➤ Street Fighter 6: the review of Capcom's extraordinary fighting game 🕹

Our review of Street Fighter 6, an incredible return to form from Capcom, raising the bar for the entire genre far beyond our predictions.

The community still has a vivid memory of the launch of Street Fighter V: a game that arrived in homes before its time, plagued by a small roster and disappointing content and also tormented by a structure closer to that of a free-to-play that at a full price title, unjustifiable for such an illustrious name. That ill-advised release was the final nail in the coffin of Yoshinori Ono's career, already unstable due to several below-expectations projects and very unwise decisions, which had led Capcom's fighting game division to struggle behind the others even during the period of the revival of the Japanese team.

Let's be clear, the faults did not fall entirely on good old Yoshinori, whom we consider an iconic character in the world of development with a very respectable resume behind him. The veteran's departure, however, represented a second opportunity for Capcom and a new direction to take in the approach to fighting games, where the once innovative and unstoppable force of the software house had been absent for some time.

Even for the most skeptical, however, it was difficult to foresee changes as rapid and successful as those observed at the end of the fifth main chapter cycle... Over the course of a few years, in fact, Street Fighter V became something of a work in progress, constantly updated with ever-changing characters, more interesting and supported to the point of remaining at the top of the competitive scene despite initial problems. In short, the "new course" was already clearly perceptible by fans, and surrounded by the general belief that what was done was not linked only to the deficiencies of the last chapter released, but rather to the desire to use it as evidence. bed for a sequel (later quickly confirmed by Capcom itself).

Now this long-awaited sequel has arrived and, after following it for months, we have finally managed to get hold of a complete code to test it thoroughly. And let's not hide it, practically every piece of information revealed about the new Street Fighter has only increased our anticipation and general optimism around the game, to the point of making us believe that a style drop right at the end is almost impossible. However, what we have experienced in recent days has exceeded even our wildest expectations: the Street Fighter 6 Review tells us that this is the game that fans of the series have always wanted, a surprising return designed to erase all the mistakes of the predecessor and raise the bar of quality beyond all limits. And, if that were not enough, it is also one of the few fighting games capable of adapting to both those who want monstrous depth and those who simply want to get closer to the world of digital fighting, in addition to offering both types. of the player all the necessary tools to enjoy the best experience.

Narrative and Single Player Campaign: Warriors of the World

Street Fighter 6: the review of Capcom's extraordinary fighting game — During the World Tour, the characters on the roster will become your teachers. So we think it's time to lean in... ahem, talk to Cammy.

The gameplay and mechanic changes of the latest Street Fighter are obviously the most important element for any long-time fan of the series, but we think it's very important to start from content offered, since Capcom, paradoxically, has changed the cards on the table almost more for this element than for everything else. The new installment from director Takayuki Nakayama, in fact, represents a radical break with the series' past and is clearly designed to provide several hours of fun to both online dating fans and anyone who simply adores the Street Fighter universe and want to enjoy. in quiet solitude. Therefore, beyond the classic Arcade Mode, you will find a new one waiting for you single player campaign called World Tour, in the role of a customizable alter ego with a very complete character editor.

Il World Tour It is literally the most ambitious innovation of its kind ever seen in a title in the series: it transforms the game into a kind of action adventure with explorable maps and RPG progression, in which the protagonist becomes increasingly stronger and can customize his techniques. learning them directly from the main fighters. Of course, battles are always developed using sight and the classic system, but we assure you that the developers have done everything possible to create a campaign capable of captivating even those who are not very familiar with fighting games: progress from battle in battle. Not only are endless missions and secondary activities unlocked, but it is possible to transform into unstoppable monsters capable of using all kinds of techniques (in addition to the "basic" style that you prefer imitating your favorite warrior), obtain an endless number of objects with variables to enhance (you can even exploit just the aesthetics), and advance a narrative with implications that are, to say the least, important for the world of Street Fighter.

