Platforms: PC (version reviewed), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One
Genre: 2D fighting game to end all 2D fighting games (at least for 2023)

Video game company Capcom is clearly in a new golden age post-Keiji Inafune and Yoshinori Ono, what with its overhauling of its games, its many Resident Evil remakes for good and ill, and the way it handled the 2D fighting game trainwreck that is Street Fighter 5 into a much better game that should have only been out 2 years later (from its 2016 date).

Not settling for what it’s already done, Capcom is making a sixth Street Fighter game that plans to advance the game’s storyline past Street Fighter 3 while also becoming a fresh new competitive and 2D gaming start for new and older players. Capcom is also going back to making meaty single-player experiences in its fighting games like it did with Street Fighter Alpha 3’s console ports, but in a bigger and more meaningful context that also teaches you how to play the game well. Did it succeed?

Very much so, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves like a premature forward jump at the start of the round.

Friday Night Fisticuffs

Street Fighter 6 continues the tradition of being a 2D fighting game with familiar archetypes but with fancier aesthetics and a bold new fighting mechanic and system to bring in both new and old players alike. Capcom is doing this with its seemingly-complicated-but-actually-thoughtful Drive System and Drive Meter. Every character from all-rounder Ryu (shoto with the best tools for newbies & intermediates) to big-bodied grappler Zangief has access to the ability to power-up existing moves (Over Drive),  do special parries (Drive Parry), special cancels into dashes that put you at the advantage (Drive Rush), and hard-hitting crumple state attacks (Drive Impact) all tied to the Drive System. Suddenly, slow characters have the means to get in and use their command grabs by Drive Rushing, while weaker rushdown characters can blow up opponents with a well-timed Drive Impact that lets them absorb up to two hits, making certain plays ineffective.

The downside to having the Drive Meter is that when it’s emptied, you enter a Burnout state (your character loses colour & is greyed out) meaning that you’re at a disadvantage when blocking and being attacked. Worst of all, if you get Drive Impacted to a wall, you immediately enter a dizzy state, leaving you open to big attacks from your opponent. Trust me; the Drive Meter will get empty really quick if you go all-out with combos, or if you’re blocking too much. On the flip side, you can use Drive Parry to take some hits and refill your meter, and also land certain attacks for the same effect.

And what about your Super attacks that help you deal more damage be it as flashy combo-enders or reversals/counterattacks? They use a separate Super Meter at the bottom of the screen and do not use Drive meter at all. Suddenly, your mindset in this Street Fighter entry changes: with two separate meters, you can go all-out with certain playstyles but also can cash out some damage with your Super Attacks when you get your hits in. The Drive System is essentially an amalgamation of Street Fighter IV and V’s mechanics combined together to form a new type of fun and invigorating experience that encourages freedom. Coupled with the game’s Modern and Classic control scheme -one is reliant on four face buttons and meant for default console controllers, the other for fightsticks & fightpads- and you have a lovely one-on-one recipe whether you like fighting games and just want to jump in for fun, or a longtime fan who wants to see the latest Capcom SF entry take it up a notch in the innovation department.

Roster-wise, the 18 base characters are varied enough and fun. Legacy World Warriors like E.Honda, Zangief, and Ken are the best versions of their IV and V counterparts with fleshed-out “character gimmicks” implemented in their core combat system without coming off as forced. New entrants like Manon the judo ballet diva and Lily the easy-to-use grappler-like fighter who takes after a Street Fighter 2 veteran just adds more spice and fun factor to an already-colourful group. All in all, you’ll find someone to love and main.

I sure did with Manon. While she’s not that easy to play, her footsie game and Medal Level command grab system make her one scary momentum fighter to fear as the rounds keep counting down. Plus, she has style and drip up the wazoo whether you take her to fight online, in Arcade mode, or even meet up with her in World Tour mode; what’s not to love?

Leaving On A Jetplane

Speaking of which, Street Fighter 6 introduces a very meaty World Tour mode meant to ease newbies through a robust single-player experience. You play as a self-insert character who joins a recruitment program called Buckler with Luke Sullivan (the SF6 poster boy) as your Master from the get-go. From there, you get introduced to your rival Bosch and you end up globetrotting through the world and also exploring the town of Metro City (of Final Fight fame) to search for the meaning of strength. This translates to the game’s fight economy: you pick a battle with anyone in the street from a pizza vendor to even an old man, then win the first-to-one battle for experience and item/gear rewards.

