My friend and a chronic game maniac Kevin Kain, aka U.F.O., goes hands on with the latest in the Street Fighter series from Capcom. Prepare for some beating, buggers ! :)
This is a review of the PC version of the game Street Fighter V.
Bang-Bang-Bash-Beat -Critical Aaaaaart !
You lose ! XD
So,as it turns out I've been playing Street fighter V for the past 2 weeks and beatings and triumphs aside, what pops out most to me is the toon-shaded, rather than a realistic, aesthetic of the visuals. Just look at its amazing mix of styles, it feels like a cherished relic of the golden age of all things wonderful and boombastic !
Peel your eyes away from the fantabulous screen for a while and lets check out what the game splurges at you in your ruthless battle for victory:
Round 1 Fight ! :
As I fired up the game for the first time a really impressive intro had me all pumped up and ready for action and thus began the journey of my fist through the pile of opponents ! Though, as it turned out I really really REALLY sucked at it :O ! I didn't loose my first match but I knew that I was ridiculously slow at mashing its buttons.The last time I had played a fighting was about a decade ago and I think it was Street Fighter II because I remember a friend kicking the hell out of me with M. Bison. The lack of practice from all these years really showed and I soon found myself bruised and beaten but full of vengeance to continue !
So I spent some time in the training mode beating up M. Bison(my revenge ruled the better of me!) with Ken and found out that the game is punishing to a rookie. The time window for the key presses for a combo is really narrow and most of the combos include an analog action which has to be really precise to pull one off. Good luck with that, you rookies out there ! I really struggled while executing the Critical Arts, the game's super awesome devastating special moves which can be unleashed upon filling a specific meter, and even after much practice since then, I still have to give it a few tries to get it right. The thrill of pulling it off is un-matchable and rewarding though and you find yourself determined to get it right each time. It is not all over powered , though. Apparently, the Critical Arts do have a certain range and if the opponent is too far it wouldn't reach him/her leaving you feeling dumb (struck!) . THere is also a possibility that the opponent can simply dodge it !
The game does require some getting used to for a new gamer but I guess this wouldn't be a problem for hardcore Street-Fighters and they'll be massacring each other in the battle lounge in no time. Even for old timers, there are some new mechanics in there, like the V-Skills that can be used only after your V-Trigger meter is full. WHat it does is add more character specific moves to your arsenal after the match has progressed a while adding more variety and a feeling of progression to each round. Its simple in execution for newer players but has enough depth and breadth for the pros to have their hands full with moves and strategies to choose from.
The game does require some getting used to for a new gamer but I guess this wouldn't be a problem for hardcore Street-Fighters and they'll be massacring each other in the battle lounge in no time. Even for old timers, there are some new mechanics in there, like the V-Skills that can be used only after your V-Trigger meter is full. WHat it does is add more character specific moves to your arsenal after the match has progressed a while adding more variety and a feeling of progression to each round. Its simple in execution for newer players but has enough depth and breadth for the pros to have their hands full with moves and strategies to choose from.
Beauty is for the one left alive :
The Stages in the game are beautiful and the way in which the audience in the back are animated is hilarious !My favorite stage turned out to be Apprentice alley, which is basically an Indian setup with people all over a train engine with bollywood film posters on the walls and a yogi levitating while using a touch screen tablet ! I totally cracked up on that one :D !
The characters look stunning and really attractive. There are some cool changes in thier physical appearances, like exaggerated body parts, which makes the characters look really appealing. The cinematics shown while performing a successful critical art are also really Impressive. I particularly love Necalli's Soul Offering and M. Bison's Psycho Crusher !
Fighting as a way of life:
The content of the game can be broken into two segments Online and Off. The game features a Story mode for each character which consists of a few fights and honestly, it feels less like a story mode and more like the prologue for every character. To say the least, it feels very lacking.
Next up is a Survival mode in which a player has to fight one opponent after another in a series of matches, the twist being that your health is not replenished between matches. I ,being a rookie as I was, was still able to reach level 16 in ' Hell ' mode, the highest difficulty level, because after getting used to the gameplay for a while the AI feels very clumsy and predictable. You feel like the destroyers of realms soon :D !
Next up is a Survival mode in which a player has to fight one opponent after another in a series of matches, the twist being that your health is not replenished between matches. I ,being a rookie as I was, was still able to reach level 16 in ' Hell ' mode, the highest difficulty level, because after getting used to the gameplay for a while the AI feels very clumsy and predictable. You feel like the destroyers of realms soon :D !
......but multiplayer matches are a whole different story. The game sure is difficult when it comes to a fighting game and really does take a lot of time to get used to it as compared to Mortal Kombat X. I was able to adapt to Mortal Kombat in like half an hour and also was able to beat friends in multiplayer pretty soon. The fatalities in Mortal Kombat, which are equal to critical arts in Street Fighter V, are realyl easy to execute. The real key in that game is timing whereas Street Fighter V requires a lot of precision as well, along with impeccable timing, which to me is a lot of balls in the air. I found myself biting dust much more often and the songs of glory ringing in my head from my time in the Survival mode soon faded off, to be replaced by grit teeth, sweaty palms and blood red thumbs. The excitement and exhilaration is unmatched, though, and just like an adamant Kung-Fu hero, I keep heading back into the MP arena to get my next chance at victory ! My time is near, I swear ! I shall conquer !
Conclusion:
From my two weeks spent in the game I can say that Street Fighter V is a real treat to all fighting game enthusiasts out there, and Capcom really won my heart with the art-style .To conclude I'd say that though it may feel that it lacks content in the offline mode, with the story mode being very short and cursory, when taken online this one is tough to beat in the professional arena. As a mainstream multiplayer fighting game, Street Fighter comes out as king again !
Pros:
* Fantastic core gameplay
*Very precise and skill based fighting.
* A balanced roster of characters
* A balanced roster of characters
*Exceptional visuals
*Knuckle biting MP matches
*A very gratifying experience
Cons:
*Very little offline content. Seems like a primarily online game
*A very short story mode.
Verdict:
If you love fighting games and primarily play multiplayer , then go ahead and get this. You will be bleeding pixels and serving vengeance in no time ! If you prefer offline play though, then you might be better off waiting for the future DLC to see if its is worth the price of admission.
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