That this is an add-on created with love is also clear from the care with which many of the missions have been calculated, and in addition to the most classic missions you will find multiple tutorial missions optional, designed specifically to help new players understand some of the fundamental mechanics; Even secondary activities have been included with this intention in mind, ranging from training in the use of complex tackles to the need to learn the timing of saves while defending against basketballs. A truly respectable variety, also accompanied by an ending represented by a series of combats of increasing difficulty when reaching the final phases, and by a sea of fanservice and quotes. Plus, if you want to delve deeper into the history of legendary warriors like Ryu and Chun Li, or simply learn more about newcomers, there's even a sort of affinity system linked to master's degrees, which requires improving the relationship with everyone by enhancing their style or giving away objects. Focus enough on the relationships and you'll get not only interesting information related to the narrative and background of each one, but also high-quality artwork or other surprises. It will take you some time to unlock everything, and your alter ego's upgrades will also remain in the online Battle Hub, where it will be possible to use it in very over-the-top (and very unbalanced) non-competitive matches with other players.

Considering that this campaign represents a step forward compared to the commonly sparse content of this type normally found in the genre, it's really hard not to be happy about what Nakayama and his team have done, however, there are some flaws in the World Tour. and this is the case to underline it. The campaign really starts to "click", in fact, only after a few hours, due to a rather slow prologue in which many of the AI-controlled opponents are too stupid to pose a challenge (some of them cannot react to simple maneuvers). such as repeated series of grips, for example); the design of the maps, then, is not the best out there, to the point that it sometimes forces you to do some annoying backtracking, or requires a rather annoying use of the day and night cycle to change the available tasks; Finally, while the aforementioned explorable maps are quite polished, we noticed a few bugs here and there, including late-loading textures and other strange slides. However, these are marginal flaws compared to the positive elements, and we can tell you without hesitation that we fully appreciate what we did, so much so that we returned even after completing the main story to unlock the unlockables and become even stronger. . If fighting games often boasted this approach to story, perhaps the genre would be more popular with a wider audience.

Street Fighter 6 Extra Content and Tutorials

The World Tour alone would be enough to forgive the sins of the pre-release title, but with Street Fighter 6 Capcom seems to have wanted to satisfy each and every one of the community's requests, including the inclusion of rare full tutorial. In the past we have already praised some Arc System titles for their way of approaching the "educational" aspect, because in a complex genre like fighting games, the presence of in-depth tutorials and clear notions is potentially invaluable in conquering those who don't know the basics (and many exponents tend to ignore the matter almost completely, relying exclusively on guides published online by veterans); So imagine how happy we are to see that this work also follows the encyclopedic path, making available a large number of split tests between fundamental mechanics and advanced strategies, and explaining the terminologies in detail. There are even guides dedicated to individual characters, which not only describe their most obvious characteristics, but also show how to use tactics that are, to say the least, useful online. Combined tests are no exception and, in general, the developers have calculated almost all of them to teach the user a series of useful shots in each type of situation. The good thing is that the combinations and guides are divided between normal and modern commands depending on the player's preferences, but we will focus on this important diversification later.

To further improve what has just been described, theartificial intelligence of enemies, among the best designed not only in the saga, but in fighting games in general. The CPU is seriously problematic on higher difficulties, and on maximum difficulty (level 8) it is so efficient that it is useful both for training and for understanding the most optimized combos and best offensive approaches. Ok, he does cheat from time to time by instantly reacting to maneuvers and using limit conversions, but he does so with a frequency that isn't entirely dishonest and still allows him to defend himself adequately. This adjustable level of challenge also makes the aforementioned Arcade mode exciting, the single-player versus games a great way to understand how the roster works as a whole, and the more raucous modes absolutely fun even if you're not facing off against other players.

Although we are talking about less classic modes, Street Fighter 6 contains the Extreme battles, clashes equipped with specific modifiers and customizable victory conditions, in which you will fight in arenas with charging bulls, drones capable of inflicting negative and positive statuses, electrified zones, etc. Practically a party mode for unpredictable challenges with friends, which only increases the range of options available to users. As you may have already understood, in terms of content, this game is truly a colossus, and it was difficult to expect a more massive job than what has been done. Even when delving into the online Battle Hub, there are additional surprises to take note of; It is incredible, therefore, that everything we have described in the last paragraphs pales in comparison to the quality of the gameplay.

