Street Fighter 6 is the complete opposite of its predecessor, with a wealth of features and content to satisfy even the most demanding of players. Boasting a stunning new art style, the game introduces a roster of 18 characters that features returning fighters and brand-new additions. But it’s not just the characters that make Street Fighter 6 such a fantastic game; it’s the gameplay itself.
One of the standout mechanics in Street Fighter 6 is the Drive System, which gives each character a variety of abilities that are all governed by the Drive Gauge. Every player has access to five powerful abilities, including Overdrive special moves, Drive Rush, Drive Parry, Drive Reversals, and Drive Impact. The Drive System opens up a wealth of possibilities at the start of every round, with players able to choose between many options that can help them put pressure on their opponents.
It’s not just about the Drive System, though. There are also training tools and systems to help players improve, as well as an incredibly ambitious online Battle Hub that puts other online fighting game lobbies to shame. Street Fighter 6 takes many swings in different directions, and not every blow connects, but the ones that do are absolute knockouts.
The Drive System Enhances the Fighting Experience
The Drive System is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the game. While not every player may love Drive Impacts, they’re tuned so that they’re just reactable enough to be defended against if you’re looking out for them, but also still fast enough to catch players off-guard if they’re not paying attention. Counterattacking Drive Impacts is incredibly satisfying, particularly when it helps you turn the tables and win a tight round.
Even being in Burnout, which occurs when a player runs out of Drive Meter, isn’t an entirely unwinnable situation. While Burnout is terrible since it limits players’ access to Drive Meter-related techniques, the opponent’s attacks become more advantageous on both block and hit, and they can take chip damage.
The New World Warriors Offer Fresh Challenges
Street Fighter 6’s 18-character roster is mostly familiar, with 12 returning characters and six entirely new challengers. Even the returning among them feel fresh, thanks to new quirks added to their movesets. Ken’s command run, for instance, changes up the properties of many of his special moves when he uses them, giving them EX-like properties without having to spend Drive Meter. Cammy is now able to charge her special moves and give them V-Trigger-like properties, while Dee Jay has a range of new moves making him a very tricky opponent to play against.
The new blood features some of the best additions to the series to date. Kimberly, with a ninja-inspired moveset that involves quick teleports, piledriving opponents into the ground with Izuna drop-like air throws, and mixing up opponents with tricky leaps from half a screen away, is a clear standout, while Jamie, a drunken melee powerhouse, can buff himself by taking swigs of his flask. Once he takes four drinks, almost all of Jamie’s moves become extremely dangerous with multi-hitting attacks that leave opponents struggling to fight back.
World Tour Can Use Some Improvement
While Street Fighter 6’s World Tour is an ambitious single-player mode, it’s also the game’s weakest aspect. Although it’s a big step up from Street Fighter 5’s attempt at a cinematic story mode, it’s still rated very low. The story of World Tour is incredibly dull, and while this RPG-style mode teaches new players the fundamentals of Street Fighter 6, most players would not enjoy the mode’s story.
Despite that, Street Fighter 6 is undoubtedly a fantastic game that both longtime fans and new players will enjoy. With its stunning new art style, an incredible roster of characters with unique movesets, and the introduction of the Drive System, this game is well worth the purchase.