The latest installment in the legendary Street Fighter series is one of the most highly anticipated fighting games in a long time. We got a chance to play the PS4 Beta version, which gave us a small taste of the wide range of arenas and characters awaiting players in the full version. So keep reading to find out what we thought.
Gameplay
The only game mode available in the Beta was “Ranked Matches”, which allows you to face off against players from all over the world, earning points for winning matches and working your way up through the league rankings. The CFN (Capcom Fighters Network) menu tab shows you up-to-date stats and rankings, along with your player profile. Matches begin as soon as there’s another player available, but while you’re waiting, you can fight an AI opponent in an arena of your choice. This helps you learn the attacks you can expect from the different characters you’re going to face in PvP matches. When it’s over, you go back to the practice arena to kill some time before the next match or, if you need to, take out your frustration by wailing on your AI opponent.
The Beta version has five different fighters to choose from, along with three different arenas. You can also use the “Fight Money” you earn from completing matches to unlock the Kanzuki Estate, a kind of Japanese garden with a restaurant.The various fighters give you a chance to try out different fighting styles and get an idea of what the full version’s got in store. Ken, for example, fights using a classic Japanese/East Asian style of martial arts, pummeling his opponents with his bare feet and fists. His strength is in lithe movement and versatile attacks. Vega, with his Phantom of the Opera-like mask and Wolverine-style claws, doesn’t deal as much damage as other fighters, but he’s able to keep them in check with graceful agility and quick, lissome attacks. And those sharp claws come in handy in various special attacks.
The only female character currently available, Rainbow Mika, isn’t such a great choice if you’re new to fighting games. While her extremely skimpy outfit is sure to catch your eye, her attacks are really weak. Your best option is to use her lightning speed and superior agility to quickly hop from one end of the arena to the other, confusing your opponent. But this requires a high degree of tactical skill. Necalli stands out from all the other contenders with his wild, savage appearance. His attacks are extremely powerful, with some moves extracting more than half the opponent’s health bar under the right circumstances. Of course, his tremendous strength comes at the expense of speed and agility. The final contender, Rashid, is a very well balanced character who manages to perfectly combine speed and power. This is why I’d say he’s the ideal choice for anyone who’s having a hard time getting the hang of the game.
In the main menu of the Beta version, it’s possible to set your favorite character and favorite arena, which then become the default choices in future matches. You can adjust or change them at any time, of course. To add a touch of realism, they also display the current local time, weather conditions, and temperature of the the arena in question.
Matches are fought according to the “best two out of three” system that’s typical of the genre. So if you win the first two rounds, you win the match. In addition to each fighter’s special attacks, you can also use the sides of the arena to your advantage, using them to bounce off of, for example, which can give you a decisive advantage in certain situations, allowing you to end up winning an extremely close match. You should also make sure to keep an eye on the little bar beneath each fighter’s health bar, which gradually fills up when you land a series attacks on your opponent. Once it’s full, the fighter in question will be “crippled” for several seconds, allowing you to weaken him or her considerably.
Graphics All in all, the graphics in Street Fighter V have a really retro feel. The various attack animations, as well as the comic-book-style appearance of the individual characters is highly reminiscent of previous installments in the series, and don’t really take advantage of the graphics capabilities of an 8th-gen console. Nevertheless, the graphics, especially the depiction of the arenas, do provide the right atmosphere for the action.
The idyllic “Forgotten Waterfall” is the right choice for nature lovers of all stripes. The “crowd” is made up of sheep and exotic fowl that walk back and forth between the contenders’ legs during the match. The tranquil waterfall adds to the overall feel of the place, really bringing it to life. And for people who like their fighting games to have an appropriately “Asiatic” feel, “Bustling Side Street” is the one for you. A busy little urban street corner with neon signs, Chinese lanterns, and constant traffic give it that perfect “China Town” feel.
The last of the “regular” venues is “Terminal Station”, where British bobbies, hanging Union Jacks, and even a Britpop band come together to create an authentic ambiance. And aside from the three (+1) arenas, you can also do your training in the “Grid”, a plain-looking grey arena that allows you to concentrate on fighting alone, without anything in the background to distract you.
Sound The music is mostly the kind Japanese rock instrumentals you’d recognize from any fighting game or martial arts movie. This reinforces the rather retro style of the graphics, and completes the whole “Asian” feel of the game.
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saS
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=P