I'm Not Enjoying Fighting Games Right Now

[@EmeryReigns]

Be sure to leave a subscription/comment for me guys if you get the chance! Thanks a lot! Stay blessed!

[@kenanisrael9323]

I feel the same way I can't be creative with my combos I have to follow the guide lines like how it was in ttt2 and t6 everything in Tekken 8 feels like if your not doing it this person way your way of combos will not work.. plus I absolutely hate rage art I didn't mind rage but rage art it's just one button comeback.

[@shirazpharmacy]

Current Generation is worse. I played 3000hrs on Tekken 7. I won’t be doing that in Tekken 8. Tekken 8 has no endless rematch feature so learning matchups is difficult. And Heat mechanics have dumbed down gameplay. Fighting games aren’t meant to mainstream easy mode Gotcha games. They are suppose to be niche. By trying to dumb it down and commercialise Tekken they are destroying what made it special. Shame on Bandai Namco.

[@yourdagan]

Maybe, dude, you're just missing Dead Or Alive and feel like none of these games hold a candle to it. Why would I play worse games than my favorite DOA game (as an adult with limited time)?

[@thegoatishere5079]

I am so burned out I have started to play RPGs

[@KakashiProductions26]

I definitely feel that 100% l been taking a break from fighting games lately. I mostly been enjoying my single player games. It’s always fun to just sit back and play a good story game

[@freeway230]

As an og 90’s player, games nowadays (SF in particular) have way too much mental stack. For example, if I lose a match in Super Turbo, I feel that I got outplayed, but if I lose a match in SF6, I get a sense that it’s because I got hit with something unexpected due to me focusing on other things. Games are way more stressful than they used to be.

[@OmegaKage]

I always loved how the older Tekken and DOA games played

[@fuman7057]

What? You didn’t enjoy how 99% of combos in DOA6 were ended with a Close Hit attack? Bayman is the worst character in that game in large part because both his Bound and Close Hit were virtually unusable.

[@AbdullahMikalRodriguez]

It aint burnout bruh. As a legacy Tekken player, I completely agree with you. I think the reason is simple... T8 is just trash. It doesn't feel like a Tekken game. The mechanics are trash, balancing is trash, the repetitive gameplay is trash, this live service shit is also wierd in a fighting game. Plus all the crazy microtransaction bs the namcops are doing... they killed my favorite game bruh.

[@t1mson1c]

Much agree with you! Tekken 8 in current installment is dead as tekken that we loved before.

[@YAMAHAZI]

@@AbdullahMikalRodriguez Thank you! I really felt insane. I’ve legit been playin Tekken since T2 on PS1. 1st time in my life I don’t wanna play.

[@MDSoulTV]

It does feel pretty different. I blame the heat system I really don't like it.

[@RxDDxR]

To be fair, if player didnt played like they were at Evo all the time we would not be there either, sooooooo many masher rank up by abusing broken char and / or plug that they push better player away and what rest is a toxic place were nobody have fun. To me T8 die in a few years if nothing is done, a complet 180 wont come but hey... Maybe 😢

[@thenesquik2699]

Amén with this statement

[@SanSanFTW]

I feel you. To me, fighting games being super easy and accessible is the biggest issue for me. Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 are the biggest offenders right now. They are the most frustrating FGs to play right now. Losing to people that are abusing their annoying ass mechanics or people mashing is very frustrating

[@nybxcrotona]

I feel conflicted on this. On one hand, The simpler combo schemes allows me to actually go in and be capable of doing things beyond a simple 2 hit combo, which in turn allows me to enjoy other aspects of competition like spacing and mind games with techniques (T8's Eddy is now the most competent I've ever been in a fighting game, which overall puts me slightly above "scrub" tier in any game). On the other, I see the same thing you do with annoying mechanics and people mashing with Easy-mode on throwing combos that all they know about it is that it connected.

[@shenelljohnson74]

​@@nybxcrotonaI'm sorry to tell you this but it's a skill issue on your part bud

[@mibbzx1493]

They keep babying new players with heat and drive rush style mechanics and removing the defense for more more aggression pls stop this devs

[@shenelljohnson74]

@@mibbzx1493 more like they're trying to mix the style up as in not going back that we usually do you know turtle alot That's been happening since 20 + 30 years in Tekken, It's just now everyone is not used to this style because they're so used to adapting to that old formula this new formula you guys can't deal with back in those days matches went the way you want but now you guy's see it ain't doing the way you want so instead of adapting you guys get frustrated and want to go back to the old style because you guy's had more control there instead of here

[@nybxcrotona]

@@shenelljohnson74 Eh. I'm not much of a good player at all, so I'm sure any complaint I could have would be a skill issue. But when higher level folks can point to the same thing in greater detail, maybe it's not so much.

[@richcore]

Don't force yourself doing something you don't have motivation to pursue. Maybe you want to do content teaching mechanics/specific things in older FGs in a more condensed format? Ask yourself what makes you happy and motivated, listen to your inner voice, always.

[@Sid-nu8mi]

I do agree with a lot of what you said. I feel like combo creativity has been reduced. Thinking outside the box to create new combos doesn't really exist anymore and that really sucks because my entire niche was coming up with obscure ways to combo and beat people. Making games easier is dangerous too because even though you want new players to join in, older player just looking for a cheesy dub will take advantage of the easy way to win and then no one has fun playing. Comeback mechanics are definitely overtuned too. I like back in the day when a comeback felt earned and wasn't just a power boost+ult+couple free hits to win. I've seen a guy literally panic because he didn't have an ult to use to make a comeback when he was getting beat. All that just takes the fun out of fighting nowadays. I get it.

[@finnmarr-heenan2397]

Also am I insane are all games only one pace, it’s either all neutral or all pressure , remember in old games u could dance and sword fight make it feel like sf2 or go ham with pressure and make it feel like mvc2.

