“BOOM, BAM, PUNCH, SMASH, AND THE ULTIMATE ATTACK LANDS RIGHT ON TARGET, IT’S A KO FOR KEN!”
Yup, that is right, the long-anticipated fighting game Street Fighter 6 has just launched a 4-day beta test for people to test and experience, and let me tell you, it is the game that will set the bar for games.
While I was not able to participate in the beta test for the game, as it requires you to be 18 with a CAPTOM ID the reviews from testers on streaming platforms are more than enough to sell me. With the new game mechanics, amazing graphic effects, and a brand new hub system for player matching, Street Fighter 6 has got everything you need!
Street Fighter 6 is single-handedly defining the future of fighting games. Revolutionizing the core and mechanics of fighting games, and setting a new standard for the next generation of fighting games.
The core of Street Fighter 6 should come as no surprise, as it is a fighting game after all. You still engage in your typical fights, pulling off combos, doing super moves, shooting projectiles, the whole ordeal. However, an interesting new feature that can help newcomers is the addition of a second control scheme. Classic controls will work in the traditional six-button layout the series has always used, with button combinations pulling off special moves, but a new modern control scheme simplifies that.
This is amazing for players that are really bad at memorizing all the complex inputs that you need to do for a specific move. This implementation of modern controls does not require players to memorize or practice complex motions to pull off moves. Instead, special moves are mapped to a single button, and by changing what direction you are moving or the situation you are in when you press it, you will pull off a different special move.
Another new interesting mechanic that got added to the game is the addition of a Drive System, which resembles the Focus mechanic from Street Fighter 4. Drive is a meter you can use to do one of five things: Drive Impact, Drive Parry, Overdrive, Drive Rush, or Drive Reversal. This will set up new interesting combos, and a way to counter if your enemy messes up their play.
The thing that I am most excited about is the World Tour/ Battle hub. This is a new system in which you can customize an avatar which can then be placed on the streets of Metro City, and you are free to run around and explore the environment in an open-world setting.
The battle hub is what is really exciting, as this is where you can meet up, chat, and access the Fighting Ground in a digital environment using the same avatar you created for World Tour mode. In addition to socializing and starting matches with others, you can also play some classic Capcom arcade games, purchase cosmetic items, and participate in tournaments. This is a really cool feature, as you can find someone who has the same interests and skills as you, and just hop on an arcade machine in the world to fight against one another.
Now let us take a look at the game’s current and leaked future rosters. After numerous small reveals, the official Street Fighter Twitter account confirmed the initial roster of 18 characters as follows: Luke, Jamie, Manon, Kimberly, Marisa, Lily, JP, Juri, Dee Jay, Cammy, Ryu, E. Honda, Blanka, Guile, Ken, Chun-Li, Zangief, and Dhalsim.
Unfortunately, the game is expected to be announced sometime in the summer of 2023, the great news is that this game will not be console exclusive, and will be made available on pc. In the meantime, all we can do is wait for Street Fighter 6 to come online again, and when it does, it will change the entirety of what you can expect from a fighting game.
