by Christian Guanzon
Soul Calibur V takes the series in an unexpected direction and is easily the most drastically different successor we’ve seen in the main series. For those of you who are new to the series, you could probably ignore the comparing grumblings of an old man. And for those of you who didn’t like (or dare I say “hated”) SC before, pay close attention.
Story – 1/5
Soul Calibur V’s story leaves much to be desired. Seventeen years after the events of Soul Calibur IV, the player controls five Souls (three characters, but two have other weapon modes ) and fight a horde of generic created Souls and I’d say half the actual roster, sewn together on a combination between sketchy stills and in-engine cut scenes that allude to a plot more than actually establishing one. The frustrating lack of information doesn’t get any better once you realize half the roster is unfamiliar to you and you know absolutely nothing about them. By the end of it, there were a lot of gaps to be filled – not the least of which being the big glaring question of “What was the point of these last two hours…?”
Gameplay – 4.5/5
It was pretty hard for me to judge SCV’s gameplay, mostly because it took me longer than I’d like to admit to familiarize myself with it. The Soul Gauge and Critical Finishes of IV have been replaced with the much more robust Critical Gauge. The Critical Gauge fills on the standard attack/is-attacked and acts as a resource for the game’s flashier features (Guard Impact, Brave Edge, and Critical Edge).
For me, these features encouraged some 2D fighting habits with treacherous consequences. But once I remembered Soul Calibur’s third dimension, things picked up. And fast. Turns out, the Critical Gauge and its three cronies picked up Soul Calibur’s pace and were well adapted and balanced to the series’ foundations. My only problem was Guard Impact’s newfound reliance on the Critical Gauge, but even then most characters have one built into their move set somewhere.
Graphics – 4.5/5
SCV’s graphics are fairly standard to expect from this generation (a fact that kind of stings at the old man inside). There have been some animation issues, including mouths not moving while speaking and some grab attacks don’t fully grasp the defender. That said, the game’s locales really feel like fighting in an environment as opposed to an arena, filled with thoughtfully placed and well-crafted details.
Sound – 5/5
This game’s got some solid sound, with an impressive cast of skilled voice actors and a wide range of sound effects. I also surprisingly found myself in want of the soundtrack (I’d never actively taken note in a Soul Cal soundtrack before). It also features two options of sound effects: Exaggerated and Realistic, which can be optioned in three degrees either way.
Extras – 5/5
Soul Calibur’s extras are quite possibly the most impressive thing about it. What I’m talking about is, obviously, Create-A-Soul mode, which is one of the most detailed character creation systems I have ever come across. However, the most important thing is the more-than aesthetic effect of height. Taller characters have a longer reach, and shorter characters deal more damage. It’s nothing easily noticeable, but when every second counts so does each inch.
Overall – 3.75/5
Soul Calibur V is a great game with some awkward story mode hanging off the side. But, honestly, the story mode is just something fighters go through to unlock more stuff to beat each other up with. In the end, I’ll put it like this – Soul Calibur V is that awkward sibling that doesn’t look anything like its “father.” Sure, it looks weird in the family portrait, but if you ran into it on the street you might realize it’s pretty attractive. No matter where you’ve been in the series’ life, I encourage you to give Soul Cal V a decent swing.
Rundown
+Faster pace
+Detailed environments
+Superb soundtrack
+High amount of customization
- Story mode is practically empty
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