[@Sid-nu8mi]

@@finnmarr-heenan2397 I've felt that too and it hit the hardest with Tekken. I'm a defensive player and games are pushing aggressive play. It falls back to Reign was saying about one way to play.

[@AbdullahMikalRodriguez]

It's not just combo creativity it's ALL creativity. If you don't play the way they want you to play (which is mindless aggression) then your waaay more likely to lose. It's trash.

[@WhoIsRah]

We’re about the same age bro. I feel it too, i just dont see myself playing fighters anymore going into 2025. Games in general just aren’t hitting how they used to which sucks cause they were such a big part of my entire life lol im not sure what will take its place, but time will tell.

[@finnmarr-heenan2397]

Actual fighting…. Your u know just play the old games

[@jackshabazz]

This is why we play older fighting games! KOF 98, marvel vs capcom 2, older tekken games are calling you my guy.

[@lwandomadikizela2213]

Fighting games are no fun in the modern era. I have Tekken 7, DOA 6, Street Fighter 5, Injustice 2, Soul Calibur 6, King of Fighters 14 and Dragon Ball Fighterz and I hardly play them since I'm either playing Cuphead, FIFA, Need for Speed Heat, God of War 4 or Need for Speed Payback. Modern fighting games are becoming way too easy for my liking and that's me putting 18 years into Tekken 5 for the PlayStation 2.

[@shenelljohnson74]

Things don't last forever you love TK5 for what it was my brother love and finally playing Tekken for the first time ever and TK8 peak his interest ever since he got his hands on the game he can never stop playing it remember everyone doesn't have the same IQ people are built differently

[@shinrah7636]

That's what we call a burnout.

[@EmeryReigns]

😔

[@RichiePajooh-r8i]

i feel fighting games would be so much more enjoyable even with these mechanics if the developers made the online experience more like a community than this trash focus on rank and points. i rather help someone succeed than me achieve that success myself. people don’t see value in helping others anymore and that’s a shame

[@mibbzx1493]

Nah its not even burnout, its the devs making these games too damn aggressive and taking out all the defensive mechanics for more monkey play!

[@tigerjaxkson5731]

@@shinrah7636 you couldn’t have been further from the truth.

[@hiromitsukanzuki9137]

@@mibbzx1493 I've been saying- Tekken 5 DR > Tekken 8 in terms of gameplay/mechanics. Best balance of casual/pro play. Tag 2 leaned too hard into the pro play side, but man. I really dislike that they lowered the bar of entry for modern games ngl.

[@0rac1eF0rk]

Fighting games feel like they're getting both bloated and homogenous. The Heat/Drive similarity seems obvious, but all the anime fighters out right now have the same problem where every game has to be all about meter management and pressing any button leads to a neutral skip via a knockoff FADC cancel. It's also annoying to keep up with balance patches constantly changing how characters work or seasonally piling on more system mechanics to counterbalance some other sloppy system mechanic instead of solving the root problem. I think it's the same deal as with the battle passes and overpowered DLC characters, publishers are trying to turn the games into lifestyles rather than hobbies. Now I just beg on Discord for SC2 and DoA5 matches.

[@kingkold-_-9480]

Everyone saw how successful Fortnite is and decided to copy their homework 0:44

[@PwnerGeist]

Breakneck pacing with 40-60% damage with NO defensive tools is exhausting.

[@ScorchedEclipse]

dude t8 is SO exhausting compared to t7. i feel like they hella over corrected. that and the effects are just too much man, feels like i'm on a trip every time ;-;

[@PwnerGeist]

@ScorchedEclipse heat REALLY loads up the offense you shouldn't have access to 2 supers. One ready made and rage super. It's also an install AND it heals you. The games neutral isn't built for these high risk interactions. There's a reason why 2d games make it hard to build meter and then FORCE YOU TO CHOOSE between install super dmg super and utility super but Heat just gives you all 3 EVERY ROUND. At the very least game start you get full heat but you have to build it back like any normal fg or pass up on using it. There just needs to be a break between heat activation and let the two players PLAY THE GAME AND PLAN AROUND EACH OTHERS HABITS. Without the looming threat of heat pressure. Otherwise it's just gambling great apes 8.

[@tigerjaxkson5731]

I’m convinced SF6 & Guessen8 have almost identical systems to keep the door cracked for another collab. I JUST re-Uninstalled Guessen8 today, cus it’s like “nah this is not ‘ *git gud* ’, there’s something lamer than lame about not wanting to throw a blow unless you got armor/heat/grab…and being enabled to do that…that *reeeaally* runs me wrong”

[@BlackMageLozi]

There should be a modern collection with the olds Tekken, SouCal, VF, DOA games, I don't know why they sleep so long. We thought that only Capcom did it because they had mostly sprite games at that time, but the collection coming out next year will have 3D Dreamcast games, there's no excuse.

[@TexasHollowEarth]

.... now with woke censorship and changes that no true fan wants 👎

[@shenelljohnson74]

People barely play VF5, and classic Tekken games such as TK5:DR or TK6 soul Calibur 2 HD etc all because of nostalgia..plus there's more money gonna be through out the window if they took that risk

[@scatman1236]

Controversies that some of these games are facing aside, the main problem is that these new fighters are simply not that fun. MK1 is too undercooked as a system, SF6 has a small and homogenized feeling roster as a result of everyone using drive waaay too similarly, and Tekken 8 has heat which just gets old fast. I take breaks from these games so as to not get irritated, but damn are they long ass breaks.

[@KyeCreates]

tekken 8 feels homogenized too, especially if you used to play unorthodox characters in t7.

