• Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

Which one of these games has the best tutorials/is the most beginner friendly?

  • Killer instinct: definitive edition

    Votes: 176 61.3%
  • Marvel vs capcom: infinite

    Votes: 14 4.9%
  • Mortal combat X

    Votes: 37 12.9%
  • Soul calibur VI

    Votes: 57 19.9%
  • Tekken 7

    Votes: 68 23.7%

  • Total voters
    287

klastical

Member
Oct 29, 2017
4,712
Pretty straightforward thread. I want to genuinely give fighting games a chance but I'm not sure where I should start. I consider myself to be a complete novice. I will be playing on a gamepad and I think I would prefer a game that doesn't have alot of combos that rely on quarter circle turns and what not but im.willing to try them out. I just havnt had much luck pulling that stuff off in the past.
 

ghostcrew

The Shrouded Ghost
Administrator
Oct 27, 2017
30,351
I think KI, MKX and Tekken 7 are the kings here.

KI has an amazing tutorial. Great fighting game. But has complexity for sure.
MKX has a great story mode. Fun to play through and you'll probably learn a lot along the way.
Tekken 7 is one of the best fighters this gen and you should be able to learn and pick up a lot here. Worth noting that it never got an Xbox One X enhancement update though and runs at 720p so it looks like ass.
 

Ishmae1

Creative Director, Microsoft
Verified
Oct 27, 2017
539
Seattle, WA
/shameless plug - We tried really, really hard to make a great fighting game tutorial in KI. I think it turned out pretty darn good. We also have a combo assist system that makes combos easier as you're learning the ropes.

I'd also recommend Skullgirls for its tutorial (it's 360 back-compat)

Capcom has never been great at explaining how fighting games work, they're more about getting you to memorize inputs.
 

sibarraz

Prophet of Regret - One Winged Slayer
Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
18,102
Killer Instinct is great thanks to its godtier tutorial combined with excellent game mechanics and well designed rollback netcode. The only "negative" that the game had was not being released on Playstation to gain more exposure. The ranked matches are still played so you will not have trouble finding games, and if you had a friend, it will work perfectly.

Then you have Tekken 7 which is a game with tons of support and a great scene almlst everywhere. The netcode isnt great but supposedly is getting a rework, still you shouldnt have much trouble finding people close to you.

Soul Calibur is the same than tekken but I feel that its scene isnt that big and itnwill not get that much support next year. The other 2 games are dead
 

DeadeyeNull

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Member
Dec 26, 2018
1,686
I picked ki because it is the most beginner friendly but you should pick the one you think looks the most fun. They all take a long time to learn and it won't be worth it if you don't think the game is fun. You might have trouble finding mvci games online
 

Tyrant Rave

Has A Pretty Cool Jacket
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,696
I think Soul Calibur is very accessible and it helps that VI is a great entry. If you don't feel comfortable with doing motion inputs yet, most of the moves here are done with just a direction and combination of buttons so you can ease into more complicated ones. Combos are generally short and higher damage too. Judging from that I'd say it's a good fit for you OP.
 

eraFROMAN

One Winged Slayer
Member
Mar 12, 2019
2,878
Gonna slip in Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid. Very easy controls (no motions, Special moves are done like smash,) and the mechanics are extremely lenient, to the point that a lot of different combos are possible, doable, and viable. On top of that, full crossplay if that's your interest.

Unfortunately, it's actual in game tutorial is pretty barebones, but there's still a community of players of various skill to play with online.
 

TimeFire

Avenger
Nov 26, 2017
9,625
Brazil
Where's Battle for the Grid?! There's no ingame tutorial but the execution barrier is low and full console/PC crossplay so you always have someome on your level to play
 

Jaded Alyx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
35,352
Tutorials? Killer Instinct
Try Power Rangers. Only saying that as you never mentioned it and it has good online alongside KI and MvCi. It also has simplified inputs so no QCF.

