What makes VF so great: an analysis

So, friend of VF sub (@sasuraiger on Twitter) made this lovely blog post which explains, quite clearly, why VF is as good as it is and why fighting fans should be excited for it.

http://subatomicbrainfreeze.typepad.com/...dumb-idiot.html

Sub's a fantastic writer, and he manages to distill perfectly why VF is so intense and fun. This is a post to spread amongst the greater fighting game community, I think - there's still a lot of people saying "what's the big deal?" and this really explains it.

So yes, have a read and then forward it along!

 

If this was on SRK or event hubs it would be more impactfull. Even IGN and Gamespot highlight such articles (as well as giant bomb).
VF will struggle to capture the casual scene because it is somewhat of an acquired taste. Something clicks within you that makes you love it and want it even when you suck at it. Playing is more fun than watching it at first as well as the lack of a decent story for the game and the character or even a decent story mode.
The hype is in your head not on the screen.

 

Decent write up, but the game's characters have way less than hundreds of moves per-character. Saying something like that will no doubt scare some people away.

VF is great, but the stigma of it being "1337 and hard and soooo deep" will only continue to hurt it. In reality, especially with FS, the game is highly accessible, requires little manual dexterity (compared to most fighters out there), and has a very simple and logical system behind it. Ironically the same people that complain about the misconceptions of VF but still want to play a 3D game, here in Japan and in the states, end up with Tekken.

You know, a game where:
*Depending on the competition you're playing against, throws are completely useless.
*There are "fewer moves," but only because they're divided into strings into the movelist and each attack of the strings having their own unique properties as well.
*Building off the above, you have 40ish characters to deal with
*Okizeme, taking and avoiding it, based on how you roll, proximity to the wall, and who you are (let's say Jack or Marduck), and who your opponent is (one of 40 characters with they're own unique setups).
ETC.

I play VF because the system is concise. Everyone, while unique, has a similar function. There isn't a metric-fuck-ton of characters and potential match up issues (aside from vs. Taka, this isn't much a problem in VF). I also play VF because I am extremely lazy. I suck at inputs, and I don't have the time or money (if we're a talking about arcades) to learn every character, every nuance of every property, etc.

So yes, I'm going to gravitate to the easiest game, with the easiest to understand system:
*Throw game makes the most sense (as it actually has a purpose)
*Evasion is extremely consistent
*Compared to earlier VFs, it doesn't take anywhere near as much time to really dive into and learn a new character and there isn't anywhere near the amount of counter picking like seen in 2ds (in FS it's just VS Taka)
*The combo system has been made easier while looking more awesome that it ever has in past games
etc.

In summary, VF is great, and the reason why everyone should pick it up, even as a secondary game, is because it is easy to pick it up and give it a try. Granted, like all games it takes time/experience, reading (I'll do my best to make good articles), introspection, practice (FS will have a dojo mode), to get good, but that's the same for all games. However, where VF stands out, especially compared to other games and their communities: http://virtuafighter.com/commands/ (For me, this was a the defining factor that got me into VF 7ish years ago.

 

I do wish that Virtua Fighter's combo and command system was with more effort, that is something I would have preferred, but from what it's more guessing strategy system offers seem to make up for that a little. Dissidia Final Fantasy has this appeal also. A little less predictability in that area is better for me, since fighting games are frame dependent, which resulted in a much easier interpretion by something in motion, gaining control of the situation of things through experience.

That in a way makes things more redundant, which is why I preferred versus turn based games, because it's less of a situational control, due to lack of movement and specific elements.

 

I don't have adequate experience to be able to give a good technical analysis as to why VF is so great, so I'll direct my two cents in another direction. But first, I'll comment that I've found that you need to have much quicker response time in comparison to games like Tekken. Also, you need to have a greater sense of the other player's habits, making for less linear gameplay (maybe we Aoi players feel this more than others). Blind execution seems to only get you so far.

What makes VF appealing to me is not only its deep, yet accessible mechanics, but the aesthetics. As many have mentioned before, who cares about breaking your opponent's arm if you don't look good doing it? It's not merely the customization, but also the characters' actions possessing a balance between being realistic and being entertaining to watch, like when bodies crumple dramatically after a precise defeat.

 

What makes VF so great: 15 Bucks for A-1 fighting. NUFF SAID!!!

 

One thing I like about VF is that everything you learn remains actively useful.

In SC and Tekken, you need to work and learn how to defend against some ridiculously strong moves. Those strong moves are usually VERY punishable once properly defended against.
Once you can do that, people are forced to give up on those moves if they want any chance to win against you. It means that you don't even need to actively counter these moves anymore... So the game is forced way down to the basics and a big part of your work, practice and knowledge becomes inactive and effectively useless whenever you fight a strong player who respects what you can do.

