It’s a dumb thing to say, sure, but with Street Fighter 6 it really feels like Capcom’s signature series is back. It’s never been too far away, of course, but after showstopper Street Fighter 4 brought the series back with such a bang Street Fighter 5 felt like something of a disappointment, fluffing its big opportunity on its launch in 2016. By the time it had sorted itself out towards the end of its life the great unwashed like myself had long moved on. Street Fighter felt like a strange little cult all over again.
Street Fighter 6 already feels a bit special, though, and more like a proper step forward for the series – something designed to capture the attention of the broad audience that Street Fighter 4 brilliantly played to, and something with a swagger and identity all of its own.
Street Fighter 6
- Publisher: Capcom
- Developer: Capcom
- Platform: PC, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X and S
- Availability: Out 2023
With the timeline moving forward for the first time since Street Fighter 3, it’s a game that lets us see the original cast now that they’ve matured and grown older, where Ryu’s mellowed into his master status, Ken’s had his cockiness worn away having been run through the mill and everything feels that bit more relatable and more real. It feels like the product of a Capcom that’s a bit more seasoned and mature, and one that’s learnt from some of its mistakes.
There are flashes of the Capcom of old in the way announcements around fundamentals like crossplay are being handled, but most else about Street Fighter 6 feels like the brilliant new Capcom – the one that’s wowed in recent years with its revival of Resident Evil and the deft manoeuvring of Monster Hunter into the mainstream, all powered by the magnificently muscular RE Engine.
Street Fighter 6 feels every bit the continuation of that rich form. It’s a reimagination that promises to be every bit as bold as Resident Evil’s, the fundamentals refocused by way of its slick looking single player World Tour mode with its free roam hub, or the multiplayer-focussed Battle Hub that has your avatar patrolling what looks like a virtual arcade. Capcom’s not really talking about any of that right now, but they don’t really have to. For the past couple of days at Summer Games Fest they’ve let their demo pods do most of the talking, and judging from the excited chatter surrounding it Street Fighter 6 is very much the real deal.