And as much as I enjoy Tekken, avoid it like the plague. It is terrible for newcomers, even moreso for newcomers to the genre. It has no tutorial whatsoever.

There's no ingame tutorial
There is, basic as it may be. All of these games have a tutorial except for Tekken.
 

lvl 99 Pixel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
44,653
KI is probably the best. Not sure how many people are still playing it.
Learning Tekken first seems kinda silly since its one of the more esoteric fighting games in terms of mechanics and movement (and no tutorial)
 
Last edited:

Sylvee

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,562
If you're willing to try out games that aren't on your list, there's a couple other games I'd consider checking out if you're looking for a good beginner-friendly game. Firstly there's Fantasy Strike, which is deliberately WAY more simplistic than almost any other fighter you'll find. There's no special move inputs at all (Quarter circles, ect) and combos don't extend beyond 2-3 hits generally. The actual execution of the game is very low, so you can focus on the gameplay very quickly. Of course, the downside of this is that the game is so basic compared to other Fighters that while it will teach you some fundamentals in terms of the genre it will be very hard to transition from Fantasy Strike to other more advanced fighters because you still won't know how to do things special move inputs or integrating combos into actual matches. Also a lot of people find the art style and animations very bland so it's not the most exciting game to look at.

The other big one not on the list is Them's Fightin' Herds. This game is PC exclusive currently with console ports likely being extremely far out in the future, but in terms of accessibility I think it's very good on that front while at the same time still being very comparable in terms of depth to most of the other big fighters out there. You mentioned that you wanted a game with a good tutorial, TFH has the best tutorial on the market period. It's incredibly good at teaching you core fighting game concepts in a fun and interesting way while also having lots of personality. The combo system in the game is very deep but it's also extremely flexible, so you can come up with combos that you can actually perform rather than other games where your routes are more limited. The game has special move inputs but they're generally the most basic ones such as quarter circle and down down motions. Also due to the game's aesthetic and origins a ton of the people who play it haven't played any other traditional fighters before so there's a lot of newer players that you can play against. The main con IMO is the artstyle, while it's all animated fantastically and is overall very good at capturing the aesthetic they're going for I can completely understand why people would be massively turned off by it.


As for the games you listed I think the clear pick is Killer Instinct. KI is an absolutely fantastic fighting game, and thanks to its combo system (and its breakers) the game is actually super easy to pick up and be able to do cool stuff with while also having a crazy amount of depth and a good path of skill progression. It's an absolutely amazing game and it's one I think everyone should check out.

For the other games listed, SC6 and Tekken 7 both have absolutely trash online and unless you have people you can play them locally with I don't think it's worth the hassle. MVCI is "dead" at this point, very few people are still playing it. MKX is probably the 2nd pick IMO on that list, but it's also an unsupported game as the team is supporting MK11 right now.
 

Pellaidh

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,169
Killer Instinct has the best tutorial out of those by far, and at least some of it transfers to other traditional 2D fighters.

Tekken 7 has the largest playerbase (at least on PC), so if you want to play online, it has the largest chance of not matching you exclusively with skilled people. I'd recommend it if you're fine with learning how to play it by using resources outside of the game.

If you consider Super Smash Bros to be a fighting game, Brawlhalla is also on option (it's not on game pass, but it is free to play). It's incredibly simplified, and also has a huge online playerbase, so finding matches is never a problem.
 

Phoenixazure

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,436
for an overall package, I will say Killer Instinct especially if its your first ever foray into fighting games. I also want to give props to Power Rangers for its accessibility in execution which would make for a nature step up. Both have great netplay as well so those two would make great starting points.
 

harz-marz

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,945
/shameless plug - We tried really, really hard to make a great fighting game tutorial in KI. I think it turned out pretty darn good. We also have a combo assist system that makes combos easier as you're learning the ropes.

