Seriously, this boss is infuriating. Many players voiced concerns about Seth’s difficulty upon his release in Street Fighter Iv, but it’s easy to dismiss such complaints as typical overreactions to new fighting game bosses. Remember the outcry about the boss in Dead or Alive 4? With a bit of practice, she became manageable. However, after dedicating an hour simply to win a single round against Seth, it’s clear he earns a spot among the most notoriously cheap bosses in fighting game history, rivaling even the infamous instant-kill move of that character from Guilty Gear X2.
Seth isn’t necessarily overpowered in terms of raw character stats. The real issue lies in his AI, which, even on the easiest difficulty setting, is excessively cheap. It becomes apparent after a short time that Seth’s AI is programmed to react almost directly to player input. For instance, you can observe him initiating an attack every time you cease backward movement. This predictive behavior makes traditional fighting game strategies feel ineffective.
Initially, Focus Attacks might seem like a viable option against Seth. However, attempting to charge one will often result in an immediate grab from the boss. The most effective strategies appear to be limited to utilizing grabs yourself (though this is risky as Seth’s attacks seem to take priority over most player actions) and successfully landing dash attacks. The priority system, which felt unbalanced with T-Hawk in HDRemix, reaches a new level of frustration with Seth.
It often feels like any action Seth takes will simply negate whatever you attempt. Trying to unleash an Ultra move? Seth will often attack directly through it. Attempting a grab? He might grab you while your character’s hand or foot is literally in his face. And frequently, he seems to counter-grab a fraction of a second after your grab attempt initiates.
Adding to the frustration, Seth exhibits a tendency to spam Sonic Booms relentlessly. Blocking these projectiles defensively can quickly deplete a significant portion of your health bar. Finding a reliable method to evade Seth’s Ultra remains a significant challenge. While there might be a strategy, it remains elusive to many players.
Perhaps Seth’s most egregious “cheese” tactic is his teleport. This move allows him to teleport behind the player character and immediately initiate a grab. This teleportation isn’t just for cheap hits; it actively disrupts counter-strategies. Seth teleports both in front of and behind you randomly, and when he appears behind, it completely nullifies any directional inputs you were preparing for a counter-attack.
In conclusion, this is a warning to players preparing to face Seth in Street Fighter IV. Be ready for an experience heavily reliant on luck. Even with consistent offense, Seth has an uncanny ability to pull off miraculous comebacks, making him a truly frustrating and potentially cheap boss encounter in Street Fighter IV.
