Street Fighter 5: V-Gauge, V-Trigger, V-Skills and V-Reversals!

So I guess in Street Fighter 5 they really like roman numerals, REALLY like them. You’ll notice that pretty much every new feature is called “V-something”. And dang there is a lot of new features that make the newest Street Fighter (due for release in 2016) very different from its predecessor. But “what are these new features” I hear you ask? Well we’ve got the info, the newest features of the newest Street Fighter game, all right here!

The V-Gauge

 Ok so they’re saying the “V” in the V-Gauge stands for variable, which is the new meter that is filled during combat when taking damage or by using your characters V-Skills (more later). The V-Gauge is basically your way of using a lot of the new special features in Street Fighter 5. It’s use to activate your V-Trigger and V-Reversals. Unlike the good ol’ EX meter, V-gauges are depleted after each round, so it’s use it or lose it! Another thing that differs between the V-gauge and EX meter is that the size of the V-Gauge is different depending on which character you’re using, which assumedly means different characters will rely on “V” stuff more and less than others.

EX meters are still the same though, they’re still 3 bars long and are still use for powering EX special and super moves – in Street Fighter 5 these are called Critical Arts. Just like in the previous games as well EX meter is built up by using your special moves and hitting the enemy.

 

 

 

 

V-Skills

V-Skills basically replace Focus Attacks from Street Fighter 4. You can use them by simultaneously using both medium attacks. They don’t cost anything extra (unlike super and special moves) and they’re different for each character, some are defensively orientated whilst others are orientated towards pressing the attack. One thing they do all have in common though is that they build the V-Gauge, which as detailed earlier allows you to use your V-Trigger and V-Reversals.

 

V-Reversals

In Street Fighter 5 you can get out of block stun by using new moves that are linked to the V-Gauge called V-Reversals, these moves can be used once you’ve built up some of your V-Gauge. They’re quite similar to the Alpha Counters found in the Street Fighter Alpha series. They use up one segment of the V-Gauge, but more importantly they don’t use the EX meter. That’s important because it means you can use this without wasting your precious EX, which you usually want to be using on bigger offensive abilities. It’s probably a purposeful move by Capcom to put this utility on a different gauge than EX, which means that during combat you’ll have more chance to use your different moves without feeling like you’re wasting resources.

 

 

 

 

V-Trigger

Once you used all those fancy new V-Skills you can unleash something even fancier with the new V-Trigger once you’ve filled the V-Gauge. Activated by pressing both heavy attack buttons, the V-Gauge varies for different characters but is usually a powerful buff which (again depending on character choice) lets you use new moves, gives you more offensive or defensive bonuses, or lets you use a unique V-Skill only available when your character is under the effects of V-Trigger. The V-Trigger isn’t one of those over-powered one-hit-KO kind of deals, but if you use it right it can be a real tide-turner.

The idea of V-Trigger isn’t to reward people for getting hit a load of times though, rather it’s a way of rewarding players for using their V-Skills properly and often. Don’t bank on your V-Trigger if you’re getting knocked around, bank on getting better at the new Street Fighter 5 when it comes out!