Street Fighter 5 has had a long and bumpy road since its 2016 launch. Upon release, players discovered that the game had barely any modes, fluctuating input latency, and rollback netcode that, while improved from the disastrous beta tests, still has player syncing issues that persist to this day. Even Street Fighter 5's various multiplayer updates haven't really improved the situation. The discovery of a rootkit on PC and the temporary implementation of some very awkward product placement were some of the many issues that followed. And throughout it all, fans have been constantly at odds with combat balance decisions and Capcom’s unwillingness to plainly lay out their plans ahead of time.
After a particularly frustrating fourth DLC season involving half a year of silence in 2019, Capcom finally started to win fans back with the release of Gill, Seth, and the Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition content compilation. Now, as Season 5 draws close to its launch, it feels like the game is finally evolving. With a host of creative new characters, a massive rebalance for the whole roster, and the addition of the defensive V-Shift mechanic, the last year of support for Street Fighter 5 is looking like the best it’s ever had.
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Street Fighter 5 has been dominated throughout its life by overwhelming offense. Street Fighter 5 characters with good Crush Counters and powerful V-Triggers that could be smoothly worked into their gameplan have always been strong, and as the seasons went on, it became apparent that some were more geared for prime offense in every situation. While some of these problems could be solved through balance changes, fans have been asking for a slightly stronger emphasis on defense for a while now, and Capcom is finally delivering with V-Shift.
V-Shift is Street Fighter 5’s first new universal defensive mechanic, and it looks to remedy some important holes in both the Street Fighter 5’s design and how players feel about it. V-Shifting costs one bar of V-Gauge, the same as the much-maligned V-Reversal. V-Reversals were meant to help fighters escape block pressure, but uneven implementation and a strong preference for V-Triggers left them underused. While V-Reversals are performed while defending,
V-Shifts can be performed any time a fighter is not in another animation. A V-Shift causes complete invincibility for a few moments, and if an attack is dodged right as it lands (and this can be any attack, including projectiles and throws), time will slow down. The defender will then be able to counter with either a V-Shift-Break or any attack that reaches their opponent. Even better, a successful use refunds half a bar of V-Gauge.
It’s not hard to see similarities between V-Shifting and other beloved mechanics in contemporary fighting games. A clear inspiration is Tekken 7’s slow-motion when two fighters attack simultaneously while at least one is at low health. Killer Instinct’s Shadow Counter, Street Fighter 4's invincible backdash, and even Street Fighter 3: Third Strike’s parries are all mechanically similar to V-Shift, as they provide players who are being attacked a chance to immediately halt the opponent’s pressure, and maybe even counterattack — but only if they time it right. Like the aforementioned mechanics, V-Shift is meant to be an option, not the best option.
Adding V-Shift to Street Fighter 5 makes it a dramatically different game, but hopefully a better one. Scenarios where defending players are worried about having to deal with an opponent’s high/low mixup or a crossup now have something to fall back on. However, the attacker knows this and can bait it, leading to a loss of precious resources and life. In addition, the defender may still want to save their V-Gauge for their powerful V-Trigger, and could try blocking or retaliating with one of their own moves instead. However, above even the strategic possibilities it presents, a successful V-Shift looks flashy, feels good, and indicates clearly that a player previously on defense has outmaneuvered their opponent and are mounting a counterattack.
The Street Fighter 5 fandom can hardly wait for Season 5 to begin on February 22nd, bringing with it Saikyo-master Dan Hibiki, V-Shifting, a mountain of balance changes, and various other bonuses like the Street Fighter 5's new character Eleven. The game is poised to experience a resurgence in its final year of official support, and end on a good note to make way for the rumored Street Fighter 6. If this is truly as good as it looks, then the strange story of SF5 can finally have a happy ending.
Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition is currently available for PC and PS4.
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