To anyone looking for a comparison to what Street Fighter V feels like right now, just imagine if Konami released Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, and then patched in all of Phantom Pain a few months later. Because barring the size and scope differences, in terms of general consumer mentality, the consensus on Capcom's latest is very much that of thousands screaming, "Where the hell is my game?!" The next entry in one of the greatest fighting game franchises of all time was always going to be a momentous occasion, but what we didn't expect after months of beta tests showing off a confident engine bursting with innovation and impressive changes, was a product that would actually release as a shell of its future self. What's on offer at time of writing is a game that omits some shockingly important features that have been in all the past instalments - hell, you can't even choose to fight the CPU one-on-one outside of a weirdly-packaged 'story', or by hopping into the Survival mode. Street Fighter V is less a game and more a platform for future content; a risky and initially empty setup that mimics that of Destiny, or how the new Hitman will be released across the coming months. Updates are surely coming in abundance, but who knows just how many of these major qualms will be addressed? Either way, what your money can buy right now is simply not good enough.
10. No Standard Vs. CPU Mode (Yes, Really)
There are some things that certain genres simply must do. Platformers need a jump button, first-person shooters need weapons, and fighting games need a basic vs. CPU mode. It's that simple. This omission has been the biggest go-to for fans and critics since the game's release, as it's positively baffling why you wouldn't just have the standard three-round versus setup; one that's been a genre staple for 30 years now. Some fans have posited that you can head into the Training mode and set the dummy up to represent an A.I. fight, swapping characters and various regimens until you're satisfied, but you literally shouldn't have to. You shouldn't have to find a workaround for a mode that's been in this series for almost 30 years. Fighting games need vs. CPU options with tweakable options for everything from difficulty to round time and arena-selection - anything less and we're only walking backwards.