karaganda june: Review: Soulcalibur V (360/PS3) | Video Game News & Reviews ...

Posted by Hossain Behbahani on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 ? Leave a Comment?

Transcending History and the World, A Tale of Souls and Swords, Eternally Retold

Does the latest instalment of Soulcalibur live up to the gravitas of this statement? Is this a fighting game worthy of the over-the-top voice announcer? Soulcalibur V boasts a host of new characters, stages, modes and gameplay features, all of which have come together in the expectation of becoming your new favourite stress reliever.

The first thing that you?ll notice about the gameplay in Soulcalibur V is that it is fast. Whereas its predecessor had more of a strategic feel to the fighting (especially when playing online), this time reactions are far more crucial. The inclusion of the Quickstep ability for all characters certainly adds to the speed, although it is rather a mixed blessing. Side stepping attacks was previously ineffective for some of the slower characters. Now that every character can move to the side very quickly, the faster characters have lost some of their advantage. As a Tira player, this can be quite frustrating, particularly when fighting a slow character controlled by the computer, as they will?use the Quickstep a lot. You?ll quickly learn to incorporate a lot more horizontal attacks into your fighting. Having said this, using Quickstep in the right situations is very rewarding and often yields the perfect opportunity to land a powerful combo.

Spoilt for Choice

The most noticeable new additions to the gameplay are the Brave Edge and Critical Edge systems. By taking and landing hits, your edge meter fills up, allowing you to perform these special attacks. Once you?ve learned your Brave Edge attacks, these become essential in keeping the pressure on your opponent and holding the advantage. This is crucial as SoulCailbur V Soulcalibur V is not a game that rewards players who are constantly guarding. Critical Edge attacks are more of a mixed bag. They do the most damage and are very satisfying to watch, but the effectiveness differs between the characters. It?s also a rather fiddly input command, particularly when using the standard control stick. The majority of Critical Edge attacks are blockable, so the timing needs to be spot on. They use up a significant amount of your edge meter, meaning the Critical Edge is a technique that requires a good deal of practice and experience to really master it.

And practice is something that shouldn?t be a problem in this game. Soulcalibur V is packed with different modes to play. There is the standard Versus mode, in which you can play or watch fights with the computer or with a friend. The Arcade mode is much the same as the last installment, though with a few extra options, such as fighting only the European or Asian characters (I?m not sure as to the benefit of this option other than adding to the achievements). The Quick Battle mode pits you against computer-controlled opponents from around the world where you can earn titles and other unlockable goodies. Serious players will be spending much of their time in the Training mode, which is almost identical to Soulcalibur IV, but if you?re like me and you?d prefer to learn your character through fighting, then the best mode is the Legendary Souls.

Forest stage in SoulCalibur V Once you?ve completed the story, this mode becomes available. You?re fighting the computer at a very high level and trust me, you will lose a lot. The computer is very unforgiving but it?s the best way to find out which of your moves are safe and which aren?t. If you?re using unsafe moves, then the computer will punish you and rounds can disappear in seconds. Play through this mode and you?ll very quickly learn the right moves to use in all situations.

As for the Story mode, NamcoBandai has taken the franchise in a slightly new direction. Whereas in previous installments your character progresses through their own unique tale, Soulcalibur V has you playing as the main protagonists in set story-driven fights. This has allowed for a lot more sexy cutscenes, making a more in-depth story, and I was pleasantly surprised by just how much character progression there is in what is essentially a mode that is surplus to requirements in a fighting game. It is very reminiscent of the Scenario Campaign in Tekken 6 without the ridiculous, ?free-roaming?, 3rd person sections. Having said this, if you find the main character Patroklos to be a bit grating (and I?m sure many will), then playing through the story may feel like a chore.

Raphael attacking Voldo In this day and age, a fighting game lives or dies by its online experience. The ability to fight someone on the other side of the world still impresses me, but if the net code isn?t up to scratch, it?s really not worth it. Tekken 6 was damn near unplayable when it first came out and ?Soulcalibur IV had lag issues that meant anticipation was more important than reaction. The online experience was a priority for Namco Bandai this time around and they have not disappointed. It?s a lot tighter than before, understandably not as responsive as offline play, but not far off. Fights that have three bars on the ping tend to be a bit slower but this reduces the lag. Four bars and higher and the difference from offline play is negligible. It?s actually possible to block blows on reaction rather than guess work. Needless to say, patches will most likely be implemented, but for now, Soulcalibur V is the tightest online fighter that I?ve played.

A Visceral Experience

Character creation is back and this instalment boasts even more options so that you?ll come across some truly awful and wonderful creations when fighting others around the world. One of the nicer features new to this installment is where you can take a picture of your character with different poses, frames and backgrounds to use as your thumbnail in the Astral Home (the game lobby).

And your crazy character creations will look especially good because Soulcalibur V is a beautiful game. There is so much detail in each of the fighters, as well as in the backgrounds. Stages are varied and creative. A favourite of mine is one in which a group of soldiers are grappling with a rope-bound giant monster thing in the background throughout your fight.

Musically, there is the standard fanfare and I particularly like the version of Assassin?s Creed II?s theme included especially for guest character Ezio Auditore. The majority of the voice acting has gone through a vast improvement, however it?s a shame to see that you?re unable to change individual character?s voice-overs to Japanese or English. All must be one or the other. If you?re British, then prepare to cringe at Ivy?s hideous over-the-top English accent; otherwise, the overall presentation is excellent.

The Final Verdict

More can be said about almost every feature of Soulcalibur V, but this would rob you of finding out for yourself each little wonder. This is by far the most satisfying 3D fighting game on the market, and this latest edition has excelled its predecessors in every way. Soulcalibur V was demanded by the fans, made for the fans and will no doubt please them, too. Fighting game aficionados, your new addiction is finally here.

Mark of Excellence Award Stamp - BNBGAMING