Street Fighter X Tekken DLC Character Impressions

Street Fighter X Tekken (SFXT) has had a tumultuous relationship with the fighting game community ever since it’s launch back in
March. SFXT is fighting game that merges two of the biggest fighting games on the planet into one ultimate crossover, but  yet has received hatred from gamers due to the inclusion of on-disc downloadable content (DLC). We aren’t talking a set of costumes like another Capcom fighter, but we are talking about paying actual money to make yourself better than everyone else who didn’t pay for the DLC. You can pay for these things called “gems” that you equip your character with that will give them stat boosts.

The problem is that these performance enhancers cost actual money and are located on the disc, so you are paying for something that you technically already own. These gems borderline ruin the game and were banned from tournaments like Evo 2012,  because of their game-breaking effects (credit to shoryuken.com). However, gems can be alleviated in Tournament play by simply removing them, what cannot was the inclusion of twelve characters hidden on the disc. It’s terrible that they are hidden on the disc, even worse that they have to be paid for, horrendous that we had to wait almost 5 months to play with them, and abysmal that hackers got a hold of them on Day 1. So, what we have here is twelve characters that, instead of being free, they must be paid for, Twelve characters that some have had an extra 5 months experience with. Each character will get a star rating.

Three Stars- Perfect additions to the game.

Two Stars- Pretty good, can’t complain with them being here.

One Star- Wasted potential.

Are these characters worth all the hassle that has led to SFXT being patronized? You can be the judge after I break each character down.

*Note, each character impression is based on my own opinion, you will most likely disagree with what I say about each one,  just keep this in the back of your mind and enjoy*

First character I had to try out was Bryan Fury. Fury was one of the characters (along with Jack and Blanka) that I couldn’t believe wasn’t part of the original cast. Bryan is hands down my favorite addition to SFXT and is unique and fun to play. Fury has incredible reach and some basic combos that can deal incredible damage. His stand far heavy attack can catch your opponent by surprise along with his EX flying knee which can hit your opponent from full screen. Bryan hates when people don’t fight seriously, but I love when he does.

Three Stars

***

Sticking with Tekken tradition, SFXT does not disappoint with the inclusion of Jack X (pronounced Jack Cross). Jack X is like a combination of Hulk and Sentinel, able to deal an insane amount of damage with relative ease, while having surprising reach. This makes Jack one of the most accessible characters for newcomers. Jack is incredibly slow, but once you have an opponent trapped in the corner, his multiple Rocket Upper Cuts can easily lead to a Super Art as well as your opponent’s defeat. Some may call him overpowered, I think he’s just a perfect addition.

Three Stars

***

On to my fellow colleague Blade’s favorite Street Fighter, Dudley! Besides his accent, Blade loves his boxing style that makes him stand out from everyone in the game whose name isn’t Steve or Balrog. As I can see, Dudley plays almost exactly how he did in Street Fighter 4, but with a returning move called “Thunderbolt”.  Dudley flies into the air and slams into his opponent fist first a’ la Super Skrull from Marvel vs. Capcom 3. A few more changes have some of his link combos becoming harder to pull of while some being slightly easier. However, in my case I find almost every link combo to be insane on it’s timing and I fail miserably when trying to perform them. Overall, I find it that Dudley is a fun character, but almost too difficult for me to fully enjoy. But, you might like him. P.S. Using Color Palettes, you can change his clothes into Mario, a nice touch.

Two Stars

**

Oh…Elena, why are you here? I guess she’s supposed to be Christie’s rival, but still? Of all the Third Strike characters they could have used they had to use Elena? I would have taken anyone over Elena, ok maybe not anyone, but what about someone like Alex or Q? Why doesn’t Q get any love in Street Fighter? To me, Elena is a waste of space on the roster. We already have Christie, we did not really need Elena. But I guess because Dudley only uses his fists they needed someone who only kicks. But it begs the question, if Fox and Hwoarang were non-DLC (a Fist and Feet team), why weren’t Dudley and Elena?  Bottom line, the two of them should have been included immediately, and Elena’s DLC spot should have been given to someone else, like Q. Elena is a competent fighter, but one I will never use.

