Killer Instinct’s Shadow Training Could Change the Way We Fight Computer Opponents

The artificial intelligence used in fighting games has been questionable since the genre first debuted. Hitting up arcade mode, story mode, or similar computer-battle modes has always been a decent-enough way for those tired of training mode CPU dummies to go out into the “world” and try to work on hit-confirming or a number of other tactics, but as we all know by now, doing this is never as good as playing against another player.

This is due in large part to the way that the AI acts. Everything from actually reading your inputs, to employing random tactics, to being able to flawlessly block even the most ambiguous of cross-ups every time (yet still getting snagged by every third errant jab) make it feel, well, artificial. One could even argue that fighting against the AI isn’t even playing the same game as when battling another player.

[mafia_pc]

really amazing feature, hope we gonna get this kind of tech in more games.

[Gazondaily]

Yeah there is a lot of positive buzz around this. Apparently it works wonders. Need to give it a go.

[mhunterjr]

Yup, it started with drivatars in Forza, and has now has extended fighting games..

If like to see more human-like AI in shooters next, but that seems like a tall order...

[Volkama]

Oh it's Drivatars for a fighting game. Fightatars. Awesome.

[Moldiver]

I hear that my drivatar is hell to race against. Would be the same with my fightatar. Its not easy going against the best, but you might have a chance against my avatars....if you turn down the difficulty.

[jetlian]

Everybody beat up on a 'jetlian' TJ combo.should be easy to beat. I need 80 more fights for achievement

[Sonyslave3]

Killer instinct setting a trend in fighting games ^-^

[Volkama]

I never got into Killer Instinct. I don't enjoy remembering long-stringed combos as a way to "master" a character, and I never got into a grove of actually putting a fluid combo together on intuition. But I do enjoy countering, like the DoA games and such. I think if I bothered to scratch the surface of KI then I might actually find a beat-em-up I really enjoy.

Shame it doesn't look a bit more impressive though. Beat-em-ups are usually a bit of a visual showcase. KI has some nice particle effects, but it's otherwise a bit.... 360.

[Gazondaily]

But you don't have to remember long-stringed combos. Its different. The combos are strung together with strength of attack.

Say you pick Sabrewulf, you can keep spamming the light attack (obviously the more you do it then a player will just combo breaker it) and then cycle to medium and heavy.

[Volkama]

Yeah like I say, I never really got the combo system on intuition. The tutorial started going on about specific openers and linkers and such, and giving set examples of each for Jago. It was all a bit... I dunno, overly structured. Coming from Virtua Fighter and DoA, KI combos didn't flow naturally. Likewise, the counters weren't particularly natural either.

But like I say, I suspect that if I gave it a little bit of time and actually scratched the surface I might find a game I enjoy.

[StrayaKNT]

Huge step forward in the fighting game Genre. This update is a game changer.

[Volkama]

Is it all recorded and crunched locally on the console, or is the data crunched server-side?

It makes no real difference to the quality of the feature as far as I'm concerned, but if it is cloud-based like Drivatars then it's quite interesting that MS aren't shouting about it. Quite a big shift in PR strategy.

[Tedakin]

I downloaded it yesterday and it's just awesome.

[Moldiver]

I downloaded the complete bundle in the sale a while back. Its nice to be able to play the originals as well. It also serves of a reminder how much new gen KI has improved over its original games. Combos were more difficult in the older game and gave little to the way of defensive strategies. This newer KI strikes a better balance between defensive and offensive play. That layer of defensive play is as fleshed out as its offensive style of play, now. chief thunder, jago, orchid and cinder are my characters of choice.

[gamerfan0909]

The best fighting game out right now is coming back for season 3. What a lovely, lovely day.

[tgunzz]

For me, after enjoying the revamped KI, all other fighters could use a huge jolt of freshness... I would love to see battle arena toshinden re-imagined like this... That shadow lab feature has just evolved the combat immensely. Game on.

[no_more_heroes]

You mentioned Battle Arena Toshinden.

I like you. :)

[Redgehammer]

BAT was so much fun, nice reference.

[Deathdeliverer]

It's crazy how old I must be getting. Virtua Fighter did this a long time ago, and while it's no less impressive, it's still been done. When you went from virtual arcade to virtual arcade the tournament players and their custom characters played much like their real life counter parts. Setups, combos, footsies, and all. Every Virtua fighter since then has done this. I used to take my dreamcast memory card to the arcade and download character data. Tekken is another. I think Killer Instincts relatively easy to learn style is why people are easy impressed. Games like Virtua fighter or Tekken can be of putting to casuals which is why some don't know the features.

[Fireseed]

What are you talking about? Tekken is a very casual appealing game, Tekken 3 is still the second highest selling fighting game of all time. Second only to Super Smash Bros.

[Deathdeliverer]

Sales has nothing to do with causality. Why you wrote that is beyond me. KI has is considered casual and easily appealing because of its auto combo system. Anyone can pick up KI and do a combo, which in turn gives instant gratification. Makes you feel like you're doing something. Name another fighter that's as pick up and play as that? It's not a bad thing. Sure it gets more complex if you want it to, but if not you can do combos with reasonable damage and not spend hours learning them.

[mhunterjr]

There's nothing 'relatively easy to learn' about KI. Sure there are a couple characters that would appeal to beginners, but the fighting system is pretty complex...

Also the games difficulty has nothing to do with the reception of this tool. People like the tool because it's an awesome idea , and works really well.

[StrayaKNT]

Relatively easy to learn? You must not of ki lol and if you think it is so easy, add me and verse me

[Deathdeliverer]

I will add you. Almost 80% win ratio in over 500 matches played. Not the words of a noob. The game and it's "system" are not complex at all. If you think manuals are what makes it complex then welcome to fighting games. Never said it was a bad game. Just stated the truth. AI that plays like a real person has been done before. You guys jumped on the instant defensive. Anyway, my name is the same on Xbox as it is on here. Add me, then come back here and write that I beat the hell out of you on the game you needlessly defended. That's all I ask.

[theRell]

Player trained AI. I love it.

[lemoncake]

Great feature, nice to get some different next gen style ai. I await the mandatory anti online petition being started by some random person.