Street Fighter IV

Street Fighter IV – “…beautifully orchestrated instead of limitless robotic move sets brings about one of the finest games of its genre and era.”

The Street Fighter series from Capcom has one of the longest family histories in the gaming world, competing with the likes of Mario, and Final Fantasy.

The first edition to the series [Street Fighter] made its debut in 1987 but the release of Street Fighter II was the one that made the devastating impact on the world. The game was the pinnacle of its era, and became one of the very few classical games living till this day.

This revolutionary ‘beat-em-up’ was swept off the shelves and flooded the arcades as it became hugely popular globally. As a result, the assets from this series alone allowed Capcom to expand and compete with other top game developers.

The Street Fighter Alpha series and the Street Fighter EX series were produced as spin offs, followed by the release of the Street Fighter III towards the end of the millennium. All of which proved to be a massive success, the latter being the most popular.

Eight long years, players eagerly awaited the arrival of Street Fighter IV and this year, their wishes were granted.

The long anticipated release did not fail to awe anyone who laid their eyes or hands on it. The redefined game play brings a new angle to the series, allowing players of all levels to compete, unlike Street Fighter III where beginners were traumatically destroyed with countless parries and counter attacks.

Street Fight IV brings about simplicity, removing the parry system, and retaining its original controls allowing players to thoroughly enjoy the experience of the game.

The simplicity however, brings several layers of depth to the game play making it very difficult to master.

A newly introduced Focus attack allows players to think more of how they can fight rather than spamming tediously for a hollow victory, instead this simply system of holding the medium punch and kick triggering the focus attack, gives access to all players and creates many different ways and styles of playing.

This new focus attack can be charged for more damage and allows you to absorb a single attack, utilising this will grant players the ability to counter attack on singular attacks but not chained attacks or certain moves which can break the focus such as Ryu and Ken’s ‘Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku’ all in prevention of players over using the focus attack.

Capcom have also greatly increased the frame windows for allowing players to pull off quick two, three hit combos thus button bashers will be severely punished during battle.

This is as much of a strategy game as a fighting game, deciding upon ranged or close-combat and the swift transactions between defence and offence, beautifully orchestrated instead of limitless robotic move sets brings about one of the finest games of its genre and era.

Not only in the depth of game play and mechanics used, but visually Street Fighter IV is also one of the finest.

Every character is distinctive and easily recognisable, but the level of detail that has been used to personalise the characters and their movements is remarkable. Characters follow each others movements, their stance changes accordingly and movements are specific and exclusive.

Ryu for example, has a steady stance, but readies for combat when the opponent draws near, his movements are swift but his attacks explode.

Chun-Li glides through the air, redefines gracefulness, her techniques flow with agility like water. Their exclusive movements connect the characters to the players beyond an optical level, a desire which Capcom has fulfilled successfully.

It’s even more astonishing to see the characters facial expression change dependant on the situation, the change from arrogant and taunting, to fear and comical, to excitement and joy. The jaw dropping conceptual designs are explicably astonishing.

The environment and characters are all rendered as 3D models but the game play remains on a 2D plane. ‘Daigo Ikeno’ (art director and character designer) have adjusted and tweaked the balance to an impeccable state between the 2D platforms with 3D visuals.

The camera even changes to a temporary 3D angle when Super and Ultra techniques are performed to further enhance the dynamic visuals – like it isn’t enhanced enough already.

Unlike any other previous instalments of the series, Street Fighter IV has a unique stylised hand drawn effect, with visuals accented in calligraphy, ink sprays and strokes. In addition, the cell – shaded graphics are second to none, appeasing and satisfying to eyes for detail. This game truly is a heaven for all those graphics loving gamers.

All in all, this fourth instalment to the classic Capcom series is irrevecobly a masterpiece of the fighting genre.

Eye glistening visuals, adrenaline pumping soundtracks, unrivalled excitement of game play and an awesome breath taking opening video raises the standards for games of its genre to a whole new level.

“Ray works at the Gamerbase HMV experience on Market Street”
www.gamerbase.com

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