Combat system: defeat Sheng Long

We want to temporarily postpone the discussion related to simplified modern controls (also because it has more weight than you think) and focus on the classics, since in essence Street Fighter 6 is always a six button fighting game - three punches and three kicks of different power and speed available - and there was no bastardization whatsoever. Furthermore, the starting 18 fighters have not been simplified at all and among the options there are still "charge" characters (requiring a directional charge of a few moments to launch the special moves, so to speak), equipped with mixed moves. or with 360-degree inputs especially suitable for arcade sticks. Maintaining these foundations might already suggest Capcom's desire not to stray too far from the origins, but if we then analyze the new mechanics, we quickly realize the extent to which the latest Street Fighter is designed to offer players even more. tools than some. of the most technical and popular chapters of the saga. One innovation in particular undoubtedly represents the heart of the combat system: the Transmission system.

The balance of battles basically revolves almost entirely around the Barra Drive, a six-bar indicator that is used for a multitude of different stocks. The first, and probably the one that you will see most exploited in the first months of the game, is called Drive impact, and is nothing more than an armored shot (absorbs at least three attacks from the opponent before being stopped) with a fairly slow activation, but capable of guaranteeing a combo if it catches the enemy by surprise during a move animation or hits them nearby . the corner. The other two main maneuvers are quick boost, which allows you to cancel an animation to make a sudden dash towards the enemy and gives advantage to any attack that hits during that move, and the Driving stop, which absorbs any blow and recovers the bar if used correctly.

Now, the Drive Impact is a maneuver that can be scary, but paradoxically it is the least useful of the three: if you play defensively, reacting to its use is very feasible and it is possible to stop it not only with the Parry or avoiding with a jump, but also with a well-placed grab, a multi-attack special move, or another Drive Impact in response. Drive Rush and Drive Parry are tools with much greater potential, and the first one in particular seemed to us to be an exceptional addition, capable of significantly speeding up the pace of the games and significantly increasing their spectacularity. Not only can Rush be used as soon as you hit an enemy with any cancelable attack (albeit at a significant cost in slash notches) to confirm powerful combos and ensure a large amount of damage dealt, but it also starts during a parry at a significantly lower price. cost, and even so exploited it can initiate combos that are commonly impossible without it. Furthermore, the fast movement and frame advantage it provides to attacks also lead to its use to surprise the opponent, ensuring some safety even if normally risky normal attacks are launched. An addition like this offers impressive flexibility to the offense and makes any player with good reaction times and resource management skills dangerous.

Not that Drive Parry is much less if you master it properly. In fact, holding it down offers no frame advantages (for those who don't know what we're talking about, dividing a second into sixty frames; these are the units with which the timing of animations in fighting games is calculated, and being in "frame advantage" means it's still your turn if you counter an opponent's attack, but it can still allow you to punish normally safe attacks due to its range, and used wisely limits the consumption of the boost meter by partially recharging it. This, since parrying enemy attacks normally burns you (some specials, like the Honda Header, are designed to make you fall very quickly). However, there is also something inevitable. perfect stop, which guarantees to punish the opponent and is recognizable thanks to an animation that slows down the action of the game: the time to activate it is extremely tight, but we suspect that at high levels it will represent one of the most devastating tools available. It can even be used on projectiles in combination with Drive Rush, for a near-instant approach that can challenge any strong long-range warrior. By carefully evaluating all these aspects, the developers did not want to make it excessively devastating - also due to the existence of players with reflexes capable of abusing it - therefore, a combo performed immediately after hitting scales to barely causing half the damage. However, her presence provides a very useful defensive option, and we have no doubt that many of the game's future balances could revolve around her. Just to further underline its finesse, holding it during a combo or using it instantly in the middle of a shot's inputs allows you to almost instantly activate the low-cost Drive Rush we talked about earlier; One more demonstration of how the development team has calculated the synergy between the skills offered down to the smallest detail. The last mechanic of this beautiful cocktail, which in itself cannot be ignored, is the Unit Reversal, which distances an overly aggressive player if used during the block: it closes the circle of defensive maneuvers, guaranteeing the possibility of responding to more or less any situation if played intelligently.

