Street Fighter V


Street Fighter V is a 2016 fighting game developed by Capcom and Dimps and published by Capcom for PlayStation 4 and Windows. The major follow-up to Street Fighter IV as part of Capcom's Street Fighter series, it was developed using the Unreal Engine 4 engine and was a console-exclusive on Sony's platform. Similar to previous games in the series, Street Fighter V features a side-scrolling fighting gameplay system, and introduces the "V-Gauge" mechanic. The game featured 16 characters at launch, with four of them being new to the series; a main story mode and 30 additional characters were added through updates and downloadable content.
Upon release, the game received mixed reviews, with critics praising the game's graphics and gameplay, but criticizing its lack of content and characters, as well as its technical issues. At launch the game initially sold lower than Capcom's expectations; however, as of March 2023, Street Fighter V has sold 7.2 million units, making it the best-selling Street Fighter game on home consoles, surpassing the original version of Street Fighter II. An updated version developed by Taito, Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, was released in 2018, and was received more positively, with various improvements such as additional single-player content and the addition of Arcade Mode. A second update in 2020, titled Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, includes all fighters, stages, and most of the costumes released through its first four seasons. Street Fighter V was followed up by a sequel, Street Fighter 6, in 2023.

Gameplay

Street Fighter V carries on the 2D fighting gameplay of its predecessors, in which two fighters use a variety of attacks and special abilities to knock out their opponent. The game features the EX gauge introduced in Street Fighter III, which builds as the player lands attacks and can be used to either power up special moves or perform super combos known as Critical Arts, although the Focus Attacks from the previous game have been removed. New to this game is the "V-Gauge", which builds as the player receives attacks and adds four new techniques: V-Skills, V-Reversals, V-Triggers, and V-Shifts. V-Skills are special attacks unique to each fighter; for example, Ryu can parry an attack while M. Bison can reflect projectiles, some of which build V-Gauge when successfully performed. V-Reversals allow players to use a section of the V-Gauge to perform a counter move whilst being attacked. Similarly, V-Shifts use one section of the V-Gauge to dodge and potentially counter an incoming attack. Finally, V-Triggers use the entire V-Gauge to allow the player to perform a unique ability, such as a temporary damage boost for Ryu's energy balls or added hits to Chun-Li's attacks. Additionally, the Stun Meter, which has been present since Street Fighter III, is made visible under the health bars in this game. The Stun Meter increases when receiving consecutive attacks and will cause the player to become stunned if filled; thus, it encourages players to play offensively when the opponent's Meter is close to full. The game also features an interactive arena, showcasing special animations when a player is defeated at the edge of the arena.

Characters

The game featured 16 characters at launch, four of whom were new to the Street Fighter series. Following the game's launch, several additional characters were developed and added to the game via updates, split between several "seasons" of content. These characters, among other post-launch content, are able to be purchased via either real-world currency, or "Fight Money", earned through gameplay.
Characters who are playable for the first time in a Street Fighter title are highlighted in bold.
During the game's multiple season passes, in addition to the first Street Fighter appearances of Final Fight characters Abigail and Lucia Morgan as well as Rival Schools character Akira Kazama, several new characters were also introduced to the franchise:
  • Laura Matsuda, a Brazilian fighter and older sister to previous character Sean Matsuda who uses Brazilian jiu-jitsu and electricity in her attacks.
  • F.A.N.G., also known as Fang Fei in Street Fighter 6, a leader in series recurring villain M. Bison's Shadaloo criminal organization who combines long ranged attacks and slippery movements with his ability to poison his opponents.
  • Necalli, an intelligent yet wild Aztec-like warrior who seeks a strong opponent's soul.
  • Rashid, a Middle Easterner who is capable of manipulating wind and is searching for a missing female friend who has been kidnapped by Bison and Shadaloo, until he finds out at the end of this game's main story that F.A.N.G. killed her. As shown in Street Fighter 6, where he is now a streamer, Rashid's ancestors also has bad histories with the Illuminati, Gill's organization from Street Fighter III, who took over his ancestral land.
  • Kolin, the Russian assistant to the Illuminati's leader Gill. Previously debuted as a non-playable character in Street Fighter III, she uses systema and cyrokinesis.
  • Ed a young man that was abducted as a child to serve as a replacement body for series antagonist M. Bison. Rescued and raised by Balrog since the end of Street Fighter IV sub-series, he utilizes boxing and Psycho power to form the group Neo Shadaloo to fight remnants of the original Shadaloo. Initially uses kickboxing in his playable debut, until he discards kick attacks for a pure boxing style as of Street Fighter 6
  • Menat, previous character Rose's Egyptian teenage apprentice who fights by manipulating sphere projectiles. The sphere she wields, "Left Eye of Lion" has references to one of the location from Red Earth, Sangypt.
  • Zeku, the master of Final Fight series ninja Guy, who can switch between his current old form and his younger form. First appearing as a non-playable character in Guy's ending of Street Fighter Alpha 2, he is the founder of Striders, with his younger form resembles Strider Hiryu's Strider 2 incarnation.
  • Falke, a woman abducted as a child to serve as a potential replacement body for M. Bison. She works alongside Ed in Neo Shadaloo, who utilizes a staff to focus her Psycho power.
  • G, the self-proclaimed "President of the World".
  • Kage, known by extend as Kagemono Naru a personification of Ryu's Satsui no Hado after Ryu purges it from himself, and later destroyed by Ryu.
  • Eleven, a prototype of Street Fighter III character Twelve, acting as a randomizer character for the roster. In the game's story it is seen as a failure, and its body is recycled to revive Charlie Nash.
  • Luke Sullivan, an American military mixed martial artist who vows to become a hero like his late father, Robert, and is a friend of both series characters Ken Masters and Guile, with the latter served as his mentor since joining a military, as well as befriending with the former's son, Mel. Luke also acted as a preview and a main figure for Street Fighter 6, where he served as primary protagonist in a manga prequel, Luke Rising.

