Street Fighter IV Review

Street Fighter IV evens the playing field for a wide range of potential players with a spectacular fighting engine that creates an incredibly accessible experience.

With the exception of some lame anime cinematics in the game's arcade mode, the presentation in Street Fighter IV is simply incredible. The wide assortment of levels shines fantastically in vibrant 3D, with subtle touches and backgrounds details all adding to the fun. Onlookers cheer in the background, set pieces collapse as fists fly, and shopping carts rattle with every earth-shattering blow.

One of the greatest aspects of SFIV's combat is undoubtedly the absence of parrying, replaced by Focus Attacks and EX moves. No matter what you do, you can never gain a complete advantage over another player simply because you're a tournament level Street Fighter maniac. The inclusion of Ultra moves also eliminates the one glaring problem with most modern fighting games: once you fall behind, it's tough to catch up, much less win.

Like any modern fighting game, SFIV has unlockables everywhere. Aside from the already beefy roster consisting of the original twelve World Warriors from SFII, you can unlock twelve more as you progress through the game, not to mention a wide array of alternate costumes. There's also a nifty movie gallery with all of the prologues and endings to each character's respective story. If that doesn't keep you busy, then the extra modes such as Time Attack and Survival can definitely help players hone their skills.

Street Fighter IV is exactly the sequel that tournament players, series fans and long absent gamers have been waiting for. The fighting system is truly unique, letting casuals and experts equally enjoy the Street Fighter experience without getting bogged down in techniques and precision timing. Street Fighter is a title that's built for newcomers, yet tweaked for old school vets from the arcade and home console days.