Street Fighter 6 takes the franchise forward, and with its progression, the roster fans know and love is seeing signs of growth of their own. After the release of Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, the series has found itself telling stories of events prior to the rise of Gill and his Secret Society. This was made apparent with Street Fighter 4 as the game took place after the events of the perfectly arcadey Street Fighter 2 and before SF3, yet every returning character saw no changes made to their default looks, creating a feeling of stagnation with the cast. Street Fighter 5 took steps toward fixing this with redesigns and gameplay changes.
The roster of Street Fighter 5 saw a shift in the direction of both the roster's design and their playstyles as characters began to show signs of change not present in other renditions. Despite the game still taking place before the events of Street Fighter 3, the roster saw many of its returning characters redesigned completely in an effort to show their place in the franchise's story. While Street Fighter 5's final set of new arrivals remained true to their original designs, their move-sets still saw drastic changes in order to reflect the characters they had become. Street Fighter 6 looks to continue this philosophy of character growth with a reinvention of the franchise's look and aesthetic.
Placing the game after the events of the latest Street Fighter game in the franchise's chronology allows Street Fighter 6 to flesh out the characters freely without having to have its cast locked at a particular stage of development. The first look at the gameplay of Street Fighter 6 showed new looks for the fighters, as franchise mainstays Ryu and Chun-Li have seen their first major redesign since Street Fighter Alpha in 1995. This refreshed design accompanied tweaks and additions to their traditional moves, promising a new spin on old faces.
Street Fighter 6's Character Design Changes
Street Fighter 6's reveal during the Sony State of Play offered a glimpse at the new title's gameplay, with Ryu and Chun-Li's new designs on full display for the first time. Showing a sense of maturity, Street Fighter 6's Ryu now has a beard, with his body openly displaying the wear of battle through numerous small cuts and scars and a robe across his body. Chun-Li is also seen to be wearing an entirely new outfit with a brighter qipao, her hair no longer adorned, and sky-blue leggings. The new designs reflect the ever-growing lore of the characters through their progression in the story.
According to Street Fighter Game Director Takayuki Nakayama, the new designs reflect the places where each character finds themselves in their respective story. For Ryu's design, Nakayama stated that "Although Street Fighter 6 occurs after the Street Fighter 3 series, Ryu still feels that he's "not there yet" - though he seems to have gained some dignity. The way he wears the kasaya (Buddhist robe) is reminiscent of his master, Gouken." Nakayama went into similar detail with Chun-Li's outfit as a way to show her newfound peace after the events of Street Fighter 5 and SF3.
Street Fighter Director Nakayama spoke about Chun-Li's new design, stating, "Ever since Shadaloo's fall, Chun-Li has gained a more philosophical perspective. She now wears a white-based outfit that inherits the traditions from the series, but is elegant and easy to move in. She lives life in a calm but radiant manner." This new take on Chun-Li's design showcases and embraces the series' progression forward, breaking itself from a status-quo and into a new direction. The changes, however, extend beyond the cosmetic, as this design philosophy of character growth permeates into new techniques and moves for the fighting game franchise's staples.
Street Fighter 6 Introduces Character Move-Set Changes
The official Street Fighter Twitter account went over some new and rarely seen moves making their way to Ryu and Chun-Li's move set in Street Fighter 6. In the tweets, the official Twitter account echoes Nakayama's sentiments about the costume changes, showing how even the new moves fall in line with the character progression being on display. Ryu's new Hashogeki acts as a short-ranged projectile while his Denjin Renki from Street Fighter 5 has now become the Denjin Charge. Chun-Li has seen similar changes and additions to her move-set owing to the progression of her character after the defeat of M.Bison and Shadaloo.
Street Fighter's powerful icon Chun-Li sees the return of her Tenshokyaku, a move often seen in her crossover appearances but not seen since Street Fighter 4. Along with Tenshokyaku, Chun-Li's brand new Serenity Stream technique indicates a change in her style as well. According to the PlayStation Blog, Chun-Li's new technique in Street Fighter 6 is a stance, placing her in a stationary position for her next attack. This new stance is a large change to her move-set, adding a new wrinkle to Chun-Li's move set that's never been seen by players before, showing off the old character in a different light.
Guile's Street Fighter 6 gameplay reveal during the Summer Game Fest continues to put this design philosophy on full display, showcasing the character with a new look as well as giving a new shine to familiar techniques. While still looking familiar for fans of the franchise, Guile's new look shows similar aging to Ryu, sporting a goatee and a newly designed U.S. Air Force pilot's outfit. Guile's move set sees his old staples return while his Solid Puncher returns as a Super Art accompanied by his traditional Sonic Hurricane and a brand new Super known as Crossfire Somersault.
The Street Fighter franchise has always been tied to its past as it relates to the development of its cast as well as the designs of its main series representatives. The returning characters throughout Street Fighter 4 saw outfits similar to their latest appearances while Street Fighter 5 saw the roster largely re-imagined. With roster mainstays Ryu and Chun-Li receiving whole new looks and techniques along with the returning Guile receiving another new design, Street Fighter 6 begins the process of marching the series forward while honoring its history with its Final Fight-centered World Tour and a roster that looks to blend their past with the franchise's future.
Source: Street Fighter/Twitter (1, 2, 3), PlayStation Blog