[@finnmarr-heenan2397]

A ton of people think fighters are cool but a fraction actually play and a fraction of that are dedicated to practice and lose enough to understand them ,the devs desperately want more people to put the effort in but they just won’t. So instead they try to make the game as easy to digest as possible, it feels like balancing is focused to tournament audiences over the players enjoyment .homogeneous system mechanics , the fgc was all ways equal parts cringe/ hilarious /hype but ever since it got some money and went esports it’s just mostly cringe, please don’t replace classics fight announcers with famous KZbinrs and commentators,…. Bro might get cancelled like the smash scene if u know what I mean and now it’s the voice of ur game .

[@HouseMusicNinja]

Im 37 now and have been playing fighting games since I was 7 years old and when you were saying that it might be us getting older, I don't think that's what it is. I think they've gone from letting you play a fighter on your own terms and play style in favor of making it a bit too simple for new players which in itself isn't bad because we should welcome newcomers to keep the series alive, but it's also made games and their rosters feel very homogenized and lacking in creative freedom of expression for the player using them. If anything the only games left I feel that let you have complete freedom in how you play your characters is Dead or Alive 5 Last Round, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown, Soul Calibur VI, and King of Fighters XV, because the games built in mechanics put the characters in the back seat for Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1 and Tekken 8.

[@versatilelord8893]

@@HouseMusicNinja I agree with your assessment of the other titles cast not feeling homogenized. This is really only the case right now with mk1 & sf6 Tekken 8 cast isn’t homogenized at all Every character is as unique as they’ve ever been In tekken 7 almost every character was a magic 4 ch fishing character b/c the lack of movement & rage system forced you to play that way

[@St.Aether]

You get it

[@HouseMusicNinja]

@@versatilelord8893 okay I do have to scale it back a bit with Tekken 8 characters. I play it and you have nothing but a cast of characters that have their own unique play style and that's what makes the series go as well as it does. I just think thing got overwhelmed a bit with the heat mechanic. I remember way back with Dark Resurrection and Even T7 where you really didn't need this new stuff and the game was tons of fun then. Most of the new stuff is a little unnecessary is all. When you look at how engaging DOA and VF is, a lot of what Tekken currently has mechanics wise feels like fluff. Still a good series as far as character diversity is though.

[@ShadowBlade79]

@versatilelord8893 Much of this comes back with a vengeance in T8 though. A lot of moves track way more than they should, and the Heat System, you have to admit, plays a lot of the game for you.

[@MDSoulTV]

Shoot all the answers are on the internet. Self discovery isn't there either.

[@infinitesurge9641]

Agreed. I enjoy all types of fighting games from 2D to 3D, but I think the lack of 3D fighters are hurting fighting games for me. I really enjoy Tekken 8 despite it flaws, but imo it needs competition in the 3D market to make things more interesting and healthy in the fighting game genre. I also don’t like the fact that so many fighting games are becoming more simplistic, easier and more casual. I don’t mind more accessibility for casuals, but sometimes they go too far. Losing to someone who is obviously worst than you abusing broken or annoying mechanics can be very frustrating. Also, the fighting game community seems to be becoming more toxic and even entitled which is saying something. Sometimes taking a break from fighting games can help out as well because they honestly can cause fatigue and burnout.

[@raionbomber75]

Yeah, its the fact that they are making them easier, but in the wrong way. Making offense easier is fine, the problem is a lot of these games doing it are either making good defense not rewarding or killing basic movement to even get out of a situation because those were the things most beginners and casuals didn't understand and said those things are boring to watch on streams. As a guy who became alright at the fighting games because the defensive play was rewarded back then, now I'm just completely ass and lose because of lack of being able to punish the gimmick mechanic either due to my character choice or the game wanted it to be safe or plus.

[@JulySailean]

It’s understandable. Some of the modern day mechanics aren’t really that fun to deal with. I miss the days of grinding to get better rather than being given easy mode options

[@Venoch_]

I'm 100% feeling the same way man. I thought I was just sick of Tekken 8, but I tried playing SF6 and within a day I just decided I can't be bothered. Luckily I have plenty of other games to play through so I'm just going to play some RPG's for a while and maybe try Tekken 8 again later.

[@mibbzx1493]

No creativity in FGs anymore. I used to love just sitting in practice mode creating my own 💩 and showing off my sauce. Now there all just doing the same robot B&Bs, watching the same youtube videos and copy/paste playstyles and flowchart. They lost their self expression and they all removed the defensive mechanics and only triple the aggression and take out the accountability for your punishment windows to make new players carried by oppressive mechs that overshadows the neutral footies wnd mind games.

[@datdayumdarc788]

Most modern games are designed around not only being played but being watched, fighting games are in a weird spot when it comes to this...keeping things interesting for viewers will often times f__k over a winning player...just for the sake of "hype" We have to consider if these systems are needed though....games gotta sell right?...We all love VF for its purity but nobody outside of Japan was checking for VF...meanwhile SF6 adds modern controls and sells record numbers. As for your point about combos/tech...the internet kinda killed all of that lol....the best strats. best characters and combos/setups are sussed out within a few hours...the info is up on twitter and suddenly the bulk of a character is figured out.

[@TekkenOnlineFights]

Tekken was always my FAV game especially what you can play competitive online. Since Tekken 8 I dont feel the joy when get a high rank. It is not comparable to Tekken Tag Tournament 2 when you reached a red or blue rank and it felt a HUGE thing. Now I got my Tekken God of Destruction and I left the game. It is not the depth and the urge to get better the mechanics made it way too easy for beginners to reach ranks like fujin. They sacrificed the OG loyal oldschool players for the new people!!

[@Carcosa-]

Same I used to play fighting game so much, and now I get bored of it. I just play racing, sport or solo games now

[@MarquinchMogule]

They took out the defense skill in fighting games and only added offense for every new fighter out. AAA companies are out of touch with reality

[@anthonyduran7553]

FGC have themselves to blame for not controlling their emotions hints why toxicity levels have risen extremely high ever since 2010-2020s. Plus questionably bad decisions made by the creators and developers of the later games worsen the situation.

