Fighting games have a classic, arcade-y vibe to them that sets the genre apart from every other genre we can possibly think of. The adrenaline rush of mashing the right buttons, getting combos in place, and going against your otherwise ‘good’ friend is always a joy to remember.
Street Fighter has stood high in the ranks of fighting games across generations, and Street Fighter 6 feels no less. With a new campaign in place, the game certainly adds a twist to how we otherwise experience Street Fighter. Let’s see how the reviews are shaping up.
Street Fighter 6 – Reviews
Inverse – 10
TheSixthAxis – 10
Gaming Nexus – 10
Noisy Pixel – 10
VGC – 5/5
Gaming Trend – 9.5
Game Informer – 9.5
IGN – 9
Gamespot – 9
Press Start – 9
Shacknews – 9Metacritic – 92
Opencritic – 91
Congrats to Capcom and the Street Fighter team! 👏 pic.twitter.com/sxyVFLqs9H
— Okami Games (@Okami13_) May 30, 2023
“Street Fighter 6 is a robust, fighting game that is of a premiere quality”: GameSpot
GameSpot takes a closer look at Street Fighter’s legacy and speculates the game’s newfound mechanics and twists. Based on their review, Street Fighter 6 plays similarly to earlier games in the series, mechanically: For each of the 18 characters on the roster, you have a variety of normal strikes, special attacks, Super Arts, and mobility methods. Others are better suited to keeping their distance and picking their moments to strike, while some have an aggressive approach that includes powerful strikes and hurtful throws.
The underlying universal mechanics that all characters share set SF6 apart from earlier editions. The mechanics for each fighter have identical effects and execution, yet depending on the character you select, they each have a unique flair and flourish of personality. A significant portion of Street Fighter 6’s gameplay depth is also found in these common mechanics.
No matter how straightforward Street Fighter 6 may appear, newcomers may experience some anxiety when entering the ring for the first time. However, Capcom has introduced a new Modern control scheme that makes controlling characters more like Super Smash Bros. than conventional Street Fighter. This provides novice players with a starting point for learning, but that growth does have a limit. Players must become familiar with the manual input controls utilized since Street Fighter 2 if they opt to switch to the Classic control scheme.
Fighting games today continue to exist through their downloadable content, and Street Fighter 6 is no different. The first four characters for the game’s downloadable content have been confirmed. Additionally, Capcom has also revealed that the game will have its own economy with multiple currencies, including Drive Tickets, which can be earned in-game, and Fighter Coins, which can be earned in-game or bought separately. There will also be a battle pass that will offer avatar gear, emotes, and other benefits in both a free and premium track. The notion of more material and the ability to play the game in various ways is intriguing, given how excellent the base game is.
“Street Fighter 6 feels like a response, the counter-punch from a developer bruised and battered after a heavy defeat”: Eurogamer
Eurogamer brings out the charisma and characterization of the latest entry to the epic fighting series. According to their experience with the game, in isolated spaces taken from their stages, you’ll encounter well-known Street Fighter characters. For instance, Ryu can be seen sitting in meditation in a picture-perfect area of the Japanese countryside that belongs on a postcard. Naturally, Cammy is standing outside a London tavern with a serious expression on her face. A red bus and Big Ben can be seen in the distance. In India, elephants flank Dhalsim. The flexible sage appreciates spice as a gift and always has something insightful to offer.
You can speak with a master in person or discover more about their unique techniques. World Tour is the closest thing we’ve ever seen to a Street Fighter dating sim. It’s both amusing and very awesome.
Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its predecessor while dragging the famous fighting game franchise kicking and screaming into the modern era.
Our review: https://t.co/0EkOfkFbl1
— Eurogamer (@eurogamer) May 30, 2023
The reviewers don’t believe fighting game combo addicts need or even desire a nearly 30-hour Street Fighter campaign, but they are glad it exists. The platforming is terrible, the plot is absurd, and the actual fighting becomes monotonous after a while. It is, nonetheless, extremely adorable. They still recall the time they received a text message from Ryu during World Tour. This most stoic of global warriors, he who has avoided all material things, signs his name at the end of each of his texts, seemingly using a phone for the first time.
