HITS AND MISSES
Street Fighter V came out last week for the Play Station 4 and PC, but Capcom may have released the game a month or so too early. Missing a lot of features and game modes one would expect from a fighting game, Street Fighter V proves that having great mechanics is just the first step.
Hardcore fans and new players will be extremely happy with all the changes made to the mechanics in Street Fighter V. It has a straightforward EX gauge which builds up as you land hits. It can used to perform a powered-up special move by pressing any other punch/kick button with respect to the original move. When fully charged, players can utilise the full metre to unleash a Critical Art.
Players also build up another metre called the V-Gauge, which can be used for offence, defence or mobility depending upon the fighter. When full, players can utilise their V-Trigger ability to help turn the tide of battle. These abilities are unique to each character, which ultimately results in an extremely diverse yet balance roster. For instance, Ryu’s V-Trigger depletes over time and during this period he can cast more powerful versions of his Hadoukens, including his Critical Art. On the other hand, Nash uses his V-Trigger instantly, teleporting him to a chosen part of the stage.
The absence of game modes is the game’s biggest shortcoming. There is no standard arcade mode, a good tutorial to help newcomers, spectator mode or even the ability to play 1v1 against the AI. The challenges section present in the main menu is locked because they will only be available from next month.
Playing online is a blast due to the excellent net code. Even when fighting against opponents in Asia and Europe, there was little to no lag.
But matchmaking can take 10-20 minutes, even if the game shows several players near my location. Given how short matches usually are, it’s painful to see the seemingly endless waiting screen over and over again.
THE ABSENCE OF GAME MODES IS THE GAME’S BIGGEST WEAK POINT