[@carritohmc]

I was super excited for T8 and SF6, strangely enough I feel SF6 does everything I thought I wanted it to, bought both and I stopped playing altogether. Keep in mind I put a LOT of hours into T7, the transaction stuff with the customization definitely felt like a step back when comparing T8 to T7, and while that bothered me a bit, I didn't think it's the reason why I feel...so unmotivated to play. I have a young son and whenever we play, we end up going back to SF 3rd Strike, which is a lot harder as far as execution than SF6, but for some reason is the game my son and I end up playing the most.

[@MrBones105]

I was playing SF6 yesterday and even though my MR went up at the end of the play sesh I felt like I didn't have as much fun as I wanted. For me it's two things: microtransaction/live service and the trend towards homogenized, mechanic-driven, "aggresive" gameplay. Getting new characters in games is cool, for sure, but I feel like DLC as a thing at all has a really negative influence on the meta of a game. But also I just feel like both Tekken and SF really push you into one way of doing things rather than letting characters be unique. Also it sucks being someone who has always played more of a defensive playing style, because you're basically always at a disadvantage in the current generation.

[@jarredsmith100]

I’m in the same boat Making the games less difficult made fighting games less enjoyable and there’s 0 creativity And fighting games nowadays aren’t worth improving anymore because of the excessive appeal to casuals Even guilty gear which I found to be the most complicated fighting game ever cut down on the difficulty But I may sound like I’m being extra but I grew up playing fighting games and now that they are no longer enjoyable I found myself going through an identity crisis lol like what am I to play now It’s really sad man

[@matrxzeno4761]

I was in the same boat as you but recently I found a newfound appreciation for Tekken 8 after listening to a Phidx video. He explains the depth and complexity of tekken in a way no one explained to me yet and now I don't really find myself calling this game a mash fest because I learned a whole different way to engage with the system. And after learning this, I hit Tekken Emperor for the first time and now I'm just motivated to lab and get better.

[@versatilelord8893]

@@matrxzeno4761 phidx seriously cooked in that video

[@57Folhinha]

@@versatilelord8893 What video?

[@versatilelord8893]

@@57Folhinha phidx video from like yesterday I believe He was reacting to an old video of his criticizing tekken 8’s new direction but in retrospect felt he was wrong after sitting some time with this game

. . . . Theres a sf II fan game in the works and it really answers the issues with modern street fighter games. Keep on a look out for it. Every character is gonna be extremely different in a way that enhances their playstyles.

[@AngryAntihero]

Sanford Kelly pretty much had a similar outlook the moment X Factor implemented in Vanilla Marvel 3. I think that was ground zero on where games were headed from that point.

[@thefrikking5648]

I can tell you are not the only one. Modern FG doesn't give me the thrill, the feeling that before, and not one the FG, games in general doesn't feel the same anymore, not saying modern games are bad, is that now I can't enjoy things as before. The worst aspect of getting old, I suppose.

[@wrong1189]

Been saying this for years about fighting games since T7. A ton of people were blind to T7's watered down way of interactions due to the nerfed sidesteps and all the tracking, mid, CH launchers that were also safe. Zafina ff+4, Asuka ff+3, etc. Tekken 8 gameplay wise goes back to pre T7 in terms of interactions and baiting but instead of using only movement to do it, its done by using offense tools. I still prefer the pre-modern Tekken era (Tag2 by far my favorite) but T8 easily has more healthy exchanges than T7 ever did where your best option was to just hold back 24/7 in fear of those powercrept moves i mentioned. Just go look at the gameplay of EVO finals in T7 from S3 onward compared to Tag 2 or even T6. I used to travel to majors back in late 2000's to mid 2010's for multiple FG's. Tekken, Blazblue, Persona, DOA, Melty Blood, Melee etc. Now a days.....i literally am only playing Tekken 8 and now currently Rivals of Aether 2.

[@TrollANIMU]

@@wrong1189 yeah, my main growing pains with T8 are pretty much all just the absurd legacy and powercrept stuff that managed stick around, as well as the general jank of its hitboxes compared to other 3D games. Rather than cross my fingers for more changes though, I'd more just want the other 3D games to come back healthy.

[@akilreid9476]

This fighting game gen is honestly really hollow. Sure the games look pretty and gameplay-wise they’re technically sound, but there’s SOMETHING MISSING. It also helps that the developers these days are focused on eSports and making these games as “tournament-friendly” as possible while getting rid of what a game is supposed to truly be: FUN. I haven’t even touched the bland music, boring UI, lack of unlockables and single player content, missing modes, etc. The passion is all but gone from fighting games, something I’ve noticed for almost a decade now but got constantly shitted on for saying. People are finally catching on to what I’m trying to say. The games aren’t “bad”, they’ve just turned into vehicles for these companies to peddle DLC and esports content to their players. It’s so sad.

[@aaym2224]

as a longtime anime fighting game player, capcom and bamco have just been adding very obnoxious system mechanics starting all the way from tekken 6 and street fighter 4, and the mechanics have been getting stronger and stronger with each new game. Anime games need system mechanics because the characters are actually designed with the system mechanics in mind, and every character uses the system in a different way because characters have vastly different tools and win conditions. And you need defensive system mechanics to mitigate the absolute bullshit that's baked into these types of games. street fighter and tekken dont have that, so why are they adding so many strong mechanics to their games? Literally all the characters use the system in the same exact way. That's why it's so boring to me: crouching medium kick drive rush into corner carry into throw loop is a perfect example, and all the heat stuff in tekken. I always thought that tekken and sf are great BECAUSE they dont have a lot of system mechanics, their beauty is in their simplicity.

[@Fighter101network]

I always go back to the classics and that is where I feel I have the most fun. SSF2T for 2D and VF5 for 3D. Everything else is sort of a t-shirt of the week for me.

