Street Fighter arcade expansion nigh-on perfect
ALMOST two years ago, we reviewed Street Fighter 5, noting along with a fair few other critics - that it definitely did not feel like the finished article.
Certainly, it was not up to par with the blockbuster, content-rich titles that have defined the series thusfar.
Enter Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition which is, simply put, what the original game should have been on release.
In fairness to Capcom, Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition comes as a free update for existing Street Fighter V owners or as a game that you can purchase as a standalone title.
The main additions to the base game are a much-requested arcade mode, upgraded online play and a plethora of fun single-player game modes and tweaks.
Some might say that these additions are too-little, too-late, but Capcom’s earnest bid to right their wrongs cannot go without some plaudits.
The newly added arcade mode is awash with nostalgia. Capcom has added various “paths” through which you can play against the computer, with each path representing an abridged version of each Street Fighter game in the series.
Upon completion of a path, you are awarded some concept art and illustrations. Such sundries are rather lacking in games these days, so it is nice to have these tropes of a past era in gaming receive acknowledgement.
Among the many tweaks and additions to the game brought on by this update are an updated user interface, as well as some extra snippets of voice-acting from the in-game announcers. Capcom have also introduced a host of new V-Triggers that certainly add yet another layer of depth to the game.
As a quick illustration, Ryu’s new V-Trigger - if timed correctly - unleashes a devastating counter that could easily turn the tide of a bout.
Capcom’s Arcade Edition expansion to the much-derided Street Fighter V is, essentially, content that should have been in the game from the outset.
Fortunately the actual execution of this expansion is nigh-on perfect and certainly brings Street Fighter V into the conversation for the greatest modern fighting game.