I'd also recommend Skullgirls for its tutorial (it's 360 back-compat)

Capcom has never been great at explaining how fighting games work, they're more about getting you to memorize inputs.
This and the other replies here have sold me on this game. Do you plan on enhancing it for Series X?
 

Platy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
27,647
Brazil
KI and Power Rangers, absolutely

f you're willing to try out games that aren't on your list, there's a couple other games I'd consider checking out if you're looking for a good beginner-friendly game. Firstly there's Fantasy Strike, which is deliberately WAY more simplistic than almost any other fighter you'll find. There's no special move inputs at all (Quarter circles, ect) and combos don't extend beyond 2-3 hits generally. The actual execution of the game is very low, so you can focus on the gameplay very quickly. Of course, the downside of this is that the game is so basic compared to other Fighters that while it will teach you some fundamentals in terms of the genre it will be very hard to transition from Fantasy Strike to other more advanced fighters because you still won't know how to do things special move inputs or integrating combos into actual matches. Also a lot of people find the art style and animations very bland so it's not the most exciting game to look at.

Also you forgot to mention that it is basically free =P
 

Zombegoast

Member
Oct 30, 2017
14,224
Killer Instinct has a dojo mode which teaches you everything you need to know in fighting games
 

Jaded Alyx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
35,352
Tekken 7 has the largest playerbase (at least on PC), so if you want to play online, it has the largest chance of not matching you exclusively with skilled people. I'd recommend it if you're fine with learning how to play it by using resources outside of the game.
But the delay based netcode severely limits the number of people you can be matched with online. I guarantee they will find matches faster generally in KI. I certainly did when I tried it.

Power Rangers is also crossplay across every platform.
 
OP
OP
klastical

klastical

Member
Oct 29, 2017
4,712
Ok sounds like killer instinct is the clear favorite. I didnt put power rangers on the list because I'm not really a fan of the property but I'll download it and check it out. Sounds like mortal combat and infinite are the ones I should deffinitly pass on. I liked button mashing my way through the demo of soul caliber 2 back in the day so I'll either pick that one or tekken. I have a friend who is super into tekken but he always talks about how hard it is even after he's played over 100 hours so I'm a bit intimidated by that one.
 

Nephtes

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,547
It's Killer Instinct.

Best tutorial.
Crazy graphics and particle effects.
God-Tier online net code
Noob friendly combo system.
Tons of characters to pick from

The only downside?
Too many ridiculous achievements no one will ever come close to acquiring all of.
 

Jaded Alyx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
35,352
Ok sounds like killer instinct is the clear favorite. I didnt put power rangers on the list because I'm not really a fan of the property but I'll download it and check it out. Sounds like mortal combat and infinite are the ones I should deffinitly pass on. I liked button mashing my way through the demo of soul caliber 2 back in the day so I'll either pick that one or tekken. I have a friend who is super into tekken but he always talks about how hard it is even after he's played over 100 hours so I'm a bit intimidated by that one.
Indeed, SoulCalibur is far more beginner-friendly and easier to grasp overall.
 

Deleted member 6056

Oct 25, 2017
7,240
I picked KI of course
But I'll let shaowebb recommend his favorite
Killer Instinct was literally the correct choice.
Everything about it is awesome. From scaling being shown at all times during a combo as a gauge showing when your bout to drop out to every last move listed in the tutorial having a full written mouse over description of it and its uses and frames there is no fighting game that went as far as KI to make folks ready as a beginner.
Plus instead of autocombos its use of linkers, starters, manuals,enders and auto doubles worked better to prep folks new to the genre on making a combo.
The name of each literally told you where to put it in a combo and what could combo into and out of it. Plus if your timing was sloppy its fine. You do an autodouble instead of a manual. Manuals hit once and have that tight traditional timing thats hard to get but harder to breaker while autodoubles dont need to be as precise, hit twice but due to their length make them easier to breaker.

