Game News Street Fighter 6: A fighting game for fans and beginners? New impressions at Japan Expo!
Published on 07/16/2022 at 08:30
Among the many booths at Japan Expo, it’s hard to miss the Street Fighter 6 booth due to its imposing size. So we took the opportunity to try Capcom’s next fighting game a second time and we still come out of it just as won over.
Summary
- Street Fighter 6, a best-of from previous episodes?
- Modern controls, a godsend for beginners?
Say that Street Fighter 6 is expected is obviously an understatement. After a fourth episode acclaimed by both casual gamers and competitive players, Street Fighter V had had a more eventful existence due to a complicated launch. In this context, this new opus is expected at the turn to reproduce the feat of Street 4 and make everyone agree. After delivering to you our first impressions at the beginning of June, we faced players at the Japan Expo to put our skills to the test.
Street Fighter 6, a best-of from previous episodes?
Before giving you our impressions, let me tell you about my relationship to the Street Fighter saga so that you can see where my level is. Without having an exceptional level, I spent a lot of time on Street Fighter IV, and especially Street Fighter III 3rd Strike thanks to the Online Edition released on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2011. More than twenty after its launch, the title is still a pleasure for its “so 90’s” atmosphere and its precise gameplay. But as for Street Fighter V, if I often watched the EVO finals, I didn’t play it more than that. It is for this reason that I was impatiently waiting to get my hands on this sixth episode, the various trailers of which had so far been enticing.
Without too many surprises, the build that was available to the public is the same as the one we were able to try last June, with playable characters Ryu, Chun Li, Luke and Jamie. Despite showing up at the Summer Game Fest, it was not possible to try out Guile. Joystick in hand, it is with great pleasure that we find the universe of Street Fighter in more beautiful graphics thanks to the RE Engine which continues to work miracles in all Capcom games that use it (Devil May Cry 5, Resident Evil Village, Monster Hunter Rise…). Beyond the particularly detailed models, it is above all the effects of blows such as Drive Impact, a mechanism reminiscent of the Focus from Street Figther IV, which are frankly impressive and give a real dynamic to the whole. This is especially the case when both players use it at the same time, resulting in a stylish clash.
As we have seen previously, Street Fighter 6 is a kind of “best of” in the saga since it incorporates many mechanics from previous episodes. Street Fighter III’s parry, Street Fighter IV’s Focus, Street Fighter V’s Critical Arts… This lets you imagine all the possibilities that the most determined players will discover when the game is released. However, the title is not stingy with new features thanks to its Drive system which allows you to do many different things. Parry blows, perform special techniques in EX… This is really THE central mechanism of the game which consumes a special gauge under the life bar that you must not completely empty, otherwise you will see your burnout character. In this state, your fighter is less efficient and even takes damage when he leaves, which quickly proves to be disabling. Unfortunately, in this situation, we have no choice but to wait for the gauge to restore itself in order to be able to attack normally again.
Jay’s review
Lover of fighting games since Mortal Kombat first name and Street Fighter III finally abandoned the Capcom saga after episode 4 in favor of the deadly clashes of NetherRealm studios, Mortal Kombat X et Mortal Kombat 11 on your mind. It is therefore with a certain humility that I put on the gloves and went back into the ring to discover the highly anticipated Street Fighter 6. The surprise was up to the pleasure felt controller in hand. SF6 is indeed the worthy heir to the franchise, still just as technical, tactical and nervous, but offers its share of new features.
Pleasant to discover and demanding to master, the character of Luke reflects Capcom’s philosophy on this new opus with his explosive attacks, his ultra-slick design, not to mention his exacerbated sense of spectacle and showiness. Street Fighter 6 aims to be both accessible to as many people as possible, which it does wonderfully well, and technical with its sharp gameplay. “Modern” controls respond to this general public approach. They allow the “casual fighter” to have fun instantly and get punches without having to try hard for hours on end. Of course, a seasoned fighter will win, but without putting off new players.
Modern controls, a godsend for beginners?
Beyond all these mechanics, the great novelty of Street Fighter 6 is above all the modern controls which really change the situation for beginner players. Thanks to this option, the gameplay is completely modified. Instead of six attacks with different punches and kicks, this time we have three keys that correspond to three intensities: weak, medium and strong. By combining with the trigger, you can even make very effective combos. In addition to that, the fourth button is dedicated to special techniques so that you don’t have to make combinations on the controller that bother those who don’t play the fighting game so much. And by pressing this button plus a direction of the cross, we can make different attacks. In the case of Ryu, a simple press corresponds to a Hadoken, but combined with the right arrow, we obtain a Shoryuken, on the left a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku etc… Of course, this also works with Supers and Critical Arts.
If you’ve ever played a fighting game in your life, you have to recognize that these controls take some getting used to since you’re still just as used to entering key combinations to perform special moves. Nevertheless, for someone unfamiliar with versus fighting, it has to be said that it works and is a great way to make the experience much more accessible. As proof, I played several matches against a player who had never touched a fighting game in his life, explaining this system to him, and in the end, he quickly mastered the controls and had a lot of fun doing so. Like what, Capcom may have found the solution to finally make fighting games accessible to as many people as possible.
Street Fighter 6 is a title that displays great ambitions. On the one hand, the game aims to be a best-of of the previous episodes of the saga by using different mechanics to offer a very complete experience that will reveal its full potential in the hands of competitive players. But on the other hand, it offers the opportunity for beginners to have fun and be efficient thanks to the modern controls of great intuitiveness which make it possible to circumvent the barrier of key combinations. In any case, controller in hand, we find all the fun of Street Fighter which is sublimated here thanks to the RE Engine which offers graphics that are still just as impressive. In short, we can’t wait to be in 2023!
Street Fighter 6 is scheduled for release in 2023 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series.