The good thing is that this little gem of a mechanic isn't even the only reason to always keep an eye on the Drive bar: if you use too many skills in a short amount of time (even upgraded EX moves require Drive), you enter a called state Burnout, very dangerous as it makes you vulnerable to damage while blocking, and increases the frame disadvantage of hits suffered (creating situations that are very difficult to defend against). Not only that, if you end up in a corner in Burnout and suffer a Drive Impact you will be stunned for a long time, a penalty that, added to the others, risks losing a game that until then you had under control. Having to take into account such a huge number of factors makes Street Fighter 6 a much more tactical title than in the past, despite the increased aggression resulting from Drive Rush; The player must respond to many risky situations during the match and may sometimes even decide to take damage just to help recharge the Drive gauge and avoid a Burnout. This makes challenges against really expert users a bit mentally exhausting compared to more basic fighting games, but at the same time gives enormous satisfaction when you manage to dominate by applying the necessary strategies in the best possible way. Rarely have we had in our hands a game with more layers and full of possibilities than this Street Fighter: the competitive scene runs the risk of offering some of the most competitive tournaments in history, and the virtuosity offered by the system allows us to improve to levels incalculable.

Since the life cycle of a fighting game often depends on its depth, Capcom's baby seems to be in an iron barrel. It has one of the best combinations of mechanics ever seen.

Simplified Checks and Checklist – Embrace Modernity

Now it's time to talk about the elephant in the room: modern controls, kindly offered by the Nakayama team for anyone who wants to get into the game even if they are not very familiar with virtual beatdowns. Modern completely transforms the system, making Street Fighter 6 a game with four buttons (light, medium and strong attacks, and a button for special moves) and greatly simplifies the execution of both special moves and supers, since all you have to do is press the dedicated button and any direction to activate them.

At first glance it might seem like the classic simplification of little importance, unusable in serious competitions or at high online levels, due to the smaller number of usable normals and specials; However, the developers have made an effort to make this alternative efficient and to this end have implemented some measures that expand the range of options for those who select it. One button, so to speak, offers automatic combos, and if pressed at the right time changes the basic normals, leaving much of each warrior's arsenal available (some are still missing, but that's all); The missing special moves can also be performed if you use the dedicated button with some of the classic directional inputs, thus ensuring the complete package (EX moves can also be used, although the basic ones do not have power variants with the Modern ones).

Just do some math to quickly realize that modern cannot be underestimated: Simplified execution allows you to react instantly to what an opponent does (many supers are invulnerable, so pressing a single button to activate them is a fantastic way to catch your enemy off guard) and ensures that you can pull off powerful combos without having to worry too much about moves from your hands. That is why the developers have added an additional penalty, in the form of a decrease of approximately 20% in the damage of special moves when selecting these commands. At the moment it is very difficult to predict what effect a similar alternative will have on the competitive scene; For all we know, in the long term it might even be ignored completely, despite its advantages, but we are still impressed by what has been done. - It is perhaps the first time that a simplified command system is so well calculated that it can represent a sensible and not just a temporary choice, and we believe that the team's calculations are smart enough to avoid a total replacement of the online classic. mechanics. However, in the rare case that there are problems, we don't think it will be that difficult to rebalance.

For those who have never played a fighting game and just want to press random buttons on the keyboard, there are dynamic controls. However, they are more like the simplifications seen elsewhere, with fully automated movements and very few options. However, the fact that such a solution exists is just another gift for gamers. The command dilemma will inevitably also be influenced by the list, since the eighteen fighters available, despite having a very variable difficulty of use, are all incredibly accomplished and fascinating. The harmony achieved by Capcom in this element is enviable: the Street Fighter 6 fighters are a perfect mix between the old and the new, in which the unreleased ones are total novelties or revised and corrected versions of old glories -Kimberly works like a guy on steroids - and Equipped with turbos, Lily is a faster, harder to stop T-Hawk, and so on, and the big returns turn out to be their best incarnations imaginable. Rarely have we been so indecisive when choosing a main character; Virtually every warrior has unique characteristics, which completely vary the approach to combat and make them fantastic for deep learning (yes, even the most defensive characters like Guile here are capable of doing crazy things if pushed too hard).

