Street Fighter 6 is finally upon us, and I’m happy to report that Capcom has finally reclaimed the throne of releasing a feature-rich fighter in 2023.
There was a time when Street Fighter excited me, to the point where I remember coming home from school only to find my friends had already cracked open my copy of Super Street Fighter 4, a title we were collectively waiting for. Sadly, by the time the definitive edition of Street Fighter 5 had come out, my enthusiasm for the series was down for the count due to its initial, lacklustre and paltry release.
Thankfully, Street Fighter 6 comes out swinging, offering players a one-two punch of quality over quantity that will leave fans interested in the game for months to come, making the prospect of the already announced season pass exciting rather than dire.
With a launch day roster of 18 characters, with 7 of them being brand new additions, Street Fighter 6 offers players a healthy dose of old and new characters to get accustomed to and reacquainted with. Outside of the core fighting game mechanics found in Street Fighter 6, easily the best thing about the game is the inclusion of the World Tour mode. This surprisingly rich campaign introduces players to the world of Street Fighter 6 and its mechanics via a globe-trotting adventure in which the player eventually gains access to the full roster’s move set, which the player’s in-game avatar can equip.
“Street Fighter 6 offers players a healthy dose of old and new characters to get accustomed to and reacquainted with.”
Gradually unlocking iconic moves by training under even more iconic Street Fighter characters by playing the World Tour mode is incredibly fun and rewarding. Players don’t have to commit to training under a single fighter either, meaning, eventually, they can have all their special attacks and finishers derived from the main cast, something that hasn’t been featured in a Street Fighter game since Street Fighter EX3’s Ace.
Training under established Fighters in World Tour mode also allows players to use that character’s abilities outside of battle in the overworld. This generally allows the player to break objects in the environment, deal bonus damage before getting into a fight and even, in some cases, move across gaps or platforms using moves like Chun-Li’s Spinning Bird Kick.
Equipping moves is one of many things the player has access to in the World Tour mode. In Metro City—the most prominent hub area present in the game—players can explore the city, fighting NPCs and earning loot such as healing items, stat increases and customizable gear for their character.
Fighting NPCs in Metro City is akin to playing a beat-em-up, which is fitting as the whole area is a love letter and nod to Capcom’s Final Fight series of arcade games. Later on in the campaign, even more open areas are made available, giving Street Fighter 6’s World Tour mode a real sense of depth with story beats almost reminiscent of something like Shenmue.
Gear can also be earned by purchasing it from different vendors in Metro City. NPCs can also be found when exploring other countries, which requires either purchasing a plane ticket or earning them by simply playing the game. The gear in Street Fighter 6 isn’t limited to just cosmetics and usually comes with a stat bonus.
Gear can also be levelled to augment the player’s avatar. Stats and levels come into play when going online, something I did not have a whole lot of time with to appreciate fully, but from my limited time with the game, I can safely say that the RPG mechanics in Street Fighter 6 will be entertaining for those who like making their own characters or are into roleplay.
“Street Fighter 6’s character creator is one of the best I’ve used…”
The sheer volume of clothing and gear that can be unlocked is staggering, although there doesn’t seem to be a way to use them for the existing character roster, limiting its reach to only the player-created avatars. Ultimately, if you’re just here for the core fighting game experience, Street Fighter 6 will have you covered, but if you’re looking for a little more, playing through the World Tour mode and creating your character is worth it and adds a ton of value to the game.
Street Fighter 6’s character creator is one of the best I’ve used in a game in recent memory, something I wasn’t expecting out of Street Fighter but one that feels right and something Capcom should include going forward.
Exploring Metro City, engaging in battles with pedestrians, thugs and sometimes even inanimate objects all somehow feels cohesive and, more importantly, fun to play. Even with my Victrix Pro FS Fight stick which I looked at while playing the Street Fighter 6 beta, traversal in the full game works well as Capcom has smartly mapped the right stick camera controls to the face buttons of the stick, allowing players like me, who prefer a fighting stick to move around the 3D space without the need of dual analogue sticks.
Outside of the World Tour mode, Street Fighter 6 runs the gamut of what you’d expect from a fighting game, including things like Arcade Mode, Training Mode and, of course, the online hub area in which the player can fight other people using either their World Tour avatar or an existing fighter
“Capcom has made Street Fighter 6 the most accessible fighter yet.”
Spread across 16 distinct stages, Street Fighter 6’s Arcade mode includes small visual-novel-styled story segments. These feel similar to the story mode found in the previous game and add a nice little bit of pazazz to a game that already has a great story mode with the addition of the World Tour mode.
Regarding the new fighting mechanics, Street Fighter 6 introduces players to the Drive system, which feels like the natural next step of Street Fighter 4’s Focus attacks and Street Fighter 5’s V gauge systems. The Drive system allows fighters to parry projectile-based attacks, and unleash heavy counter-attacks using Drive Impacts, reversals, rushes and Overdrive attacks that replace EX attacks found in previous titles.
Certain new fighters in Street Fighter 6, such as Manon—a character that combines Judo with the grace of a Ballerina—feature an additional numbered gauge next to her Drive meter. For her, this is called the Medal system, featuring five levels, increasing whenever the player can successfully land a grab (either hit or command), increasing the attack and gradually becoming the strongest thrower in the game when maxed.
I generally tend to stick to series staples, like Cammy and Ryu, but Street Fighter 6 is the first time where I’ve enjoyed playing as most of the new characters introduced. This is thanks to fun quirks like Manon’s medal system and Lily’s Condor wind ability, which like Manon, allows the new fighter to store energy and unleash stronger variants of her unique and special attacks.
Outside of the new fighting mechanics, characters and the expansive World Tour mode, Capcom has made Street Fighter 6 the most accessible fighter yet. This is thanks to the addition of the Modern and Dynamic controls options, which allow new players the ability to jump into the game without having to worry about learning hold moves and quarter circle motions—something that goes along in making the game more approachable to a broader audience.
With an expansive campaign, an in-depth character creator, a robust roster of both old and new fighters, and a fresh urban coat of paint that plays and runs excellently on PlayStation 5, Street Fighter 6 is a must-play for fans of the series.
