A new stage of history
Soulcalibur returns to its roots
It’s been a long time since Soulcalibur was good. And I mean, really good, where it’s about the fighting and the locales and the sick character designs. Because make no mistake, Soulcalibur hit a brick wall right about the time of the fourth entry. Seriously, no one asked for Star Wars draped all over Soulcalibur, yet there we were with Yoda and the gang making themselves at home in the series known for its sword and sorcery. But then something happened: Someone on Project Soul said, “you know what would be great? Returning back to the thing that made us successful in the first place: Soulcalibur.” And here we are with the sixth entry and it’s a return to form.
Soulcalibur VI is essentially a retelling of the second game in the series, Soulcalibur. The evil sword Soul Edge has fallen into the wrong hands throughout history, and it has now found its way into the embrace of one Siegfried. Sigfried, having lost his tenuous grasp on sanity and reality in general, has transformed into the Azure Knight, better known as Nightmare, and begun wreaking havoc on the world in this demonic possessed guise. There are those who seek the sword for righteous reasons and those who seek it for greed and glory, but the sword must be stopped. Because it’s a retread of Soulcalibur, not too much has changed story-wise. The entire cast of the game has returned with some new folks sprinkled in for good measure. This is fine because that cast was legendary and set the standard for future entries.
But what if you wanted to do a little something different this time around? The excellent character creator has everything covered. This mode is so well done and such a time sink. I spent at least two hours making a reasonable facsimile of the Capcom’s Ruby Heart — my favorite pirate — and it was painless and easy to do, even with the default offerings. This creator mode has been around a long time in Soulcalibur — since the third game — but here it’s refined and polished. I spent more time here than anywhere else, and what I wanted to make was only limited by my lack of ideas.
Despite lacking in skill with Soulcalibur over the years, I was pleasantly surprised with the ease of jumping into fighting. I have had an extended absence from the series, but I could still pull off moves and combos with old favorites like Mitsurugi, Cervantes, Ivy and Voldo. The fighting felt polished and clean, much like older entries, which is critical in drawing in someone like me that hasn’t really played much since Soulcalibur II.
Another good nostalgic draw was the presentation. Soulcalibur as a series has never lacked in the aesthetics department, and this game is no different. It looks nice, with good character models and enticing backgrounds. Because it’s basically a remake, the backgrounds are references to previous stages but with a more modern cleanup job applied. I absolutely loved the original Soulcalibur’s look and still do, and this version does good in reminding me of why that is. While not quite as groundbreaking in its graphics as the arcade and Dreamcast port were 25 years ago, they’re still quite breathtaking and beautiful.
And, there isn’t too much to dislike about Soulcalibur VI. I’m not fond of the AI difficulty, which seems a little too spotty. A few matches felt like rubber banding in the second round if I won the first round, but then if there was a third round, the AI would just stand there and let me wail away. That’s weird in a fighting game, but then again, most Soulcalibur entries felt that way in the beginning of the series. I just wish that was fixed by the sixth game.
Overall, Soulcalibur VI tries to make up for the missteps of the past with a solid re-imagining and return to its roots. Though it’s been five years since release and no new content has been on the horizon, it’s a still a viable fighting game for those who haven’t dived back into the world of souls. The soul still burns in this rehabbed and reformed sequel.
Turbo, with the North American or Japanese versions available for play. In all cases, these are arcade rom versions gathered together in one spot and you can freely switch between them on free play. Collection-wise, this is a top-tier package for those who love fighting games made by Capcom. Mainstream money maker that’s still around today? That’s Hyper Street Fighter 
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looks phenomenal. It’s the first game to use this technique, and it set the standard in 2000 in terms of presentation. The backgrounds are also well done and inspire runs through the game. It’s clearly an early 2000s game, but that only portends good things about the Dreamcast and what it was capable of.
While everything is great in terms of presentation and control, I’d be remiss in mentioning that there is one bothersome flaw with Jet Grind Radio. While the controls are easily analogous to early Tony Hawk games, it wasn’t easy to pick up the game and know what’s going on immediately. It’s a little too inaccessible at first, like it’s asking you to have some in-depth knowledge ahead of playing for the first time. You may not be familiar with the concepts the game is throwing at you, and it’s the game’s responsibility to ease you into the fray. Thankfully, the surrounding game is so good that you’ll come back to get more in-depth with the trappings of Tokyo-to.
hunter, go into the world to hunt monsters of all sizes. During your hunts, you’re using your wits and the environment to your advantage, careful not to faint too many times while working to take down a creature so that you may get new parts to craft gear and weapons. The crafting aspect is fantastic. The variety of gear and equipment that can be generated is off the charts, and there is nothing more satisfying than taking down a new enemy and obtaining new, more powerful gear. Capcom knew the essence of the high that comes from winning a hard-fought battle, loot, craft better gear and repeat. And they’ve captured that essence masterfully here with increasing incentives and nuanced pacing. Fighting never feels weird, and it quickly becomes second nature to swing your sword and make waves in battle. My only gripe here is that there is so much to learn with the battle mechanics and item crafting and usage that sometimes it gets overwhelming. Taking your time to read the tutorials and work through scenarios in training is the way to combat that. I’m pleased with this setup because I’d rather get too much information than not enough.
And, I want to especially highlight the impressive character creation suite. If I can create my own character in a game, I want bold and accurate tools to do so. Monster Hunter: World gave me that and more. I spent two hours with it alone and I still wanted to spend more time there. The wealth of options is outstanding, and I’m extremely impressed with the diversity found within. I can make a character that accurately looks like me with gorgeous options for hairstyles … or not. But I love the options given, and I can’t praise that feature enough.