[@BlueCerberus92]

I completely understand man.To this day I'm not a fan of modern fighting games Tekken 7,DOA 6 because they lack soul,the gameplay is a different story but It's not the same,As I can see from tekken 8 the microtransactions are out of control,I play less modern fg games like sfiv,tekken 6 etc etc Modern ones just don't hit the same anymore.

[@GoldenGho5tCartel]

Unfortunately this is the result of games being streamlined now. I think fighting games are just now feeling the effects of it since this has already been happening for a while. It might be time to branch out and find another type of game to enjoy. Ive had fun going back to childhood games and even playing these party fighters that are coming out now.

[@waterdog737]

If feels like the these modern fighting games are dumbing down their systems to appear to casual/non fg players is now played out. That with the monetization practices is really burning player out and has totally zapped out the fun of these franchises.

[@tek87]

Trying to bring fighting games mainstream was a mistake. Fighting games can and never will be mainstream without sacrificing what makes them great. The vast majority of gamers want instant gratification. They don't want to sweat, grind and deal with the frustration of losing. They want games they can relax and play with little investment on their part. They want entertainment, not competition. Trying to change fighting games into that will destroy the genre. Fighting games should remain a niche genre with a loyal and dedicated player base. One that will grow over time albeit slowly but never be massive.

[@Gamersgoinblind]

I think this feeling is why i stick more to the indie fighting games than the AAA ones. The exploration phase is the best part of a fighting game and indies have that so much slower.

[@ABCTrommel]

True, I feel there is a lack of creativity in modern fighting games. Everything feels solved after 2 weeks, plus charatcers are being railroaded into certain playstyles, no more player expression imo or very little. A recent Sparking Zero tourny was actually fun to watch, the weirdness of how to access combos and set ups reminded me of older fightimg games.

[@DarkCrusader27]

Personally, I've either gone the indie fighter route, or gone back to old games I never played before. I'm really enjoying Marvel Vs Capcom 2.

[@TrueHeroAriel]

FGs are genuinely bad now. They are that make you not want to dedicate hours to them. no true skill expression now with the dumbing down of mechanics. Or introduction of mechanics that make the games feel like a party game.

[@marikmakient]

Honestly many of the Newer Fighting Game titles have become much too aggressive playstyle wise, as well as them becoming more eSports tailored, which takes away that "exciting" feeling I used to have a Child. King of Fighters XV, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes, and Melty Blood: Type Lumina are some of the best titles that have come out in recent Years from my experiences that still give you the pre-Ultra Street Fighter IV era feeling of being a game catered towards hardcore Gamers. I hope Developers change the monetization approach and focus more on the Gameplay, rather than extracting from Consumers, but I feel that it's here to stay.

[@RekkaKien3]

fighting games & the fgc in general used to be hype. now there's just a lack of skills required to compete on a higher level. Tekken is a great example with everybody & their mother, reaching ranks they have no business being. you know there's a problem when even while you're winning, you're still not having fun. wins don't feel earned, & losses don't feel justified.

[@remylebeau34]

You are not alone, they definitely feel stale and dumbed down, I'm glad you're saying something as a pro player. Comeback mechanics were what was being comained about way back and now suddenly they're acceptable. What you said about expression and finding something in the lab is what I've been disappointed with too. Seems like everything is designated to be a certain way, games and characters don't develop in terms of tech and combos any more than when they first release a trailer to show you how to play them. Everything you said was so right I hope the creators of these games pay attention to what you're saying, but I think they don't care about keeping our attention as they will just keep milking dlc and fighting passes so they don't need a game to have a long life cycle by being technical and having depth, they will make more money focusing on microtransactions and collabs.

[@ironrex6979]

I don’t think you are alone. I feel the same way at least. I love Tekken 8 but it made me miss SC and DoA. I really loved SC and DoA. I loved playing them and even went to some SC tournaments in the past. Don’t get me wrong I love Tekken but it made me miss those two. I am also not a fan of any other current fighting game that is out right now. Not a fan of the esport culture nor micro transactions/subscription plans dominating these games. I think it is getting out of hand.

[@Callestere]

I would argue it's a mix of things tbh. Getting older and through the experience gained from that alone the *magic* behind the curtain isn't as impressive as it used to be. There's also the fact that in order to get more casuals to even look at the game devs have to play a balancing act of having something that can not only appeal to but keep casuals playing for a while and also having something for players to sink their teeth into to want to get better at the game which inevitably will lead to frustration among the less serious playerbase. Im not sure what the answer is or what combination of things leads to a reasonable balance for both sides but, im hopeful for new fighting games to keep coming out so maybe we can find out what that balance could be.

[@knolanhuxby8003]

My problem is that I used to have fun because fun was the goal. Learning mechanics and labbing was fun but I’ve gotten consumed by learning over enjoying the game.

[@WackJack187]

I think SOMEONE needs to make a popular fighting game that is more difficult

[@MrNixity]

There’s only really 3 fighting games that’s the problem, there’s no choice, what other genre has only 3 games in it?

[@Faso26TV]

Its a weird position I find myself in and this is something I'm experiencing since like June/July ish? Where I cannot find enjoyment in Fighting Games personally because the urge to improve and the requirements of the game itself (whether that be SF or Tekken) are becoming to high for my personal liking. I love Fighting Games, been playing a bunch of them, but I don't know if it's just a phase of mine or not, I don't look forward to booting any modern fighter up at all. I dread whenever I look at one of them and I just don't think I will have a good time. I noticed recently that I tend to boot up older games or even games of different genres instead.

[@salem2772]

All I can say is your are not alone. Given the circumstances I have not had a chance to check out this generation of fighting games. But watching them I cannot feel as engaged as I have been in the past.

[@SOLOL1F3_318]

Been feeling this way myself n this is the golden era of fighting games.

