Fighting games may have struggled to attract casual audiences over the years, but it’s clear that the genre wants to find ways to garner new players. Not every method of attracting casual audiences is equal and may be detrimental to the quality of a fighting game. However, Street Fighter 6 is looking to shake things up positively.
Fighting games should go about attracting new players, and Street Fighter 6 could be the game that breathes significant new life into the fighting game genre. To be clear, I’m not saying that the genre needs any saving since it can live off the continued support of its dedicated community. All things considered, Street Fighter 6 presents a perfect opportunity to make the genre reach new heights.
World Tour Mode
World Tour Mode is one of the biggest additions to Street Fighter 6, and it could also be a big deal if executed properly. I can’t say that I totally fell in love with World Tour Mode during my time playing the demo. Even so, it has the potential to make the value proposition of the game go way up for casual players. I’m excited to see what the complete World Tour mode has to offer despite some doubts.
Fighting games have experimented and struggled with single-player content over the years. The genre has been able to provide fun solo game modes, but fighting games are rarely remembered for story modes or similar single-player content. Playing with real opponents online and offline is generally considered to be the epitome of the fighting game experience. No other game genre quite captures the intensity of going one-on-one with a human opponent. Some people find this aspect of fighting games to be intimidating, and there aren’t many great tools to casually dip your toes into the genre.
If successful, the World Tour mode of Street Fighter 6 could provide a general blueprint for single-player content in fighting games. A RPG-style campaign can be great to ease new players into learning a fighting game. If this mode does manage to capture the attention of players, more fighting game developers may take note.
Street Fighter 6 Will Likely Be a Great Entry Level Fighting Game
Street Fighter games are generally easier to learn when compared to other fighting games. Players typically don’t need to worry about the very lengthy combos found in anime fighters, and movement options are more limited in Street Fighter games. Street Fighter excels in simplicity, and the new title seems to embrace this particular aspect.
Street Fighter 6 introduces an optional new “modern” control scheme that requires fewer inputs than the standard control scheme. The modern control scheme allows new players to enjoy the gameplay of Street Fighter 6 without the input execution hurdles. If you wish to be more competitive, it may be wise to switch to the classic control scheme. The classic control scheme seems like a valid option to learn the fundamentals at a higher level of play.
While World Tour is an ambitious single-player mode for a fighting game, it may also be a great learning tool. Players will be able to learn and experiment with different moves gradually for a less daunting experience. World Tour should not be used as practice for competitive play, but it has great potential for new players comfortably dipping their toes into the world of fighting games.
How Will Street Fighter 6 Change Fighting Games?
Street Fighter 6 has the potential to change how fighting games are approached going forward. Unfortunately, there is no denying that fighting games are one of the less accessible game genres out there. The fighting game genre almost relies entirely on intrinsically rewarding players, and it may turn some people away. However, if fighting games can get more single-player content in the same vein as World Tour, it may open up the genre to a whole new audience that otherwise feels uncomfortable with investing in a fighting game.
Street Fighter 6 could strike a great balance between what casual and competitive players want. If players wish to ignore World Tour, they can go straight into the competitive action in Battle Hub. It’s nice to see well-thought-out single-player content in a fighting game, adding value to the overall package. Fighting games are niche and a tough sell to some, but the new Street Fighter title can be a huge success.
Overall, I believe that Street Fighter 6 could help make fighting games look more attractive to people outside of the usual target demographic. Fighting games need to grow and evolve, and this potential is the reason why I’m very excited about Street Fighter 6. Those eager to play Street Fighter 6 before launch may download the demo right now or check out the upcoming open beta.