Sometimes, gang members and rabid monks also approach and pick a fight with you, but you can also counter them with Master moves you can use on the field to get the first strike on them. This also means that you are able to uncover more Masters (essentially the SF6 roster) to collect more moves & special attacks for your avatar to use. Since you start off with Luke, you’ll get his moves and fighting style. However, you can also unlock Chun-Li’s fighting style and her patented attacks -Spinning Bird Kick & Kikouken- as you take her as your Master. If you level their Master level up via using it in fights and battles, and also use their moves more often, you’ll form a higher bond with them which leads to more unlocked special moves and Super Moves, as well as use them as temporary assists when fights get tough. And also get them to tell you their side story and motivations. Capcom lorehounds will find LOTS to love here; personal highlights include unlocking Cammy’s reason for fighting, getting to Chun-Li’s oversized legs, and seeing Ryu tackling the subject of phone messaging. The latter is hilarious as all hell and needs to be witnessed in motion and not just through internet memes.

Essentially, I’ve just described Street Fighter: The Role-Playing Game to you, and by golly, it is a blast to play. Not only do you get to experience a fun JRPG, but also learn a lot of fighting game nuances and mechanics from the many sidequests and missions on tap. I can attest that 30 hours of my playthrough revolve around getting extra moves from my newfound Masters like Zangief and Guile, buying as many clothes as I can for stat boosts and drip, and just tackling a ton of side missions just to see what it’s like to have a grappler fight style character having access to Sonic Booms and Flash Kicks. You can make your avatar as broken as hell, and I’m completely down with it. The robustness and flexibility of the custom character option when you boot up World Tour mode are also noteworthy, especially with the creative fighting game community moulding their own Cronenberg mishaps to game the system. My only gripes with World Tour is (a) the subway portion is a little tedious and (b) it does end on an abrupt mode, like as if it’s setting up for future expansions and Season Pass shenanigans.

Speaking of custom creations, you can take them online and duke it out with the Battle Hub in the Avatar Battle mode. Or if you prefer a more esports and competitive style of fighting, the online and ranked play modes are available, with SF6’s version being the best of the lot. The modes have rollback netcode with smoothed-out connections and wi-fi detectors, along with great quality-of-life options like testing out controls before matches and really quick rematch transitions. There’s also Extreme Battle mode if you prefer having wacky modifiers and obstacles in your battles, and if you’re sick of playing competitively and rather have more fun.

The bottom line? Street Fighter 6 is jam-packed with meaningful play modes that entertain new and old fighting game fans, while also educating many on the joys of 2D fisticuffs.

No Scrubs(lords)

It really goes without saying that Street Fighter 6 launch edition is a million times better than Street Fighter 5’s, but that’s way too low a bar to surpass. Here’s a better question: is it superior to Guilty Gear Strive and Mortal Kombat 11 at launch? Without a shadow of a doubt, because you’re looking at the best version of the 2D fighting series that made the genre exist in the first place that’s also going to keep you busy whether you’re offline or online.

That essentially means fundamentals of fighting games are learned and taught in the 10+ hours trial run that is the training grounds and World Tour, followed by online play, some arcade mode shenanigans, and extreme battles along with other features to toy around. It’s packed with so much content it’s raised the bar for other future fighting games, even going so far.

Even if the commentator tracks are just fluff and some of the character music themes are incredibly lacklustre, these aren’t enough to unseat Street Fighter 6’s apex predator position as this year’s de facto fighter. I’ll say this: the next Mortal Kombat and Tekken better step up if they wish to even be on the same level as Capcom’s latest notch in their already-stellar track record post-Inafune and Ono-san.

Pros

• The best iteration of 2D fighting mechanics ever.
• Great training modes and single-player feature to ease players into 2D fighting.
• Meaty 18-character roster with various playstyles and learning curves.
• Online experience is the best so far.

Con

• Characters themes are hit and miss.
• Guest commentator option is a novelty.

Final Score: 90/100

Review copy provided by Capcom.