Glacey reviews Soulcalibur V

First off, let's take into account that I am reviewing the PlayStation 3 version of the game. I don't want to start any PS3 vs. Xbox debates here. The game is practically identical on both systems, with the exception that the controllers are obviously different.

Soulcalibur V is a weird game. I was looking forward to this one ever since Soulcalibur IV. That's the thing I really do, every time I beat a new Soul game, I'm already looking forward to more. I do love the Soul series. Honestly, it's probably my favourite fighting game series. Not that Street Fighter and BlazBlue are bad, but I haven't had the memories with them that I have with the Soul games. I haven't even seen them as much in arcades as I have Soulcalibur games. (For instance, one of the local movie theaters has the original Soul Edge cabinet in the lobby. Played it before watching Harry Potter 4.)

Now, in terms of graphics, Soulcalibur V does indeed deliver. The best-looking game in the series, it features really nice environments and character models. Nothing really looks too awkward in the game, and even custom characters that are purposefully meant to look bad will still look fairly good on the game's graphics engine. The sound in the game is also pretty good; the music fits the mood of each stage or character it represents, and most of the voice actors do a great job.

Moving on to the gameplay, the game's engine feels great to use. Honestly, in terms of just the general fighting portion, this is probably my favourite entry of the series. I don't really know how to describe it too well, but I really like how it flows. The new Brave Edge system doesn't really feel that intrusive, either, and Critical Edges, while not perfect, are still loads better than the finish system we got in IV. Looking at all these things, Soulcalibur V really seems like a great game.

The big problem is that there's nothing to do in this game. Where this game shines in its gameplay, it lacks a lot of other things that the Soul series had going for it. No team battle, no weapon effects, no character stats, and the cast isn't as diverse as it was in previous entries, with many characters using a sword-and-shield style, or a random fighting style. Yes, three characters use random fighting styles of other characters. There's no reason why Namco had to go and do this; They just did, and the game's roster suffers as a result. The new characters meant to replace some of the older cast are somewhat-effective, though not quite as good as the cast members they replace. There's also a distinct lack of any characters using styles based on Hwang, Yunseong, Seong Mi-Na, Rock, Talim... Even Zasalamel, who is immortal, does not appear in the game. The lack of these characters is definitely heartbreaking, and I do hope they eventually become DLC for the game, but I'm very doubtful.

What's worse is the story mode, which is fairly short and doesn't give multiple character endings. The story was actually outsourced to CyberConnect2, the people responsible for .hack, and they did cut the story to about a fourth of what it was actually going to be, which turned out to be a really crappy decision. Overall, the story is just kinda bland, and while it does its job, it fails to show off every new character effectively, mainly focusing on Patroklos, one of the better new characters. I really would like for each character to have their own story mode, but I could understand if there were time constraints. Still, the story is very weak.

Soulcalibur V is a good game, but compared to previous entries, it's very lacking. Fans of the multiplayer may like it, but the lack of returning characters, a fairly crap story, no individual arcade endings, and a few missing components like the often-praised Team Battle from Soulcalibur II make this game harder to recommend. It's good, but not by Soul's standards.

Nice review!~ So detailed.

I think I left off at soul calibur 4...and only tried 3 before that >^< But I really liked 3.

It's a nice review. I like it. I find it weird that CyberConnect2 cut story when the .hack// games have good and thorough storylines.