Read our review of Street Fighter 6 so you can see whether its gameplay, control schemes, and graphics are worth a buy!

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Street Fighter 6 Review and Score Explanation

Street Fighter 6 Review Video

Street Fighter 6 Score Explanation

Street Fighter 6 Review: Find the True Meaning of Strength

It’s been seven years since the last SF came out, and Street Fighter 6, thankfully enough, seems to have exceeded Street Fighter 5 in graphics, sound, as well as gameplay. It has something for both series newcomers, as well as veterans, in the form of choosing between ‘Modern’ and ‘Classic’ controls, a dedicated single-player mode, and a great online component in the form of the Battle Hub mode.

If you’re a longtime Street Fighter fan, you shouldn’t miss Street Fighter 6. But get ready to shell out more money once it starts rolling out the yearly packs for more characters and other content in the future.

Street Fighter 6 Full Game Review

Pros of Street Fighter 6

Things Street Fighter 6 Got Right
Control Schemes Balance Technical Skill for Veterans, Ease of Play for Newcomers Great Visuals, Art Style, and Sound Direction Good Single-Player Options Decent Multiplayer Component

Control Schemes Balance Technical Skill for Veterans, Ease of Play for Newcomers

With this latest installment in the Street Fighter franchise, Capcom has introduced a new feature that makes the gameplay easy enough for newcomers to learn to play the game, while also giving longtime fans a way to still make use of the skills they've honed while playing the past games.

I'm talking about the new control schemes. There are three control schemes in SF6 - "Classic," "Modern," and "Dynamic." Classic is the six-button control scheme the series has had since the first Street Fighter, with light attacks, medium attacks, and heavy attacks. Combos and special moves are done by doing certain button presses.

Modern meanwhile maps certain special moves to the face buttons, making it easier to pull them off in the middle of battle. Instead of having to fiddle with a button combo to do a Hadouken, you can just press a couple of buttons. Dynamic, meanwhile, is an even easier version of Modern where whole moves are mapped to just one face button, greatly simplifying the gameplay (which is why this control scheme is offline only).

So, if you're still new to the SF series, you can try out Modern controls. But if you've been playing for a long time already and don't want to get used to a brand new control scheme, then Classic controls are for you.

If you want to sharpen your skills in using either scheme, \you can spar with people in the Battle Hub or with your friends through Fighting Ground. If your friends are busy, then you could play the World Tour mode and switch Avatar’s fighting style to the character you’re trying to master. Though time will tell whether the player base will mostly prefer Modern or stick to Classic controls, you won’t run out of ways to learn.

Great Visuals, Art Style, and Sound Direction

The influence of American street culture is very pronounced in Street Fighter 6’s aesthetic. That’s why the World Tour intro has graffiti, why there’s rap music playing in the background, and why they brought in Lil Wayne to promote the game not once but twice. I would say that it’s a pretty refreshing experience. In World Tour mode, at least, it gives off a pretty chill vibe that I can imagine many other people can relate to. The best thing is that it doesn’t feel forced (at least not too much).

Being made on Capcom’s RE engine, the visuals are very strong - with realistic lightning, pretty graphic effects, and very detailed character models. This is especially true when you start playing in Fighting Ground mode and get to see all the pretty backgrounds you fight in - like London, a Colosseum in Rome, the backstreets of Metro City in the US, or the top of an aircraft carrier.

The sound direction is almost eclectic, with various tracks drawing from rap, RnB, and tracks inspired by various countries like Japan, India, and other places where the fights in SF6 take place in. The Battle Hub, in particular, has a great jazzy beat that makes you want to just chill out for a bit.

Good Single-Player Options

I’ve grown used to single-player options in fighting games being relegated to the background since fighting games are typically played with other people. But the World Tour mode is kind of alright.

You can see that there’s a decent amount of effort put into creating what is essentially a Fighting Game RPG where you can randomly beat up old ladies and businessmen on the street. One moment it's just an old man taking photos, the next moment he’s doing high jumps and giving you a multi-punch combo. It only gets more insane from there. It’s one of the best unintentional comedies I’ve come across in video games.

Meanwhile, there’s also Arcade Mode - where you get to fight multiple characters as you progress through your own character story. The cutscenes are 2D stills that all look lovingly drawn, and when you finish a route you get to unlock special Street Fighter art. Arcade Mode is a great way to get to know the new characters, as well as find out what has happened to the classic characters after 3rd Strike.

