Street Fighter 6 Demo Debuts a Simpler Style of Play

Street Fighter 6 demo is now out for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and we spent some time with the demo and ran through the content to see what will be in store for the full release of the game.

Unlike the previous closed betas, this demo features the much talked about World Tour mode. Players also have access to the Fighting Ground, which is the single player mode with the traditional Arcade Mode, One v. One, Training Mode, character tutorials, and Extreme Battle.

Only two characters can be picked in Fighting Ground for the demo, Luke and Ryu. The demo does not include any online Battle Hub multiplayer content. And only two characters are usable in the Fighting Ground, Luke and Ryu.

As a part of the demo, we finally got a taste of the much talked about Modern control scheme. Instead of the standard six light-to-heavy punch and kick buttons, Modern controls feature only Light, Medium, Heavy, and Special buttons. As a result of this shift, some normal moves cannot be done with Modern controls. For instance, Ryu’s crouching medium punch cannot be done in Modern controls.

To perform a Hadouken, players simply need to press the Special button instead of the classic quarter circle forward movement plus a punch button. Combos also become easier as they do not require precise timings and specific button press sequences. Just repeatedly press Light, Medium, or Heavy and you’ll do a basic combo.

For newcomers to fighting games, SF6 serves as an easy point of entry for simplified special moves and combos. For experienced players, Classic will undoubtedly be the favored control scheme as it gives players access to the full range of normal and special moves. If Modern still sounds too complicated, there’s a Dynamic Mode that is an even more simplified option for those that just want to pick up the game and mash buttons to victory.

The graphics in Street Fighter 6 are a pleasant upgrade from 5 and fully take advantage of the PS5’s upgraded hardware. Players can choose between Performance mode, which prioritizes a smooth 60fps frame rate or Resolution mode, which renders the game in 4K. While 4K sounds like it’d be a visual feast, it does have a rather nasty impact on performance in the new World Tour mode. More on that later.

There’s a new hip-hop aesthetic throughout the gaming experience. The Drive System mechanics create graffiti-like swirls of vibrant color that trail the moves. You’ll hear spray paint cans throughout the cinematics and menus, and a breakbeat-heavy soundtrack—though that isn’t necessarily new for the franchise. The soundscape is punctuated by plenty of juicy-sounding punches and kicks.

One of the biggest selling points of the game is the new World Tour mode, which we finally get to experience firsthand. In World Tour, you create your own avatar character and playthrough an RPG-like campaign featuring the main playable fighters. As part of the demo, you get to create your own avatar and play through part of the first chapter.

The character creation process packs in so many facial and body customization options that it would make Skyrim blush. However, character appearance choices will matter even more in Street Fighter 6 because physical characteristics affect your character’s range and hitbox. So, the bigger your character is, the easier they are to hit.

World Tour also introduces RPG leveling, skill, and item systems to a mainline Street Fighter game. You level up your avatar with new skills and special moves; items like food heal you, and apparel such as hats or t-shirts increase your attributes.

World Tour features a third person exploration mode similar to Final Fantasy, with battles using the standard 2D battleground found in all Street Fighter games. However, transitions from open world to battle are seamless with no loading screens to be found. The visuals in World Tour mode are very well done, with exploration mode being buttery smooth in both Performance and Resolution modes.

Battles in World Tour with Resolution Mode leave an awful aftertaste. It feels like the game barely hits 30 FPS and input lag abounds. For a fighting game, even a consistent 30 FPS can feel slow, so PS5 players are advised to just leave the game in the Performance Mode for 60 FPS goodness.

You can power through the demo’s World Tour content in under an hour, but it provides a promising glimpse of the full game. It seems Capcom has learned from the mistake of releasing Street Fighter 5 without any single player story content and has absolutely nailed the RPG-like World Tour.

Street Fighter 6 demo is playable for Playstation 4/5; Xbox Series S|X and PC players can join in on the fun starting on the 26th of this month. The full version of Street Fighter 6 comes out on June 1, 2023.