Soulcalibur V Review

After Soulcalibur IV released four years ago, fans were left wondering whether there would be another main entry into the franchise. However, following online petitions Namco Bandai and Project Soul caved - Soulcalibur V was the result. In many ways, the game doesn't stray too far from its roots, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, the Soulcalibur franchise has always had a strong reputation for its ability to make weapon-based combat fluid.

Soulcalibur V mixes things up a bit by introducing a host of new characters and removing some of the stalwart characters from the franchise. Gone are heroes such as Cassandra, Seong Mi-Na, Talim, Rock and Taki and in their place we have Leixia, Natsu, Patroklos, Pyrrha and Z.W.E.I. There are of course still plenty of household names though, with Siegfriend, Cervantes, Voldo and Mitsurugi appearing yet again.

The story focusses on the quest of Patroklos, as he looks to be reunited with his sister, Pyrrha. They're the son and daughter of Sophitia, but end up on opposite sides of the war. Patroklos must wield Soul Calibur, while Pyrrha ends up wielding Soul Edge. Conflict is therefore inevitable.

It doesn't quite have the quality of some of the past installments, but at least there's still a consistent narrative that allows you to experience different characters, or variations of the same characters. It gives you a reason for fighting, and that's good enough.

When it comes to gameplay, the core is still there. However, Project Soul has attempted to bring the game more in-line with what other fighting games are offering. For that reason, there are quite a few additions to the mix.

For example, you're now able to perform "Brave Edge" and "Critical Edge" attacks. These are akin to super moves, which have become common place in 2D fighters, allowing you to charge your Critical Meter and execute a powerful attack. The more bars you've charged, the more damage your attack will do.

Guard Impact has also been modified to make it more difficult to perform, but also slightly more forgiving. Whereas in previous games, you had to press block + forward at the correct time, now you must press every button + back. However, you don't need to account for the height of the attack, but some of your Critical Meter is used upon a successful Guard Impact. It's also possible to perform a Just Guard, which is the result of blocking at the exact moment of the strike.