However, in the hands of a practiced player, it's an opportunity to surprise their opponent by linking unexpected combos to the seemingly simple action. Meanwhile, the benefit of Ken's V-Skill is less obvious at first blush: he simply runs towards his opponent. Ryu's V-Skill is one of the most iconic, as he can use it to parry an incoming attack-a throwback to the universal parry mechanic from Street Fighter III. V-Skills can be used at any time, and grant each character a different but equally useful ability. All three moves are easy to execute-they only call for simple button combinations-but understanding how to leverage them during a tense battle requires practice and a deeper understanding of Street Fighter V at large. Now, every character has access to three V-abilities outside of their standard attacks: V-Skills, V-Reversals, and V-Triggers. Street Fighter V doesn't have a direct replacement for the Focus Attack, but it definitely has an answer for people who bemoaned the negative impact it had on the pace of fights. But in practice, it ultimately slowed matches down, and contributed to the watered-down feeling of the game's cast, as it was available to every character.

It was a tool that seemed designed for casual players, allowing them to mix up the flow of a fight at a moment's notice. One of the most noticeable differences between Street Fighter V and its predecessor is the removal of the Focus Attack, which was an easily-executable move by which any character could absorb incoming attacks and subsequently dish out a heavy hit that temporarily stunned their opponent. More importantly, there's almost no way someone without the drive and knowhow of a hardcore competitor can parse the game's movelists and mechanics, and the potential strategies these elements introduce. There's no Arcade mode, and no way to fight against the CPU in the traditional one-on-one versus mode. There's an immediately apparent lack of modes in Street Fighter V, some of which have been around since Street Fighter's early years. Though the roster makes fighting with a friend at your side an exceptional thrill, cracks begin to show when you try to engage with the game by yourself. While I was wary of the relatively small roster at first, it's clear that a lot of attention was put into making every character stand apart from the rest, including the veritable fighting game 'brothers,' Ken and Ryu.

Some of Street Fighter IV's iconic mechanics have been retired in favor of new ones that add to the distinct qualities of each character, stripping away universal actions in favor of specialized skills. Combatants new and old alike vie for your attention with infectious personalities and unique fighting styles. Street Fighter V upholds the series' legacy, offering a diverse cast of 16 characters that bring its great fighting engine to life.

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