VsFighting X, part 10 of the UK’s biggest fighting game event, made a gorgeous return last weekend in the heart of Birmingham city centre. Passing through the gates of the Millenium Point venue and past all the buildings, an excited crowd of contestants and spectators filled the space. However, as exciting as the tournament itself, one of the most popular attractions is Street Fighter VI on the 2nd floor.
With a group of eager players even bigger than some games, with their own dedicated tournament space, the four 1.0 monitors quickly became a hotspot for every attendee. The game, if you’ve been following it since it was announced, you’ve probably noticed that, like all mainstream Street Fighter games of the past, there’s been a lot of hype around it.
While the opinions of many influencers and the media are online – including our own impressions of the game – this is a great opportunity to get a sense of what your typical gamer has to say about the next big thing outside Capcom’s door. view. To find out, I headed to Birmingham for consensus.
Michael came from Liverpool and had been playing fighting games since they were about seven years old, when Street Fighter 2 taxis were still in the wild. Their first impressions of Street Fighter 6 share a desire with many who have set up camp in between-tournament demos: “I want it right now! It feels heavier, as if everything has a big impact on it. Weight. I also love the new meter, it reminds me of Mortal Kombat 11, your counter-attack, parry, and abilities are all part of the same thing.”
Another common point made by Michael and many others on VsFighting was the sense of relief after playing Street Fighter VI. Even in this early iteration, it made a better first impression than the previous game – Street Fighter 5 – at launch. The title was criticized for its rough state at launch, Street Fighter 6 The clues behind this are very open!
“As much as I like Street Fighter 5 from a casual perspective, it doesn’t feel very creative. Unlike some of the previous entries. Street Fighter 6 feels like a return to that feeling.”
Ryan, from Sheffield, was one of the older generation at the event, but left Street Fighter 6 with a warm smile compared to younger players at the first major event. He found himself pleasantly surprised by the “unique” nature of Street Fighter 6 compared to some of the previous entries in the series. They started getting serious into fighting games back in 2009 with the release of Street Fighter 4, and they’ve been bouncing between games ever since. “It feels very unique in a good way! Street Fighter 5 is kind of based on Street Fighter 4, which is based on Street Fighter 2. It’s fun to have a new Street Fighter based on a new concept.
Like Michael, Ryan chose the new drive as the biggest highlight of his game. They highlight how it creates a balance between using natural resources while taking care not to overuse and be punished for it. “You have everything in one fell swoop, so it feels like you have to be aggressive and throw away a bunch of stuff, but don’t be stupid and drain all your resources.”
There were some cautious views in the crowd, with the positives matched by the other underperforming ones. Take Leo for example; they first got into fighting games in earnest with Marvel vs Capcom 2 on the Xbox 360. While they did think Street Fighter 6 was fine — noting the “great” graphics and familiar returning characters like Ryu — they had some pointers in mind. “I think it needs to speed up.”
Their sharpest criticism came from the new mechanic previously praised by the likes of Ryan and Michael, as Leo said: “What new mechanic? (laughs). I think they changed the focus attack (from Street Fighter 4) and tweaked it For other things. Parrying has always been something in Street Fighter, it’s just that some or all characters have it.”
While they ended up leaning toward the title, Leo’s main focus was on a title that had already been released and was a huge success. “I’m more excited about MultiVersus, I’m not going to lie. I think it’s going to bring more hype, starting from the under-40s, you’re going to get the attention of all these people. I think it’s going to be the next thing event.”
While it’s true that Street Fighter has an older, possibly even aging population compared to more modern games, that’s not to say the name doesn’t hold its own among the younger crowd. The last person I spoke to was Alvin, a student and animator who I found out in a casual role in the DNF duel part.
Even though they’re younger than 22-year-old Street Fighter 6 players, they took the time out of KOF15 and anime fighters to try the game for themselves. Their takeaway? A real love for new characters, attacks and art style. “I started playing Jamie and I really like the way he plays! With his rekkas (a special move that allows multiple stages of continuous input – a fighting game vocabulary) and his drinking meter, it allows you to More special moves. I like Drive Impact too, but it’s very powerful and you need to like parrying or handling it in some way.”
Ultimately, for Alvin, variety—in terms of gameplay, visuals, and character design—is their favorite aspect. “I feel like when good people play this game, we see people like that, right? Who plays it differently and plays the game differently. It offers more freedom in terms of playstyle than Street Fighter 5.”
It’s refreshing to hear what various typical fighting game players have to say about Street Fighter 6, especially when they’re just starting to experience the game for themselves. The fundamentally positive outlook for OG diehards, paddle-playing 09ers and hitbox zoomers, combined with an important point of early flaws and complaints, is key as it helps paint a community consensus heading into 2023.
With rumors that a new Tekken is on the horizon, coupled with the constant stream of esports funding from Project L and Riot Games, it’s great to see the new Street Fighter have a damn strong dog in the game.
For more coverage of Street Fighter 6, check out our why we wish Street Fighter 6 had no cameos.
