More details have emerged regarding the upcoming iteration of the popular Street Fighter series, confirming the fact that the fighting game will be built around new game mechanics known as V-skills and V-triggers.
Street Fighter 5, the first new game in the series since 2008’s critically acclaimed Street Fighter 4, will apparently focus on each character having two sets of specific moves which will make them play out extremely different. These moves are called V-Skills and V-Trigger abilities and will vary in both scope and utility depending on player character.
V-Skills are special moves which are more utility-focused rather than simply offering a damage output, and will be activated by pressing two medium attack buttons at the same time. For example, series staple character Ryu’s V-Skill allows him to parry in a way similar to the parry mechanic in Street Fighter 3, making him the only one who will have that style of parry in the game.
That’s not to say that characters will be only recycling past gimmicks with the V-Skills, as Chun-Li for example will get a completely new type of jump which will cover more distance at a lower height, making her able to jump over projectiles while quickly reaching her opponent’s range.
As far as V-Triggers are regarded, these are special buffs which are unique to each character and can be activated when the character has a full V-Gauge. The V-Gauge fills up while the character is taking damage and does not carry between rounds, similar to Street Fighter 4’s revenge gauge in this regard.
Ryu’s V-Trigger charges his fists with electricity, which will give him added power on his attacks, while Cammy will have an increased attack speed on her special attacks, making her capable of dishing out great amounts of damage in a short time period.
Some V-Triggers will also be more utility-oriented, as for example Nash’s variation will have him teleport anywhere on the screen. Similar to it will be M. Bison’s V-Trigger, but he will only be able to use multiple short range teleports which will replace his usual dash mechanic.
Taking all of this into consideration, it seems that Street Fighter 5 is both committed to make each character feel as distinct as possible, while also tweaking the mechanics so that even games which seem one-sided can be turned around in a matter of a seconds by a wise use of the skill sets and gimmicks. Street Fighter 5 is listed for release on PlayStation 4 and PC in March 2016.
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