Street Fighter 6 Review (AdventjX)
Preface
As much as I HATED SF5's launch and lifespan, Street Fighter 6 has brought the SF series to a whole new level. I despised the days when Capcom started releasing 5-6 versions of the game with characters locked behind the paywall. Unfortunately, I can see SF6 doing the same already and it's somewhat become a norm in the FGC to do this for the past several years. It's one of those love-hate relationships that we have; on one hand, we hate the entire gaming industry for such scummy practices. On the other, we see it as a way to support our favorite fighting games by throwing our money at these companies. Whatever controversial take there may be, to each his own.
I will admit, however, that I am guilty as charged for having a double standard against certain companies for monetization practices. Fortunate or unfortunate, I go easier on fighting games for some reason...
Positives
Mechanics
SA, Drive Impact/Parry, Rushdown - this is Street Fighter in its prime. The smoothness and flow of combat is what defines a fighting game. New fighting game mechanics are always hit or miss (there is no in-between) and Capcom took a risk worth taking with the Drive gauge. It's not too overwhelming and it definitely is a game-changer in many cases based on my 50-or-so casual matches that I had with a friend I consider an "eternal rival" in every fighting game we get our hands on.
Content
One of the biggest controversies that SF5 faced in its early days was the abysmal lack of content that it suffered from on launch day. Glad to see SF6 does not face the same issue here, with World Tour mode being in the spotlight to attract newer players to the franchise with its beginner-friendly and adventure-game like elements, which are always welcome additions to the generally hardcore nature of fighting games. Other than that, SF6 on launch comes with other modes that a solid fighting game should have. The extreme battles were also a surprising addition to the fray, offering a variety of different battle conditions should you find yourself bored with the normal K.O. fights.
Negatives
Monetization & Paywalls
As I mentioned before, I can see the many different versions of SF6 being released over the next few years as more characters and content is released. Prepare for SF6: Arcade Edition, SF6: Ultra Edition, and SF6: Prepare-to-kill-your-wallets Edition by 2030!!
No Custom Rooms (YET)
The Hub is pretty amazing in and of itself, but I was utterly disappointed when my friend and I were unable to create custom rooms. LOLWUT
Conclusion
Final Verdict: S
In its current, base form, Street Fighter 6 has brought the franchise to new heights with relatively enjoyable new mechanics, a solid World Tour mode with a fantastic customization options for CAC, and smoother-than-ever combat. Just waiting to see how greedy Capcom gets with this game... it's gonna be milkable AF, that's for sure.