In VF you don't gather much of that useless knowledge. Most available attacks are meant to actually work, and once you learn how to defend against something, you KEEP doing it actively. That's because the simple threat of your abilities is not enough to stop people from forcing situations on you.
It's active and it's good.

 

What makes it great for me is it's such a fair fighting game. There's no long distance projectiles to hide behind, no tick throw loops, no corner traps or traps cause there's multiple ways to escape someones offense defensivly, i.e. You can evade, ETEG, fuzzy guard, or simply gaurd high or low. So no matter the situation (unless you're getting combo'd) you're not screwed and left with only one option to get out.

The advantage and disadvantages for each player are constantly changing. And no matter which one you're in, any choice can be the right choice. It just depends on what the other player decides to go for to decide who made the right choice/guess during every single exchange.

I loved watching Chibita's abare style, it was just fantastic to see play like that at such a high level. Though his character really suits his desired style with all of Lions evasive properties with some of them attacks. He got real good defense too, he knows when to use/attempt it.

It just goes to show there is really no right, or one way anyone should be playing VF. Sure there is a system and a theoretical response for each situation. But as much as some might not like, when you do unexpected things like going against the system, it brings guessing games higher.

Just look at how much abare goes against on paper decicions. Yet one of the best players style is abare and constantly in your face. His abare forces others to use no delay in their attacks and to use their quickest ones in situations, and he uses that against them.

You can really bring your personal style to the game.

Not saying other fighting games suck or nothing. I have fun playing other fighting games. But, VF is the best for competitive play in my opinion, simply because it's fair for the most part.

 

I love Vf because out all fighting games out there even SF VF is only fighter that has SOUL its feels like family u feel Virtua fighter u dont play it

 

wait a minute....i know this guy! I think its our very own (NYC's) "subbers"! wow, i was wondering where he was. glad to know he's still around.

 

I'm not sure why I am surprised of the answers said about the likeness of this game comes from fairness of the system, but everyone is different. I've learned something, from you.

 

VF is the only game that I can't defy from playing. I've played Tekken but it is far from being in VF's level. I don't know why. Maybe because VF is made in a very problematical way, and that this game is very substantial, large and it is not the kind of fighting game which is very easy to play, easy in a way that you can win a fight with just pressing buttons randomly (like Tekken). I enjoy playing it... that is why this game is great. =)

 

Actually all games are fair, unless you can't pick the same character.

 

I like this train of thought, gets away from the VF Hippie mentality.

 

On the other side of the coin, this is why people love SF. You play the distance game more and it comes down to who can use their characters advantages over the other person's character's disadvantages. I think this makes it easier for people to get a grasp of the game, because you can say "You can do this, but not that..."

For me VF is a blast because it's not as deliberate because of the universal mechanics and the RPS system found in other fighting games is taken to another level. This makes keeping momentum harder, yet a lot more satisfying.

 

I got into Virtua Fighter with VF4: Evolution. What drew me in was — of course — the excellent training mode and tutorials. I had dabbled with fighting games before, and the first thing that really stood out was how it didn't have any of the things that annoyed me in other fighting games. No one-hit KOs, no insane combo strings that are guaranteed if you land the first attack, no inescapable juggles, no teleporting, no fireballs, etc...

Then I realized how it appealed to my creative side. Learning some basic combos in the tutorials was great; not because I had expanded my arsenal of moves, but because they made me look for other possible combos. Lei-Fei is a ton of fun for me, simply because I still to this day find new continuations from one stance to another. VF handed me a foundation to explore options and look beyond the movelist.

I'm an avid chess fan, and a lot of the things I love about chess I find applies to VF as well:
- Momentum is key. In chess white naturally has the initiative, but there will inevitably be a point during a game where black has the opportunity to seize it.
- It's balanced. Both players have the same pieces in the same position. There is no random factor that can decide the game.
- If you lose, it's because you made a mistake and your opponent capitalized on it. Of course, the types of mistakes varies with the level of play.
- There is always something new to learn from your games, win or lose. Recognizing this and taking your new experience to the next game will make you better. You get what you put into the game.

 

I like VF because of the pace of the game. In the other fighting games you have to win 2 rounds of 99/60 seconds. In VF you have to win 3 rounds of 45 seconds.
The shorter rounds make the pace of the game faster. You don't have too much time, specially when the other guy is healthier than you.
On the other hand, 3 rounds allow some come back while at the same time being less frustrating than rage mode or ultra. The losing guy never gets a big advantage à la Mario Kart. It's just a fair system forcing you to win 3 rounds.

This unique pace makes the game so fun to watch and to play.

 

I don't know why VF isn't as popular as Tekken and Street Fighter. I guess that's what makes VF underrated and I look at it as a good thing because there are a good number of people who like this game but yet it isn't so trendy. Don't get me wrong though, I do like Tekken quite a bit but not as much as VF though