[@Johnnycagea]

Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 get a lot of play just because they're new. I think a lot of people would love to go back to Tekken 5 or Tag 2, or SF 3/4. Marvel vs. Capcom Collection's popularity may be evidence of this.

[@shenelljohnson74]

Sells won't increase due to being the same product over and over again they love it because on how they like it but what about other's tho

[@Capt.Burakuman]

I been playing doa5 and 2 on parsec and fightcade. join the retro movement.

[@WARLORD626]

Bloody Roar.Try the Bloody Roar tournaments.

[@EmeryReigns]

Shoutout the homie Jerimiah lol

[@WARLORD626]

@EmeryReigns Basically yes.

[@YAMAHAZI]

Maybe I’m just getting older, aspirations changing a bit? I dunno, I was playing T8 & just deleted it out of pure boredom mid match.

[@EmeryReigns]

Very understandable.. I have been feeling that "hanging it up" phase coming in the next few years, at least learning new stuff.

[@versatilelord8893]

@@YAMAHAZI sounds like depression brother Any kind of indifference level like that usually points towards depression of some kind

[@finnmarr-heenan2397]

No lol tekken 8 is just bad

[@versatilelord8893]

@@finnmarr-heenan2397 except that isn’t tho

[@shenelljohnson74]

​@@finnmarr-heenan2397not everyone gonna like the same thing

[@TheRealKingAG]

I feel what your saying. I've learned to adept to a lot of game series now to the point it takes a lot to really bother me. Micro transactions is something I've learned overtime to get why people add them but still don't like them especially since they been making them worse. Like for starters if you can unlock something in the game from beating the story or a part of the story or any goal outside of that but they add in an option to either download them of course make it so that you can buy the amount of money you can or can't get(most of the time it's can't get) in the game to be able to purchase it. One thing I don't like about most modern day fighting games is the inability of also achieving outside of playing online and using real money to purchase something. Now as far as making it easier to play I mean yeah it takes away from the amount of effort it'll take for you to learn it for more players to be able to play better against people who been playing longer but at the same time that's also the beauty in doing it. So it's a love and hate thing for me with modern fighting games but mostly love. Do I prefer older versions of fighting games? It depends on which fighting game. If you read this far then thank you for taking the time to read all of this. This is my 100% take on this that I actually been thinking about for awhile.

[@MenmaKazama]

I 💯 percent agree with you fighting game's are not as good as they used to be :(

[@kojack_ay99]

Its not the games I promise you, you've just got burnt out of the same genre bro. Also the combo thing is a testament of today's gamers always playing for wins instead of fun. They play "meta" to be the best like its a job.

[@FengRaiCho]

I pretty much only play old games now. Most newer games aren't fun. I don't like the new street fighter or the new Tekken or the new mortal Kombat. Older fighting games are better.

[@slayerx4gaming]

I think for 2d fighters, there’s a lot to dig into or look forward to. 3d fighters? Nothing but Tekken atm. Maybe more 3d fighters come out things will get better on that front.

[@j03T3XAz]

Its bc DOA has the best combat system out of any traditional fighter period.

[@MaoriGamerDood]

I just re introduced myself yo GranBlue again after so long. Man it felt Good. I tell ya bro. Just having another game to play really does a lot to reignite the spark. So believe me i feel ya here bro. Take a break.

[@Antilli]

I have that with gaming in general, not just fighting games.

[@Prevan30]

All these games offer more or less the same experience, so i prefer to stick to only 1 game where i really try to play the best i can ( in my case DOA) and then play the others very casually or not at all. Enjoying other type of games, picking a racer like Gran Turismo fo example or staying away of gaming for awhile focusing more in reading or doing sports is the way i found out to keep playing fighting games still fun to me

[@Hundreds299]

It’s like the competitive side is not being fed because a lot of people don’t play the game anymore they rather cheese or put controls on simple and think their good at the game fighting games nowadays are to easy to pick up I uninstalled sparking zero today toxic community and easy to pick up a lot of people do not rely on skill and just cheese to get by it’s sad

[@brokenfc]

A lot of legacy players feel left in the dust as a lot of mechanics that have carried them through the last few games have been removed. Like 1F links. This is the new age of fighting games. In terms of viewer experience this is way better than watching SF4. However the making it easier that new players to beat better players is bullshit. In SF6 if your playing a new player that drive impacts randomly. You can’t press buttons that are unsafe. I play Ken I don’t randomly throw out my 5HK in ranked. Players like Arslan Ash, Daigo prove that if you’re willing to adapt to the new game you will have success. So my question is what makes you a better street fighter player. Being able to do a combo involving 5 1F links. Or being able to play neutral and make good decisions based upon characters, managing/building drive gauge, super meter.

[@Tystaydolo]

Dead or alive will forever be my favorite since it was my very first fighting game ever 💯….. I pray for the gaming community seriously cuz honestly a lot of fighting games got boring recently….. the excitement for what’s next in the gaming community isn’t there like it used to be…

[@MrPastige]

From the perspective of a new player (also new to FG) that has grinded like a maniac and reached Tekken Emperor fairly quickly: This game is probably the most non-beginner friendly game I've ever player in my entire life. The amount of effort I had to go through just to BEGIN enjoying it was unfathomable. My desktop is full of notes of character moves, their frames, their counters, that it could make up a novel. And I am STILL far from done. I still got about 5 characters I have never even looked at once. I believe with all sincerity that if they hadn't made at least some effort to make it more beginner-friendly, the only people playing it right now would be legacy players. And this game would slowly but surely die over the years. I am personally not the biggest fan of Rage Art and Mashing either. But it is undeniable that both are aspects of the game with counterplay. Rage Art is fairly easy to counter, just get used to looking at the opponents Health Bar. Countering Mashing however requires an endless amount of knowledge depending on how good the opponent goes about playing with immediate timing. You either Sidewalk the hell out of a mashing weaker player, or you learn all Sidesteppable moves and Strings in the game to counter a better mashing player. It is a pain to do but it is possible. If your goal is to improve and you're not a sweaty mf like me, then just patiently wait for updates that improve the experience and accept that climbing the ladder will be a very slow process. If you aren't willing to spend an insane amount of time in the lab, then you'll have to passively improve by just playing and trying new things out every once in a while.

