Ladies and gentlemen, Street Fighter 5

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So here you go, here is absolutely every new feature, mechanic, and nuance I absorbed about Street Fighter 5. Feel free to skim for sections that interest you, or just watch our video above that runs through the most crucial bits. Also feel free to enjoy these two full, unedited matches in 1080p/60fps. Loading

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The V-Gauge and EX Meter

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V-Skill Overview

V-Reversals aka Alpha Counters

V-Trigger

The revenge meter shown in the early gameplay demos is no more, a red herring! Instead, we have the Variable, or “V” Gauge, which fills up by either getting hit, or by successfully using your character’s V-Skill, more on that further on. The V-Gauge will power V-Reversals and V-Triggers, both of which we'll also get to in a minute.Like the revenge meter it replaces, V-Gauge progress does not carry over between rounds. Character's V-Gauges can vary in length, and number of segments. In earlier demos, this was represented by Chun Li and Ryu having different length EX meters. In actuality, every character's EX meter is the same length: three bars.As in the past, EX meter is used to power EX special moves, and super moves, called Critical Arts in Street Fighter 5. Per usual, EX meter carries over from round to round, and is built by performing special moves, and connecting with attacks of any kind.V-Skills are free to use actions unique to each character. As they are all activated by pressing both medium attack buttons, they replace the Focus Attack from the SF4 series. Ryu, Nash, and Bison all have defensive style V-Skills, while Chun's is more offensive. Check out full explanations of every character's V-Skills further on.The common trait they all share: successfully using them builds your V-Gauge. Not only are these abilities distinct and useful, but applying them often is the key to having more frequent access to V-Triggers and V-Reversals.The Street Fighter Alpha series had a mechanic called Alpha Counter, which allowed you to break out of block stun with a special move of some sort to stop your opponent's momentum. That's exactly what V Reversals are. By pressing forward and all three punches or kicks while blocking, you can spend one segment of your V-Gauge to launch a counter-attack. In Nash's case, he actually teleports out of trouble. Neat!It's of particular importance that this mechanic isn't powered by the EX meter. In other fighting games that use such a mechanic, they're rarely utilized, because using them means fewer resources to do other, more important meter-dependent actions. By tying it to a different gauge, the opportunity cost of using it is effectively removed, making it a far more viable option than in other fighters. It also gives players something to do with their built up V-Gauge if the round is coming to a close, and they don't have enough juice for a V-Trigger anyway. Might as well spend that resource!Once your V Gauge is full, pressing both heavy attacks will unleash your V Trigger, a powerful, potentially tide turning unique buff or mechanic that opens up new possibilities for your character. Depending on who you play, this may add new properties to certain moves, increase certain attributes, or allow you to make a one-time action that's truly unique. These aren't massive damage dealers, just a temporary buff that, if leveraged properly, can change a round.It really needs to be emphasized that this is not a hard comeback mechanic like Ultras in SF4, or X-Factor MvC3. Those were designed to keep losing players in matches by giving them hugely disproportionate amounts of damage with little effort. Yeah, you can build up for one by getting knocked around, but you can also build it actively in different ways for each character. It's a reward for using your V-Skill effectively, and even then, your reward is only big if you've learned how to properly leverage the unique advantages your V-Trigger confers.

Ryu’s V-Skill, Parrying

Third Strike fans rejoice! Parrying is back...if you play Ryu. Parrying is Ryu’s V-Skill and he can parry seemingly anything from projectiles to multi-hitting EX moves. Jury is still out on whether they can be used to against Critical Arts. Each successful parry gives Ryu added frame advantage to retaliate with, in addition to building his V Gauge.Like the parry of old, you don't take a lick of damage if you succeed, and the timing is a little on the tight side, though still very usable.Right now parry feels very satisfying. It doesn't feel too easy or too finicky to use, and it creates just enough of an opening to sneak in a sweep or dragon punch from what I've seen. Theoretically, that should mean you can follow up with a low forward, into fireball, into Critical Art, but I haven't tested that just yet.

Ryu’s V-Trigger, Denjin Mode

Ryu’s V-Trigger is Denjin Mode, and it empowers his fireballs and dragon punches with more damage, and stun. Fireballs are particularly juiced, as they can be charged, knocking down and causing massive stun damage on hit, and guard breaking on block. The guard break effect lasts long enough for a properly positioned player to move in and start a combo. What's more, Ryu's Critical Art, Shinkuu Hadoken, becomes Denjin Hadoken in V-Trigger, forcing guard break without having to hold the input and charge. Nasty.It's already plain to see that, much like in Third Strike, denjin mode setups are going to be a thing, and since you can throw them as much as you like while V-Trigger lasts, expect people to guard break, then use a combo that sets up their opponent to wake up into another guard break. There will be ways to deal, but expect a lot of early Ryu play to look like this.

