TGS 2022 - Street Fighter 6 Hands-on

You can find all my Tokyo Game Show coverage here

The latest build of Street Fighter 6 was available at TGS, and of course I partook. 

I enjoyed it so much that I tried it twice. On day one, I fought against another TGS attendee, and we had our pick of Guile, Juri, Ryu, Chun-Li and Luke, as well as brand new brawlers Jamie and Kimberly. 

On day two, when I played on my lonesome, I also had the option of selecting Ken, who may or may not be homeless, but is definitely getting divorced.

Disclaimer: I don't really follow Street Fighter. I don't tune in to EVO or have any great interest in getting good. Regardless, I really enjoy the series, and have for years. I've been playing (badly) since SF2 Championship Edition on the Mega Drive, which I played with my 3-button controller. That should tell you a lot about my approach to the series!

Some people play Street Fighter for the mechanics. They want to master them, to learn every nuance and intricacy. I'm not those people. While I of course enjoy the brawling, I'm mostly drawn to its unmistakable visual style. I adore how outlandishly colourful and stylish each entry has been; I want the big sprites and exaggerated characters. 

Whether you're in it for the fighting or the pizzazz, it looks like SF6 will have you covered.

Street Fighter 6 combines and evolves several mechanics from previous games, repackaged as the Drive system. The Drive Gauge energy bar gives you access to rushes, parries, reversals and other overdrive arts, and allows you to absorb attacks and then counter. The gauge refills throughout the bout, but can be fully expended depending on how much you ask of it. Utilizing and managing this valuable resource is key to success, even when you don't quite understand how it works.

As much as I appreciated the mechanics, a lot of it was over my head. That being said, I was able to pull off punish counters, which are partnered with a splash of colourful paint, fairly consistently and effectively. Although I was only scratching the surface of these layered systems, that didn't impede my enjoyment in any way. I had a smile plastered on my face for both demos, even when I was losing.

The presentation is, as we have come to expect, breathtaking. The colours are vibrant and splashed generously across the screen. The stages we had access to were full of detail and flourishes, and I spent the few seconds at the start and end of each bout just looking around and trying to take it all in. SF6 is bursting with energy, an energy that is heightened by the constant commentary that is overlaid over each fight, as well as the brash music. To be honest, I didn't notice much of the commentary in my first demo, as I was focussed on trying to best my new friend. It was far more obvious the second time around, but it wasn't obnoxious at all.

While I hung on for a 2-2 draw against my human opponent during my first hands-on, it was clear that he was performing better the longer we played. My opponent seemed to have a better understanding of the controls, and things swung in his favor as five minutes became ten, and ten became fifteen. He was learning and adapting, while I was hoping my mostly-random inputs would remain effective for at least a few more minutes. Regardless, it was a riot. That speaks to SF6's qualities.  

I had the most success and fun with Kimberly, a new addition to the SF roster. She was my pick both in design and in performance. Her acrobatic and kinetic style perfectly represents the overall feel of SF6. She was an explosion of energy, and has the makings of a new favourite. Being able to play as Ryu and Ken was reassuring, and pulling off their world-famous moves was as satisfying as ever, especially when I meant to do it.

Street Fighter 6 is due next year on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and PC. With an open beta just around the corner, and a recent history of late-winter to early-spring releases, we probably don't have long to wait. See you online?