Gameplay and V-System breakdown revealed for Oro in Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition, release date announced
Oro hasn't been playable in a new game for over 20 years at this point, but the old hermit master is finally about to get his time to shine.
Capcom revealed just about every detail we could ask for regarding Oro's gameplay, design and V-System in their Summer Update event to get a clear picture of how he's been updated for Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition as well as his and Akira's release date.
As we previously suspected, Oro and Akira will be releasing on the same date with their launch coming in just under two weeks on August 16.
Pretty much all of Oro's moves and specials return in SF5 (plus a new kick special to boot), which is going to make him a slippery character to lock down while having great juggle combo potential.
His double jump is still intact, and the EX fireball Nichirin Sho was shown to track the opponent when sent out.
The giant EX version of the Yagyodama is back as Oro's Critical Art in SF5 though we don't yet know what it's going to be called. Let's take a deeper dive into Oro's V-System now.
V-Skill 1 - Onibi
Oro's first V-skill is pretty much his Yagyodama Super Art from Street Fighter 3 that summons a slow projectile that bounces across the stage for extra coverage and setups.
Onibi, his V-Skill 1, has a slow start up, so it's best to activate on knockdown for mixup or pressure potential though it's also shown to be useful when an opponent is tossing out projectiles of their own.
Pressing different directions with the activation allows for three alternate trajectories for further mixups and setup potential. There's one that bounces low to the ground, one at standard height and the last bounces above the opponent to catch jumps or to be used as juggle combo extensions.
The gameplay reveals that Onibi can absorb at least two projectiles before disappearing, so it should be able to eat through many EX fireballs in the game currently.
V-Skill 2 - Minomushi
Oro's second V-Skill was previously shown in the Spring Update and allows the hermit to perform a small forward jump that he can perform multiple follow ups from.
Pressing a punch button after Minomushi makes Oro perform an overhead chop named Kaki Otoshi that can lead to a combo on hit, but may be fairly unsafe or negative on block.
The kick version of the follow-up is called Eda Uchi, which hits two times, has extended range and is more safe on block compared to Kaki Otoshi.
Minomushi can be activated out of normals that are special cancellable, so it can be used to open up crouching enemies with the overhead.
The demonstration also explains that you don't need to press a button after V-Skill, which gives throw mixup potential at the right range.
V-Trigger 1 - Manrikitan
Oro's first V-Trigger unlocks his ability to use two different hit grabs between the grounded Kishinriki and airborne Kishin Kuchu Jigoku Guruma, which also served as Super Arts in his previous appearances.
These special throws work when used raw or when cancelled into from both normals and specials to give them a ton of utility whether he's trying to open up the opponent or get extra damage on combos.
Manrikitan is shown in the gameplay footage to be a two-bar V-Trigger, so it's meant to be a readily available offensive tool for Oro.
V-Trigger 2 - Tengu Stone
Oro's second V-Trigger brings back another one of his SF3 Super Arts in the iconic Tengu Stone that was showcased briefly in his very first teaser during the Winter Update.
Using the Tengu Stone, the Senjutsu master summons three objects above his head. When performing normals or V-Skill 2 follow-ups, the items will strike the opponent immediately after to keep him safe on block or open up new combo routes entirely.
These items also gain additional effects depending on which are summoned, as the footage shows a Blanka-chan doll with an electricity effect (perhaps causing more stun), a book that adds the freeze element as previously seen in Kolin and Gill's movesets, and even Sean's basketball.
Pressing down upon V-Trigger activation will instead bring forth Tengu Midare Stone, which summons five objects (like his EX Super Art), but it drains the V-Timer much faster than the regular form. It's also shown to strike in different patterns and cause a large follow-up when using his uppercut.
Unlike VT1, Tengu Stone is a three-bar V-Trigger, so he'll have to use his resources with a bit more thought.
You can check out official screenshots of Oro from the PlayStation Blog below as well as a real gameplay demonstration of an Oro mirror match to get a sense of how he'll perform in a real battle.
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