[@SweetJuiceComplex]

I feel the same thank you! My main game is SF but I was thinking the same thing last night. It feels so stale and we’re only halfway through year 2 . I skipped tekken 8 and miss doa. Mk was eh it’s kinda sad . Great discussion topic

[@strtfghtr88]

Just come on over the the beat-em-up community. Its having a resurgence with alot of great titles, less stress, no cheating, and deep gameplay. All of beat-em-ups are implementing fighting game mechanics. Check out Streets of Rage 4, TMNT Shredder's revenge, Double Dragon Gaiden, and a new one I just discovered: Towerborne.

[@remylebeau34]

@@strtfghtr88 all amazing games there. I'd add river city to the list too. Beat em ups have been so good recently

[@strtfghtr88]

@@remylebeau34 Yeah I've been playing RCG 2 recently, waiting for the Double Dragon DLC to release

[@remylebeau34]

@@strtfghtr88 that's cool man I haven't played rcg2 yet unfortunately but I loved the first one so much. I need to try double dragon gaiden, sor4 and tmnt are both amazing been playing them multilayer too.

[@shadowmaksim]

Yeah, sounds like some pretty bad burnout. I was going to recommend maybe trying out some of the more niche fighters out there.. Even if they aren't as actively played, sometimes just messing around with something new can help refresh your perspective. But then you specified 3D fighters, aside from "SF" and "MK" anyway, and like...yeah, I can see why the burn out is happening. Outside of "Tekken", pickings are even less than slim. I didn't quite realize until thinking about it just now.

[@paulduvernay8532]

It's best to just train to yourself and doing things you enjoy doing the urge to fight will come back and you won't be rusty by just having consistent training while you're doing other things

[@MikuruX]

I don't know if you're just going through burnout or if all what you said is actually feel about the games as a whole right now but for me, it's mostly burnout or I'm just not interested in playing fighting games anymore (mostly because I'm still waiting on another installment of Arcana Heart). I'll say just back away from it for a while and play other things until you get the urge to play a fighting game again (I usually do this after weeks or months of playing other things and just jump back on Tekken or SF or something). It may or may not work but it may be a breath of fresh air you might need.

[@MDSoulTV]

I am going to say I agree with you. However, in my opinion, I think that some of this is "you arent like my last girlfriend". I think we have all experienced having a girlfriend that was dope and the next one is just good or alright but she does have some good qualities and she is good for you. LOL Weird analogy but you get where I am going lol. I thnk a lot of are expecting a lot of the games to do what the last girlfriend did and that makes us disappointed. We expected a lot of games to do what was previously done but with better make up and a lot more razzle dazzle in the bed room and come to find out the game laid on its back and took its make up off. BUUUUUUUT remember we left our ex for a reason. She was toxic or she had things that we complained about. I believe once we just let the game just be its self and except it we can enjoy it a little bit more. Maybe we can find a new combo out of the deal.

[@Leifang12]

As a DOA fan I’m having a hard time with Tekken’s first to launcher gameplay! It’s just boring to play! I miss high level DOA gameplay

[@kevo300]

Your telling me you dont enjoy drip content like 4 characters a year, 15 season passes, microtransactions, and dumbed down mechanics to cater to casual players? Cause your right.

[@PedroAndrade25]

I'm kinda on the same spot right now. First generation as a fighting game orphan. Been playing some old stuff here and there on Fightcade to scratch the itch but I got say it sucks not being hooked by a new fighting game because I like to follow the competitive scene.

[@calevolutionhd]

@EmeryReigns I understand as a long time fighting game player. They have watered down fighting games. DragonBall Sparking Zero is the business right now though! Also, have you played Blazing Strike?

[@ScorchedEclipse]

man im with you on that combo route being streamlined and reducing mixups. xiaoyu in t7 i loved learning all of her "dropping combos" for potential resets to another combos both out in the open and at the wall (even balcony break). in t8 i don't feel like i've seen much (if any) at all in terms of that. yeah she's the strongest she's been (top 10 in the game, probably top 5) but I find myself playing t8 a lot less than i did t7 for each session :(

[@c0nt1nuumd34th]

Ain't nothing wrong with taking a break now and then. Now I wanna see ya tackle ninja gaiden 1 NES. See why I don't take Hayabusa mains seriously. XP

[@binho2224]

I feel you. I'm burnt out right now. I'll wait for City of the Wolves.

[@KyeCreates]

Dude, you are ON POINT with the forced gameplay dynamic that's being forced in tekken! people are saying it's burnout but its definitely not, try tekken 7 again sometime and you will realize it's much more diverse and creative than t8.

[@henryludvor6275]

No it's not. Tekken 7 is watered down tekken as well. If you want a real authentic tekken expereince without any handholding and just pure fundamentals you have to go back to Tekken 5DR.

[@OgSleep]

Tekken 7 doesnt ever need to be mentioned period. That game was run run run poke

[@KyeCreates]

@@henryludvor6275 The thing is, i like the balance of comeback mechanics in t7 compared to t8. I think t5-t7 is a varying range of comeback balancing that could all work. t8 on the other hand is just super hand holdy imo.

[@KyeCreates]

@@OgSleep I made tgp from doing way more than just poking and turtling, that's just how certain people played.

[@OgSleep]

@@KyeCreates that's how literally everyone played bro

[@MinorRig]

Currently I love these new fighting games, but I totally get were the burnout is coming from. Combo optimization is more a by-product of the playerbase becoming more mainstream. I recommend trying the free version of Killer Instinct or Granblue to switch of a new flavor of game. I stopped playing SF6 for about 6 months and now getting back into after playing other kinds of fighting games. Now I am having fun with SF6 despite the issues.

