A landmark return for Street Fighter after years away. Solid fundamentals, a generous roster, and smooth online play. The game that revitalized competitive 2D fighting and remains a genre reference even today.
Your verdict
Category
Fighting2 players12+
Description
2D fighting by Capcom, IV entry of Street Fighter franchise in 3D modeled. Published by Capcom, released in February 2009 in Europe, Korea, North America and Japan. Over twenty-five playable fighters including Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Sagat and newcomers Crimson Viper, Abel and Rufus, 2D fighting gameplay with Focus Attack system to absorb a hit and counter-attack, EX Moves mechanic at half gauge and Ultra Combos at full gauge for decisive techniques, over eight modes including Arcade, Versus, Trial Mode and Time Attack, ranked online multiplayer mode for up to two players and local split-screen, 3D modeled aesthetic with 2D effect signature Capcom, English and Japanese voice-over with iconic voices including Kyle Hebert as Ryu, soundtrack by Hideyuki Fukasawa.
Street Fighter IV review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Fighters modelled in 3D but dressed in an ink texture and brushstrokes: the game weds volumes and sumi-e aesthetics with an audacious elegance. The graphic splatters and dynamic poses compose an immediately recognisable style. This visual direction, sleek and inspired, magnificently reinvented Capcom fighting.
Blending orchestra, electro and rock, the music electrifies every fight with a nervy energy, from the galvanising "Indestructible" to colourful stage themes. Each arena has its own identity, fuelling the intensity of the clashes. This sonic generosity, polished and rousing, accompanies the series' grand return with brio.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Charging a Focus Attack to absorb a blow and strike back introduces a reading of timing that renews the duel without disowning the fundamentals. The demanding chains and the balanced roster reward practice. A renaissance of modern 2D fighting, it preserves firm, legible handling that still wins over versus aficionados.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The triumphant return of the king of 2D fighting, reviving the formula with a striking visual style and gameplay of exemplary precision. Landing a devastating combo or a saving parry delivers an instant satisfaction, while mastery is savoured indefinitely. Snappy, balanced and accessible, a benchmark versus that relaunched a whole genre and rekindles the flame of competition.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Reading the opponent, placing your blow and chaining a tightly timed combo makes each round a tug-of-war where you instantly want your revenge. Mastering a character and climbing online reward the practice. Its technicality puts off novices, but the careful balance and the depth of the mind game make it a versus enthusiasts restart without tiring.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
The learning curve is what gives it its body: mastering links, Focus Attacks and each character's timing soaks up dozens of hours before competition even crosses your mind. Combo trials, progression trophies and online versus sustain an endless grind. This triumphant return of the series reignited the whole genre and remains a technical benchmark.
The uncommon runs of Street Fighter IV, including the combined American and Korean versions, released on markets with restricted distribution. Noticeably rarer than the common European edition, they interest collectors of the thinly documented local outings of a versus revival. Their desirability rests mainly on this geographic scarcity.
Better with friends
A benchmark of competitive fighting, whose Focus system and precise fundamentals make duels an unmatched arena for technical expression. The competition rewards zoning, anti-airs and reading intentions, welcoming to the curious yet abyssally deep. Local versus makes it an essential for game nights, where beginners and veterans find their footing face to face in a timeless rivalry.
Is Street Fighter IV still worth playing in 2026?
Street Fighter IV marks the series' triumphant return after years away, and was the title that relaunched the entire competitive 2D versus fighting scene. Its fundamentals of exemplary solidity, its generous roster blending historic figures and newcomers, and its online fluid for the time made it an immediate benchmark. The stylised 3D graphic style, imitating ink, has aged rather well. The title has since been supplanted by its own enriched, better-balanced revisions. But as a founding milestone of the genre's renewal, and for the purity of its system, it keeps real historical and ludic interest.
