Street Fighter 6 Review

I’ve spoken about it before on this site,and it still rings true: I love fighting games. I grew up on Tekken 3, Street Fighter Alpha, and Mortal Kombat Trilogy. While I believe I was proficient in Tekken and Mortal Kombat, I never could play Street Fighter well. I enjoyed Alpha, tried and failed at IV and V, and I almost gave up on the prospect. Turns out, I just needed some good encouragement and confidence (and a good mode to show me the ropes). Street Fighter 6 helped me find this, and I have officially fallen in love with the series. I jumped into Metro City and haven’t looked back.

Bread and Butter : the Gameplay

First off, I want to address an important thing about this game: the controls. This new entry introduces modern and dynamic controls, a more simplified version of the classic control scheme. Special moves can be done from one button and combos are easier, but damage is reduced. It’s a nice way to introduce new players to the feel of the game without putting them at an insane advantage. It helped me get my footing and work my way up to classic controls. Now I’m working my way up the divisions in ranked mode.

Street Fighter 6 takes the formula built in IV and V and streamlines a lot of its features. V Trigger has been replaced by Drive Impact, the super moves are more straightforward, and character variations are no more. For someone who was always intimidated by the inputs and some of the concepts of later games, this helped me deal with the learning curve. It wasn’t until after playing SF6 that it all started to really click. The rush of a fight became a good feeling, rather than a state of panic. That’s also due in part by how much dang fun it is.

The Modes

From single player, typical fighting game modes to solo endeavors, there’s something for everyone here.

Fighting Grounds

This is your primary set of fighting game modes. You have your arcade story ladders, practice and vs. modes, and your online play.The arcade ladders consist of an opening cutscene for your selected character, followed by a series of fights that lead to the final scene of where they lie in the SF6 story. It’s a great mode to get the feel of a character while learning a little about what they’ve been up to. You can hop into practice or challenge players from around the world and fight to increase your character’s rank. Or you can take a shot at casual and get decimated by a player that’s seven ranks above you. That last one may have been a little personal.

World Tour

If you’ve ever wanted to create your own Street Fighter character, or just wanted to see Mario take on characters outside of Smash Bros, this is the mode for you. It follows your character as they travel the world and learn from some of the greatest fighters around. Fans of the Yakuza (or Like a Dragon?) games will find some enjoyment in this mode, as it feels as though it’s taking some inspiration from the series. Those that are newer to the series will find this to be a good starting point, as well. It introduces you to each mechanic one by one, and makes it a fun process.

World Tour eases you into the world of Street Fighter. As you progress and meet more characters, you will be able to learn their fighting styles and add their special attacks to your repertrois. You’ll also be able to learn each of the game’s mechanics individually. Even some of the more abstract of concepts are taught and hones through mini-games. By the end even the most novice of players will be able to hold their own in a fight. And once you’ve sufficiently leveled up your fighter, you can take the fight to other players in the Battle Hub.

Battle Hub

The feeling in the Battle Hub is wondrous, and definitely gave me a nostalgia rush. When you load into a server, you’re greeted by a big room filled with arcade cabinets and fighters from all over. After you’ve checked out the rotational classic games, you can challenge them at a cabinet and fight as your main roster picks, or step into the bottom of the room and fight other avatars. I’ve ran into Mario, Trunks from Dragonball Z, and Jules from Pulp Fiction so far, and I’m willing to admit they all beat me down. It’s all so fun it’s hard to hate when that’s the end result. And that’s a testament to this title’s addicting gameplay, something I can’t emphasize enough.

Graphics and Sound

To be frank with you, this game’s sound design is on point. The opening soundtrack alone is enough to get anyone pumped for the good times ahead, and every sound effect plays an important role in your ability to pull a win. Different special moves and drive impacts have audio cues that you can train your brain to pick up on, making close reactions easier. The soundtrack behind the fights is great and fits the overall aesthetic while still holding onto the soul of Street Fighter. While we’re on the topic of aesthetic, this game’s visual appearance is just as iconic while still changing things up.

By the time you reach the start menu it’s apparent that this game is going all in with the title. An industrial metallic 6 adorned with spray paint and splatters of paint behind it let you know this is STREET Fighter. This carries on with a lot of the character designs. We find characters like Ken dressed more like a guy heading home from the martial arts studio rather than looking like he lives in one. The cell shaded look of previous titles has been shed without any damage in quality. Plus with all this being shown using the same engine that powered every Resident Evil since 7, it looks gorgeous.

Conclusion

I found it insanely difficult to find things to dislike about Street Fighter 6, despite thinking I would be terrible at it. As a fighting game fan, I felt like most of my problems were a simple lack of skill that I could easily build from and improve on. As I got deeper into the game’s mechanics, I just wanted to keep digging. The fighting in this game is amazing. It’s responsive, fast, and intense, allowing for some of the closest wins and losses I’ve experienced in a fighting game. It works to its strengths and improves on what made people love Street Fighter V.

It has an entertaining career mode that doubles as a fun tutorial, great online play, and one of the most social fighting game experiences I’ve had in years. World Tour and Battle Hub alone could keep a casual player hooked for a while. If I had one thing to say about Street Fighter 6, it’s to try it. It’s safe to say it won fighting game of the year for a good reason.