Just glimpse the character selection menu to verify that street fighter 6 dripping with new blood. With six new faces, or a third of the full cast, Capcom clearly marks a hinge between two eras. Gone is the impossible shallot race between tradition and modernity, which led to the same familiar faces being recycled in all sauces every decade. Even Ryu dropped his mascot title in favor of Luke, who had already concluded the DLCs of Street Fighter V (not without controversy). The blond is much more comfortable in his own game, where his aggressiveness rushdown naturally finds its place. He is even our dedicated mentor in the World Tour mode, a big new feature, which takes us through a series of open cities to teach us the basics of tatany. next-gen.
Around the World
Let’s burst the abscess right away: no, the scenario of street fighter 6 will not mark the history of video games, very far from it. The dialogues are abracadabrantesque, smelling strongly of the reject of series B that a JCVD on the descent of cocaine would not have dared to touch heel (although, he played well in the film adaptation of the franchise …): if Chun- Li pulls it off with some innate grace, our main rival, Bosch, rattles off clichés like a boxer with a noggin badly battered by the count of the years. The plot promises to be as broken as it is non-existent.
But it does not matter much, because the main thing is to build the career of our avatar. As announced, World Tour is a tutorial that does not say its name. It is also played by default with the so-called “modern” controls, which simplify the combos and special attacks to drastically soften the learning process. Of course, veterans can revert to classic controls at any time. The character creation engine is surprisingly complete, containing a large selection of hairstyles and tattoos, but above all allowing us to refine our morphology with precision. This also has a weight on our gameplay. A tank-shaped unbalance will be stronger, but also slower and shorter in reach than a large rod. It’s fun to fashion strange misshapen warriors, let’s face it.
The World Tour mode could almost compare to SEGA’s Yakuza in the overall structure. We wander around town, chatting with colorful NPCs, running after sweetly nonsensical quests, and being regularly mugged by gang members every three streets. One can also challenge almost any passerby. The proof is also very funny: since we move to Metro City, former theater of the beat ’em up Final Fight, the locals are already used to frying in their daily lives. Our only goal is to meet more martial arts masters and acquire their styles and special moves, which we can mix and match at our leisure. In 2023, combining Chun-Li’s fighting style with Luke’s special moves is possible! A few optional bosses hide in the background, waiting for us to cross them to make us miserable.
Karate-Aikido-Taekwondo Kid
Overall, if the start of the World Tour is quite slow due to a movelist very reduced, the progression seems fluid, and it seems to be a good tool to introduce the formula to a cautious audience of ranked matches. A handful of supporting characters, including the so-called Bosch and Li Fen (Chun-Li’s adoptive little sister), have a well-defined design. Perhaps they are destined to become the future of the franchise; perhaps they will be confined to the rank of mini-bosses. To see if Capcom will realize their potential in the sequel to the adventure, which will also go beyond the borders of Metro City to go around the world, as its name suggests. Finally, note a handful ofeaster eggs well felt in the billboards scattered across the city. Something to make connoisseurs smile.
On the combat side, the previous preview had already said it all. Easy to access, the combat system gradually reveals its subtleties, although having fun for an hour against the basic AIs did not really allow you to probe its depths, it is true. THE Drive System condenses all past mechanics – except Supers – into a single all-purpose gauge, which clocks both our guard and our parryour EX moves or the equivalent of a Focus Attack Street IV style. So many barbaric terms that are learned little by little. It would have taken a few more rounds to really grasp the whole system, but the sheer variety of options available at all times makes the neutral particularly interesting. We assess each other’s defense, we try a full-speed approach, we cause an error – real tension gradually grips each match, as the life bars run out of steam and the gauges of great fill up.
Sons of the Dragon
How not to rush on the new characters? In good French, we lockons immediately Manon, supermodel and multi-medal-winning judoka with a unique style, mixing ballet and mugs. Each time she catches the opponent, she wins a medal valid until the end of the match; of the match, yes, not of the round. His daring mix of mid-range kicks and feints to grab instantly seduced us, especially since Manon could serve as a showcase for the animations of street fighter 6. Powerful, racy, fluid, impactful, each of his attacks is enjoyable to stall. THE sound design is particularly successful and punctuates each impact with a violent slap noise to shake the walls. Among the little news, the colossal Marisa catches the eye just as much, with her Roman gladiator outfit and her gameplay of steroidal Miss Hulk, able to bulldoze any thief with her crazy armor points. A scrub killeras they say, easy to pick up but difficult to counter without correct fundamentals.
Afterwards, even if you have cut your teeth on the previous episodes, street fighter 6 will send you back to school – well, YouTube and Shoryuken.com tutorials – as all the classic fighters have been re-rolled. A smart refresh, especially for Dee Jay, who has always struggled to find his audience. Having become a world star, the dashing Jamaican has expanded his movelist with the Juice Coola small step back that can be chained with different moves to surprise your playing partner. Dee Jay sums up the qualities of this new opus well: the sense of style supported by a dynamic artistic direction, the finely crafted gameplay, and the generosity at all times.
Let’s skip the inevitable Arcade mode to head straight for a new mode, Extreme Battle, which combines wacky rules and environmental traps to sow chaos. Tailor-made for compilations on social networks and good quality memes, Extreme Battle turns out to be quite fun with the controller in hand, playing the entertainment card thoroughly by releasing bulls in the arena or by making it rain lightning. To dust off when friends come home with their arms full of booze (read my bio below).