One Star

*

Blanka is a charge character, a/k/a a character that I cannot use. There’s something about the charge motion I will never understand, kind of like chain combos. However, he has an interesting wall bounce that can lead nicely to his Super Arts. He also has a move called “surprise” which lets him jump behind his opponent. Perhaps someone can use it in combos, but not me. Blanka seems like a wasted spot on the roster that should have been filled with someone that I already mentioned (eg. Q, Alex).

One Star

*

OK, now Sakura is more my speed. Screw links, Sakura is all about chaining her many specials together in a very flashy form. One involves Sakura using her EX Shunpukyaku and going into her Sakura Otoshi move. This combo allows Sakura to get as much air as a character in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. However, the reason I love Sakura is that she plays very much like a balanced version of Ryu and Ken. As you may or may not know, Ryu and Ken are hands down the cheesiest fighters in the game. This is due to their ability to spam and cross-up with their hurricane kick easily, as well as their Dragon Punches being great on wake up. However, Sakura feels very balanced and if I lose to her, I actually feel like my opponent’s victory was earned. Ditch Ryu and Ken, and pick up Sakura.

Three Stars

***

Lei is a really neat character. Lei can change his stance, so he feels like several characters in one. Many of his combos can put your opponent in a juggle state. He is also equipped with a move that can wall bounce and stun his opponent, a tool that can definitely come in handy. Overall, Lei is a flashy character, that will take a lot of time and dedication to master, as newcomers will be overwhelmed with his many stances. Definitely try to master Lei, you won’t regret it.

Three Stars

***

Ok…Christie, how I wish I could give you one star, but I just can’t. As much as I wish Eddie Gordo was in this game and not Christie, the truth of the matter is the fighting style just makes more sense for her. The moves would look just a little too flamboyant for Eddie, but fit perfectly for Christie. Unlike her partner Lei, Christie is great for beginners. Just like in Tekken, the SFXT version Christie is able to deal a decent amount of damage using the almighty power of button mashing.  Wheel Kicks and a Hand-stance allow her to combo her opponent quite well. Newcomers, pros, and begrudgingly, me, will all like Christie.

Two Stars

**

Guy, oh man does he feel harder to use in SFXT than in SF4, and he was my main character. Guy seems to have gotten a speed boast and overall,  he seems to be intact from SF4. But it seems way harder to spam his specials. I really don’t have any comments about Guy other than you might be able to trick people using air grab. He’s fun, but nothing to get too hyped up about.

Two Stars

**

Cody, where have you been all my life? He is the only person to appear in Street Fighter who is actually a street fighter. Cody is a sheer brawler in this game. His heavy jabs have a lot of frame advantages, which, if you are actually good in this game, unlike me, you will be able to dominate the competition.

THREE STARS

***

Alisa, what a pleasant surprise. I did not expect her to be this fun. At first I was iffy about her inclusion, but damn does she fit in well with the cast of Street Fighter. She is one of the few characters on the Tekken side that would easily fit in any Street Fighter game. This is mostly due to her ability to shoot projectiles. Funny how all my favorite SFXT DLC characters are all mechanical in some shape or form.

THREE STARS

***

Finally, the last character is Lars. Lars is the new face of Namco fighters, having already been in another game besides Tekken. Lars is cool, but for some reason he just feels too similar. I don’t know why, but he feels like the fucking Task Master, but not as awesome. Some of his moves feel borrowed from the rest of the cast. But seriously, Lars is pretty fun to use, and a good substitute to using Kazuya or Jin, check him out!

Two Stars

**

Well, that’s it guys. The DLC is out, I’ve played as everyone, and quite frankly the $15 price is worth it. These 12 new characters greatly expand the roaster and breathe life into this dying game. I hope that more patches come out to make this game even better, but in the mean time if you were iffy to download this in the first place, take my word and buy it. Even if the DLC is on the disc, it makes the game a hell of a lot more fun.

All photo are property of Capcom.inc

Special thanks to Frog55jon for Trial videos.