Capcom’s Street Fighter IV is often noted for reinvigorating the hardcore beat-’em-up video game scene in the many years following the release of its predecessor. Originally released in 2009, the seminal brawler wowed critics with its lush visuals, diverse character roster, and comprehensive moves set; unsurprising, then, that it’s gone down as the greatest fighting game of the PS3 era. Keen to exploit its potential, Capcom set about improving the celebrated title with a series of incremental updates, starting withSuper Street Fighter IV in 2010, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition in 2011, and finally,Ultra Street Fighter IV.
While cynics have lambasted the Japanese giant for milking the Street Fighter IV experience, series aficionados have welcomed the extra tweaks, characters, stages, and other bits and bobs these subsequent updates have offered. Indeed, Ultra is a perpetuation of Capcom’s attempts at offering its hardcore fanbase the most complete SFIV experience possible, which long-time players will no doubt lap up. Make no mistake, this isn’t for the casual audience; Ultra’s additions are subtle, but for the hardcore player, this latest iteration of the popular brawler offers all the nuance that SFIV fanatics that been craving for -- it’s been shaped by the community, after all.
Chief among Ultra’s additions is of course the addition of five new combatants: Poison, Hugo, Decapre, Elena and Rolento. Pleasingly, there’s something here for everyone, with this eclectic line-up covering a wide variety of play styles, as is the case with pretty much the rest of the cast. Hugo is a hulking, beast of a man that compensates for his slow speed with some massively-damaging attacks, and a great go-to guy for newcomers (yes, myself included). He’s so chunky it’s almost comical. Conversely, the slim and nimble Decapre - a clone of Cammy - is faster and definitely aimed at the more accomplished player, with more complex moves and combos. In fact, you’ll need some pretty dexterous button work to exploit her Super/Ultra maneuvers, and I spent ages faffing around in Training Mode trying to get them to work, much to my frustration. Then there’s Poison, the scantily-clad, whip-wielding officer from hell, who is an absolutely joy to play as, with more streamlined moves coupled with some great Ultra combos that are both aesthetically pleasing and lethal to boot.
While cynics have lambasted the Japanese giant for milking the Street Fighter IV experience, series aficionados have welcomed the extra tweaks, characters, stages, and other bits and bobs these subsequent updates have offered. Indeed, Ultra is a perpetuation of Capcom’s attempts at offering its hardcore fanbase the most complete SFIV experience possible, which long-time players will no doubt lap up. Make no mistake, this isn’t for the casual audience; Ultra’s additions are subtle, but for the hardcore player, this latest iteration of the popular brawler offers all the nuance that SFIV fanatics that been craving for -- it’s been shaped by the community, after all.
Chief among Ultra’s additions is of course the addition of five new combatants: Poison, Hugo, Decapre, Elena and Rolento. Pleasingly, there’s something here for everyone, with this eclectic line-up covering a wide variety of play styles, as is the case with pretty much the rest of the cast. Hugo is a hulking, beast of a man that compensates for his slow speed with some massively-damaging attacks, and a great go-to guy for newcomers (yes, myself included). He’s so chunky it’s almost comical. Conversely, the slim and nimble Decapre - a clone of Cammy - is faster and definitely aimed at the more accomplished player, with more complex moves and combos. In fact, you’ll need some pretty dexterous button work to exploit her Super/Ultra maneuvers, and I spent ages faffing around in Training Mode trying to get them to work, much to my frustration. Then there’s Poison, the scantily-clad, whip-wielding officer from hell, who is an absolutely joy to play as, with more streamlined moves coupled with some great Ultra combos that are both aesthetically pleasing and lethal to boot.
Elena is a flashy capoeira master and essentially Ultra’s answer to Tekken’s Eddie Gordo, possessing some conspicuously long limbs able to strike out at foes from quite some distance. Rounding things off is Rolento, a hardened military type who comes equipped with a few nasty surprises, such as grenades, which are used to devastating effect for his Ultra combo. He’s not the fastest character out of the new players, although his ability to quickly roll backwards or quickly leap off of walls gives him great evasive properties. All in all, there’s something for everyone, and each combatant boasts distinct strengths and weakness, providing a diverse package for fans and casual gamers alike. Even if you’re coming into Ultra relatively fresh-faced, you can still pick up most of the newcomers and feel comfortable getting to grips with them in training. Still, a few might prove intimidating for those unfamiliar with the series.
