Does Virtua Fighter need a story mode?

Hi everyone! When fighting games were first created, the overwhelming majority of them would skip out on story almost entirely. SNK, the creators of Vampire Savior, and others actually did try to craft fully fleshed out stories for their games. But more and more fighting games focused their attention on the game's story because basically everyone wants to see that.

Virtua Fighter famously lacks a story mode. Coupled with the fact that the story it does have has so much potential makes it feel ever more tantalizing. Every new VF installment has always strived towards being well ahead of its time. However, the lack of story mode makes it feel dated by today's standards.

But what do all of you think? Do you think VF needs a story mode? Do you think every fighting game should have a fully fleshed out story? Do you even like story?

 

I was middle of the road, but I changed it to would be nice since you were quite persuasive. To me the crux of virtual fighter is the fighting engine, nevertheless, it would be nice to have an immersion-building story-tutorial that explores all the fighters and their philosophy.

I definitely know that without acquiring new scrubs, the franchise might not have a future and stuff like story modes does add to it. There must be waifu and husbando eye candy for everyone.

 

Virtua Fighter has always been about being ahead of its time and showing other fighters how to do things. However, with more and more fighting games putting emphasis on the story (and reaching critical acclaim from it) Virtua Fighter just feels too deeply rooted in the past from its famous lack of story mode. Many of the base ideas have the potential to be something great, and I would love to see those concepts explored in further detail.

 

I deeply want Virtua Fighter to succeed. But adding an in-depth story mode is basically a necessity at this point. Adding a story mode that tells an investing story will probably go a long way to making the franchise succeed, even if it doesn't make it happen.

 

I'm surprised that Virtua Fighter Kids is the only VF game that has endings for each character. Must of them are more parodies of their own personality. The things they got right is Lau, Pai, Lion (Except of his grasshopper friend and is never returned) and Akira. While others were laughable endings.

Those staff need more story and endings lessons from the Tekken staff.

 

Right you are! With Tekken 8 clearly focused on fleshing out the story of the game (and beginning to beat out SF6 because of it), AM2 could draw inspiration from Bandai Namco.

 

A story mode would definitely be nice. But, I think there are more important things, that .VF should more focus on. Then, they could focus on the story mode afterwards.

 

There certainly are more important things that VF should focus on more, but the story should also not be an afterthought either. If the story is an afterthought, that I would consider a huge mistake. The reason we play fighting games in the first place is because of the iconic characters they bring to the table. Those characters won't feel like characters if they aren't given the proper development and story focus. There's a reason Tekken 8 is putting the story as a key priority.

In short, I do think VF should focus on the gameplay and the presentation more so than the story, but they should consider the story in tandem with the rest of the development, and not as an unrelated afterthought.

 

I hate how story mode makes the developers change characters and remove characters. Look at how Tekken does it, where if a character dies in the story mode, then this character won't appear in the sequel. So, people who trained and played that certain character for years, now has to jump onto another character or just stop playing the game entirely.

Look how Lauchan is supposedly sick and most likely die by the end of VF5 because of said disease. So, if VF6 comes out, and if Sega cares where their story mode is heading, then they have to remove Lau from the roaster. Which sucks.

So, I pick no story mode.

 

That is a fair point. If you put all your time into playing Lau, and he doesn't return in VF6, that would be awful. One way the developers could circumvent this is by putting Lau as a memory in the story and having that justify him still being on the roster.

 

I believe If a character's popular enough, they won't go anywhere. Even if they do, it's only temporary. I think of Lau being ill all this time and he reminds me of Ukyo from Samurai Showdown. He's had tuberculosis since at least 1994 and he's still hanging around.

 

That is absolutely true. I hope lau sticks around at least in gameplay form. Even if lau dies off in the story, if lau doesn't return, lau mains would basically lose their identity in the game altogether.

 

If that does happen, they might incorporate alot of Lau's moves, into Pai's moveslist. But I would rather Lau return in VF6 upward.

 

Pai behaves quite differently to Lau in game, so that would not solve the problem.