Game Review: Street Fighter V

A scene from the video game Street Fighter V.

Many may think "don't mess with a classic" but games very quickly moved on from two people fighting on a 2D platform. However, that remains the basis of Street Fighter V , almost 30 years after the franchise's inception. The original came out in 1987 and Street Fighter II, four years later, is probably the version most people played at the fish 'n' chip shop. Not much has really changed. The battles still take place on the gaming equivalent of the length of a cricket pitch (including a New Zealand-inspired backdrop this time). When you put it up against the leading games on the market and the amount of gameplay and pure depth of maps they contain, it's almost laughable.

Street Fighter V has just 16 characters and doesn't even have an arcade mode. The cut scenes in story mode are pretty ugly and other features, like a challenges mode, weren't available on release. But when you peel it back, the new mechanics add plenty of variety to the game. The fighting is actually great. It's no longer button-mashing - more thought is needed to win. Add online play and tournaments into the mix and it should please the loyal fans and attract a new generation as well.

Game: Street Fighter V
Platforms: PS4, PC
Rating: M
Verdict:There's new fight in the old dog