Street Fighter IV is not the type of game I need in my life right now. With work and relationship responsibilities taking priority as I get older, all I need is the odd FPS or third person action game that I can put 12 hours into, feel good about finishing, and put back on the shelf so that I can return to being a productive and ambitious member of society.
Unfortunately a game like Street Fighter IV comes along every now and again. Often it takes the form of a way-too-large and way-too-addictive RPG such as Oblivion. In some cases, it manifests as something even worse, a competitive multi-player game that I care to master.
Even though I have not come close to mastering Street Fighter IV over the last year or so that I've been playing it, the fact that I just had to convince myself intervention-style to stop playing so that I can finish a few other games before switching to SSFIV, says everything it needs to about the game and why I give it my full recommendation.
If it doesn't, I'll sum up the highs and lows. Street Fighter IV has one of those easy to learn hard to master combat systems that many strive for yet few attain. One could level the criticism that too many characters control through performing half-circles but the combat system is so refined that even two characters with near-identical input schemes (Ken and Ryu) play completely differently based solely on the timing, priority, and strength of their move sets.
On the presentation front, the graphics are highly stylized and richly detailed, from the expressions on characters faces to the minutia that make up its detailed backdrops and arenas. Once could nitpick by pointing out blurry textures and some uneven quality in the backdrops, but the character models where the focus of the game play lies are impeccable. The presentation is rounded off by entertaining sound-effects and amusing visual effects with the exception of the utterly annoying theme song "Indestructible (or whatever else it may be called)". At least "Indestructible" is memorable (too memorable) and puts one in a fighting mood.
The only other gripe I can level at the game is its often brutal and uneven difficulty. The quality of the game play and a good array of modes (survival, time attack, arcade, challenge) kept me going however and kept me thinking (rather foolishly) that I could one day master it all. I can think of no higher commendation for a game than the fact that one would keep playing it, even if it (or its online community) are continually beating you down.
Even thought it is not entirely a new concept, Street Fighter IV was a breath of fresh air in my gaming life and I give it my highest recommendation. Here's to hoping I can finish a few things on my pile of shame before spending all my free time on its newest incarnation.
