Street Fighter V faced a bit of launch window controversy. What AAA game doesn’t, am I right? In this case, the issues came with some heavy baggage, as Capcom’s track record with this kind of stuff hasn’t been great. Street Fighter X Tekken’s DLC was on the disc, the Resident Evil games have been all over the place and Street Fighter IV’s DLC was so poorly implemented it required SNES-like expansion packs that probably made things really confusing for casual fans.

At first, Street Fighter V seemed like the new golden standard for AAA games. DLC will be both paid and unlockable through in-game play. Capcom ran extensive beta tests to make sure online worked on day one. A full suite of training features was on the way, and a huge story mode was also promised. Capcom then launched the game earlier than expected so it could be out in time for the Capcom-sanctioned tournament circuit, and most of the planned features simply weren’t finished. Also, online didn’t work.

Sounds bad, right? This messy release brought up the usual wave of criticisms and many paying customers felt like they were victims. But honestly? The worst issue Street Fighter V faced at launch were server issues that really aren’t a problem right now. Capcom has constantly updated the game since it dropped, and the new features and characters are still right on schedule as of this writing. Here’s the thing: Capcom set out to do something people have been quietly and increasingly clamoring for, for quite some time. Street Fighter V isn’t just another AAA game you pre-order, get some dumb retailer bonus, play for a week and move on to the next Assassin’s Creed or whatever. Street Fighter V is intended to be a toe in the pool that will eventually become games-as-service-style platforms.

And as far as that concept goes, we’re off to a good start.

When I popped the game in for the first time, everything that needed to be present was present. I could play Street Fighter. I could play a Street Fighter that has been building since the first time I played it at E3 and has finally arrived at its first stopping point. All the characters, already developed publically and tangibly thanks to the beta tests, were all available and raring to go against the friend I had over to run sets. I could go online if I wanted, which was admittedly rocky, or I could sit in training mode and practice until I remembered how to use my arcade stick again. Heck, there was even a set of story mode prologues and a survival mode that had a surprising depth. You know, compared to most other fighting game survival modes. 

Storywise, it's easy to compare Street Fighter to Mortal Kombat. After all, NetherRealm’s games are where this content issue first bred. The past few games have had those extensive story modes, chock full of cutscenes and hours upon hours of… Mortal Kombat… lore. Casual players loved it, and I certainly see the appeal, even if I’d personally rather like, play a fighting game and learn how to get better at it and share that experience with my friends instead of… hours…of fighting game… lore.

In terms of online fighting, not everyone can compete at the higher levels. I definitely can’t. Heck, I was tempted to retire on top after I somehow managed to get ten ranked wins in a row. But that’s the thing. I jumped back in the next day. All the rage and salt and frustration of losing to lag or the randomness of online players brought me back and back for more, even if I had to take a break to play something cute to chill out.

That’s a testament to how good this game is, how much Street Fighter V moves the series forward, how dang fresh it feels despite how I never really stopped playing Street Fighter IV since 2008. Two-thousand-eight, man. That’s a long time, especially in Internet and Videogame land. Street Fighter V is a monumental success in terms of game design and evolution.

It just… feels different. It’s still Street Fighter, but it’s Street Fighter V. It isn’t 2, 3, 4, Ultra, Hyper, whatever. Half the fun so far has been learning the new tricks, and especially, especially the new limits. So many things that worked in Street Fighter IV simply don’t anymore. It’s like learning a whole new set of fundamentals, but not in the way that sees you learning a whole new language, like my failed attempts at learning something like Guilty Gear. Characters handle differently, have different move inputs, different ways to hit-confirm into combos or get away from pressure. But it’s also distinctly Street Fighter, with its smoothness and emphasis on patient play and reactions rather than frenetically mashing buttons.

The new fundamentals are paired with some new gimmicks, and these gimmicks are way more interesting than the last version’s focus attacks. Now we have the V-System, which brings with it V-Reversals, V-Skills and V-Triggers. The Variable Gauge is separate from the meter that fuels EX moves or supers (now Critical Arts). V-Skills can be used indefinitely, and landing them builds the gauge. They’re like bonus moves that fulfill specific purposes and lead into each character’s intended playstyle. V-Skills can be used once the meter is full, and are almost like limited stances. Ryu, for example, gains temporary electricity powers that boost his special moves. Finally, some of that gauge can be sacrificed for a V-Reversal, which is a new tool to get somebody away from you while blocking.

These new gimmicks feel more customized to each character’s strengths, and add that much more depth to learning each character. It also makes setups for longer combos and canceling into super moves feel more distinct for each character. No more do a thing, focus attack, cancel into super for the whole roster. No more ridiculous invincibility on moves either, and no more getting out of jail free with back-dashing. Street Fighter V is a more aggressive game, once that scarcely allows you to run the clock all the way down for a cheeseball victory. 

That said, chip damage, a staple of fighting games, is no longer lethal in Street Fighter V. Despite the nudge towards pressure and offense, this ostensibly small change also uproots the defensive capabilities a player has. Even if the life bar is down to almost nothing, there’s still a chance! Admittedly, a super can still chip you out, but try landing one clean when a player has nothing left to lose. This dynamic shifts the familiar pace of a fighter significantly, and even more so within the Street Fighter context.

As I write this review, Capcom has unveiled a bunch of details for the first DLC character, Alex. But along with Alex was information about all those single-player modes Capcom planned and promised in the first place. Along with that, more detailed balance changes and bug fixes. Come April, Street Fighter V will be a different game than it was in February, and in March. Six months from now? A year from now? Heck, five years from now? It’ll still be Street Fighter V. Just Street Fighter V. But I know it’ll be a hugely different experience by then, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

Hint: Tune into the community. Capcom has cultivated a huge, organic resource for learning and improving the game, just by supporting Street Fighter for so long. Go on YouTube and search for your favorite character. Who needs elaborate training modes when you can learn from the pros?

by Lucas White