And its one of the few games that let newcomers still play while being comboed in how the breaker system is based upon reading which input you think theyll hit next based on visuals and tells like how much scaling is left and how much damage they need.
Since if you didnt make it to an ender all damage is potential and not real newbies feel a huge rush of accomplishment from learning to read in ki.

Killer Instinct is a treasure. Everyone should choose it for this.
 
Last edited:

Deleted member 6056

Oct 25, 2017
7,240
It also has netcode that let me play vs someone internationally which is worth saying.
Yeah i think when they built it instead of designing it with like 60fps on an animation they did 90fps or more so their was such a ridiculous amount of duplicate frames in an animation to dump it didnt matter how intensive it was with all its fx, visuals,objects, and audio to process online. Ggpo and insanely goos at it. To date still one of the most intense visual 3xperience in the genre and it plays online like your in the same room as someone.
 

Nano-Nandy

Member
Mar 26, 2019
2,302
Killer Instinct for sure.

Mortal Kombat X is great and has a ton of content, but story wise you'll be lost as it's a direct continuation.
 

Neoxon

Spotlighting Black Excellence - Diversity Analyst
Member
Oct 25, 2017
85,299
Houston, TX
KI easily has the best tutorial of the games you mentioned. As for what to simply play, KI, MKX, & MvCI actually have good netcode, so those. KI in particular (to my knowledge) has the best rollback netcode of any modern fighting game.
 

zoodoo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,734
Montreal
Killer Instinct was literally the correct choice.
Everything about it is awesome. From scaling being shown at all times during a combo as a gauge showing when your bout to drop out to every last move listed in the tutorial having a full written mouse over description of it and its uses and frames there is no fighting game that went as far as KI to make folks ready as a beginner.
Plus instead of autocombos its use of linkers, starters, manuals,enders and auto doubles worked better to prep folks new to the genre on making a combo.
The name of each literally told you where to put it in a combo and what could combo into and out of it. Plus if your timing was sloppy its fine. You do an autodouble instead of a manual. Manuals hit once and have that tight traditional timing thats hard to get but harder to breaker while autodoubles dont need to be as precise, hit twice but due to their length make them easier to breaker.

And its one of the few games that let newcomers still play while being comboed in how the breaker system is based upon reading which input you think theyll hit next based on visuals and tells like how much scaling is left and how much damage they need.
Since if you didnt make it to an ender all damage is potential and not real newbies feel a huge rush of accomplishment from learning to read in ki.

Killer Instinct is a treasure. Everyone should choose it for this.
I actually tagged you in so you could recommend Power Rangers as you know the game better than me lol. But thanks for the KI explanation
 

Deleted member 6056

Oct 25, 2017
7,240
I actually tagged you in so you could recommend Power Rangers as you know the game better than me lol. But thanks for the KI explanation
Lol. Power Rangers is fast marvel style play with easy inputs, autocombos so you can confirm easy, and a decent enough reversal system with zords and their new gauge system. Plus the roster is balanced and it has fantastic movement like wavedashing.

Its beginner friendly, ggpo with crossplay for everything in existence including stadia. Even jump loop combos are easy its ,i believe, medium as your moving up on a jump then heavy as you begin to descend jump repeat for all characters.


However, compared to everything Killer Instinct did ,as fantastic and beginner friendly as battle for the grid is, its still easily edged out by the mammoth amount of resources KI made available to players.

Smart move is play both. KI for deep footsie read based 1v1 and Power Rangers Battle for the Grid for 3v3 assist based goodness thats easy yo dive into and learn characters and combos for.
 

h0mebas3

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
424
I'll share with you the advice Daniel Maniago gave me when I was in the same position years ago. He told me to pick characters that I liked, that honestly, I thought I would enjoy playing because the more you like the characters the more you will play, and the better your fundamentals will get.