There is only one problem regarding the evaluation of the list: considering the depth of the system already widely described, and the fact that the game has not yet ended in the hands of the competitive "monsters", it is currently only possible to make a superficial evaluation of the balance sheet. At first glance, you can see some potentially devastating characters in the right hands (the already familiar Guile, JP and Cammy seem particularly solid), but it's still impossible not to notice how much effort the designers put into each choice. sense. To give an example, Marisa - charismatic and very Spanish new entry - disadvantaged by the few cancelable normal movements and the not excellent movement speed, counteracts her shortcomings by converting enormous damage with ease, with attacks equipped with armor, and also with the tendency to send the opponent into the corner in a matter of moments. Wanting to give everyone strong advantages contained in some obvious penalties is a good way to weigh the characteristics of the roster, and it applies to almost all the characters in it.

Of course, thinking that Street Fighter 6 could be as balanced at launch as a game that has been on the market for years is pure utopia: no matter how skilled the Capcom developers are, there will undoubtedly be imbalances and situations to resolve that will arise. over time. However, for a "first edition" of a new fighting game, it seems very refined to us and we have no doubt that Nakayama and company will closely monitor the community to intervene in case of unexpected problems.

Netcode and technical sector: the online of the gods

There was only one factor capable of causing the banquet of first fruits described in the previous paragraphs to rot: a netcode underperforming, a scourge of the fighting game genre. However, Capcom has learned its lesson from Street Fighter V (whose online performance is certainly not perfect), presenting perhaps the strongest game. undo netcode currently in circulation. We were able to play online against other publishers for a few days, as well as try out the various betas (whose simultaneous accesses were not underestimated) and, apart from some issues with matchmaking during the first few hours of the open beta, the experience was flawless. There is never a pause against European players, more than fun matches even against foreign opponents and almost no waiting. Even crossplay, already active, has never had problems. There could still be crashes at launch (impossible to predict and exclude), but if what we've seen so far is any indication of the final quality, we think the online experience will be a marvel overall.

La online structure is no exception: it is possible to create complete clubs with a custom logo and uniform, ranked challenges follow a functional and well-thought-out ranking system, and there is a long series of additional benefits including organizeable tournaments, group challenges and Extreme Battles already explained. , and even virtual arcades with some Capcom classics that can be played at will (although only in single player, as expected). If the online center worries you because of the presence of arcade stations to play, don't worry: it is also possible to play games with classic matchmaking and create normal waiting rooms, without having to go directly to the player you want to challenge. The map layout is used more to facilitate games between friends and create a setting than anything else.

The only thing that made us raise our noses slightly was the presence of a battle pass: It certainly doesn't detract from the wealth of content that Street Fighter 6 offers at launch, but we're always bothered by the existence of monetization systems in full-price games, especially considering that, as a fighting game, Street Fighter 6 will offer many additional characters in the form of DLC. For God's sake, the suspicion is that it's just the developers' way of introducing special costumes in addition to those already present in the game, and we have no intention of penalizing all the good it offers by its simple existence.

Finally, little to criticize regarding the technical sector- This new incarnation of the series has very bright colors, but still intelligent lighting management, making the action on the screen always clear even in the most detailed scenarios. Speaking of the arenas, they are very well maintained and represent a perfect accompaniment to the adrenaline-filled battles on the screen. For our part, the style of the characters is highly appreciated: also in this case we are faced with a brilliant fusion between novelty and classic vision, always sensible if we take into account the narrative developments linked to the pre-existing fighters; The animations for each warrior, therefore, are fabulous and only enhance the overall impact, especially when you look at the attention paid to detail. Characters change posture and expression in Burnout and have unique animations based on the percentage of life remaining at the end of the round; Final touches of class that further underline the developers' affection for the brand.

Conclusions

Tested version PC with Windows digital delivery Steam Price 59,99 € Holygamerz.com 9.5 Readers (47) 8.7 your vote

As fans of fighting games, we find it difficult to conceive of a better title in the genre than Street Fighter 6. The new incarnation of Capcom's historic series is exceptional in practically every aspect, a kind of extraordinary "mea culpa" for the problems of its predecessor at launch. The combat system is very deep and layered, as well as offering a truly competitive option even for beginners; the tutorials are so complete that they represent a small encyclopedia of the genre, the single-player modes will effortlessly take up hours of your time, and the experience The online competitiveness seemed stronger than ever. Insignificant defects in the World Tour and a balance yet to be defined are nothing at all, in the face of a title of this terrifying quality. Even in the tough terrain of virtual beatdowns, Capcom has been completely reborn.