The recent closed beta test for Street Fighter 6 has revealed a slew of fantastic accessibility features that are bound to greatly assist those who are not using them.
The Street Fighter 6 closed the beta, which ran from October 7 to 10, and the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, so players may try the upcoming fighter online with the currently announced roster of world warriors. A screenshot from the game''s audio accessibility settings was shared, and the researchers found a very substantial set of options.
Toggles include diverse context-based sound cues, including gauging distance from your opponent and distinctive sounds for low, mid, and high attacks. A follow-up tweet (below) shows Kurominah demonstrating the ''distance to opponent'' sound option, which isn''t unlike the beeps of a metal detector.
Shattered expectations
Here''s how the scene works, with background sounds and music removed, allowing the accessibility sounds to be improved. pic.twitter.com/R8nngYe2uZOctober 7, 2022
Street Fighter 6 is already going above and beyond in the content department. Naturally, it''s also got what appears to be a robust single-player campaign in World Tour, a character creator, and the Battle Hub''s Game Center that will feature classic Capcom arcade games like Final Fight.
Street Fighter 6 is clearly hoping to be more attractive to a broad spectrum of players. There''s a ''Modern'' control system that aims to ease newcomers in with simplified button inputs. Now we know that Capcom is attempting to impose a new bar on the front.
Having optional sounds to distinguish different kinds of attacks and distance from the opponent will certainly be a major help for novice fighters in combat games. For example, certain characters excel at different angles. These variations may have a variety of consequences depending on where they hit, and how they turn them around. Being able to determine these distances might really aid newer players in learning where to best play their character, and which moves hit high, mid or low.
Most games today have a reputation of appearing unsurmountable to more sophisticated players. There''s a huge learning curve, and a whole lot of terminology and gameplay elements you don''t really see in other genres. However, Capcom''s old hat at this moment, and should know better than most that if you want to attract a broad audience without bashing down the fundamentals, accessibility options like the above are one way to go.
Tekken 8 and Riot''s Project L might follow suit, bringing a more welcoming fighting game landscape to many games.