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~Introduction~
Hype, a word which distinguishes the fighting game community from the others. Fighting games strive on hype, more is the hype, more is the success.
So one wonders what do we get when two of the most hyped brands in the fighting game universe clash together to from a crossover of epic proportion?
We get a bland game, which tries to be so many things at the same time, that it fails to create an identity of its own.
Truth be told, despite being a huge fan of fighting games, sfxt is perhaps the only game that I don't see myself playing lets say, few month from now.
It's not that it's a bad game(I kid, it is), it has many things going for it but the thing it lacks the most at this moment is the hype. It's just plain boring.
(Me & Ryu have somewhat similar experience)
~Gameplay~
Gameplay wise it's a mixed bag, there are some places where it shines but few gameplay decision that makes you question how can they allow this?
The nature of this game is a 2 vs 2 format with emphasis being placed on the tag team element. It's nicely implemented & perhaps this is the only fighter that allows 2 vs 2 online,
unlike Mortal Kombat 9. Offline battles can be really fun & chaotic when played with friends. A single player controls two characters while if you opt to play with a friend you both control each character.
It supports upto 4 players offline & 2 players online. This is one of the strength of this title & it clearly flaunts it.
As a Capcom title, it uses a modified version of the sf engine however Tekken characters are beautifully implemented with their unique playstyle & movesets.
They have many different options to counter the zoning playstyle of their SF counterparts. This is a welcome change & I applaud that. The roster is quite beefy with 12 additional characters planned(guess you all already knew that).Also the exclusives(read: troll) characters are real fun to use. They managed to put a smile on my face, something which the game was unable to do.
Meter building in this game is real fast & has a variety of uses. You can use it for EX moves which are the stronger version of your normal special moves. You can use it for Cross Assault, it causes two meter but is really powerful & usually ends in your partner using his ultra. Also available as an option is the Cross Rush option, which uses your entire meter but allows your partner(AI/Partner controlled ) to join the attack while the meter drains. You can also punish after blocking using 'Cross Cancel' at the cost of a meter.
This game also features Super Arts which is another name for the Ultras from SF4. The unique thing in SFxT is that you can charge a special to turn it into a Super Art at no meter cost. Expect to see a lot of Shinku Hadokens.
This game plays a bit like Mvc3 where you use launcher after a hit conform, here however your you partner gets tagged instead & you use him to continue the pain. Combo timing is easier than SF4 but bit strict than Umvc3.This(chains) will predominate your gameplay, much like the footsies in SF4. There is also a roll option which can be used during knockdown, it kills much of the wakeup option & punishing it requires carful spacing & timing as you are invincible during the roll.
~Gameplay Flaws~
Now this is the part where the game falls flat on its face. It has many prevalent flaws that makes the experience rather unsatisfying as the hours you input into it starts increasing.
One of the major flaws is the clock timer. It goes too fast & continues during the Super/Cross attack's animation, resulting in majority of match ending in timeout. This combined with long stages, slow walk speed adds to the frustration when the opponent gets a life lead they just jump from one end to other in order to waste time & there is nothing you can do about it. Mvc3 had its teleports which this game lacks. Not to mention how easy this becomes due to the roll feature.
Another thing which is really surprising is that the throws were nerfed heavily. The range was reduced, damage was decreased & frames were increased so it comes out real slow.Most of the Tekken cast lacks decent anti airs, therefore to anti air you need to exchange an air to air attack which is always 50-50. Damage scaling is very high, so there is no point in doing flashy combos, the games shrinks to two opponents mashing jab(L attacks) in order to execute the tag combos
Another frustrating thing is the strict timing of crouching blocks, most of the time the game doesn't registers them, which is a chore while blocking high low mixups of the Tekken characters. The priority of jump attacks is real high, which results in people jumping more than a grasshopper on drugs.Another thing that I hate is that the so called "Pandora Mode" where you sacrificed one character for boost, is so horribly implemented that it's totally worthless. There are so many other issues but I don't even want to think about them. My doctor advised me against excessive salt.
Result: Boring to watch, Boring to play(For non casuals)
(It will make you see more zeros than your report card)
~Offline~
Arcade mode is the trademark of the fighting games & SFxT features a 2vs2 arcade mode. After completing the series of fights you'll face your rivals & then the boss.On defeating the boss you get a fmv ending however the catch is that you must use official teams for that. If you use mixed teams according to your liking, you'll be rewarded a text based ending. Aside from this you can enjoy the challenge mode which features Trials,Challenges & a tutorial mode that gives you the hang of the game. Tutorial mode is hosted by Capcom's very own troll character Dan Hibiki.
