Developer – Capcom

Publisher – Capcom

Platforms – PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series S|X

Street Fighter 6 is the latest entry in Capcom’s classic fighting franchise. Following the steps of Tekken 8, Mortal Kombat 1, and other new entries to other classic fighting game series, Street Fighter 6 successfully updates the classic gameplay with new mechanics that mix well with the old ones.

Street Fighter has never been at the forefront of great single-player content. It features not just one but two different styles of single-player story modes. World Tour is an enormous open-world story mode featuring a character of your creation. It has a central plot line telling the tale of everybody’s favorite Street Fighters and new characters introduced alongside them.

The main story takes place in a timeline, and everyone on the roster gets their Arcade mode to play through that exists alongside the main plot. Overall the stories are well made and do a decent job moving it forward. Don’t expect tons of CG cut-scenes or even in-game set pieces on the level of Tekken 7 or Mortal Kombat 11. The scope is slightly more limited, but the ambition comes in the gameplay and the open-world hijinks.

The custom characters won’t be causing any problems right now with the competitive community because customs can only fight each other in Avatar battles. This prevents issues that games like Tekken and Soul Calibur had because the custom fighters can have very different hitboxes, which throws balance out the window. This allows players to make some genuinely freaking characters because balance is thrown out the window in favor of fun, which is an excellent choice for casuals like myself.

The game runs fantastically. All versions are locked at 60fps, and no models aren’t brought over from the older games. Each character features unique color schemes that match each fighter’s personality. The sound and music are also stellar, with a hip-hop soundtrack highlighting all the actions and some favorites hidden away as secrets to discover.

The most vital part of any fighting game is the fighting itself. Every attack, parry, and throw is lightning-fast and responsive to the touch. The new Drive Impact and Gauge join old mechanics like the guard parry and the super attacks.

Capcom also pushes accessibility in the genre forward with extensive options designed for players with a wide range of disabilities. Between the streamlined inputs of Modern and Dynamic Controls, the possibilities for sound based on distance is brilliant for the vision impaired. World Tour features slower enemy attack animations that are perfect for somebody with a slow reaction speed to handle and learn the nuances of the fighting system. This is truly the most accessible fighting game I’ve ever played, and World Tour amplifies that with its silly but fun, light-hearted approach to combat and tutorials.

I loved my time with Street Fighter 6. The ease of use, fantastic tutorials, and wealth of single-player options are designed to ease somebody like myself into the action. But the depth of combat and the nuances of the Drive Gauge system seemed intended for expert players to take full advantage of. We recommend Street Fighter whether you want to win Capcom Cup or spend an afternoon smashing trucks with your feet.