2XKO EVO Preview: New and approachable Fighting game for a new era

 This preview was made with only my experience playing it on the floor of evo and before the home alpha lab.

2XKO or Project L has recently been playable at the world's largest fighting game tournament Evolution 2024, and I have played the demo more than a few times. I played the first version that was playable last year at Evolution 2023 and at this year's Evolution event, the game has been further polished and has an expanded roster compared to when it was first playable. The game is shaping up well for the first at-home test in the middle of August, and the Demo was a good preview for the fighting experience. 

New ways to fight

2XKO is a team fighting game that focuses on competitive play and two-person teams versus other two-person teams. While the game is playable as a single-person team controlling two characters, the demos at Evolution did not feature it, so I can not speak on its quality. I played the demo roughly seven or eight times, and I played most of the cast on the multiple different controller types that they offered. 

Playing the game in a two-man team was fun; the feeling of competition is heightened when you play with a friend against two others. A few games in the past have had this option natively in the game like Dragon Ball Fighterz and Mortal Kombat, But not since Street Fighter X Tekken has there been a competitive focus on having two humans versus two humans. Playing in a two man team is optional as you can play the game as a single person controlling two characters, but I did not get to experience it during the demo. 

For context, I normally play fighting games on a Razer Kitsune, which was one of the offered controller types at the demo booth. The other controller types that they offered were native Playstation 5 controllers and the Hori Fight stick Alpha. All of the controller types

 felt smooth and usable when playing the demo, with a special shout-out to the arcade stick which felt quite natural for a controller style normally seen as harder. The game does not feature motion inputs so I think that's part of why. 

Modern accessibility 

Many modern fighting games like Street Fighter 6, Granblue Fantasy Versus, and now 2XKO feature the ability to do special moves without learning how to do special inputs. These motion inputs are normally seen as a way to make fighting games more satisfying to play but usually put off newer players as they are incredibly hard to do consistently without practice or experience. 2XKO removes them and tries to move that satisfaction into doing combos and learning good team synergy. This worked in the demo's favor and allowed for more fun to be had without having to play it multiple times. It was also helped by a new option to pick auto combos within the demo, immediately allowing you to get further in the game without having to have played the game for a long time.

 It's unknown whether these design decisions will affect the game long term, as many fighting game veterans do not like games with no motion inputs and the streamlined design may make the game less repayable in the future. But this has not notably affected any modern fighting games success, with Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 having some of these accessibility options and still being quite big for a niche genre like fighting games. But like those games, 2XKO still features some advanced options that appeal directly to competitive and more experienced players that make the game more interesting.

Getting advanced

While playing the demo many of my teammates explored the different options for the team mechanics in the game and discovered the great breadth of different options at your disposal. Fuses are the different options you get to choose what kind of team mechanics you want your team to focus on during the match.  Many chose the new fuse that gave you a combo automatically when you pressed any button but the other options given to the teams let each match feel a little different even with the small roster and inexperience of most players playing the demo. I was a fan of the double assist and hand shake Fuses that both allowed you to utilize your teammate more often than normal on offense, and made the teamwork shine for those who learned to work together quickly. 

The characters in the demo felt very different with my favorites being Illoai and Braum. I do not know if they will continue to be when the alpha is in my hands, but the simple to pick up but hard to master feel was generated many times when I was playing both of them. Both represent quite different playstyles and show the general diversity that the game has to offer both visually and in gameplay. I also tried Echo and Ahri, but with significantly less success. Both have a little higher barrier to entry, and I am looking forward to trying them in a practice mode once the alpha is in my hands. 

Overall the demo has made me optimistic about 2XKO being a fun game to play but I think more judgment should be fully given during the alpha. Despite my enjoyment of playing the demo, it's worth noting that I have not been able to play it as a single, and the game's eccentricities as a versus fighter do not usually come out until the game has been in homes for at least a little. If I had to point out something that has gotten me the most excited its the easy to pick up gameplay along with the ability to have 2 people on the same team. It stands out from other games and makes it more fun to play with those around you.

2XKO's first at home alpha lab releases on August 15th to limited invites and those who signed up at EVO.