My favorite part of the Street Fighter 5 beta so far has been Crush Counters. They’re specific normal attacks that cause severe hitstun to the opponent on counter hit. SF5 is more simplified overall and has a greater focus on neutral, and Crush Counters fit perfectly with that design. Each character has 2 or 3 of them. Check out the video below for a demonstration.
As you can see from the video, you can potentially get huge damage off of this mechanic. Each character’s ability to land Crush Counters depends on their normals and spacing, and the follow up combos are just as unique to each character.
Crush Counters put a huge emphasis on proper spacing and knowing when to hit buttons (and when not to!) during the footsie game. The more I play SF5, the more I wish it was released now and not just in a weekend beta test!