Reviews of the final version of the Capcom game, full of content but maintaining problems online.
Four years have passed since the departure of Street Fighter V, a game that had everything to succeed after the impulse that the fourth installment of the saga gave the genre of the fight in the last generation, but that fell prey to its serious mistakes . The fifth numbered iteration of the fighting brand par excellence came empty and in poor condition: with serious online performance problems and a great shortage of content. Capcom dragged those problems for months, and the title was moving away from the referent that was assumed coming from where it came from and who was behind. With the Arcade Edition they were partially redeemed, but it is now, with this Champion Edition, when we finally have the game we expected in 2016. Although not everything is optimal today.
If we focus on raw numbers, they speak for themselves. The Champion Edition, available to buy both in physical edition (PS4) and digital (PS4 and PC) comes with a total of 40 characters, 34 scenarios and more than 200 costumes, to which you can add endless game modes and a Really competitive price of 29.99 euros. It is not necessary to compare it with the void in modes of the original and its 16 basic characters to realize that we are facing a definitive version that also removes game mechanics and characters: new V-Skills, basic game mechanics, which give more options and variants to each character, as well as changes and rebalances to the entire template.
New V-Skills, new options
In fact, the new V-Skills bring a significant change to the roster of fighters we knew so far. The possibility of selecting a new one of these characteristics for each character changes not only the way to use them, since we have new routes and possibilities, but also the way to defend ourselves against them. Some enhance certain unpublished attacks so far, others add new combinable movements … The list is most attractive. Saga boosts her Tiger Knee, Kolin wins a command grab, Mika wins a counter, Cody wins new dodges, Bison wins a teleport with attack that leaves him in blocking advantage …
In general, the strategy changes and opens a new world of options. Will it be balanced? Sounds complicated, although at the moment the first tournaments with the balance patch show more variety of characters at a high level. We will see over time, since all this needs to be added another variable: the possible combinations according to not only the V-Skill selected, but also the V-Trigger available per character.
Two bosses as big claim
There are two names that shine with their own light in this new installment: Gill and Seth, mythical bosses of Street Fighter III and Street Fighter IV. Its addition is not only attractive for being who they are, but also for how they have adapted to the reality of the fifth numbered installment of the Capcom saga. They are, quite simply, spectacular characters and, beyond where time will place them in the tier list, they add color to the template in what mechanics it refers to. Gill has different combos that force the opponent to face situations of 50/50 not too clear, and one of his V-Trigger is a projectile that has properties superior to other characters. In addition, combos and variants are already being seen with his game of the two elements he dominates (fire and ice) of the most attractive. If Gill's first V-Skill is the mentioned meteorite, the second is a kind of parry, like Ryu's.
Even more promising seems Seth, newly added with the arrival of the Champion Edition and has among his abilities the ability to steal some movements of the enemies. A character that seems very versatile and able to bitter life in the corners, although it is still early to see the potential of this new fighter who, yes, and like Gill, is tremendously colorful and fun to control. On the one hand, your V-Skill 1 serves to copy a special of the enemy, while the second is a dash that goes from end to end of the screen and adds unique properties to the specials that we use if we cancel the dash in some of them .
Modes, suits and … online
If one of the criticisms of the base game was the lack of content beyond being able to (badly) play online, one of the attractions of the Champions Edition is precisely all that it brings. Now, Street Fighter 5 is interesting for all types of players: those who want to compete online and those who want to enjoy their offline modes. Among them, several arcade routes – with themes from other games in the saga – stories focused on each of the characters and a main and general story of the game, to which is added the classic and complete training mode, different combos challenges to learn routes and basic combinations of each character and several menus to customize our player card, various options, etc.
The online system, of course, still has room for improvement. We maintain the differences between equalized games that allow us to scale in different ranks and informal combats, as well as statistics that recreate a profile that defines our style of play. The main problem is that netcode performance is still not optimal despite the time that has passed since the original game. Playing with less than five connection bars – the maximum – is reckless, and cross-platform crossplay continues to offer irregular experiences. Naturally we have been able to play competent and trouble-free games, but those that have problems are still present. Not even 24 hours ago from the last patch, which has eliminated the possibility of using a fix from a user that improved the experience if both combatants had it installed, but also that seems to have improved the overall performance, although we continue to have lag fighting in some occasions.
Finally, highlight the presence of a large number of costumes and colors eligible for each fighter, including those that allow the fighters to be transformed into other classic characters of the Capcom universe, such as Ken in Dante. For more information about the game, you can consult our original Reviews and also our evaluation of the Arcade Edition.
CONCLUSION
Street Fighter V: Champion Edition is the complete and definitive version of the fifth numbered installment of the saga and is, above all, the game we expected to receive in 2016. A huge character template with 40 fighters from yesterday and today, generous – Now yes – in single player content and in extras and accessories of all kinds, with playable new developments in the form of a second V-Skill that expands variants and options for each fighter and all at a competitive price. Only an online that still has room for improvement, some technical setbacks (such as somewhat excessive loading times) and some blocked content that is not available in this version, play against the dream version of Street Fighter V.
THE BEST
- Content level, faultless: this time yes
- The additions of new V-Skill open a new world for each of the characters
- Gill and Seth, two characters perfectly embedded in the game
- Very competitive price
WORST
- The online is still improved in terms of performance
- Excessive loading times
Very good
Remarkable game that we will enjoy and remember. A good purchase, highly recommended for lovers of the genre. It is well taken care of at all levels.
