I don't truly know how to feel about this game. It does things I enjoy, but it also does things I don't.
I'll start out by saying that I've never actually played the vanilla version of III and I've played second impact for all of 15 mins. There's definitely a change in gameplay from second impact to third strike but I couldn't tell you how severe of a change it is. The parry mechanic is definitely the most divisive aspect of this game, some people love it, some people hate it, and I'm somewhere in the middle.
I love what the parry mechanic does in CONCEPT, and I love it's applications defensively and offensively, however, in actual practice the parry is a little overwhelming. There are DEEP multi level situations in this game where you have to choose between blocking, parrying, or take a chance on a mixup and red parry your opponents offense. (For those who are confused on what a red parry is: The red Parry is performed by inputting a Parry after blocking at least the first hit of a multi-hitting attack)
The parry mechanic essentially turns this game into one of the most complex fighting games I've ever played, it's a game where you feel like you can and should always improve in, it's a game where the term "optimal" still feels like it's changing nearly 25 years after it's release. I find that aspect of the game a little too complicated for my tastes, but it's also something I find incredibly interesting and a driving force to help me understand the game at a deeper level.
HOT TAKE INCOMING: The gameplay is really what MAKES this game to me, I'll be in the minority on this but I've never been a big fan of this games soundtrack or it's presentation. I like the character select screen but the hub overall is quite dull and the soundtrack is really hit or miss for me. You've got tracks like beats in my head and killing moon as real stand outs but I've never thought this games soundtrack could hold a candle to alpha 3 super turbo or honestly, even street fighter 4.
But gameplay is what matters most and that's DEFINITELY where this game absolutely shines as an experience.
I'll start out by saying that I've never actually played the vanilla version of III and I've played second impact for all of 15 mins. There's definitely a change in gameplay from second impact to third strike but I couldn't tell you how severe of a change it is. The parry mechanic is definitely the most divisive aspect of this game, some people love it, some people hate it, and I'm somewhere in the middle.
I love what the parry mechanic does in CONCEPT, and I love it's applications defensively and offensively, however, in actual practice the parry is a little overwhelming. There are DEEP multi level situations in this game where you have to choose between blocking, parrying, or take a chance on a mixup and red parry your opponents offense. (For those who are confused on what a red parry is: The red Parry is performed by inputting a Parry after blocking at least the first hit of a multi-hitting attack)
The parry mechanic essentially turns this game into one of the most complex fighting games I've ever played, it's a game where you feel like you can and should always improve in, it's a game where the term "optimal" still feels like it's changing nearly 25 years after it's release. I find that aspect of the game a little too complicated for my tastes, but it's also something I find incredibly interesting and a driving force to help me understand the game at a deeper level.
HOT TAKE INCOMING: The gameplay is really what MAKES this game to me, I'll be in the minority on this but I've never been a big fan of this games soundtrack or it's presentation. I like the character select screen but the hub overall is quite dull and the soundtrack is really hit or miss for me. You've got tracks like beats in my head and killing moon as real stand outs but I've never thought this games soundtrack could hold a candle to alpha 3 super turbo or honestly, even street fighter 4.
But gameplay is what matters most and that's DEFINITELY where this game absolutely shines as an experience.