You can either tell Ryu that he is texting incorrectly or that he is succeeding and should keep trying as an answer. Welcome to Street Fighter 6, a fighting game in which Ryu sends you heartfelt DMs and you wear a gigantic bao bun on your head.
“Street Fighter 6 is worth it for the brilliant new campaign alone”: The Verge
The Verge expresses their delight at how the developers managed to bring out the best of an iconic fighting series through charming storytelling.
Based on their review, Street Fighter 6 doesn’t fundamentally alter the fast-paced gameplay of a Street Fighter game. It’s still a 2D fighter with a large cast (18 at launch), including stalwarts like Ryu, Dhalsim, and Chun-Li, who are joined by some great newcomers like the vibrant hacker Kimberly, the inebriated Jamie, and the towering Marisa (who feels like a direct response to the, uh, response to Lady Dimitrescu).
Kimberly is quick but weak, whereas Marisa is powerful and has range but travels slowly. As always, each character has advantages and disadvantages. You must eventually learn blocking if you want to advance, and there are special moves, power meters, and other concepts to grasp.
You roam around Metro City, a sizable environment that isn’t quite an open world, accepting missions from different people and engaging in several fistfights. It’s similar to the Pokémon world in the sense of Street Fighter, where everyone seems to be fascinated with fighting. In fact, you can approach anyone and challenge them to a fight, including a breakdancer, a police officer, and the man selling bagels and coffee on the street. There are also hooligans roaming the streets who will assault you right away and who, for some reason, are wearing boxes and TVs on their heads.
It’s basically an RPG with some bare-knuckle fighting mixed in. As you fight, your character will learn new talents and gain experience. Along the way, you can buy new gear as well.
“Street Fighter 6 is the biggest and most approachable package in the franchise to date”: Polygon
Polygon highlights the game’s World Tour mode and how it enhances the entirety of Street Fighter 6. According to them, the fact that you are initially just granted punches, kicks, possibly a projectile, and an uppercut, makes World Tour such a fantastic game.
The title has got street combat, but it also offers some entertaining minigames, such as one about baking pizza that covertly teaches you Street Fighter’s typical motion inputs. Secondary missions and challenges are quite basic, asking you to defeat opponents using particular attacks or movements, but they maintain the concept of learning and reward you without the stress of being destroyed by other people online. In other fighting games, you are just thrown in with the wolves and told to survive.
World Tour is not without its limitations. The plot itself isn’t particularly compelling; many of the places are uninteresting dioramas with pre-set backgrounds, the dialogue is frequently tacky, and there isn’t much room for exploration. However, this is the first game in the Street Fighter series to feature a comprehensive, 20-hour campaign that is ready to amuse and instruct you on the foundations of its complex combat system.
Street Fighter 6 is the ultimate fighting game toolbox https://t.co/HUtS9uVys6 pic.twitter.com/r8vuGK0Sf9
— Polygon (@Polygon) May 30, 2023
The creators of Street Fighter 6 went all-out, providing spectacle and approachability, solid tools and tutorials, and more, all without compromising the game’s potential. Instead of trying to make things simpler by limiting character moves and options, you’ll find a richly layered fighting system that doesn’t restrict player expression. You’re given a wealth of possibilities, all of which are well described and presented, encouraging your own discoveries.
It almost seems insane to suggest that someone spend a significant amount of their time with a combat game, toiling over it for weeks, months, or even years, in an era of overwhelming amounts of content in every sort of media. However, learning how to make your own music through virtual street fights can be quite satisfying and fulfilling. The largest and friendliest bundle in the franchise to date, Street Fighter 6 welcomes you with wide-open, kind arms.
The Good and the Bad: What does the game deliver?
Positives:
- Great character roster
- Brilliant game types
- Expressive combat.
Negatives:
- The World Tour narrative is quite flimsy.