Decent Multiplayer Component

The centerpiece of Street Fighter 6’s online component is Battle Hub mode, where you and up to 100 other players get to duke it out with each other in a big arena-style area. There are game cabinets for you to play against other players, a center arena where you can have your Avatar fight with other Avatars, and even game cabinets to play classic Capcom games like Final Fight.

It’s a nice way of being able to connect with many other Street Fighter players. You can go to the center of the hub to wait for challengers or sit down in one of the cabinets. If you don’t want to fight, you can always watch current matches on the big screen, or buy clothes and other items for your Avatar to wear in one of the stores.

This makes Street Fighter 6 feel almost like an MMO, but on a smaller, more manageable scale since it’s just 100 players in a server. That doesn’t stop you from switching servers, though.

Also (this is the most important thing, really) the netcode actually seems decent now compared to SF5. I am cautiously optimistic, though. I want to test out fighting more people to see how stable the connection is.

Cons of Street Fighter 6

Things That Street Fighter 6 Can Improve
New Control Scheme Can Be Polarizing Microtransactions

New Control Scheme Can Be Polarizing

The closest analogy I can think of to describe the Modern and Classic control schemes is the difference between using Manual and Automatic transmissions in a car. Automatic is much, much easier compared to Manual, but an Automatic car is more expensive than a Manual (on top of other drawbacks). Of course, Manual is more tiring and complex to drive, on top of its other flaws. But Manual cars are cheaper and more reliable, on top of giving you more nuance in adjusting your gears.

Funny enough, SF6’s Modern and Classic Control schemes work rather similarly. Sure it’s a bit harder to get used to Classic controls, but you have a finer degree of control over your character compared to the Modern control scheme. There are also a few other reasons why you’d want to learn the Classic control scheme over Modern, which are probably outside the scope of this review.

So I’ll just focus on how the new Modern control scheme can be divisive since it’s believed that Modern controls dish out more damage than Classic and other technicalities. Modern controls might win out, especially if the top players in tournaments use them. But I suggest players wait and see… and learn Classic controls in the meantime.

Microtransactions

Another point that could be improved in SF6 is the amount of microtransactions. In the game, there are "Fighter Coins" which act as the game’s currency. These coins are bought with real-world money and allow you to buy cosmetics for your avatar. Though you can buy them with "Drive Tickets," which are earned in-game, you'll need a lot more of them to buy the same item.

Separately, there are characters that you can only unlock by buying them when they are released, or by buying the "Year 1 Character Pass" that comes with SF6's Deluxe and Ultimate editions. So far, Ed, Rashid, Akuma, and A.K.I. are the first characters that will be released for SF6 this year. But Ed and Rashid already came out in SF5, while Akuma's been in the series since SF2 Turbo. This means you'll be paying extra to unlock base characters (or, at the very least, you'll have to work really hard to buy them with Drive Tickets instead).

Of course, charging for cosmetics like emotes and such is understandable, and even charging for the alternative costumes (which can be unlocked through World Tour anyway). But to hide base colors and even characters behind a paywall is something else - especially for a game that's already being sold at full price. Of course, SF6 is a live service game, hence the monetization model, but Capcom could've handled it much better by paywalling cosmetics only, instead of paywalling content that should've already been paid for.

Also, there's a possibility that we'll see a "Street Fighter 6 Champion Edition" in the future, which contains all of these upgrades just like SF5 - so you might find yourself buying the same game twice.

Luckily enough, those who don't want to spend more than they already have on the game don't need to spend on cosmetics. Though if you really want to try out the new characters, then you'll have to buy them either with lots of Drive Tickets, or with Fighter Coins bought with actual money.

Street Fighter 6 Gameplay and Premise

Street Fighter 6 is the latest entry to Capcom’s popular franchise, promising a more personalized experience this time around with your own avatar in the single-player campaign and online mode, a story that’s set after Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike, as well as a new take on the franchise’s tried-and-tested battle system.

The game is split up into three modes: World Tour, Fighting Ground, and Battle Hub. World Tour is the game’s single-player campaign, where you create your own fighter and roam the world. There, you will duke it out with all sorts of villains while learning signature techniques from the franchise’s legendary fighters to find out the true meaning of strength. The story will also focus on what’s happened so far to Ryu, who’s grown out a beard, as well as Luke, who’s grown out his hair.

