Road Fighter 6 is shaping up prefer it may be one of many best ever apologies in gaming historical past – and the world of video video games is one the place plenty of builders have needed to make embarrassing admissions that their earlier mission was, y’know, a bit crap. I’ve all the time been a powerful supporter of Road Fighter 5, and the truth that it bought considerably higher over time… however lord is aware of, the distinction between SF5 and SF6 is evening and day.
I’ve already performed Road Fighter 6, after all. However this new sit-down, with a Tokyo Recreation Present construct of the sport, is a barely up to date and totally different construct to the one I spent an hour or so with earlier than. Right here’s what’s new this time round:
- 4 further playable characters, bringing the overall on this model of the sport to eight.
- The newcomers are; Juri of SF4 fame, two SF2 characters in Guile and Ken, and SF6 newcomer Kimberly.
- Two new phases; Tian Hong Yuan (a traditional-looking space in all probability in China) and Service Byron Taylor (Guile’s stage, a army plane service), bringing the present complete to 4.
- Two new Commentators as introduced at Evo; SF neighborhood legends Steve ‘TastySteve’ Scott and James Chen. They be part of the 2 present commentators.
I wish to begin out with what would possibly look like the least consequential piece of this up to date construct – the brand new commentators. And, nicely… I’m impressed? Commentary in video video games is, after all, all the time a little bit of a blended bag. It repeats itself, it turns into stale, and it’s usually the topic of memes (particularly in conventional sports activities video games). However Road Fighter 6 has a canny resolution to those ills – and it simply would possibly work.
Particularly, there’s truly not only one sort of commentator in SF6, however two. In fact, that is impressed by how match commentary usually actually works; one commentator offers with the ‘play-by-play’, reacting to the moment-to-moment specifics of what’s going on. In the meantime, the ‘colour’ commentator fills in with jokes and perception when the motion isn’t as intense. That is how commentary works in plenty of sports activities – and Capcom has purchased it into SF6.
What’s intelligent is that you would be able to have solely certainly one of these should you like – or you’ll be able to mix-and-match the commentators. The one colour commentator revealed proper now could be James Chen, as an illustration, however you’ll be able to have Chen pair up with TastySteve, Vicious, and even the Japanese-language commentator Aru, they usually’ll have a simulated back-and-forth over the course of a match. There’s even a setting the place you’ll be able to have the commentators take the facet of a particular participant, and cheer them on extra explicitly, should you so want.
What’s shocking is how nicely this method works. It’s tough to understand whenever you’re truly taking part in, as you’re extra targeted on the match, however for a short while I set the sport to have two degree 8 CPUs go at it, and simply sat again and listened to the commentary. It actually works! In comparison with the final construct, the addition of the colour commentary provides rather a lot – Chen is recognizably in the identical type he makes use of at actual tournaments, and obsessively peppers in references to the announcers of previous Road Fighter video games, chirping out references to video games like Road Fighter Alpha by hollering “Go for broke!” or “All of it is determined by your talent!” firstly of rounds. In the meantime, TastySteve’s commentary will get extra particular, referencing issues like spacing, meter utilization, footsies, and the hazard of getting pushed into the nook.
You may deal with this certainly one of 3 ways, the way in which I see it. First, you’ll be able to flip it off and have the normal Road Fighter expertise. Second, you’ll be able to deal with it as one thing for the viewers, should you’re taking part in on a stream or with different individuals in the identical room. Lastly, you’ll be able to truly deal with it as a studying help, the place preserving an ear out for the commentator’s feedback would possibly clue you in as to one thing you’re doing proper or flawed. It’s a cool system, and I wished to offer it its dues for a second. I look ahead to seeing extra commentators get revealed (I actually hope Yipes is an upcoming colour commentator).
However okay, sufficient about that. What concerning the characters? What about the way it performs? Nicely, it’s nonetheless good. In case you don’t know the core mechanics of Road Fighter 6 just like the game-changing Drive System, I counsel you first learn my preliminary hands-on with the sport the place I launched these methods (that is linked on the prime of the web page). Just a little extra time with them means I’m slightly extra intimate with them now, nonetheless.
On a broad degree, I actually do really feel now that the Drive System is an extremely intelligent and stylish resolution to lots of the woes of Road Fighter 5’s V-System. There are much less bars to handle, with principally all the core methods besides Supers now tied into one bar. This takes some getting used to, however on this second hands-on, I used to be lastly bedding in – which meant I used to be controlling my mashy urges extra and depleting my drive gauge much less.
