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Blonde ambition
The most impressive thing you can say about Street Fighter 5 is that every update is surprising. The more we learn about it, the less it seems like a slothful rehash of Street Fighter 4. The grimy on-disc DLC fiasco is now nothing but a distant memory, replaced with an update policy that makes every other fighting game look grasping and mercenary like a coin-diving Scrooge McDuck.
Vega is a changed man
Not in the sense that hes no longer a preening, self-obsessed bellend; more that the charge character you once knew and probably-despised is long gone, replaced with a preening, self obsessed bellend with command attacks, new stances and the ability to sidestep moves like a matador. Thats right: a character custom built for sneering annoyance now takes his fighting cues from people who murder bulls for a reason that isnt beef. Lets not get into that here. Short version: hes different, but still a prick.
Claws for thought
The biggest change is that he can take his claw on and off, dramatically altering his style of play. With it, things are similar, if not identical. Without it, he adds flashy command throws to his moveset, but sacrifices range. The real skill will be learning to switch stances depending on the situation - something I comprehensively failed to grasp, because why wouldnt I want to fight using a massive claw?
Matador of life and death
Vegas V-Skill lets you dodge incoming attacks, and you also have the option to counterattack with a blow that knocks your opponent down. If youve ever played at Raphael in Soulcalibur - or, more annoyingly, played against him - this move will feel immediately familiar. The timing is tight, but the rewards are worth it. Street Fighter 5 is all about hitting these V-Skills in the flow of battle to swiftly build your meter, and much like Ryus parry, Vegas sidestep gives us clear insight into how delicately balanced all of Street Fighter 5 is.
Ken you dig it, sucka?
Its an ancient, often-asked Street Fighter question: why the crap would you play as Ken - a man who looks like a melted He-Man figure wrapped in a red sock - when you could play a Ryu, who punches waterfalls and stands moodily in the wind, thinking about fireballs? Thanks to Street Fighter 5, that question finally has an answer. The answer is 'running'.
Youre runbelievable
Why is it so important? Theres the super-obvious fact that it closes gaps quickly, and the more you use it the quicker your V-gauge will build. But its far deeper than that. Ken has a delicious, meaty kick he adds to the end of the run. Its perfect for nudging enemies backwards, but the real use is far more tactical.
Necalli want
We spent a few desperate days at GamesRadar+ trying to work out who Necalli was when we first saw a flash of him at the end of Kens reveal trailer. Genuine suggestions included Zombie E Honda, Angry Fat Urien and Abigail from Final Fight. We were, and continue to be, complete and utter dolts. Necalli is Necalli, and theres nobody else like him.
Chuck Rock
Necallis V-Skill perfectly summarises his style. Its called Culminated Power, but what it should be called is smashy-smashy rock bosh. Necalli whacks the ground, causing shockwaves to appear in the location of his choice: you hold away for a close one, towards for long range. In isolation, its pretty useless: theres an obvious tell, and savvy fighters will leap towards you and start kicking off your dreadlocks. As anyone whos ever summoned the power of rocks will no doubt know, it belongs at the end of a combo.
Hair Raising
Fighting as Necalli is all about rushing to his V-Trigger, Torrent of Power. As the name suggests, its a fearsome buff that increases his attack power, unlocks new combos and changes his Critical Art. Theres no time limit, and once activated you cant turn it off. The only downside is that Necalli loses the ability to use V-Reversals, and his floaty magic hair probably keeps getting in his mouth.
Final Fight
Mix all these things together into a delicious burgoo of fists, fireballs and Super Saiyan transformations, and Street fighter 5 becomes even more impressive. It shouldnt work, but it does. Brave variation between characters feels like the next logical step in Street Fighters immaculate design, and the new V-Skills tell us more about each character than any wiki bio could (Chun-Lis favorite food is crepes, apparently - we have so much in common).
