Summary

Though survival modes haven’t exactly become a standard within fighting games, they’re always a welcome addition that can be a ton of fun to jump into occasionally. Of course, it’s always a thrill trying tohold out for as long as possibleagainst an endless number of opponents. Still, survival modes can also be used for training purposes to test out new combos, or even just to become familiar with the game’s core mechanics.

Not all survival modes follow the same rules though, and while they usually tend to follow a similar basic premise, some fighting games will try and implement extra features and mechanics to make them even more enjoyable and worthwhile. Any fighting game fans who want to take on the ultimate challenge to see how far they can go before gassing out should try out the games below, which feature some exhilarating survival modes to take on.

Survival mode on One Hero’s Justice 2 with a board in the background with characters

My Hero One’s Justice 2features a very unique survival system that almost turns it into astrategy game. The way it works is once players enter the Survival Mission, they’ll be presented with a board where the player, and other AI teams, must go to battle to secure a zone. This is done by jumping into big and explosive battles where the victor will wipe their opposition off the board before the game will then move to the other teams' turn, where they will also have the chance to cause damage to the enemies around them.

Of course, a staple tradition of survival modes is wounds never heal, so players will need to be cautious about not taking too much damage if they want to stand a chance of getting through the entire mission in one piece. Though it might be a little too slow-paced for some, those who like the idea of mixing in a little bit of a strategy angle to their fighting experience should check out the Survival Mission inMy Hero One’s Justice 2.

The Final Battle between Naruto and Sasuke

TheNaruto Ultimate Ninja Stormseries has always had a classic survival mode, but what makes them so much fun to be a part of is the fact each battle comes with a special condition. For the latest game in the series,Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, there’s a plethora of quirky conditions that can drastically affect how a fight plays out. For one battle, both players will be able to recover their Chakra in half the time, while in the next, they’ll take triple the amount of damage fromNinjutsu attacksthan they normally would.

Random effects such as these make this survival mode extremely unpredictable, but it also adds to the challenge, since there’s no telling how the AI will use the condition to their advantage during an intense bout. What also helps isNaruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionsfeatures a massive cast of over 100 characters to choose from, which makes it a ton of fun to run through survival multiple times with different fighters to see who can last the longest.

Makoto punching Fei Long in a busy street

Street Fighter 4’s survival mode is pretty traditional as far as the mode goes, with players taking on as many opponents as they can while holding onto the life and stamina that they’ve got left. However, there are a few small alterations and additions that prove this was more than just a throwaway mode tossed in at the last minute. For example, survival inStreet Fighter 4is split up into either Normal or Hard, with each difficulty offering different rewards.

This will also determine how much health the player recovers between each match, but since this is a survival mode after all, the total amount is always fairly low, all things considered. This game also includes aplentiful variety of character typesthat keep matches feeling fresh and unpredictable, and it can be a good way to learn more about matchups before going against real opponents online.

Man in a red jacket punching an enemy with a L item dropping from the sky

4Garou Mark Of The Wolves

The Emphasis On Time In This Mode Makes It Extremely Competitive

While players will need to watch out for their health in the survival mode forGarou Mark of the Wolves, there’s something else that is actually more important this time around - the time. The way this mode works is that players will be pitted against a handful of deadly fighters who they must attempt to beat in as little time as possible. This time will carry over into each fight so that players can easily see if they’re lagging behind their previous score, or if they’re on track to reach a high spot on the online leaderboards.

The mode also features small bonuses that will drop from enemies to spice things up a little. For example, now and again, there will be little P orbs which can drastically increase the character’s strength, while others can restore some of the health bar. It’s without a doubt one of, if not the most competitive version of survival ever seen in a fighting game, to the point where it could be its own game entirely.

Two characters on a character battle screen in BlazBlue Centralfication

ThoughtheBlazBluegamesalways had a survival mode known as Abyss Mode, it was withBlazBlue: Central Fictionthat the extra game mode would be almost entirely overhauled to become a lot more technical and challenging. The Grim Abyss Mode inCentral Fictionincorporates several RPG mechanics, such as how players can obtain new skills by defeating enemies, or attach Grimoires to their character to implement certain buffs to help out with some of the trickier fights.

Considering there are well over 50 Skills that can be acquired throughout this mode, it allows players to get creative with their character builds to see how powerful they can become in their fight for survival. The mode also offers a plentiful selection of dungeons to take on that all differ by difficulty, rewards, and even the types of enemies that are involved.