I’ve played a few fighting games before, but none of them have felt as rewarding to learn as this one. Yes, there is a ludicrous amount of knowledge and an equally vast practice investment required to be considered “good”, but I don’t think that should really mean much to the average player. If anything, it’s thrilling to learn even one small thing with every play-session and see yourself apply it consistently over time.

The best part is that you get simple but deep training tools to immediately figure out what you’re doing wrong and learn how to fix it. Losing to an annoying character online? Just fight their replay/ghost, learn some simple punishes, and wipe the floor with them on your next encounter (on lower ranks at least). It’s really satisfying.

It also has an awesome story mode that I did not expect to be as good as it was. Perfectly brief, over-the-top, Fast and Furious style action with genuine heart and care for the legacy behind it. I’m glad I caught up on the series’ history beforehand.

AND THE MUSIC. MY GOD, THE MUSIC.