street fighter has often been in the minds of many gamers over the past three decades. First debut with the very rough street fighter in 1987, the series quickly gained traction for its innovative fighting mechanics and razor-sharp control. Common special moves like the “hadouken” or “shoryuken” required complex directional inputs like quarter circles and the dreaded “Z” pattern, respectively. Today, modern titles in the series such as Street Fighter V still use a radically similar approach to special moves – much to the comfort of veterans and to the dismay of potential players alike. Of Street Fighter 6Capcom wants to bridge that interest gap with the arrival of its brand new control scheme: “Modern”.
It plans to do what it says, by modernizing a now 30+ year old convention with moves that require deliberate directional combinations to execute. Instead of entering a semicircle backward followed by an attack button, players using the “modern” control scheme can simply hold down a modifier button while pressing a button dedicated to special moves. To enter different moves, the modifier can be held in any cardinal direction before entering the special move button. Think of aiming a gun in an FPS and pressing the fire button; it’s so easy. That’s not all; as immediately explained in one of Playstation’s blog posts, players can also perform super tricks (scary-strong moves that burn resources for high damage) by pressing two buttons at the same time. The game’s new resource mechanic – the “drive meter”, can also be used by various “drive” moves (parries, attack cancels, etc.) performed with a single or double button press. Combos and juggling can be performed by holding down the aforementioned modifier button and pressing one of the three attack buttons multiple times in a row – not unlike Dragonball FighterZ and its car combo system. However, unlike Dragonball FighterZ, this control scheme is completely optional.
Making the actual “fight” in fighting games easier will likely draw more people into the historical series, gradually easing out the many mechanics of what is a complicated game through and through. Furthermore, people with disabilities who normally have more difficulty performing complex button inputs can enter the scene with much less worry about performance. While some experienced players like @BrolyLegs Overcoming their handicap at a time when the accommodative controls weren’t nearly as prominent as a design choice, it’s a refreshing sight to see one of the most hardcore fighting games appreciate the series’ accessibility.
But what does this mean for those using the traditional “Classic” scheme? First, the player has access to all six attack buttons: low, medium and heavy punches/kicks. This contrasts with the three-button layout of the new light, medium, and heavy “attack” scheme. While this is an obvious simplification of a character’s repertoire, the player would probably be significantly more comfortable with the game’s mechanics by the time it started to matter. After getting the basics down, they’d be much better equipped to consider the major differences between the two control options (and thus possibly opt for the “Classic” scheme).
Despite the obvious cuts in gameplay complexity, some players still choose to regret the optional control scheme, while others embrace the prospect of recruiting new players street fighter and the fighting genre. VesperArcade’s video provides an informative, optimistic look at the changes and how they competently balance ease of use and competitive effectiveness.
While the fighting games community has lived and died through the legendary efforts of its devoted fans, the games themselves evolve over the years into something that keeps getting fresher. Ultimately, a gaming community is born of the hobby and its players, but providing more vehicles for those to keep up with the seasoned veterans is a step toward a broader future. Whether it’s throwing a fireball or landing that perfectly thrown SPD, there’s potential for more players than ever to find their style in the sixth street fighter come.
Adam Beik
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