    Plot

The story takes place between the events of Street Fighter III and Street Fighter IV. Years after he was killed by M. Bison, Charlie Nash awakens in a tomb and is instructed by a young woman named Helen to retrieve an item from his old friend Guile that will help him destroy Bison. Meanwhile, the Shadaloo organization initiates "Operation C.H.A.I.N.S." by launching seven artificial satellites in orbit known as the "Black Moons", planning to spread fear and despair, the source of Bison's Psycho Power, and siphon this energy in order to render him and his forces invincible. Rashid infiltrates the headquarters of Shadaloo looking for a friend who was kidnapped by them, but is discovered and defeated by F.A.N.G. F.A.N.G. steals a chess piece-like item in Rashid's possession and uses it to detonate one of the Black Moons, triggering a high altitude electromagnetic pulse above New York City.
Unsuccessfully attempting to stop Bison and his subordinates in New York, Guile and Chun-Li are attacked by Charlie, who attempts to take the pieces sent to them before fleeing. Charlie reunites with Helen, who also convinces Rashid and Juri to form an alliance with them to retrieve the pieces. She explains they are the keys to control the Black Moons, which were sent to certain individuals in order to prevent their use. In possession of the same information, Karin Kanzuki summons warriors from around the globe to help gather the pieces before Shadaloo as well. All of them answer Karin's call except Ryu, who stays behind at Ken's suggestion to train further in order to keep his Satsui no Hadou at bay.
As the warriors travel the world in search for the pieces, they are repeatedly attacked by Shadaloo's minions and Dolls, as well as the ancient Aztec god Necalli, who seeks to devour the strongest fighters' souls. During a fight, Cammy defeats and restrains her sister Decapre. Knowing she was being brainwashed by Shadaloo, Cammy refuses to surrender Decapre to the police and takes her away with Juri's help. Having gathered all remaining pieces and more allies, the warriors storm Shadaloo's base and successfully deactivate the Black Moons, but fail to defeat Bison's troops and are forced to retreat. F.A.N.G. threatens Li-Fen, a young girl among those kidnapped and forced to create the Black Moons. He demands she alter their course and have them fall on Earth instead, striking six main cities around the globe in 24 hours to cause havoc and generate the Psycho Power they need.
Ryu returns from his training and defeats Necalli in combat, purging the Satsui no Hadou from himself and forcing the god to permanently retreat. He rejoins his companions in a second attack on the Shadaloo base. Rashid discovers his missing friend was killed by F.A.N.G. long ago, but manages to stop the Black Moons completely using a hint his friend left for him. Charlie confronts Bison and fails to defeat him, but sacrifices himself to drain part of Bison's Psycho Power, weakening him enough for Ryu to destroy him once and for all. Chun-Li takes Li-Fen, and the warriors evacuate the Shadaloo base as it is destroyed. The brainwashed Dolls recover their senses, while Rashid receives a pre-recorded message from his now deceased friend, thanking him for helping to save the world and telling him to move on with his life. Meanwhile, Helen returns to her master, Gill, who declares he shall restore order to the world and asks Helen, revealed to be Kolin, to follow him.
In a post-credits scene, Ryu and Ken have a sparring match and, afterwards, conclude that their journeys have no end and vow to keep moving forward.