14 DAY TRIAL // 
Capcom orchestrated a strong comeback for one of its most popular franchises, trying to appease hardcore combo fans, casual couch multiplayer warriors and even those who prefer other game genres. Is Street Fighter 6 the holy trifecta of the fighting game genre or a tall order?
The question is more than legitimate, since the initial release of Street Fighter 5 was easily overpowered not just by Mortal Kombat X, but also by Injustice 2. But Capcom did not throw in the towel and the game they managed to release this year is akin to the revolution of moving the fighting game genre from arcade cabinets to home entertainment systems.
We can conclude from the very beginning that Street Fighter found the golden ratio in combining a hardcore competitive game, that was born for the esports arenas, with the fun offered by challenging friends and the mirage of an open world game with RPG elements. It sounds indeed like a tall order, but this new iteration of the franchise moves with the grace of Chun-Li and strikes with the power of Zangief.
Before we dissect the online part that will cater to the highest expectations of longtime fans, it is worth mentioning that Capcom managed to learn well the lesson thought by Nether Realms about the importance of a story and single player elements in a fighting game. And also took those ideas one step further.
The biggest proof is the new control scheme called simply Modern, that eases the life of casual players and newcomers alike, by proposing an ultra-simplified control scheme. The result is giving all players the chance to feel like a martial artist, enjoying the fluidity of attacks and defenses, and can pull special moves with the press of the single button. This may seem unfair compared to the Classic option, but the new system is just means for fun and cannot replace the precision and timing of the original control scheme.
But if even the Modern system proves to be too much there are also the “training wheels” option, called Dynamic. This mode requires no more than careless button smashing to overpower most AI controlled opponents. It is not available in online battles, of course, but it shows the commitment of Capcom to share their latest creation with all gamers, no matter their level of experience.
On the opposite end of the scale, the hardcore fans can have a serious sneak peek under the hood. They can track various stats including frame timing or the exact mapping of the inputs, and they will certainly appreciate the level of granulation on how SF6 presents the information in order to allows them to further hone their skills. Taking into account the training room full of moveset descriptions and the combo challenges, every player can evolve from using the Dynamic scheme to mastering the Classic one.
The game revolves around the idea of evolving both as a player and as a fighter, and this creed is best presented by the new World Tour game mode. Basically, this is a pretty good attempt at morphing the series into an open world fighting game with RPG elements. After creating your unique avatar, you will have the chance to explore the world and meet some of the most popular characters of the franchise who will mentor you in becoming powerful.
This mode is not just an afterthought, and this shows from the extremely detailed character creation system. You can get lost trying to create your ideal alter-ego, but this is just the first hurdle in an adventure that clocks in several dozen hours. After a few cutscenes and tutorials you will find yourself roaming the streets of Metro City, following a main story line, doing secondary quests, scavenging for better equipment, fighting thugs and challenging almost anyone to a friendly sparring session.
Moving on, the second option offered in the menu of the game is the Fighting Ground, that actually represents the classic SF experience. Here you will find all the tutorials, challenges, offline and online matchmaking, the ranked matches along with the Arcade mini campaign. The latest is also worth checking out, next to the open world experience, since it familiarizes players with all the 18 fighters present in the initial roster, by presenting their backgrounds.
But the beating heart of the game remains the Battle Hub, the serves both as an online match space, but also a socializing hub. The twist is that in this space you control the avatar you created and through them you can chat with other players, or you can challenge them to a duel. Another interesting feature is offered by the cabinets scattered in this futuristic arena, that allows you to play 1v1 by controlling the iconic fighters of the franchise.
The visual style is quite catchy, colorful and is full esthetic elements targeting the newer generations. The open world is not perfect though, and some of the textures in Metrocity seem a bit weathered while some other design elements seem a bit unpolished. The biggest immersion breaker though are the sometimes slightly grotesque NPCs, that seems like miscalculated results of the character creation process. The RE engine does a wonderful job with the game, bringing the visuals to life and maintaining steady framerates.
The Good
- Amazing quality and quantity of content
- Catchy visual style and soundtrack
- Various control schemes
The Bad
- Some design elements could have used more polishing
- Unknown Battle Pass content
- Some fan favorites missing from the initial roster
Conclusion
But, just this once, instead of crying wolf about the greed of publishers we have to admit that we are pleasantly surprised by all the content included in Street Fighter 6. Whether you are a fan of fighting games or not, this is one title you should not miss.
Review key was provided by the developer.