Elsewhere, Ultra offers up five more stages, all of which are plucked straight out of Street Fighter x Tekken (as is the case with four of the five new fighters). Yes, it’s a bit of a cop out, as for 11 quid it would have been nice to see some arenas built from the ground up; however, the levels themselves are pretty dazzling, so it’s hard to complain. More prominent however, are the array of tweaks to the combat system itself. Chief among the additions include the ability to select two Ultra Combos instead of one or the other, which opens up a wealth of new tactical options. However, there’s a catch; doing so will tone down the amount of damage they do compared to if you select just one of the cinematic showstoppers. Still, this option accentuates the game’s diversity in terms of playing style, and switches things up nicely so you have more tactics to employ in battle.
The Focus Attack has also benefited from an overhaul. Now, holding down the Medium Punch, Light Punch, and Medium Kick buttons buffs the maneuver to become the Red Focus Attack, allowing you to absorb more punishment from your opponent. However, the window of opportunity here is decidedly thin, and therefore meticulous timing on the player’s part is required, not to mention some half-decent knowledge of your opponents moves to boot. As such, there’s a gamble as to whether or not you’ll be successful; if it connects, the payoff is well worth it, but concurrently, there’s also the risk of missing it or your opponent landing a throw. Experts will likely take full advantage of this and mix and match with the regular Focus Attack, further supplementing SFIV’s comprehensive defensive capabilities. The fact it’s there and ripe for the strategic picking is a great little extra.
Meanwhile, there’s also the fact your character’s recovery has now been tweaked so you can delay the period of time it takes you to get back up after being knocked on your arse. This is pretty significant, as a lot of crafty buggers can time their attacks to capitalize on their opponents weakness as they rise off the floor, so this delay allows you to fool or outright punish their attempts at pummelling you as you get up again. Like most advanced moves, it requires judicious use of timing and understanding of SFIV’s nuanced gameplay mechanics, but it proves immensely useful if you can use it right.
Also up for grabs are two new game modes. First up is the ability to enter the Training mode online with another player, allowing you to duke it out with a fellow gamer, rather than sit twiddling your thumbs in a lobby or smashing your way through Arcade Mode. Then there’s the Team Battle for those of you who like to put a bit of teamwork into the mix, and makes for a break from the usual one-on-one fighting that makes up the bulk of online fighters. SFIV’s online component was already strong to begin with, and these extras only further complement an already-fantastic line-up.
At the end of the day, Ultra Street Fighter IV is a pretty substantial add-on, and while it’s easy to palm it off as another chance for Capcom to relieve of us our hard-earned cash, there’s actually plenty of stuff here worth the asking price. Sure, the fact much of it is tied directly to the intricate nature of the series means hardcore fans will likely benefit from it the most, and the reused SFxTekken assets might leave a bad taste with some gamers. Overall however, the extra fighters, modes, move tweaks, additions and balances make this the definitive version of Capcom’s seminal brawler and a must-have for any Street Fighter fanatic.
Meanwhile, there’s also the fact your character’s recovery has now been tweaked so you can delay the period of time it takes you to get back up after being knocked on your arse. This is pretty significant, as a lot of crafty buggers can time their attacks to capitalize on their opponents weakness as they rise off the floor, so this delay allows you to fool or outright punish their attempts at pummelling you as you get up again. Like most advanced moves, it requires judicious use of timing and understanding of SFIV’s nuanced gameplay mechanics, but it proves immensely useful if you can use it right.
Also up for grabs are two new game modes. First up is the ability to enter the Training mode online with another player, allowing you to duke it out with a fellow gamer, rather than sit twiddling your thumbs in a lobby or smashing your way through Arcade Mode. Then there’s the Team Battle for those of you who like to put a bit of teamwork into the mix, and makes for a break from the usual one-on-one fighting that makes up the bulk of online fighters. SFIV’s online component was already strong to begin with, and these extras only further complement an already-fantastic line-up.
At the end of the day, Ultra Street Fighter IV is a pretty substantial add-on, and while it’s easy to palm it off as another chance for Capcom to relieve of us our hard-earned cash, there’s actually plenty of stuff here worth the asking price. Sure, the fact much of it is tied directly to the intricate nature of the series means hardcore fans will likely benefit from it the most, and the reused SFxTekken assets might leave a bad taste with some gamers. Overall however, the extra fighters, modes, move tweaks, additions and balances make this the definitive version of Capcom’s seminal brawler and a must-have for any Street Fighter fanatic.
source:
http://www.psu.com/a023704/Ultra-Street-Fighter-IV-Review--the-definitive-version-of-Capcoms-seminal-beat-em-up
0 comments:
Post a Comment