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Street Fighter IV!

The legendary fighting series has gone modern, but will the latest installment in the classic franchise be able to live up to its prestigious name?

First Impressions: Whenever possible, we try to give our loyal website viewers the most video footage and most in depth unbiased reviews imaginable. Part of that development is our "initial impressions" where we offer up our first impressions of the title that we are playing.

This gives our website visitors more of clear understanding of what to first expect out of the game when they initially pop it into their consoles.

If you scroll to the bottom of the page in the Rent vs. Buy section of the review and do not see the "final impressions" assessment then it's safe to say that you are reading our initial impression of the game. Once the final impression is up, there will be no further video or review done to that particular title.

Final Impressions: The final impression is just that, our completed breakdown and overall thoughts on the game based off of our entire game playing time.

You can locate the final impressions assessment in the "Rent vs. Buy" section of the review (always located at the very end of all of our reviews). Here you will be able to read our final thoughts on the title and also see any potential grade changes that were made to the game as well (higher or lower). Should a grading change occur, it will be clearly noted with the previous grade, the new grade, and why the change occurred.

Although this approach is more time consuming and requires many more man hours, our entire goal has always been to provide the best and completely unbiased reviews possible and we feel that the inclusion of the Initial Impressions and Final Impressions sections will give you a better view of what to expect from a new game.

All that we ask in return is for you to continue to support Krakrabbit.com by visiting the site and letting others know about our cause. Together we can supply our fellow gamers with the most impartial information so they can make an informed decision on whether to buy or rent this particular title.

The Tournament Lives: Street Fighter IV takes place just after the excitement of the last "Street Fighter" tournament finally fades and the supposed destruction of the Shadaloo.

Street Fighter's mystery continues, however, as the sponsor of the latest "Street Fighter" tournament, S.I.N. may have a connection with the Shadaloo.

SFIV does little with the storyline though, as the title focuses more on pure gameplay than a meaningful plot.

You will be able to play through SFIV's story with each of the different characters, but the only real difference you will see in each playthrough will be a small cutscene at the beginning, and a different ending.

Street Fighters: Street Fighter IV features all of the classic characters that are staples of the renowned franchise such as Ken, Ryu, Chun-Li, and Zangief, but you will also see some new faces.

From Balrog, an extremely violent boxer and Crimson Viper, a tough and smart female agent possibly working with S.I.N. and Shadaloo, to El Fuerte, a Mexican wrestler/chef and Abel, a man without a past.

You will encounter and have the opportunity to play as some new characters that have their own stories that, albeit weak, are somewhat interesting at times.

There are still some balancing issues seen in the game though, as some of the characters that were outrageously powerful in the past remain as indestructible this time around.

Take for example Zangief, who has several attacks in his repertoire that can quickly eat away massive portions of your opponent's health if you learn to master them.

FIGHT: Street Fighter IV's gameplay really has not changed much since the last time you played one of the installments in the series.

You will fight a variety of characters in a large amount of different and varied backgrounds using a few different attacks.

From kicks and punches to grabs and throws, what you will play in SFIV cannot help but feel familiar to those who follow the franchise.

When playing through Street Fighter IV you will find the gameplay enjoyable, but after a little while the gameplay can get a bit repetitive, especially if you do not want much of a challenge by raising the difficulty level.

Super Combo Deluxe, Extra Cheese: As you play through the single player campaign of the game occasionally you will run into a seemingly unbeatable CPU controlled opponent that knows how to perform every single combo.

Massively complex (and damaging) combos that would take the average person hours upon hours of practice to learn are easily and constantly executed by the computer. The CPU also has an odd ability to come back from seeming defeat to annihilate you.

Even on low difficulties such as "Easy" and "Very Easy" the CPU will mercilessly inflict massive combos upon you.

While on the subject of the cheap CPU, SFIV also features one of, if not the worst, bosses ever seen by the Krakrabbit staff. The boss is a combination of all of the other characters and is able to utilize the moves and combos of every other character in Street Fighter IV. "Seth", even on the lowest difficulty is insanely hard to defeat and will cause you a massive amount of frustration with his cheap and extremely damaging moves.

Going Modern: Street Fighter IV features a completely unique 3D visual style that adds a ton of life to the gameplay. Everything from the environments to the fighters are coated in a 3D gloss that looks very impressive and detailed.

Speaking of details, SFIV has many minutiae that range from different facial expressions during combat that change depending on whether or no you are attacking or getting hit, to barrels that break when you throw your opponent into it.

In addition, SFIV also features a rather impressive soundtrack that plays while you are mid-battle. The soundtrack can get quite repetitive though, as there seems to only be a couple of tracks that play during combat.

Rent vs. Buy: Street Fighter IV is not a bad game at all, and you will undoubtedly get a lot of enjoyment out of the title, but SFIV does have just a couple flaws.

From the rather impressive gameplay to the 3D visuals, Street Fighter IV is a very pleasant game and provides a great experience, but the slightly repetitive gameplay keeps this game from total perfection.

If you are a fan of fighting games you will love Street Fighter IV unconditionally, and even if you are not, you will still find some refuge in the game.

For those who love fighting games, SFIV is a definite must buy, but if you are not, then you are best off simply renting and getting your fill of the game.

Report Card

If you are a fan of fighting games you will love Street Fighter IV unconditionally, and even if you are not, you will still find some refuge in the game. For those who love fighting games, SFIV is a definite must buy, but if you are not, then you are best off simply renting and getting your fill of the game. (Krakrabbit.com)

B


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