Street Fighter V PlayStation 4 Review

The king has returned. For many years, Street Fighter has been the immediate referent when talking about fighting games. Not only did the franchise become a milestone within the genre, but the characters in its ever growing roster are now easily recognizable parts of pop culture, as are their signature moves. The Street fighter series has one of the strongest and biggest fan bases and, now, Capcom seems to actually be catering to their needs.

Now, with its fifth entry in the core series, Street Fighter has reached a whole new level, almost perfect. Perhaps it’s not the ultimate fighting game yet, but it’s getting eerily close. That said, it’s clear that Capcom has learned from its previous entries and has now created a player-driven experience. Fighting games have one of the most dedicated fandoms in existence and, being a top-shelf franchise, Street Fighter has learned from past experiences and delivered something really enjoyable for almost every possible audience.

For the first part, veteran and seasoned players will feel like they’re actually getting mechanics and an engine they were asking for. The combat system allows them to be far more creative than in the title’s predecessor and, with that, comes a deeper layer. This becomes especially important while dealing with stressful combat situations, because players have a plethora of options to choose from and an engine that suits most gaming needs. This is a bit different for newcomers, because, ahead of them lies a road full of punishment, entry barriers and learning, but, ultimately becomes a satisfactory path. Perhaps the game doesn’t have the most intuitive gameplay in a fighting game, but it definitively allows players to get familiar with controls and combo making, so a newcomer will not forever remain so, but improve and adapt, and use the characters and combat system to their fighting needs.

Perhaps one of the main problems with this new title is the omission of a strong single player mode. In an era where multiplayer takes place, mostly, online, developers shift focus towards these types of game; however, a fighting game must have a solid single player mode, especially a career or arcade mode that allows players to improve and play casually as well. Story mode feels as if it were somewhat undeveloped. Cut scenes are, generally, an essential part of narrative in videogames, however Street Fighter V makes only the minimum necessary for this to exist and, as it is foreseeable, this game mode is quickly beaten with no room left for improvement and a rather unsatisfying ending sequence for most characters.

Training mode, however, includes customizable AI settings, which is one of the strongest points in this game’s development. Not only can players have a sandbox where to experiment and improve, but now they can do it without the limitations of single-minded AI; instead, it can be moulded in order to emulate different types of players one can encounter.

Gameplay wise, the combat system has several improvements; most notably, the V-skill and the V-trigger. The first is a set of variable abilities, free-to-use, which allows players to get out of sticky situations or, even, grants them a small boost or advantage. This ability is used by tapping two buttons at the same time, which can vary and deliver a great amount of different combinations. By using the V-skill, the V-Trigger meter fills and, with that, a powerful move can be delivered. From boosts to special attacks, the V-Trigger is something players will like to take advantage of, especially in competitive circuits.

The character roster is not as big as other fighting games, but includes most notable characters from past entries in the series, as well as interesting newcomers, additions to the franchise players have praised since their inception in recent months. There is, as always, a character for every player type and a solution to every gaming need. Online multiplayer has had several problems in the very beginning, but Capcom has been working on them in order to let players experience matches without major inconveniences. In a recent update, even, the game system punishes rage-quitters by docking their hard earned online points. These, as one would expect, is celebrated news for all those who want to get a satisfying experience.

 

Street Fighter V has something for everyone. It is a must play for every fan of the series, for fighting games consumers and for casual gamers as well, although they might find it a bit harder to dominate and understand the game completely, at least from the start. Nevertheless, SFV is, ultimately, an enjoyable game and a well-deserved title for long-time series fans. It won’t be long before this recent addition to the franchise becomes an industry standard, not because it was the developer’s intention, but because players will shift attention to games that actually listen to them and take their needs into consideration. The same way Mortal Kombat X is setting a new high for the whole franchise, and some other fighting games that follow its style, Street Fighter V is setting a new mark to beat for games to come.
 

Sarwar Ron, NoobFeed