I don’t think I could have ever expected a series as institutional as Street Fighter V to come and go with such a whimper. It’s announcement was dodgey as most due to its terms of exclusivity for Playstation, much like Rise of the Tomb Raider last year, but most of all, it was the general lack of enthusiasm from publisher Capcom that I found staggering. It was clear from the outset that this was not going to be a very feature full game – a stark contrast from Capcom’s recent offerings in SFIV and Marvel vs. Capcom. Yet, despite the absence of content, the game was still being released as a full-fledged $60 game. Many have come to call this Early AAAccess. A not so flattering term to relate the game to the beleaguered early access games of Steam.

As such, the reviews have been very mixed. It all comes down to the value you place on those features. For the technical skill-oriented fighters, the flawless combat systems are more than enough justification for the price of entry. However, for many reviewers, the father sparse feature landscape is unforgivable. Check out what the reviewers have to say below:

Games Radar: So Street Fighter 5 is brilliant with caveats, then. But it is, at its core, still brilliant. Being brutally honest, your mileage with it – during the early phase of its life at least – will vary greatly depending on the availability of fight-ready friends in your immediate vicinity. Its pleasures are great and many, but for all of their eagerness to please, you’ll really need to explore them shoulder-to-shoulder with others. That, of course, is why the heart of any great fighting game truly beats, and Street Fighter 5’s beats as hard and loud as that of any you care to mention. As such, it would be a real shame if the curious new players it has so much to offer were turned off by its limited early content. (4.5/5)

Digital Spy: Yes, it’s out too early and needs beefing up, but once you unleash that first fireball and connect with your first spinning kick, you’ll be whisked back to the arcades faster than you can say Hadouken. Just like Ryu and his never-ending quest to become the world’s best brawler, Street Fighter 5 is a work in progress with a long journey ahead of it. And based on this evidence, it’s a journey you should most definitely pack your bags for. (4/5)

The Escapist: Overall, Street Fighter 5 lives up to the legacy of its predecessors, providing the most accessible entry yet, without sacrificing the depth that hardcore fighting game fans have come to expect. With new characters and modes being planned to release every month up until at least September, players in it for the long haul will eventually find a breadth of content to enjoy in Street Fighter 5, especially since DLC characters can actually be earned with in-game Fight Money that is obtained by just playing the game. Frustratingly, that fight money can only be earned while playing online, even in single player, and with consistent connection drops just after launch you can lose that. More casual fans might want to consider waiting on their purchase until at least the story mode drops in June. (4/5)

Game Informer: Street Fighter IV excelled in providing an enjoyable system for players of all levels. Street Fighter V furthers those strides to deliver remarkable gameplay. However, the deeper I dove, the more my enthusiasm for the gameplay was overshadowed by the surprisingly shallow options. […] The gameplay of Street Fighter V is excellent, and no matter what mode you play, the superb mechanics follow. Unfortunately, the content isn’t substantial, and omits several standard offerings that we’ve come to expect from the genre. It’s a shame that the structure presents so many frustrations, because the gameplay itself is entertaining. (7.25/10)

Giant Bomb: Obviously, I have some very strong feelings towards Street Fighter V–positive and negative. The lack of single-player content is less of an issue for me personally and I’m sure a lot of people feel the same and are really only interested in local or online versus. But there are a surprising number of modes and features that are either missing completely or coming later that should have been included at launch. However, I don’t want to understate the fact that I am having an absolutely great time playing Street Fighter V. This is a really fun engine, I dig the new characters, love the reimagining of the old, and the netcode has been very good to me. Am I moving on from USFIV? Definitely. But there’s not as much spring in my step as I hoped there would be. If you’re looking for anything other than a solid fighting game with strong netcode, you should probably hold off until the game sees a few more updates. (3/5)

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