Ryu Changes and Notes

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Especially for Third Strike fans, Ryu will feel very familiar in Street Fighter 5 because of the parry and the denjin shenanigans. His walk speed is a hair slower than in SF4, but then, nearly everybody's is. Low forward is still a dominant footsie tool, and with focus attack out of the game, fewer characters will have easy answers for it.

In fact, Ryu benefits a lot from that change, as it will force many characters back into the old ways of dealing with fireballs: blocking, neutral jumping, or jumping forward into a Dragon Punch. His damage is quite solid too. with the ability to link stand strong into itself fairly easily.

See Ryu's full move list here.

Chun Li's V-Skill, Rankyaku

Chun’s V-Skill is a command jump called rankyaku. It’s a low to the ground air dash that allows her to come at opponents from a very aggressive arial angle, potentially crossing them up with her signature heel stomps. Rankyaku hits and floats on the way up too, building V-gauge and allowing for some neat juggle opportunities.It can be used as a sort of "soft" anti-air for people jumping in from long distance, but for the most part, this is a gap closer and pressure tool. Think of it like a canned instant air dash.

Chun Li’s V-Trigger, Renkiko

Chun Li’s buttons are already fantastic in SF5, but once she activates Renkiko, her pressure becomes insane, as it adds multiple hits to each of her normal attacks. Damage and stun add up REAL fast if she hits you. You can also throw doubled up versions of some of her supers in this mode, though not repeatedly like the stage demo with Daigo playing from a few months ago. Kikoken spam is not going to be a thing.

Chun Li Changes and Notes

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Chun is still a whirlwind of legs and feet. Her normals are Street Fighter 3-levels of good, wakeup EX spinning bird kick is still a great option, but her biggest change is that lightning legs is now a quarter circle instead of a button mash, and she can use it in mid-air too! This allows her to use it more readily and aggressively. The same applies to her Critical Art as well, so prepare for the return of low forward into super!

Of the four characters we've seen, Chun's footsie game is dominant from about any range. She doesn't seem to have a bad button, and her walk speed is way faster than the other three slowpokes. My only concern is that with her V-Skill only generating meter if used at point blank range where it registers a hit, in an even fight she'll always have V-Trigger later in the round than her opponent. Still, it's so potentially strong when she gets it, perhaps that's by design?See Chun Li's full move list here

Nash’s V-Skill, Bullet Clear

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Nash’s V-Skill, Bullet Clear, allows him to absorb projectiles and add their energy to his V-Gauge. It has for more active frames than Ryu's parry, so it's a lot easier to use in this way. He can use it as a poke too when close enough to his opponent, and it'll still build V-Gauge. It's actually a decent poke too!

Nash’s V-Trigger, Sonic Move

Sonic Move is a teleport that can be cancelled into from some of Nash’s specials, including his Sonic Boom. He can teleport to one of three locations relative to his opponent's position depending on the direction you press with the input: behind them on the ground, behind them in mid-air, or in front of them in mid-air. In this way, Nash can escape a bad situation, mix up his opponent, or quickly close on, and punish projectile throwers.The fact that he can cancel certain specials with it also makes some particularly nasty, high-damage combos possible, particularly if you have EX meter to spend. That said, he can only teleport once, making his V-Trigger something you commit to when you see the right opportunity. Thankfully, he builds V-Gauge pretty rapidly, so you'll probably get to use it couple of times per round anyway.

Nash Changes and Notes

Nash is now the absolute farthest thing from a Guile clone. His Sonic Move, and various specials that aggressively move him forward make him an in your face character. Sonic Boom is no longer a charge move, but a quarter circle, so he can keep walking forward and still have all of his options. As ever, a slow Boom gives him firm control of the interactions immediately after.As for his flash kick...he kinda doesn’t have one. He has a move called Sonic Scythe which is basically a spinning kick that moves him forward on the ground, but the roundhouse version behaves like a very low altitude flash kick. It's so slow and short range though, so you have to be REALLY predictive with it to use it as an anti-air. Really, his only reliable anti-air is the ex version, which does look a lot like his double Flash Kick from the Alpha series.Oh, and it's worth mentioning his Critical Art, which is projectile invulnerable and looks incredibly badass, as he teleports behind his opponent, wrapping the entire stage in darkness as he warps away. Somewhat less badass is that it seems to have no hit invulnerability, as Ryu was able to stuff it with a jab on reaction. Must be the glasses...Check out Nash's full move list here

Bison’s V-Skill, Psycho Reflect

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Bison’s psycho reflect V-Skill is very similar to Nash’s with the added option of holding the V-Skill input to send a powerful projectile back at your opponent. He can't use it like a poke as Nash can, but the ability to return-to-sender is a huge boon, especially as the projectile it creates hits twice, overpowering standard projectiles if your opponent happens to throw a second one immediately after you catch the first.

