Not too long ago, Capcom released a series of new gems for use with Street Fighter X Tekken. Though I’ve grown into being a gem-hater over the last few months, the original set of gems had little impact on the overall outcome of a match. However, I found out the hard way that the new set of auto block and auto tech gems are a much bigger deal. Why are they such a problem?
The original auto block and auto tech gem, while arguably broken on their own, cost you one full gauge to activate. Though I hated the original auto block and auto tech gems with a passion, I never felt like I solely lost a match because my opponent had one equipped. However, with the new auto block and auto tech gems, they burn only 1/4 of a gauge or 1/6 of a gauge. The only trade-off is the number of gem slots you have available.
What does that ultimately mean? I discovered the hard way recently when I fought someone who had the auto block level 2 gem and an Onslaught level 2 gem equipped. With that combination, he could recklessly charge at me without any regard for playing defense. My only real recourse here was to punish a whiffed attack or throw; the latter of which could be stopped if my opponent were to simply mash throw when I got close. With a gem combination like the one listed above, you’re essentially a moving wall that’s nearly invincible. Sure, you could exploit this game design flaw to gain wins, but the fun that comes from playing the game intelligently is essentially gone if you plan on using these gems as a crutch.
The word about the effects of these overpowered gems is spreading fast. Unless Capcom has some master plan to remove or nerf these gems, this game is essentially broken now if you want to take it seriously. I don’t want to play a game where an opponent can make themselves a moving wall and I don’t want to play a game that will devolve into two people recklessly hitting each other with no regard to defense. Unfortunately, without any limitations to gems when it comes to online play, I suspect that similar gem combinations will quickly ruin the online competitive experience. I’m extremely disappointed that Capcom let these game-breaking gems go through. Until this gets sorted out, I’m pretty much done with Street Fighter X Tekken.
In Third Person 