Gameplay is **really tight.** It feels good. Some characters are definitely more good than others (Reina, Dragunov, Victor, Azucena for example), but that's fairly natural for a game when it's just been released. The tools available to help new players learn how to play the game (Arcade Quest, frame data being readily available in Practice mode [which should be a given, not something we have to cheer for when other fighting games have done so for several releases in a row by the release of this game] Replays providing you tips on punishing buttons you're struggling against, **Replay Takeover,** and so on) which will make new players want to keep coming back, thus increasing retention.

The story mode is genuinely excellent. Characters that I like but didn't think were going to get any screen time *got* screen time. We also got to see the Jin Walk(tm) make a return. I can't really talk more about it without spoiling it.

Ranked has its fair share of issues that need more than just a once over. Pluggers and cheaters being the main thing, but there are little things that I think could be handled better (like One-and-Doners not having the option to cancel the set after losing to a player if they've done so too many times, but that's just my take).

Though... God, even though I genuinely like the gameplay of this title and will continue to play it, I ***CANNOT*** condone the stealth addition of a microtransaction store and battle pass. That should've been revealed months prior to the game's release, not after outlets have published their reviews. I don't doubt for a second that this was a decision on Bandai Namco's part. It's horribly scummy of the publisher to push and enforce a battle pass and microtransaction store system; The fact that it's all cosmetics shouldn't be a point in its favor. It's such an awful thing to do post-launch that it's the sole reason I cannot, in good faith, recommend this game to anyone new right now unless feedback is taken and used to make the game and systems therein better.

Gameplay is **really tight.** It feels good. Some characters are definitely more good than others (Reina, Dragunov, Victor, Azucena for example), but that's fairly natural for a game when it's just been released. The tools available to help new players learn how to play the game (Arcade Quest, frame data being readily available in Practice mode [which should be a given, not something we have to cheer for when other fighting games have done so for several releases in a row by the release of this game] Replays providing you tips on punishing buttons you're struggling against, **Replay Takeover,** and so on) which will make new players want to keep coming back, thus increasing retention. The story mode is genuinely excellent. Characters that I like but didn't think were going to get any screen time *got* screen time. We also got to see the Jin Walk(tm) make a return. I can't really talk more about it without spoiling it. Ranked has its fair share of issues that need more than just a once over. Pluggers and cheaters being the main thing, but there are little things that I think could be handled better (like One-and-Doners not having the option to cancel the set after losing to a player if they've done so too many times, but that's just my take). Though... God, even though I genuinely like the gameplay of this title and will continue to play it, I ***CANNOT*** condone the stealth addition of a microtransaction store and battle pass. That should've been revealed months prior to the game's release, not after outlets have published their reviews. I don't doubt for a second that this was a decision on Bandai Namco's part. It's horribly scummy of the publisher to push and enforce a battle pass and microtransaction store system; The fact that it's all cosmetics shouldn't be a point in its favor. It's such an awful thing to do post-launch that it's the sole reason I cannot, in good faith, recommend this game to anyone new right now unless feedback is taken and used to make the game and systems therein better.