Bison’s V-Skill, Psycho Power

Bison’s V-Trigger, Psycho Power takes the longest to build, but it lasts seemingly forever, and is completely nuts in terms of what it does for him. All of his dashes become teleports, allowing him to advance on, and cross up opponents rapidly at will. His special moves all get buffed too, like his Devil's Reverse, which allows him to teleport behind opponents from mid air. He basically turns into Omega Bison for the remainder of the round.

Bison Changes and Notes

Aside from his new tool set, and a slide that now causes a juggle state on counter hit, the biggest change to Bison is what ISN’T there...his iconic Psycho Crusher. This is the first time since Street Fighter alpha that he hasn’t had it as a special, though it does show up during his Critical Art.Bison's footsie game has, regrettably, taken a huge hit. Stand forward doesn't have nearly the presence it has in SF4, and stand roundhouse is a different move altogether. Coupled with his atrocious walk speed, he gets poked to death by the other three, especially Chun. That said, you just can't throw projectiles at him, because you're just feeding him V-Gauge, and that's not something you want to do, trust me. Outside of V-Trigger, he feels a bit tame, but once he has it, he's a terror.See Bison's full move list here

System Changes

Street Fighter 5 Gameplay Reveal June 2015 23 IMAGES

Throws have shorter range - I whiffed throws so rarely in SF4 I had almost forgotten there was a whiff animation. SF5 has one too, but you'll be seeing it a lot more, as throws have far shorter range, almost SFxT short. I also missed a few option select crouch tech attempts which makes me think they might be gone, though I need to do more testing to definitively prove this.

Backdashes don't have any hit invulnerability - They do have throw invulnerability though. Still, this makes wakeup backdash pretty much a non-option. Gone are the days where you can backdash to safety for free.

Crush Counters - This is a new mechanic. Some moves, when they hit on counterhit, will cause a unique stun state that will allow for normally impossible follow-ups, kinda like Fatals in BlazBlue and Persona 4 Arena.

There are no Ultra Combos - Critical Arts, which behave like supers from SF4 in every way, are the only flashy, high damage moves in the game. Ultras are completely gone, there is nothing remotely similar to them.

Normals deal chip damage - Normals deal temporary chip damage when blocked. If you take a hit before this temporary damage heals, it becomes permanent. This is not a game for turtles!

Stun Gauge is back - Stun has been in most Street Fighter games, but only Third Strike made stun progress visible. SF5 does too, encouraging offensive players to "ride their kill" when they see they're close to stunning.

Target combos are more prevalent - Like in Third Strike, Target Combos are more prevalent in Street Fighter 5. Links are still the primary combo method, but Target Combos seem good enough to be usable in some cases.

Higher overall damage - Not Tekken or Marvel vs. Capcom 3 high, but this is a more dangerous game than SF4. Eating a fierce Dragon Punch hurts enough that you won't want to jump too much, and loose hits add up fast.

Bigger discrepancies in walk speed - While Chun is about as spritely as you'd expect, Ryu is a step slower than usual, and Nash and Bison are plain mired in mud. This may lead to some characters dominating the footsie game.

No Focus mechanic - Focus is out. You'll have to deal with projectiles the old fashioned way, and strong, single-hit pokes can no longer be swept away with a universal mechanic. This places a premium on old-school Street Fighter fundamentals.

Hard knockdowns are rare - I didn't test this exhaustively, but a Capcom employee told me that only throws and Critical Arts cause hard knockdowns. Wakeup times are faster in general, so you'll have to adjust your okizemi game accordingly.

So now that we have the big, obvious stuff out of the way, let's talk about the many subtle,and not-so-subtle changes and additions in Street Fighter 5. Here's a list of what I could dig up in limited tests:Ok, that's all I've got. I'm sure I'll pick up more as I go hands-on again during E3. I'm really happy with where Capcom is going with Street Fighter 5 so far. It feels more rooted in classic Street Fighter fundamentals than Street fighter 4, but with the style of Alpha, and some of the danger of Third Strike. Now all we need are Sodom, Alex, Q, Urien, and slightly faster walk speeds, and I'll be a really happy camper.

Vincent Ingenito is IGN's foremost fighting game nerd. F ollow him on Twitter and tell him what you want him to test out next time he plays Street Fighter 5.