Street Fighter X Tekken v2013 Review

Much to Capcom’s disappointment, Street Fighter X Tekken did not set the fighting game community ablaze. Not only was it dropped from EVO within a year of its release, the online mode quickly withered away like a grape in the sun. However, the development team has listened to fan’s feedback, and has recently released a free update via the v2013 update for PC, PS3, and 360. Is this patch a lifesaver, or is it DOA?

At first glance, the changes made to Street Fighter X Tekken (SFxTK) can be hard to spot. Unlike the updates made to Street Fighter IV and Marvel vs. Capcom 3, new stages and characters have not been added. This especially stings when one considers the paltry number of stages and $20 DLC characters that still remain present in this version.

Rather, the changes made to SFxTK v2013 are far more subtle. Each character has received minor tweaks to their fighting styles, making combos that much easier. The average everyday player might not pick up most of the changes, but they are still welcome nonetheless. If anything, Capcom should have ran with the concept and added more specials and supers for each character.

One of the biggest changes made to SFxTK comes from the Tekken side of the roster. Much like their namesake title, it is much easier to juggle opponents for higher combos. It does not work as well as its namesake brethren, but it is still a wild card that helps to differentiate it from the hundreds of other fighters on the market today.

Other minor tweaks can be found in SFxTK v2013’s pacing. The original game suffered from overly long matches that dragged on for minutes per round. To counteract this, rounds start much faster, health recovers more slowly, and even the much maligned Pandora mode lasts longer. As a result, the game feels much faster paced, adding a much needed boost to bouts.

However, despite all of these changes, SFxTK still lacks a level of balance found in Super Street Fighter IV or BlazBlue. While every character has more of a shot at victory, it still feels like certain members of the roster trump others. Paired with the pay-to-win gem system still in place, and it still feels more like a casual fighting game instead of a serious, tournament-worthy fighter.

This is ultimately its undoing, and until they patch all 55 members of the monumental lineup (and reconsider the gem system), it is simply a broken game better suited for casual bouts. As it stands, Street Fighter X Tekken v2013 is an update to a broken game, but it still has a lot more work to go before it is in fit fighting-shape.

Street Fighter X Tekken v2013 is on the road to recovery, but it still not ready for the big leagues.

Rating	Description
out of 10	Reviews Explained
8	Presentation: Clean menus and a robust online mode make for a good infrastructure.
7.5	Art Direction: The characters themselves look fine, but the backgrounds are too full of action and bright colors to focus on the fights.
6	Soundtrack & Sound Effects: A techno soundtrack with some unwelcome dubstep is a sharp reminder that we longer live in the 90s.
6.5	Gameplay: Hadoukens and shoryukens are still there, but the balance isn’t.
7.5	Replay Value: Arcade mode and online mode never get old; it all comes down to finding opponents.
7 OVERALL	Side Kick (out of 10, not an average)

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