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.
to discern. Some items blend well, and some enemies look like they could be helpful items. It’s a shame considering the graphics are clean and deeply hued with a comic book ink feel. Chuck has a nice sprite and matches well with the concept as do the dinosaurs. However, while they look nice, nothing nice can be said about the soundtrack. It’s monotonous and boring, and there’s nothing that stands out. It’s boring and goofy, much like the gameplay and the concept, which does nothing to endear anyone looking for a nice solid early Super Nintendo or Genesis platformer.