While KI has the best tutorial (I think) if none of the characters appeal to you and the characters in Tekken 7 do go with Tekken 7--with the age of YouTube, you can find quality content from specialists in any game you choose to help you learn the fundamentals.
 

lvl 99 Pixel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
44,653
While KI has the best tutorial (I think) if none of the characters appeal to you and the characters in Tekken 7 do go with Tekken 7--with the age of YouTube, you can find quality content from specialists in any game you choose to help you learn the fundamentals.

Going from Tekken to almost any other fighting game is going to be kinda awkward tbh. You shouldn't have to youtube tutorials for all the esoteric mechanics and strings characters can do just to play the game at a basic level, and then go online with its mediocre online setup (which is your main option while the worlds locked down with a virus).

Id even put something like Fighting Herds over Tekken because of its good tutorial, really small roster and good online. (though theres probably not too many people on compared to other games)
 

h0mebas3

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
424
Going from Tekken to almost any other fighting game is going to be kinda awkward tbh. You shouldn't have to youtube tutorials for all the esoteric mechanics and strings characters can do just to play the game at a basic level, and then go online with its mediocre online setup (which is your main option while the worlds locked down with a virus).

Id even put something like Fighting Herds over Tekken because of its good tutorial, really small roster and good online. (though theres probably not too many people on compared to other games)

I don't know that I would agree it's going to be awkward per se. You can absolutely learn fundamentals in Tekken that will transition over to any other fighting game or vice versa. And while it is true that Tekken has a lot of depth mastering strings and mechanics isn't necessary for someone just getting started. While you're right that Tekken has three attack vectors whereas most fighting games only have two that (among other things) doesn't make it harder to transition to any other game in my opinion.

As far as YouTube, everyone learns differently: your either predominantly kinesthetic, auditory, or visual so an in-game tutorial might work for some, but they still may need it supplemented by another method to truly understand it based on their learning style. Videos can be watched, reviewed, paused, and consumed in a way an in-game tutorial can't be.

TFH is a great game as well with a good tutorial mode but it's outside the scope of what the OP stated they are considering.

At the end of the day (for me) it's about growing the fighting game community. If out of all the games on the list, if the OP says "Wow, I played Final Fantasy and I really like Noctis. I want to learn Tekken because I love the character" I'm not going to kill their motivation/interest and tell them to learn something else.
 

HardRojo

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,102
Peru
I'd suggest KI.
I had no idea Power Rangers didn't move motion inputs, that's a shame.
 

Rickenslacker

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,415
You can try any of them, that's the great thing about Game Pass, your commitment is very low. Dabble. See what interests you, maybe it's character designs, or fight pacing, or input styles. I'd recommend KI if you want something 2D playing, and Soul Calibur VI if you want something 3D, but those are my preferences. MK might be more your thing, or Power Rangers. Give 'em a try, I think what's most important to getting into a fighting game is if it has things that appeal to you.

Ignore all of the above for Tekken though. Tekken is ass. You don't want to fall down that QWOP-ass playin' garbage.
 

Valkerion

Member
Oct 29, 2017
7,231
Honestly just look at screenshots or random videos on youtube and see which looks interesting. They are all fun to jump in on and mash some buttons. Also don't be one of those who thinks you need to "learn" fighting games, just have fun first. Ignore all the high level play you see in tournament and tutorial videos on youtube, just use those to get an idea of if the game looks fun or cool and leave it at that until you find something you possible would want to take serious for w/e reason.
 

Nome

Designer / Self-requested ban
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
3,312
NYC
It's Soul Calibur.
  • Directional inputs (vs motion inputs); hitting combinations of buttons will usually do something flashy; basic attack patterns transfer between characters
  • There's a block button so you don't have to hold back; only 3 attack buttons to worry about, and each does something very distinct (vertical attack, horizontal attack, kick)
  • 3D animation and weapon-based combat make fighting styles very easy to differentiate and intuit
  • High range of motion and longer range on basic attacks teach fundamentals of spacing
  • Very limited projectiles to worry about