Inspired by Street Fighter Alpha 3's single-player mode of the same name, SF6's World Tour mode is a completely new experience that might make you forget you're playing a fighting game. The mode's aesthetic and gameplay exists somewhere between the a modern JRPG like Persona 5, an open world sandbox game like Grand Theft Auto, and... Final Fight — a timeless classic that Capcom thankfully still takes inspiration from, giving old school Capcom fans buckets full of fan-service. In Capcom's words, "World Tour is a single-player immersive story mode that pushes the boundaries of what a fighting game is and allows you to leave your own legacy within SF6 with your player avatar".
 
In World Tour, there are colorful characters to meet, back alleys to explore, items to unlock, Mini Games to discover and play (many based on series classics), and more secrets and throwbacks to discover. The "story" content within the mode is a mixed bag and seems to lose track of itself at times... but at the very least, World Tour smartly helps introduce SF6's newcomers and even teaches the player how to use them, all while running through Street Fighter "basics" as well.
 
While not "necessary" for a competition-driven fighting game, the innovative World Tour mode brings so much to the overall package and presentation (especially for the under-appreciated casual audience). As ambitious and "open" as World Tour mode is, it has its flaws... but not many worth complaining about, since this mode offers something unprecedented that no fighting game has before it. It's likely that you'll accumulate hundreds of ridiculous side missions while in the middle of trying to stick to the main quest, but running around meeting / fighting entertaining characters, playing bonus games, and leveling up your avatar is hours upon hours of discovery and fun — for a single-player experience. Capcom actually nailed it. And we're not even talking about "the game" yet.
  

  

The insanely-detailed Avatar Creation experience rivals that of modern WWE wrestling games (or past SoulCalibur installments), being a deep mode you can spend hours in (and very fulfilling when you can achieve your desired look or character "cosplay"). While a bit goofy at times, your character will learn from Street Fighter's own icons and adapt their moves while exploring Metro City's streets in World Tour (which carry over to the multi-player experience in Battle Hub). It's clear from the beginning that World Tour isn't to be taken " too seriously"... and that's a good thing. Why your character is beating up random people in the streets isn't always clear (if ever)... but hey, the game is actually called Street Fighter. I GET IT NOW. It finally makes sense!
 
Battle Hub is Street Fighter 6's flagship online lobby system... a bold and compelling new way to experience fighting games. Your avatar can express themselves in a variety of ways in the presence of other players, as you'll roam the Battle Hub's arcade area in search of opponents and other things to do. Player Avatars can even battle each other in the center using Street Fighter techniques they learned in World Tour (and weekly rewards through doing so). On that note, SF6's rotating Reward system is done really well and makes you want to keep coming back for more. In addition to matchmaking for normal matches and Extreme Battle, you can even play classic games like Final Fight, Captain Commando, Magic Sword, and Street Fighter II within the Battle Hub. Seeing Capcom paying respects to their humble beginnings nearly brings a tear to my eye. In so many ways and on so many different levels, Street Fighter 6 remains closely in touch with its roots.
 
Most importantly... the Rollback Netcode and Crossplay implementation is as revolutionary as the Battle Hub design and concept itself. Thankfully, the game feels and performs great online even against players far away! For nearly a decade now, I was hoping a fighting game would eventually adapt a "3D open world" as part of an online lobby system to make things more interesting and appealing to a wider audience. Battle Hub and World Tour certainly have imperfections, but they are unquestionably innovative and impressive all on their own. If Battle Hub lobbies aren't your thing, you can still select Ranked / Casual matches from the menu and wait for matches while Training or literally in any other modes. This is super convenient and should become the standard. It's safe to say Street Fighter 6 has revolutionized fighting games online... and I have a feeling this is only the tip of the iceberg.
 

 
The classic Arcade / Story mode is still present in Street Fighter 6, giving players the option of either a 5-stage or 12-stage playthough and various difficulty settings. There aren't any special cinematics, but great artwork and voiceovers are heard during story battles. Arcade also includes a fun Semi-Truck Bonus stage reminiscent of SFII's iconic beat-up-a-car mini game! It looks awesome and it's actually fun and rewarding. Every character playthough in Arcade / Story has beautifully-drawn prologue artwork as well as a (non-animated) ending. Playing through Arcade will also unlock a plethora of high-quality character illustrations for viewing in Gallery mode. Now let's talk about the mechanics...
 
DRIVE SYSTEM:  The Drive Gauge performs five different techniques that can easily enhance your offense or defense. Here's a run-through of each of the Drive techniques: A Drive Impact is a powerful strike (similar to SF4's Focus Attack) that can absorb an opponent's incoming attack and leads to a "wall splat" in the corner. Drive Parry can repel your opponent's attack and refill your Drive Gauge. Cancel out of a Drive Parry or normal attack into a Drive Rush to quickly close in on your opponent. Drive Reversal is used to perform a counterattack to get you out of tight situations.
 
Finally, Overdrive Arts are similar to EX Moves from prequels that power up your Special Moves. In SF6, EX Moves are typically easy to connect with specific Super Arts, so they are very useful for setting up damaging combos as well as applying pressure. With one gauge, players have these five techniques to utilize and balance. In addition to the Drive Gauge, players also have access to the classic 3-tier Super Meter, which controls Super Arts. Every character has a Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 Super Art — appropriately ranging in intensity, epic-ness, and damage respective of their level. Meter management is HUGE in Street Fighter 6 and feels more and more natural and intuitive the more you play.
 

 
CONTROLS:  The "Classic" standard 6-button control type for the series remains intact. However, Capcom also introduced a new setting called "Modern" which enables simple button presses for special moves and basic auto-combos by holding down the assigned "Assist" button. This is a helpful control setting for newcomers and those who don't play fighting games often, but it also limits the overall number of moves that a character can perform. Lastly, the "Dynamic" control scheme offers an AI-assisted experience where players can simply mash buttons and the AI will chose what moves are best at the moment. It's effective too... and will perform advanced combos (with EX moves and into Super Arts) with repeated presses of single buttons + directional inputs. Dynamic mode is only available offline.
 
Speaking of controls... Street Fighter 6 feels brilliantly smooth to play. Snappy movement, intuitive meter management, compelling moveset and combo designs (with nothing too frustratingly difficult), and simply one of the best modern iterations of the traditional 2D gameplay formula that has been going strong for decades. In my opinion, character options and meter management in particular hasn't felt this good and solid since SFIII: 3rd Strike. (The highest praise I can give!) Sure, there are certain aspects about SF6's gameplay and combo system that feel "casual friendly", as high-damage combos aren't too difficult to connect and Drive Impacts are very powerful, but overall smart play and optimal damage combos (which are more difficult) prevail in the long run. SF6 is very much a skill-based 2D fighter with plenty of room for player creativity and expression.
 
Overall, Capcom refined their tried-and-true engine brilliantly, smartly balancing meter management and strong fundamentals for the ultimate Street Fighter experience. Street Fighter 6 is a game that we'll be talking about for a very long time. Congratulations on your masterpiece, Capcom... this is a wonderfully polished fighting game that all types of gamers can enjoy for years to come. On that note, Street Fighter 6 definitely deserved to win "Best Fighting Game of 2023" at The Game Awards in December 2023... even managing to beat out the over-hyped Mortal Kombat 1.