Street Fighter 6 wants to be the definitive game of the franchise

goodbye to Street Fighter V! The latest installment in the franchise is just around the corner, and it looks like it will live up to the hype.

From now on we say that we are facing the most complete game in the saga. what we play of Street Fighter 6 On our trip to the Capcom USA offices in San Francisco we loved it and it left us with hype through the roof. Next, we share our impressions with you.

An apology for past mistakes

The first great success is obvious from the main menu. We immediately notice that there is a lot of content, which contrasts with what was seen in the fifth installment. It is clear that Capcom listened to the complaints of the fans and avoided repeating the same mistakes. It is palpable that there is a huge and honest effort to deliver a well-rounded product.

The game is divided into 3 main sections: Battle Hub, World Tour and Fighting Ground, each with its own game modes and sections. In the test we were only able to access the last 2, but we were surprised that both have the potential to deliver hours and hours of content.

Related video: Street Fighter V: the black sheep of the franchise?

Characters that exude style and rely on the new mechanics

Before we talk about the available game modes, we want to talk about the highlight of the experience: the playable characters. At the end of the day, fighting games live or die on the quality of their roster and the depth of their mechanics. How well does it stand out Street Fighter 6 on those fronts?

Fortunately, we are facing an excellent fighting game that is very enjoyable at all levels. In the test session, we had access to the 18 characters that make up the initial roster. While it’s far from the most extensive pitching roster in franchise history, it is one of the most varied.

Capcom knew how to maintain a balance between classic characters, fan favorites and new faces joining the franchise. Each one of them exudes charisma thanks to their designs and animations that are taken care of down to the smallest detail. The most important thing is that everyone feels different in combat and has something unique to offer.

We liked that classic fighters like Chun-Li and Cammy have new abilities, so even veteran players will have to visit practice mode one more time to learn characters they’ve mastered in previous games. For their part, the new fighters Manon, JP, Kimberly, Jamie, Lily, Luke and Marisa have fun fighting styles and bring something fresh.

We were unable to fully explore every character on the roster, but in our short experience there hasn’t been anyone who felt noticeably more powerful or “broken.”

Hands down, our favorite fighter during the test session was Marisa, the stunning jewelry designer seeking glory in combat. Her MMA-inspired fighting style is very direct and intuitive, while her attacks are long-range and devastating. The damage she deals from her makes up for the lack of speed from her. We also enjoy playing as Kimberly, Manon and Cammy, who are more technical fighters.

We already discussed the Drive System in depth in our impressions of the first Beta, and we reiterate that it is a very interesting system that is necessary to master to achieve victory. Using a Drive Impact to stop an enemy attack straight away, using the Drive Parry to defend and counterattack, taking advantage of the EX versions of our moves and extending combos with the Drive Rush is very satisfying.

World Tour, the story mode that the franchise needs?

Regarding game modes, the most interesting novelty of Street Fighter 6 it’s the World Tour, a story mode never seen before in the franchise.

The concept is very striking and, to some extent, original for a fighting game. However, we confess that it is the section that hooked us the least due to its slow pace, simple story and clumsy dialogues. That may be because the first hour and a half is the tutorial. But let’s go in parts.

In this game mode, we create an avatar and embark on an adventure with one goal in mind: to become the best fighter. We open a parenthesis to praise the character editor, which is very complete and offers a lot of possibilities. Of course, our creation is out of tune with the rest of the fighters.

Now, what is the World Tour? We are facing an adventure mode where we have to explore a map, talk and fight with NPCs, participate in optional activities and do main and secondary missions. We were surprised that there are many RPG elements, so our avatar and the rest of the characters are assigned a level.

We can level up, buy food that restores health or provide other benefits, buy clothes to improve our statistics and get points that we exchange in the progression trees to obtain improvements and new abilities. We liked that there is a heavy emphasis on customization to our play style.

Throughout the World Tour, we will visit Metro City and other locations. There, we will find legacy fighters and we can become their students to learn their skills and fighting styles. In the test, we were apprenticed to 2 characters: Luke and Chun-Li.

Although we can only have one fighting style, that is, the set of basic and unique movements of each fighter, we do have the ability to combine the abilities of each teacher. For example, we can equip a special attack from Luke and another from Chun-Li. Although we had little time to explore this system in depth, we believe that it is very interesting and opens up a wide range of possibilities. We can also use these abilities in the exploration areas to break objects.

To some extent, World Tour reminded us of games like Yakuza where the open world is bursting with activities. However, unlike the adventures of Kiryu and company, the story of Street Fighter 6 it is very simple and inconspicuous, at least in the opening bars. The premise feels like a mere pretext to explore the universe of the franchise.

In short, we think it’s a harmless game mode. It has charm and hardcore fans will enjoy seeing their favorite characters in an RPG-like setting. Our concerns are that it will become repetitive and that the plot will be dull and therefore boring.

fights and more fights

Without a doubt, Fighting Ground is the ideal section for all those looking for the traditional game modes of the franchise, without this meaning that surprises are conspicuous by their absence. We had the chance to enjoy the Arcade mode and the easy 1v1 fights against the CPU and other players, although there are also extreme fights that present unique rules.

In Arcade mode we must complete a series of fights and bonus phases to learn the history of the characters and unlock illustrations. Although it presents few new features in this installment, it is an essential and we are glad that it is available from the launch.

The tutorials explain from the basic systems to the most complex concepts. As in the previous installment, there are guides that help us understand the fighters and their fighting styles.

First of all we have the character guide. Here, we find detailed explanations of each fighter’s abilities and their role in matches. It’s very useful for learning strategies and learning how to use attacks in various situations. Next up are the combo guides, which offer a genuine challenge. We are sure that players who enjoy testing their skills and destroying their fingers while trying to execute impossible chains of blows will love this section.

The training mode surprised us for good, as it offers many options to customize our session. We can activate the frame data, program actions to test certain scenarios and much more. Hats off to one of the most robust practice modes we’ve seen in the fighting genre. Without a doubt, the developers hit it out of the park in this section.

It certainly shows that Capcom wants veteran and new players alike to enjoy Street Fighter 6 equally. That philosophy is reflected in the more accessible controls. We tried the Modern style, and sure enough, it’s much easier to perform special moves with it. However, we feel restricted, which gives us hope that this scheme is balanced; We must remember that it is allowed in online games and tournaments.

Street Fighter 6 is aiming for perfection, will it hit the mark?

In conclusion, we really enjoyed our time with Street Fighter 6. The combats are very satisfying thanks to the new mechanics and the fighting styles of the characters. Despite the accessibility options, it is a very deep and complex title that will delight the most demanding gamers.

We must highlight the impressive audiovisual section. Unlike the old-fashioned and generic fifth installment, this new title exudes style thanks to its focus on the street culture of hip-hop and graffiti. While the classic themes are conspicuous by their absence, the new character and setting themes are very catchy.

It’s too early to tell, but it looks like this fighting title will live up to the hype. Not only does it feel like a love letter to fans of the franchise, it’s also an apology to fans who hated the controversial Street Fighter V.

We’ll have to wait until the final version to find out if the World Tour mode is worth it and see if the netcode offers online play free of interruptions and lag. At the moment, we confess that our hype is through the roof. The future looks bright for the Capcom saga.

But tell us, did this title catch your attention? Do you think it will meet expectations? Let us read you in the comments.

Street Fighter 6 It will be available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S and PC from June 2. Click on this link to read more related news.

Related video: Street Fighter 6: a new era for fighting games?

Editorial: Gaming / Facebook / Twitter / Youtube / instagram / News / discord /Telegram / Google news