Year. It needs more polishing, better monetization and healthy support from the dev team.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a shock to see here considering how mediocre the first entry in the series was, with a lack of voice acting on release, slow gameplay and a stick-thin story mode. Released only a month after its announcement, NASB 2 is a total overhaul of the original with a new roster, new gameplay mechanics, a new story and overall a better grip on its identity as a character-based platform fighter. This is not a Smash Bros. clone, but instead a significantly different twist on the formula with its new “slime” canceling system, super moves and snappy combat. This game deserves to be on the list for its ambition from a small team of developers and its total 180 degree turn in quality. Those who were put off by the first one should give NASB 2 a chance for its completely reignited gameplay and presentation.
Pocket Bravery is also its own miracle story, an indie game put together by a small team of young fighting game appreciators over the past several years. Borrowing from all the greats, including King of Fighters and Street Fighter, Pocket Bravery aims for shorter rounds with snappy special moves, unique chibi character designs and all the nuances its inspirations are known for. This one was a long time coming but if any indie fighter deserves this spot, it’s Pocket Bravery. Hardcore fighting game fans will appreciate the technical aspects and room for growth, but it’s also fun to get absorbed in the small world the team has built.
Lastly, we have our (hopefully) eventual winner, Street Fighter 6. Two years of anticipation later and Street Fighter 6 met all expectations from casual players, professional competitors and those who wanted to pick up a fighting game for the first time ever. SF 6 has a sense of polish not present in any other game on this list, with smooth artwork that captures the poppy designs of each character with spray-paint inspired atmosphere and a hip-hop appreciation throughout its menus. The resources for new players, like tutorials, combos trials and story mode, are all there for learning and building skill as a Street Fighter player. Simpler control schemes, easy-to-use system mechanics and a generally welcoming feel make this the easiest Street Fighter to jump into.
On the other hand, the skill ceiling is ever growing. Players looking to test their skill can climb through ranked or challenge other players in one of the only social hubs that has ever worked for a fighting game. The variance in matchups, playstyles provided by newcomers like Marisa and Manon and the general unpredictable combos and routes augmented by the Drive Rush mechanic breathe life into each match. Each match feels fresh, and like a new chance to learn about your opponent with its simple controls and innumerable routes for interaction. New mechanics, like Drive Impact, never feel like a free win, but a chance for the losing player to fight back for a chance to win. It’s decently balanced, so far, and offers playstyles for any type of gamer, new or old-school. It’s a fighting gamer’s fighting game, with all of the lobbies, team battle and party features needed to host a proper fight game night.
On top of the fighting mechanics and moment-to-moment interaction, Street Fighter 6 is beautiful. The art pops as Capcom finally finds that perfect mix of anime-style designs combined with partial realism. Every character has a distinct silhouette to go along with their playstyle and personal stories. Metro City, the main location for story mode, pops with color and references to all kinds of Capcom games like Final Fight. The bass heavy music and shouty character intros make the game not only technically sound but a joy to watch in action as a spectator. It may not be everyone’s favorite Street Fighter, but it is the most polished and the best released entry in several decades. The sales figures and the fan support show that.
Who should win?
If it wasn’t clear already, Street Fighter 6 is far and away the best fighting game of the year. The game is smooth as butter to play and learn, and gives the player a sense of progression at every turn. If Mortal Kombat 1 was more polished, had player match lobbies and didn’t feel so sloppy on release day, it would be going head to head with Street Fighter 6. But, the polish, addictive but easy to learn gameplay and stylish presentation of Street Fighter 6 beat out of the bloody warriors from Earthrealm.
That’s it for my fighting GOTY thoughts. As we get closer to the Game Awards on Dec. 7, look out for my longer opinions on some other games I played this year like Final Fantasy 16 and others. I also have some thoughts on this year in rap, as well as thoughts on a few albums, in the pipeline.T
Thank you for reading, see you soon. Never shut up. Keep organizing. Keep being loud and aggressive. Do not let decency stop you from defending yourself.