But who plays Street Fighter for the story, right? The two other modes are Fighting Ground, which is the mode used for local and online fights, and Battle Hub, which is an online multiplayer extravaganza where players can challenge other players to a game of SF6 at one of the hub’s many arcade cabinets. Battle Hub is looking the more promising of the two modes, as you can challenge all sorts of players, participate in online tournaments, and even win prizes.

The twist in SF6’s battles this time around is that characters have access to a so-called “Drive Gauge” which, when filled up, can be used to power special Drive abilities. But using these abilities also leaves the character in a weakened state that’s vulnerable to a counter-attack if your enemy hasn’t been knocked out yet. Other major additions include the return of the classic Super Combo Gauge and new control schemes.

Who Should Play Street Fighter 6?

Street Fighter 6 is Recommended if You Enjoy:

• Street Fighter V
• Fighting Games in general
• Persona and other JRPGs

Of course, if you’re already a Street Fighter fan, then you would probably be more than happy to jump ship to SF6 after seven years or so. Also, with its simplified control scheme, newcomers can also start playing SF6, and maybe even fans of other fighting games like Tekken.

But, strangely enough, JRPG fans might also find themselves liking this game, especially its World Tour mode. Because World Tour kind of feels like a JRPG but with fists instead of magic. If you liked Persona or other JRPGs, you might find yourself at home with SF6.

Is Street Fighter 6 Worth It?

Street Fighter 6 is worth it… but prepare to shell out more money in the coming years

Street Fighter 6 is definitely worth it for fans who have been waiting years for a proper sequel to SF5. But like SF5, SF6 also has microtransactions that will make you shell out more money for a game you’ve already purchased. Then again, the series is no stranger to putting out new versions of past installments with new characters and locations. So maybe packs aren’t too bad of an idea after all…

Still, if you don’t mind spending more than $60 on this fighting game, Street Fighter 6 is worth a buy.

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How Street Fighter 6 Matches Up to Recently-Released Games

Games That Came Out Recently	Pros	Cons
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom	If you’re itching for complex fight mechanics while still having a nice open world to explore, then you would do better to buy Street Fighter 6.	But if you’re not really into fighting games, then Tears of the Kingdom would be more up your alley.
The Outlast Trials	Street Fighter 6 is more of a game where you practice your button presses rather than stealth. So if you never really liked The Outlast Trials’ premise or horror in general, then get SF6 instead.	Still, The Outlast Trials offers a good amount of multiplayer horror content, which SF6 definitely does not provide. It’s also cheaper, so maybe get this game and SF6 when you can.
System Shock Remake	Like The Outlast Trials, if you never liked horror, then get SF6 instead.	But if you like horror and also happen to be a fan of sci-fi, then System Shock could be a good buy for the PC (it’s also $39.99 so maybe just get this and SF6 as well).

How Street Fighter 6 Matches Up to Similar Games

Games Similar to Street Fighter 6	Pros	Cons
Street Fighter 5	The online fighting game community seems to agree that Street Fighter 6 looks and plays a lot better than SF5, so you ought to SF6 (if you don’t mind having to buy yearly packs).	Still, SF5’s Champion Edition is cheap on Steam, and it’s not a bad game to play around with since people are still playing it to this day (and may even prefer it to SF6).
Tekken 7	This would be a somewhat unfair comparison since Tekken 8 hasn’t come out yet, so I would just say that Tekken 7 is cheaper at $39.99, is multi-directional (while SF6 is cheaper), and winning in matches is more dependent on how much of your character’s moveset you actually know (compared to SF games where mostly it’s about execution). Just get this and SF6, or wait for Tekken 8 whenever that’s coming out.

Street Fighter 6 Trailer

Game8 Reviews

Street Fighter 6 Product Information

Title	STREET FIGHTER 6
Release Date	June 2, 2023
Developer	Capcom
Supported Platforms	PS4 & PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Genre	Fighting Game
Number of Players	1-2 (offline), 1-100 (online)
ESRB Rating	Teen
Official Website	https://www.streetfighter.com/6/en-us/

Michael Mendoza Ab..

Reviews video games by day, tries to write novels by night. He's a sucker for open-world games (Bethesda Fallout titles, Mount and Blade Bannerlord, Grand Theft Auto), CRPGs (Planescape: Torment, Disco Elysium), and First-Person Shooters (Call of Duty, Battlefield, and immersive sims like Bioshock..