[@theyluvmono]

I doubt theres gonna be a new DOA anytime soon which sucks because the community is pretty small and T8/ SF6 just aren't doing it for me. I've honestly found more enjoyment in games that aren't as polished like JojoASBR which is a 2.5d fighter because it has its own distinct identity that makes it easy to pick up but hard to master.

[@Tre4life100]

I feel the same way my man .I can't get into fighting games like that

[@OnyxeBlade]

I love how modern fighting games are more inviting for newcomers. Comeback mechanics are cool as long as it's not overly outrageous. I personally dislike the elitist/entitled behavior a lot of veteran players have about games being "Too easy" Cause if it's really THAT EASY. Shouldn't your veteran skills outshine someone playing the game for the first time or even a few weeks? I'm decent at TEKKEN 8 but I'm not beating someone like Knee, Arslan Ash, Pokchop, or any high level TEKKEN player ever. I will say this whenever we do get a new VF game. That game should be a purist type of 3D fighter where there is no comeback mechanic. The better player will prevail by skill alone

[@cRoW_Dman2002]

This is basically my sentiment. I respect the vets opinions but overall I think its more of a burnout thing than it is with the games themselves being bad. and I also heavily dislike entitled elitism that so many vets exude. Nothing wrong with wanting the skill of the better player to be what determines the outcome of a match but when it gets to the point that we're blaming casuals and newcomers for OUR shortcomings and arguing that the games are made only for them then it gets to be a problem.

[@KyeCreates]

dude, this is incorrect. a lower skill ceiling does not mean it is easier for the veteran to win. that's like expecting serena williams to win a coin flip for more than 50 percent of the time because they changed the rules to be more accessible in tennis.

[@versatilelord8893]

@@KyeCreates bro ain’t no way you made this analogy. No amount of “rule changes” to tennis make Serena Williams any less at a disadvantage to someone who’s inexperienced in tennis Come on broski you’re better than that

[@KyeCreates]

@@versatilelord8893 Dude, a game, no matter if its digital or irl is based on the rules. Changing the rules is literally changing how the game is played, effectively changing what fields of expertise is required to be good at it. This isn't hard to understand. An even easier example would be if they made it so mid match you could flip a coin for an extra point or so, would you expect serena williams to still have the same amount of chance and ease of beating some intermediate or beginner? Obviously not, she might still win but the skill floor doesn't allow for her to show how far ahead she is in experience because of the luck based stuff in the game.

[@versatilelord8893]

@@KyeCreates bro I know exactly what you’re saying. It’s not that it’s “hard to understand.” It’s that the analogy makes no actual sense within the spectrum of reality lol And the reason why is because the context isn’t relatable to the subject of the video Minimizing the 3 point line isn’t gonna make any random dude a better 3 point shooter than Steph curry

[@jamiahmt1349]

That’s why I moved on to space marine 2 and black ops 6, I thought T8 was played out already that’s what everyone else saying 😅😂

[@ShadowBlade79]

It's been about a month since I last touched Tekken 8 (played through the new side story, but that was it). I have no real desire to get back into it, and SF6 gives me the same vibes. They're too streamlined, and the amount of guessing in matches is way too high for my liking. Boring to watch too, because the games are so homogenized that there are no real situations anymore where I'm seeing something I haven't seen before.

[@brianpbillingsley3687]

Take a break, come back. In the mean time may I suggest playing some Vanillaware games? They're basically RPGs from the perspective of a fighting game designer (though that may be oversimplifying it).

[@JIX9ISLER1986]

Yes you are getting older. I am 38 years old and been playing fighting games literally over 30 years now ive played so many franchises - from the arcade to console to PC ect i dont have FOMO anymore with fighting games As you get older sure you are still a fan but that JOY you had of younger years is just not going to be the same….i was very happy with how tekken 8 did the story mode. (minus the DLC which i hope is NOT cannon lol) so as someone who has been following the story since the 90s i feel content walking away at this point - Right now i help tekken players level up and get better (i dont play ranked) and i find fun seeing them get better….with Soul calibur dead or alive virtua fighter street fighter ect……i felt like ive seen it all and experienced it all….so sure those games will probably get sequels….but i don't have that burning desire to "have to buy" every new fighting game…its natural bro Fighting games and unfortunately gaming is now too commercial now…also its too easy to get sucked into the negativity amplified by social media ….its not so much the gaming industry anymore but its the games as a service industry infiltrated by Peoples with agendas…..…..sometimes taking a break and actually enjoy gaming moments beyond competitive fighting games is a good idea (I went back and played games i missed out on and had a great time!…..its easy to lose focus on what gaming is….a game….….escapism… and most of all fun) sorry for the long diatribe :)

[@EmeryReigns]

Thanks man ima still kick ya jins ass from the beta 😂

[@JIX9ISLER1986]

@@EmeryReigns Check my parry compilations Im quite comfortable with him now optimized (with skill expression) very high level gameplay/ highlights Tekken 8 Jin Kazama Parry Isn't Everything II (currently has 5.3k views) Tekken 8 Jin Kazama Parry Isn't Everything parry compilation 3 coming soon

[@jackburton444]

I'm personally happy with how Tekken 8 is going (warts and all) but man, WE NEED MORE 3D FIGHTERS. 2D is great but it doesn't scratch that specific itch for me. And whilst Tekken is my favourite FGC franchise, I don't want it to monopolize the 3D space. Virtua Fighter, DOA, Soul Calibur, hell I'll take Bloody Roar.

[@MrBones105]

@@jackburton444 I'm holding out hope that the new virtua fighter is good and actually comes out

[@elaineakines3114]

You may wanna challenge yourself with something you haven't mastered