MOVEMENT
Hold or tap the Forward or Backward direction to walk forward or backward. You can perform a quick forward or backward dash by quickly tapping Forward, Forward or Backward, Backward. Tap the Up direction to jump straight up, and Up + Forward or Up + Backward to jump forward or backward. All back dashes have invincible frames on startup. Holding the Down direction will cause you to crouch and stay in a crouching state until Down is released. Quickly tapping then releasing the Down direction will cause you to quickly crouch and then stand back up.
ATTACKING
There are six attack buttons (three punch attacks and three kick attacks). These attacks are Light, Medium, and Heavy Punch and Kick attacks. Light attacks are the fastest attack options but generally have short range and inflict minimal damage. Medium attacks have slightly more range and inflict more damage but are a little slower. Heavy attacks generally have the longest range and do the most damage but are slower than both Light and Medium attacks.
BLOCKING
Holding the Backward direction will block all high, mid, and overhead attacks. Holding the Down + Backward direction will block all low and mid attacks as well as crouch under high attacks.
THROWS
Light Punch + Light Kick at close range will throw your opponent. This is a universal throw, and it is possible to tech the throw by tapping Light Punch + Light Kick as the opponent grabs you. You can control the direction you throw your opponent by using Light Punch + Light Kick to throw your opponent forward or Backward + Light Punch + Light Kick to throw your opponent backward.
HIT LEVELS
Killer Instinct has four hit levels: high—the attack will only connect on a standing opponent; mid—the attack cannot be crouched under but can be blocked from the crouching or standing position; overhead—the attack will hit a crouched blocking opponent and must be blocked standing; and low—the attack will hit all standing opponents and must be guarded from crouch block.
NORMALS
Normal attacks, or “normals” for short, are a character’s basic punch and kick attacks. Crouching normals are basic punch and kick attacks that can only be done while crouching. Close normals are basic punch and kick attacks that can only be done when standing very close to your opponent.
COMMAND ATTACKS
Command attacks are unique attacks that require a directional input and a button to execute.
JUMPING ATTACKS
Jumping attacks are attacks that are executed while you are airborne. Jumping attacks hit overhead, so they must be blocked standing.
SPECIAL ATTACKS
Special attacks are powerful moves with unique properties that require a more complex input than standard moves.
INVULNERABILITY
Invulnerability refers to special properties that make you completely invincible or invincible only to a specific type of attack. There are several forms of invulnerability, such as strike invulnerability, projectile invulnerability, throw invulnerability, etc.
REVERSAL ATTACKS
Reversal attacks are Special attacks you execute the first moment you can act after blocking attacks, getting hit, being knocked down, or hit out of the air. Reversal attacks don’t add any additional special properties to the attack but do ensure optimal timing. You don’t need perfect timing in order to perform a Reversal attack; you can input the move slightly early and still get the Reversal timing.
WAKE UP
After being knocked down, you can press any attack button or any direction input except Down to tech, causing the character to get up quickly. Certain knockdowns, known as hard knockdowns, will not allow the opponent to tech, forcing him or her to get up slower, which grants you better pressure and mix-up options. All sweeps, throws, and maxed-out KV Meter knockdowns cause a hard knockdown. It is also possible to get up using a Reversal attack.
ARMOR
Armor refers to a special properity of an attack by which the attack can sustain 1 hit before the move gets interrupted. While executing a move with 1 hit of Armor, if the character sustains 2 hits, the move stops.
LIMB PRIORITY
Limb Priority is a crush system in which one strength of attack will beat out another. Medium attacks will beat out Light attacks and Heavy attacks will beat out Medium attacks.
SHADOW METER
The meter found in the lower left- and right-hand corners of the screen is the Shadow Meter. You can hold a maximum of two bars of Shadow Meter at once. This meter is built anytime you hit your opponent, take damage, or your opponent blocks your attacks.
SHADOW ATTACKS
Shadow Attacks are powerful versions of special moves that require at least one bar of Shadow Meter. All Shadow Attacks are 5 hits and can be done as stand-alone attacks as well as within combos. Shadow attacks can act Openers, Linkers, or Enders, depending on which Shadow attack is used. Shadow attacks do not add to your KV Meter, allowing you to use them in combos at any point without having to worry about going over the KV Meter threshold.
SHADOW COUNTERS
After blocking an attack, pressing Medium Punch + Medium Kick will activate a Shadow Counter. This gives you the ability to counter your opponent’s next attack and granting you a Shadow attack as an Opener, which allows you to start a combo.
INSTINCT METER
The meter just below your character’s life bar is known as the Instinct Meter. You gain Instinct Meter every time you take damage or combo break.
INSTINCT MODE
Once your Instinct Meter is filled, you then gain access to Instinct Mode. Instinct Mode provides abilities unique to each character as long as Instinct Mode is active. Instinct Mode is activated by pressing Heavy Punch + Heavy Kick. While active, Instinct Mode also affects the KV Meter. When a player performs a combo while in Instinct Mode, that player’s KV Meter will build much slower, allowing for bigger and more damaging combo possibilities.
INSTINCT CANCEL
You can Instinct cancel any recovery of every move. You can Instinct cancel out of normal attacks, in the middle combo before continuing the combo, out of Enders and Ultras, etc. Some characters can Instinct cancel after a Combo Breaker, which will allow them to juggle the opponent. Instinct canceling mid combo also resets the KV Meter and acts as a new combo starter, even though it’s all still part of the same combo. This allows you to Instinct cancel mid combo and go into an Opener that will be unbreakable.