Over the last 15 years or so, there has been a lot of talk about execution requirements in newer fighting games not being as strict as older competitive titles. Whether you love it or hate it, fighting game developers have been making strides to lower the ceiling on performing combos and moves (for certain things) as a means of making games more accessible to newcomers.
In Street Fighter 6, some players claim that the game’s combo system is “easy” and that there are no tough combos to pull off at all. Not only is that not the case, but prominent content creator known for having exceptional execution, Brian_F, recently put together a video that discusses Street Fighter 6’s most difficult to perform combos and what actually makes them tough to do.
One of the main reasons why combos in Street Fighter 6 (and Street Fighter 5) feel easier to perform than they do in, say, Street Fighter 4, is because of the 4-frame buffer window the former two have. As Brian explains, attacks you do in a game like Street Fighter 6 have a 4-frame buffer window during which the move has the chance of coming out.
To give this a real world example, Street Fighter 4 is often regarded for its “one frame links,” a term that refers to extremely tight combo links that require you hit the proper input within that single frame window (1/60th of a second) in order for it to connect and continue the combo. While Street Fighter 5 and Street Fighter 6 technically have one frame links, that universal 4-frame buffer enlarges that window of time you have to hit the link, meaning one frame links ultimately give you a 5-frame window to perform them making them overall much easier to land consistently.
The misconception is that simply because this 4-frame buffer window exists in a game like Street Fighter 6, that all combos are universally easier now and there exist no difficult combos you can perform in the game. Obviously, this isn’t the case, and in fact, the more difficult and higher execution stuff can be found in different places outside of combo links themselves.
One of the first secrets Brian talks about that is more well known than the others is the “just frame” attacks that ask for specific timing and reward the player with additional benefits. The best examples of these attacks include Luke’s “perfect” Flash Knuckle and Guile’s “perfect” Sonic Booms, both of which can be done with a precise timing that add better juggles and better frame advantage on hit, respectively, when done correctly.
Less commonly known are the microwalks that in many cases can be difficult to perform consistently, but grant benefits such as more Drive Gauge. Because the Drive Gauge in Street Fighter 6 begins to refill when a player moves forward, the idea here is that you can squeeze a tiny walk forward in between linking normal attacks (and sometimes specials in juggles) to get the Drive Gauge to refill slightly, which can do things like give you access to a third Drive Rush cancel in the same combo when normally you’d only ever be able to perform two at the max.
There are a lot of interesting bits of information regarding Street Fighter 6’s combo system, and to learn the secrets of how to perform some of the game’s hardest combo techniques, be sure to check out Brian’s full video below.