Welcome again to the GammaSquad DLC Report, where we give you the lowdown on the latest additions to your favorite games. We’ll break down what the DLC includes, if it’s fun and whether it changes the opinion we rendered in our original review of the game.
Street Fighter V launched with a lot of key features missing, but Capcom filled things in somewhat with a free update earlier this week. At the same time, they also released the game’s first DLC fighter, Alex. Is Street Fighter V now the game it should have been at launch? Let’s find out…
Street Fighter V March Update (PC & PS4)
What You Get
The new Challenge Mode, the in-game store, additional fighter Alex and a variety of new online features.
What You Pay
Right now, it’s all free due to the real-money store not being ready yet. Eventually, you’ll have to pay $6 or 100,000 in-game Fight Dollars to play as Alex.
Is the Street Fighter V March Update Fun?
The new Challenge Mode is somewhat deceptively named. The mode mainly consists of a variety of tutorials that teach you ins-and-outs of the game, and how to use each character. They’re definitely helpful, although oddly they aren’t interactive – they’re strictly demonstrations you watch. If you want to try out any of the moves or techniques demonstrated, you’ll have to go into the separate Training mode, which isn’t exactly ideal. Challenge Mode also contains a variety of trials, in which you have to pull off specific combos. These are helpful if you’re looking to polish your skills, but if you’re not obsessive about Street Fighter, they get tired quick. Challenge Mode probably should have been called “Advanced Training Mode” or something similar.
As for Alex, he isn’t the most exciting addition to the roster. He felt a little slow and clunky to me, but then I tend to prefer quick strikers like Chun-Li and Rashid. Also, I know Alex has his share of fans from the Street Fighter III era, but does he really need to be in a game that already contains blonde American muscle-heads Ken and Charlie? Personally I’m more interested in other upcoming characters like Ibuki and Juri.
As for the online stuff, the new eight person lobbies are nice, but you still have to wait far too long for matches. When a fighter starring Pikachu can connect you to a match in two seconds, Street Fighter should be able to figure it out. So far, there isn’t a lot to buy in the in-game store aside from overpriced costumes.
Does It Change Our Verdict?
The new Challenge Mode tutorials definitely makes Street Fighter V a bit more accessible for casual players, and Alex is a solid addition, but in this end, this small step forward doesn’t change my original opinion as much as I hoped it would. Hopefully Street Fighter V will finally start to feel like a finished game when the next big update hits in June.