You also have access to a training mode & a versus mode. These are the two modes in which you'll be spending the majority of your time if your internet is low tier.
~Customization & Gems~
This game features very low amount of alternate colors for you to use, 4 in fact & that too two of them being black & white. Perhaps additional colors might be provided as dlc in future.Also available for you to customize are quick combos, for one block of meter you can use these automatic combos if you don't wanna risk a dropped combo. This will undoubtedly help casuals & newb.
~Gems~
Perhaps my biggest gripe with this game. Gems are customizable units that can be equipped upon your characters, 3 at a time.
There are mainly two types of gems: Boost gems & Assist gems. Boost gems have different effects such as increasing speed,attack etc while assist gems are this game's version of shortcuts.Perhaps a step ahead of Umvc3's 'Simple Mode'. They have varying effects such as simplifying attack motions(such as Quarter Circle Forwards,360 etc) & stuff like auto block/throw escape. The usually have some kind of downside attached such asreduction in attack power, meter cost etc. Mainly aimed at casuals they can also be deadly in the hands of pros.
Now comes the bad part, setting up gems is a real chore. They could have made it so that you set up few common combination that can be used on all characters but currently you have to edit each character's gem unit individually.This is really boring however from what I know this issue will be addressed in the upcoming tournament(read: savior) patch. Another thing that I hate about the gems especially the assist gems is that it hampers the growth of newbs. Unless you learn the game you would be easily defeated by people who know how to escape/punish. Gems however kills the drive to learn. If you have the option to kick someone in the nuts, why would you bother with punching,dodging & other worthless things eh? There are many dlc gems that will be available in the future, I find this irritating as I feel there should be a leveled battle ground.Also gems are banned in tournaments(EVO), I guess that really kills any momentum they had for actual daily use.
(4, actually 5 redeeming features in the above pic)
~Online~
Now online is really debatable. SFxT used GGPO, which is both a boon & bane. If your connection is good then this is perhaps the best netcode yet, however if you have sub par internet(Hello my fellow Indians, "Karlo Duniya Mutthi May") then the netcode is beyond terrible. Online also suffers from a weird sound glitch which is really Capcom's fault & I'll suggest playing with sound off or with your ipod on. Also something I hate is the lack of 'Player Matches' option which was available in Mvc3(another Capcom fighter). Can I please have my rematch option, Capcom? One thing I liked was 'Pair Play', which is basically 2 vs 2 & 2 vs 1 online. You can also inite a friend to your training room. Cheers to that.
(I rather have a bear troll me than play this online)
~Graphics~
Oh god, does this game look ugly? Nope, it looks bland & ugly. Color scheme is terrible & menu design even worse. It's a pain in eyes to look at it & it always gives out an aura of dullness.Seriously Capcom, what went wrong? hire better artists please. Characters models are decent, better than SF4 at least. Not the best looking fighter, I prefer Mvc3 over it any day.
(You are beautiful, you are beautiful, it's a lie)
~Sound~
Horrible, just freaking horrible. From the uninspiring opening track to the boring background tracks, the OST is seriously sub par.
~Ending Notes~
Street Fighter x Tekken is really a game that evokes mixed reaction. It tries to do many thing, be many things but stops short on executing them perfectly.
It has potential, it has many things going for it, it's fun offline but overall it's just simply 'Boring'. Listen to the community Capcom, listen to them & fix this as soon as you can.
Until then, I'll just repeat the famous words of a man who has an US flag tattoo on his arm & a cool haircut.
"Go Home SFxT & be a family game."
(Maybe I'll give it a try occasionally, when I think everything is good in my life & I need to balance it out)
(+) Huge varied roster
(+) Transition of tekken character is well implemented
(+) 2 vs 2 is really fun with friends
(+) Netcode is great if your connection is good.
(-) Netcode is downright horrible for bad/decent connection
(-) Sound glitch kills what's left of the online experience
(-) Horrible menu design & overall aesthetics
(-) Various broken gameplay features
(-) Boring to play/Unsatisfactory experience in the long run
(-) Unsatisfactory implementation of the gems feature
(-) Very less amount of customization
VERDICT: 5/10
Title: Street Fighter x Tekken
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Fighter
Age Rating: T
Platforms: Xbox 360/PS3
Reviewed on: Ps3
Edited by Thank You Based Sunny, 09 April 2012 - 03:21 PM.
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