Street Fighter 6 players want a proper shakeup to how the game is played. Elena could be a glimpse into what the future holds for the game and it would be disappointing if she ends up being another "generic" SF6 character.
The upcoming Year 3 for SF6 needs to hit it big. Fan sentiment is at an all-time low amid very scarce updates. It's been two months since the latest DLC dropped, SNK's Mai Shiranui, there's been no new outfits for the cast since December 2023, and the system mechanics have made the majority of the player base frustrated. Namely, how powerful universal tools like canceling normals into drive rush and throw loops are.
Depending on who you ask, Elena is either a fun, tricky character or the worst-designed fighter in the history of the franchise. Her Street Fighter 3rd Strike introduction was certainly not as memorable as her Ultra Street Fighter IV debut.
Yes, she had extremely good normals, including a three-frame jab with an amazing range that she could get decent damage off. Then, there's the infamous ultra that would let her heal almost half HP.
click to enlargeWhatever the case, the last thing you could say about Elena in USFIV is that she wasn't memorable. In a game so homogenized where almost every top-tier plays the same metagame, it would be a crime to reduce the Kenyan fighter in her Street Fighter 6 debut to just another drive-rush-abusing fighter.
Let's be real, it's pretty easy to spot what makes a character good in SF6. Do they have a fireball? If not, what's the walk speed looking like? How good are the buttons out of drive rush? And perhaps most importantly, can they cancel their crouching medium kick into drive rush?
Think of any strong character and ask yourself any of the questions above, chances are they meet all of the criteria. Despite the mind games and nuances you can find occasionally, it ultimately makes the game rather monotonous.
There are rarities, such as JP, who rely on zoning rather than continuous rush down forcing strike/throw mixups. I'm hoping Elena falls under this category. Give us an oddball character for once.
Think of all the DLC we've gotten so far. The likes of Rashid, Akuma, Mai, and Terry all have a basic strong core plan abusing the universal system mechanics.
I'm not saying they shouldn't give Elena these tools I've mentioned. But at least make her utilize them slightly differently. Capcom has proven they can cook up some very interesting character designs in terms of gameplay with A.K.I and Ed. They both have the classic fireball + drive rush but the way they have to structure their offense is somewhat different than other fighters.
There's no doubt the game is still one of the most played within the fighting game community (FGC). As an overall package, SF6 is an extremely well-rounded videogame, and it will sell incredibly well once it hits the Nintendo Switch 2. Especially in Japan, where Capcom's title has exploded in popularity.
If Elena can bring a unique gameplay to the table, paired with a much-needed update that fine-tunes the game, Street Fighter 6 could start winning the hearts of disgruntled fans once again.
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