It appears like the power to zone and the back-and-forth within the mid-range on the bottom is collectively and extra thrilling on this sport – extra like Road Fighter 4, the truth is. And with eight characters to select from (barely over a 3rd of the overall solid, if leaks are to be believed), it’s now simpler to see how the system works throughout totally different character archetypes. Although, we’re nonetheless missing a grappler – c’mon Capcom, reveal ‘Gief!.
Guile has all the time been a deliberate-feeling character – kind of a tank, what with holding down-back to carry out most of his specials. He feels much more so in SF6. I’m no Guile professional, however he has sluggish however highly effective normals that really feel tough to get in with… however when you’re in, you’ll be able to then unleash a super-damaging hell in your opponent. That’s my learn on him after just a few rounds, however I am positive he’ll be much more of a monster within the palms of somebody extra skilled.
Juri was certainly one of my secondary mains again in Road Fighter 4, however I actually struggled to get on along with her SF5 iteration, which was all about charging ‘shares’ of her fireballs and a virtually utterly totally different move-set. The SF6 iteration of this antihero is sort of much like SF5, however there’s sufficient of her authentic model in there that my curiosity is piqued. She has her dive chill, which is the most important factor to me. It felt like she had some actually beneficiant hitboxes, however she was additionally the character I naturally ended up abusing the drive gauge with most – slipping into an exhausted state – probably as a result of, as in SF5, a lot of her specials really feel slightly delicate, main me to tear out the EXes extra usually.
Kimberly is a pleasure. A newcomer for SF6, she isn’t completely new on the similar time. This younger woman is an apprentice of Last Struggle protagonist and SF veteran Man, who’s a part of a lineage of characters with a particular preventing type that additionally consists of Maki and Zeku. Kimberly demonstrates what’s most fun about SF6 lastly giving us a Road Fighter sequel once more, finally. Every part because the 90s has been a prequel to not less than Road Fighter 3 – however by transferring the timeline on, SF6 can introduce new faces who’re impressed or educated by the older era. You get that in Kimberly.
In case you’ve performed Man, a lot of Kimberly will really feel vaguely acquainted… however it’ll even be wildly totally different. She’s tricksy, with traps she will lay within the type of exploding spray paint cans. Teleports aren’t in a puff of ninja smoke, however in a thick cloud of spray paint. Her animations are stuffed with vitality and angle – and although she borrows a few of her grasp’s strikes, she’s undoubtedly very a lot her personal character.
She’s additionally simply rattling good enjoyable. As a good friend put it, she’s “all buttons, no mind”. Which, after all, is a reductive manner to consider it (there may be cautious thought concerned), however it demonstrates how she’s an in-your-face, aggressive rush-down sort character. She’s a pleasure to play, and I can’t wait to see her within the palms of higher gamers than me.
Lastly, final however not least, there’s Mr. Ken Masters, hotly anticipated as a result of leaked idea artwork noticed him wearing a manner that had followers nickname him “hobo Ken”. I’m nonetheless undecided what occurred to him story smart – if Eliza actually did take the youngsters or if one thing else is happening – however it appears this new future hasn’t been 100% type to Ken, leaving him barely extra ragged and tough and prepared than the preened, Underneath Armor sporting multi-millionaire Ken we bought in Road Fighter 5.
No matter adjustments his character has been via, Ken is by and enormous the identical character he’s been in earlier video games. I suppose it is a character design that you simply don’t mess with, as individuals know precisely what he performs like and revel in that familiarity. Ken has a few new kick-based strikes, together with the Jinrai Kick, a transfer that chains into just a few different buttons like a goal combo and resembles certainly one of his supers (Shippu Jinraikyaku) from among the versus video games, however past that he feels fairly acquainted.
Ken’s additionally a fantastic poster-child for the visible glow-up this collection has acquired, although. The faces on this sport, specifically, are great; virtually just like the workforce took the battering Capcom bought for the state of Ken’s face and hair in SF5 to coronary heart. Road Fighter 6 has a colourful pop and a pleasant angle, however it additionally has a extra real looking, grounded type than the final two 3D SF video games. It threads the needle – and I can’t wait to see extra of my favorites rendered on this type.
So, sure – unsurprisingly, a brand new construct of Road Fighter 6 with extra stuff in it slaps. It’s actually good. It stays my most-anticipated sport of 2023; and I can’t wait to see who’s subsequent. Fingers crossed I get to see my essential, Cammy, quickly sufficient…
For extra Road Fighter 6 information, take a look at our items on our first impression of Road Fighter 6, or examine why the sport that includes much-requested rollback netcode is so essential.
