Street Fighter 4 Game Review–The Epitome Of Mediocracy
One of the good parts about being a gamer toward the top end of that vaunted 18-35 demographic is that you remember all the movements of the past. Many of my readers, for instance, may not remember that most gaming was done in public buildings for profit called arcades. Indeed, arcades also offered the very latest and the very greatest games–no home gaming system could ever possibly compete against the might of an arcade machine, and that was why we were more than willing to pump quarters into those things like no tomorrow. Today, arcades survive largely on sufferage, and those that do offer a panoply of experiences, like jet ski simulators and kayak simulators and the like.
Thus I’m surprised to mention that a little bit of the arcade came roaring back today in the form of Street Fighter 4. I was arcade gaming back in the days of the original Street Fighter, thus it was a real thrill to see this venerable old franchise back in the saddle once more.
And it’s every inch a standard Street Fighter title, just given that full next-gen sort of treatment. Every fighter–and there are a whole slew of them–comes standard with their own backstory introduced in a really smooth anime-style cutscene that packs in everything from laughs to sorrow and beyond. It all leads up to a battle with the main bad guy, Seth, whose powers are all surprisingly familiar. All your favorite characters are back in full form, along with a whole host of new characters, once again with their own backstory. It’s great to see that this game can still pack in some originality, despite the fact that it’s really just the same game that we just played five, ten years ago. It’s also great to see how many different motivations can drive so many different people down the same path–whether they’re out to prove their might or just take out a rival, no two of the Street Fighter characters ever really have the same motivations for doing anything.
The game could not look better, and it plays just about the same as it ever did. A few new features are available for use, such as the focus attack and the ultra combo. The only real downside to this game is, despite how good it looks and how smooth it plays, is that, at its roots, it’s really just the same game you’ve already played five or six different versions of. This is just another Street Fighter game, no matter how pretty it looks or how well it plays. It’s just another game where you punch and kick and juggle and special move your opponent into oblivion.
And for some people, this is good enough. They’re just so glad to see Street Fighter back in operation again that they don’t CARE that it’s JUST Street Fighter. If you loved Street Fighter, or any kind of action-packed fighting game, then Street Fighter 4 will be the experience of a lifetime. Otherwise, it’s just another lukewarm beat-em-up.