Best games
Best Fighting games of 2012
The 8 best Fighting games released in 2012, ranked from 1,777 critic and player ratings.
The best Fighting game of 2012 is Tekken Tag Tournament 2, with a critic score of 83/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 2012.
- 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,777 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 8
01
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
The console release added new characters and stages.
83
/100
02
SoulCalibur V
SOULCALIBUR V, the latest entry in the premier weapons-based head-to-head fighting series continues the epic struggle of warriors in search for the legendary Soul Swords. SCV takes place 17 years after the events of SOULCALIBUR IV and continues the epic story of warriors in search of the legendary Soul Swords in 17th century Europe. The heroic battles transpire in a beautiful and fluid world with eye-popping graphics and visual appeal. SOULCALIBUR V tunes the battle, movement, and visual systems so players can pull off cool dynamic attacks with ease and battle with complete freedom. A new dawn rises in the eternal struggle between the mighty Soul Swords!.
80
/100
03
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is a fast-paced online multiplayer action game which will have players turning in their guns and grenades for battle axes and swords. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare combines a sharp melee edge and familiar competitive gameplay along with the genuine look and feel of open-field combat in the Middle Ages. Players will use different attacks, blocks and counters insuring that combat is tactical, responsive and of course chaotic.
79
/100
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
The console release added new characters and stages.
83
/100
02
SoulCalibur V
SOULCALIBUR V, the latest entry in the premier weapons-based head-to-head fighting series continues the epic struggle of warriors in search for the legendary Soul Swords. SCV takes place 17 years after the events of SOULCALIBUR IV and continues the epic story of warriors in search of the legendary Soul Swords in 17th century Europe. The heroic battles transpire in a beautiful and fluid world with eye-popping graphics and visual appeal. SOULCALIBUR V tunes the battle, movement, and visual systems so players can pull off cool dynamic attacks with ease and battle with complete freedom. A new dawn rises in the eternal struggle between the mighty Soul Swords!.
80
/100
03
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is a fast-paced online multiplayer action game which will have players turning in their guns and grenades for battle axes and swords. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare combines a sharp melee edge and familiar competitive gameplay along with the genuine look and feel of open-field combat in the Middle Ages. Players will use different attacks, blocks and counters insuring that combat is tactical, responsive and of course chaotic.
79
/100
04
Soul Calibur V
79
/100
05
Skullgirls
Skullgirls is a fast-paced 2-D fighting game that puts players in control of fierce warriors in an extraordinary Dark Deco world. Featuring all-new game systems which test the skills of veteran fighting game fans while also making the genre enjoyable and accessible to newcomers, Skullgirls is a modern take on classic arcade fighters with a hand-drawn high-definition twist. It’s a one-of-a-kind, action-packed competition complete with awesome combos and an intriguing backstory.
79
/100
06
Dead or Alive 5
Dead or Alive 5 is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series. It is the first Dead or Alive game to have a multi-platform release since Dead or Alive 2 as well as the series' first installment that was released for the PlayStation 3. Dead or Alive 5 features guest characters from Sega's Virtua Fighter fighting game series and several new gameplay mechanics, as well as improved graphics and a more realistic visual style than its predecessors. Its plot is set two years after the events of Dead or Alive 4, telling the interrelating stories of various characters in connection to the new DOA tournament and the continuing hunt for Kasumi's evil clone.
77
/100
07
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Playstation All-Stars Battle Royal is a cross over fighting game featuring (mostly exclusive) iconic characters from various Playstation franchises. Each stage also feature prominent setting from other franchises. Playable characters are: Big Daddy (Bioshock) Cole MacGrath (Infamous) Colonel Radec (Killzone) Dante (DMC) Emmett Graves (Starhawk) (DLC content) Evil Cole McGrath (Infamous) Fate Princess (Fat Princess) Heihachi Mishima (Tekken) Isaac Clarke (Dead Space) (DLC content) Jak and Daxter (Jak and Daxter) Kat (Gravity Rush) (DLC content) Kratos (God of War) Nariko (Heavenly Sword) Nathan Drake (Uncharted) Parappa (Parappa the rapper) Raiden (Metal Gear Revengeance) Ratchet and Clank (Ratchet and Clank) Sackboy (Little Big Planet) Sir Daniel Fortesque (MediEvil) Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper) Spike (Ape Escape) Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal) Toro Inoue (Doku Demo Issyo) Zeus (God of War) (DLC content)
74
/100
08
Double Dragon: Neon
Twin brothers Billy and Jimmy have been kicking butt and taking names for 25 years. Join them in this bodacious re-imagining of the classic beat 'em up that started it all, Double Dragon Neon. Battle through glass-jawed goons, deadly teleporting geishas, scientific abominations, and more as you hunt down the evil Skullmageddon and save the love of your life, Marion.
71
/100
Soul Calibur V
79
/100
05
Skullgirls
Skullgirls is a fast-paced 2-D fighting game that puts players in control of fierce warriors in an extraordinary Dark Deco world. Featuring all-new game systems which test the skills of veteran fighting game fans while also making the genre enjoyable and accessible to newcomers, Skullgirls is a modern take on classic arcade fighters with a hand-drawn high-definition twist. It’s a one-of-a-kind, action-packed competition complete with awesome combos and an intriguing backstory.
79
/100
06
Dead or Alive 5
Dead or Alive 5 is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series. It is the first Dead or Alive game to have a multi-platform release since Dead or Alive 2 as well as the series' first installment that was released for the PlayStation 3. Dead or Alive 5 features guest characters from Sega's Virtua Fighter fighting game series and several new gameplay mechanics, as well as improved graphics and a more realistic visual style than its predecessors. Its plot is set two years after the events of Dead or Alive 4, telling the interrelating stories of various characters in connection to the new DOA tournament and the continuing hunt for Kasumi's evil clone.
77
/100
07
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Playstation All-Stars Battle Royal is a cross over fighting game featuring (mostly exclusive) iconic characters from various Playstation franchises. Each stage also feature prominent setting from other franchises. Playable characters are: Big Daddy (Bioshock) Cole MacGrath (Infamous) Colonel Radec (Killzone) Dante (DMC) Emmett Graves (Starhawk) (DLC content) Evil Cole McGrath (Infamous) Fate Princess (Fat Princess) Heihachi Mishima (Tekken) Isaac Clarke (Dead Space) (DLC content) Jak and Daxter (Jak and Daxter) Kat (Gravity Rush) (DLC content) Kratos (God of War) Nariko (Heavenly Sword) Nathan Drake (Uncharted) Parappa (Parappa the rapper) Raiden (Metal Gear Revengeance) Ratchet and Clank (Ratchet and Clank) Sackboy (Little Big Planet) Sir Daniel Fortesque (MediEvil) Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper) Spike (Ape Escape) Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal) Toro Inoue (Doku Demo Issyo) Zeus (God of War) (DLC content)
74
/100
08
Double Dragon: Neon
Twin brothers Billy and Jimmy have been kicking butt and taking names for 25 years. Join them in this bodacious re-imagining of the classic beat 'em up that started it all, Double Dragon Neon. Battle through glass-jawed goons, deadly teleporting geishas, scientific abominations, and more as you hunt down the evil Skullmageddon and save the love of your life, Marion.
71
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Fighting game of 2012?
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 currently tops the ranking with a score of 83/100 across 139 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.