Hiya!

Street Fighter 6‘s final DLC character for Season 1 is out now and it looks like Capcom saved the best for last. Not only did they close the season by basically revamping some standard gameplay mechanics and tweaking some characters as well as doing some fun stuff with the Battle Hub, they also added the Raging Demon himself, Akuma, to the roster.

This is a big deal as, not only is Akuma a fan favorite character, he’s also generally a buffed up version of Ryu and Ken. So, Capcom usually has to find this niche little section where Akuma doesn’t go about replacing Ryu and Ken because of how much better he is. At the same time, they have to ensure he isn’t absolutely worthless that no one would want to use him. So, how did they do? Well, let’s check out how Akuma plays!

First off, I’m half and half on Akuma’s new design. It took me a good while to get used to his lion look from Street Fighter 5 and, while it isn’t that bad in his Street Fighter 6 iteration, I’m simply more partial to his more “traditional” look. I do like how much more muscular he comes off when compared to Ryu and Ken. Considering Ryu is already a beefy boi in this game, it does make Akuma look like he thinks the Satsui no Hado is another name for HGH. Still, it works because Akuma is supposed to be this guy who values strength above everything else. So, yeah. Making him this muscular looking monster does fit him. I do hate the fact he now has a bodybuilder’s gut. Yuck.

While Akuma’s appearance is frightening, what actually makes him scary is how Capcom made his a damage dealing demon! From my limited use of the character, Akuma’s normals are super strong and actually work extremely well together if you know what you’re doing. For example, his crouching light punch gives +5 advantage on hit, which enables him to link into his standing light kick, which is special cancellable. His crouching medium punch is ridiculous as it’s one of the rare normal attacks which can link into itself! Sure, it has 6 frames of startup but it’s already a good poke and is cancellable, so this means you can actually wail on this button and, if you get a hit, it’ll combo into itself!

This also goes for a lot of his heavy attacks and command normals. His standing heavy kick is an incredible button as it moves Akuma forward, is +3 if the 2nd hit is blocked and the 2nd hit is +7 on hit, which means you can link that into his crouching medium punch. Now, the 2nd hit can be ducked under but you can alleviate that weakness with a crouching heavy punch into Drive Rush. Oh, after you do connect with the Drive Rush standing heavy kick, you can then link that into another crouching heavy punch, which is a cancellable normal! I can see a lot of people getting a lot of mileage from just using the crouching medium punch, crouching heavy punch and the Drive Rush standing heavy kick. Akuma also has one of the best command normals I’ve ever seen in his Rago High Kick AKA back + heavy kick normal. It’s a launcher which is a great combo starter as Akuma has a ton of juggle potential with his special moves.

Speaking of his special attacks, Akuma is pretty well rounded in this area. He still has the Ryu and Ken standard movelist but all with an Akuma twist to them. He can charge up his Gou Hadoken which can be both a blessing and a curse as, if you do try to charge it up and your opponent chucks an Overdrive projectile, you’re most probably going to be eating that plasma. He can also throw a fireball while jumping. You would think that would cover his aerial movement but they do fade away if Akuma gets hit even after the fireball leaves his hands. His Gou Shoryuken is, like every Shoryuken there has ever been, a great anti-air and combo ender. What’s scary is how his Gou Shoryuken works really well as a combo extender from his light and medium grounded Tatsumaki Zankuu Kyaku specials. Being able to tack on that little bit more damage is always good and, considering how easy it is to do, you’ll see a lot of Akuma players doing it.

Akuma also has his Demon Raid, which has him jumping into the air and can drop down using several options. While using this normally does seem to have a lot of mixup potential, more veteran players will probably snipe Akuma players who abuse this too often with an anti-air, which is actually a pretty simple task once you get in into your mental stack. However, the Demon Raid’s full potential is used when cancelled from the aforementioned Rago High Kick as this does unlock several juggle options and strong corner carry. Capcom kind of powered down his Ashura Senku, which is his classic teleport as, while he can use this to pass through opponents, Akuma can now be hit while doing this as it’s not invincible. Still, Akuma now has a new trick where he does a command throw while in the Ashura Senku animation. Akuma players can use this as a surprise attack or a great meaty and untechable throw.

However, the crown jewel in Akuma’s arsenal is his new special attack, the Adamant Flame. It’s a big horizonal punch and Akuma can add another punch to it if he wants. The first hit on the medium and heavy versions are actually safe on block, meaning keen Akuma players can not do the follow up and remain safe. The follow up attack, however, is super unsafe on block but, if it connects, this does solid damage. The heavy version knocks the opponent in the air, allowing Akuma to, you guessed it, juggle the opponent for more damage. The Overdrive sends his opponent flying into the wall, giving him a chance to extend the combo.

Akuma is the only Street Fighter 6 character with 5 Super Arts. He technically has 2 Level 1 Super Arts as he can chuck a super fireball both grounded (called the Messatsu Gohadou) and while jumping (called the Tenma Gozanku). Empryrean’s End is Akuma’s sole Level 2 Super Art but it’s fully invincible, does a ton of damage and, if the opponent is in the corner, causes a wall splat, once again giving Akuma the ability to extend the combo even after a Level 2 Super Art! His 1st Level 3 Super Art, the Sip of Calamity, is your classic big finisher. However, the Shun Goku Satsu is probably one of the best Level 3 Critical Arts as it’s an unblockable grab that does a whopping 4,700 points of damage unscaled! I do know the motion can be daunting for newbits but, with a little practice, you’ll be able to do this in the middle of a combo like me!

Akuma does have a couple of weaknesses, however. Capcom has always made him a “glass cannon” in previous games and, in Street Fighter 6, it’s no different. He has the lowest amount of health at 9,000 points, which is 1,000 points less than the majority of the cast. While that may not seem like a lot, this does mean you can connect with 2 less medium attacks to KO him when compared to Ryu or Ken. While his combos are extensive, this does get kind of balanced out by the combo scaling mechanic of the game. He can still pull off massive damage but Akuma players should be mindful to not burn themselves out with Overdrives and Drive Rushes just to do more hits.

Now, is Akuma a good character? Honestly, I think he’s a great character! While his damage potential is frightening, his less than stellar life does feel like a good trade off. I’ve faced off against Akuma players around my rank and I managed to hold my own, despite my general lack of knowledge with the character. Now that I’ve tried him out for a day, I have a much better understanding of what to look out for. Even though he can do monstrous damage, Akuma still feels like he plays fair. I can see the likes of Tokido making the switch but I do see others being able to adapt to the stress of his pressure and still eke out victories against him.

Byee!

Have you tried out Akuma yet? What’s your opinion on Street Fighter 6’s final Season 1 character? Let me know in the comments section below!