Editor’s Note: Sony India provided a PlayStation 5 code of Street Fighter 6 to IGN India for this review.
The Street Fighter franchise just released its most anticipated instalment a few weeks ago. Street Fighter VI is available now, and it comes 7 years after the release of the previous title. Here’s IGN India’s review for the latest instalment for one of the most popular franchises from the fighting genre. We reviewed the Street Fighter VI on a PlayStation 5 in Performance mode.
Getting into the game, as soon as you start up the title, there are three modes for you, the player to explore. The first one is a World Tour mode, a new campaign game mode created for the title. Second is called the Battle Hub, a one-stop location for everyone to compete against each other online. The third and final mode is Fighting Grounds, a place where you can brush up their skills, check out different characters and abilities. This mode also allows you to check the couch co-op gameplay.
A Helpful Campaign with a Weak Core
The World Tour mode is the newest addition to the Street Fighter VI and it was interesting to see a campaign themed around this title. Starting off, you need to create their character from the ground up and the freedom of customisation is enormous. You can go any route you wish to, creating the most kickass or the whackiest looking character. In fact, the final look of the character is only limited by your imagination.
Story of the World Tour mode is not that interesting. To provide a brief overview, you start as a budding fighter who is training to become the best fighter in the world. The overarching plot connects to gangs, emotions, and predictable outcomes. In the end, the story is not something that will bring you back to the game. But everything else the World Tour mode brings will surely interest you.
Open world in Street Fighter 6 and upgrades
You, the player will get to experience two decently sized open-world environments, Metro City and Nayshall. Here you are free to fight anyone walking on the streets with no questions asked. Considering you are a Street Fighter, there are opposing enemies and gangs in this world. You will also often be approached by diverse types of enemies on the streets. There is a healthy variety of classes and types of enemies that engage in battle with you in different ways in the game.
There are also a bunch of customisation options for your character in the game along with stat-based gear. You will need to buy gear with upgraded stats and enhance it constantly if you wish to be on top of their game. Else, the rival characters will start overpowering you in no time.
Side missions are the MVP
Side missions really shine in this mode as these are the things players new to this genre should look to complete. These side missions and mini games in this mode explain the core mechanics of Street Fighter 6. They ease inexperienced players into the genre by slowly introducing you to different types of moves and other elements of the game. The side missions and mini games also show you, the player how to pull off complex combos later in the game. This step-by-step guidance helps you level up your game.
The World Tour Mode, though small, is not the easiest as it involves a lot of grinding. You have to constantly level up your characters and teach them new moves to stay ahead of the competition. This means a whole bunch of battling with the AI to play the number of matches or make the number of minimum moves to level-up.
However, the grinding mechanic is also how the franchise pays ode to older Street Fighter characters. The game introduces all the old characters as Masters, and you can become their disciples to learn their moves. Towards the end of the game, you can have a character that has a remarkably diverse movement along with a unique playstyle.
Battle Hub, Where the Action Lies
All the time and effort that you put in the World Tour Mode does not go to waste, as you can use your character to compete with other players and their custom characters in Battle Hub mode. You will learn a lot by trying and testing what moves work for you in this competitive space. You also get a chance to see all the unique builds that other players have created in the game.
There are two ways for you to try the online mode. First is the unranked mode that is aimed at more casual players and second is the ranked mode for players looking to test their mettle against the very best Street Fighter 6 players. If you do not want to fight with the custom-made characters, you can also revert to the normal versus mode where you use the 18-character roster filled with returning and new characters provided in the game. This allows you to check out the new aspects of the game and enjoy it the old-fashioned way.
You can customise your characters further with a new array of options in Battle Hub mode. In addition, you can also check the party mode which brings specials rules with Extreme battles to keep you on your toes. You can even sit back and relax to play some Final Fight and Street Fighter 2 in this mode. The competition is tough though, so players should remember to always bring their A-game to the online lobbies.
If you are finding it difficult to defeating other players, then you can check out Street Fighter’s 6 comprehensive training grounds. This allows players to learn all types of combos along with character guides to learn how every single character works. Training grounds also offer you a vast array of tools to fine-tune your gameplay.
Gameplay, the Core of Street Fighter VI
The biggest changes that you will notice in the game come through all the new gameplay enhancements that Capcom has implemented in their latest instalment. Other than the obvious visual and performance improvements, Street Fighter VI also brings a new gameplay mechanic into the mix. This new mechanic makes playing Street Fighter 6 even more fun.
The mechanic I am referring to here is called “Drive”. All characters now have a Drive Gauge, which can be used to pull off a complete set of Drive moves that come with Street Fighter VI’s new spray paint-themed art style. There are 5 types of Drive moves that players can use in the game called Overdrive, Drive Rush, Drive Parry, Drive Impact and Drive Reversal.
The moves are self-explanatory by the name. However, going over all of them, Overdrive is the new special move that deals massive damage to your enemies. Drive Rush is the move used to get closer to your opponent quickly and Drive Parry is used to blocking incoming Drive attacks. Drive Impact is a special-powered attack that pegs your enemy down and Drive Reversal helps you create space between you and your enemy.
All of these Drive moves cost a certain number of bars on your Drive Gauge and this gauge replenishes over time. However, if you use them too quickly then you are put in a burnout stage. The burnout stage can be a difficult position for you as you are vulnerable to all types of Drive attacks without any Drive moves to counter them.
This new risk-reward system really helps make the game more interesting and engaging as you must strategise on how to spend your drive gauge. With some characters, it is better to get the jump on your opponent and quickly go on the offensive. For others, it is better to stick to the long play. The Drive system also refreshes the move-set of a lot of the existing characters, introducing a bunch of new variables into play.
Furthermore, Street Fighter 6 has also introduced two types of control schemes, Modern Controls and Dynamic Controls to attract more players to the genre. Modern Controls help bring those extensive button combos down to two or three button presses and Dynamic Mode asks players to button mash and let AI pick their move set. Both control schemes are great for players who are trying to get into the fighting genre of games.
Value for Money
Street Fighter 6 retails for price of INR 3,999 across all platforms including PlayStation, Xbox and PC. This price might feel a bit steep for some players, but it is standard for any AAA release in 2023. Is Street Fighter 6 worth this price tag? If you are here with this question then the answer is most definitely yes. Street Fighter 6 offers you a definitive fighting experience, leagues ahead of anything from recent titles in the genre. Even for new players it acts as a great entry point with plenty of tools and mechanics for continuous improvement. The online, competitive nature also increases the lifetime for the title. Considering the track record of Capcom in servicing the game, Street Fighter 6 most certainly justifies it INR 3,999 pricepoint.
Capcom has delivered a masterpiece for the fighting genre in Street Fighter 6. The game will keep players immersed in its near perfect 2D fighting gameplay with its stacked roster of characters. This roster is filled with new as well as old characters with new variations for you to try out. The game’s latest gameplay mechanic is the Drive system which introduces an element of strategy in an otherwise traditionally a button-smasher game. This makes players think about their moves and timings for the best result making Drive one of the best changes to the Street Fighter franchise. The only part that sort of holds the game back is its lackluster World Tour mode with loose narrative and average RPG mechanics. Only good thing about this mode is that it is a great method for new players to learn the ways of the game. Regardless, Street Fighter 6 still remains a definitive experience for new as well as old players of the genre.
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