REVIEW
: A prequel, SoulCalibur 6 is a welcomed "reboot" ofsorts... aiming to bring back old school players from the glorious arcade dayswhile attracting a new generation of gamers with enticing visuals, characters, and mechanics thatall levels of players can enjoy. The timeline of SoulCalibur 6 is set somewhere between theconclusion of Soul Edge and SoulCalibur 2, offering a nostalgicroster of timeless fan-favorites along with some brand new faces, and guestcharacters, of course! With two unique story modes, SoulCalibur 6 will retell the legendary tale of souls and swords for a new generation.Like TEKKEN 7,Soul Calibur 6 runs on Unreal Engine 4 to provide the sharpest visualspossible. But first things first... the quality gap in graphics between the PS4 Pro /XB1 versions and the PC version is a bridge wider thanthat of TEKKEN 7. I was slightly worried about SC6's visuals early on,mainly due to the lackluster (and somewhat generic) stage designs, along withsome "under-polished" charactermodels. In my opinion, older installments (namely SC4 & SC5) hadmore atmospheric stages, better lighting, and more artistically inspiringvisuals for the time. That said, ata quick glance, SC6 might not impress those who remember the series'groundbreaking graphical achievements of years past. However, when you take in thefull presentation, SC6 shines in many areas that otherfighting games don't.
This time around... glowing weapon trails, hit sparks, and special effects takevisual prominence over stage and character details. These colorful elements vibrantly fill the screen during the most intense momentsof battle (and some effects also seem to be cool throwbacks to a few classicgames - are those Strider beams I see?). 
Heavy background blur is present when characters are near one another and takessome getting used to, but also helps focus on the action at hand (and can beremoved in the PC version). Closer details such as character clothing, facialexpressions, and muscle anatomy are in line with previous installments... but perhaps not"the best" of the series (considering the time of release). Thesedetails, in particular, look much sharper in the PC version, especiallywhen the game is running at max settings (or close to). At its core,SC6's graphics engine is beautiful. I only hope Namco will give SC6 its bestopportunity toshine by updating it with a greater variety of stages, characters and classic costumes,which alone could vastly improve the overall visual presentation. Ironically enough, wehave the guest characters to thank for some of the best-looking stages in thegame: Replica Kaer Morhen and City Ruins: Eternal Apocalypse.
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| SoulCalibur 6 character select screen art by Takuji Kawano. |
With Motohiro Okubo at the helm, thankfully Namco was able recreatethe fast gameplay responsiveness of the pinnacle of the series, Soul Calibur2... all while balancing and blending the best current-gen mechanics offighting games. All characters have uniquelydifferent options during this slow-motion sequence, including movement options,making it much more complex than a simple "3 choice rock/paper/scissors" guessinggame. After a Reversal Edge connects, players can choose either to perform a Horizontalattack, Vertical attack, Kick, Block, Sidestep left/right, or move Forward/Back.The end result can be a guard break, connected attack, a successful sidestep (with acounter-attack opportunity), or even initiate a character-specific andpotentially powerful combo for the winningcharacter. Did I mention Reversal Edge looks freakin' awesome?
The TEKKEN 7 team let Project Soul copy their homework... AKA their revolutionary in-game "slow motion" camera technology, which Project Soulutilized within SCVI's unique Reversal Edge system. Theseslow-motion effects mixed with Soul Calibur's trademark fire, lightning,and special move sparks come together to create a very satisfying and "new" visualexperience for the franchise. While some visual elements of SCVI are notnearly as polished as previous installments, the new visual style and camerawork make up for it. Speaking of camera work, onething I think needs improvement is the camera during character intros and replays, which seems like ithasn't been upgraded in over a decade.However, the cinematic camera angles during Critical Edge super moves is veryimpressive. It does. Each fighter also shows off their own unique blocking animations whileReversal Edge is active - which is very appreciated attention to detail,especially for a martial arts-based fighting game. While Reversal Edge might notbe everyone's cup of tea... the good news is, the game doesn't force you to useit.
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| Quality DLC characters & stages! PC graphics in 4K = Sharp. |
Worry not, old school players... Guard Impacts are back anddo NOT cost meter like in SCV(perhaps the prequel's most notable gameplay flaw). The streamlined GI nowconnects against Highs, Mids, and Lows... as the high/low system of SC2 has beensimplified (both a good thing and a bad thing, I'd say). The timing window forGI has also been toned down, but not to the point where it could be called"easy" (yes, GI still requires skill). On the other hand, Reversal Edgedoesn't require the strict timing of a Guard Impact, and can prove usefulfor both beginner and higher-level players. At its core, Reversal Edge aims togive beginner/intermediate players a "chance" against the fearsomeoffense of the practiced high-level warriors, "resetting" their momentum. Reversal Edge canbe a smart play during a match when being overwhelmed... as it literally"slows down" the fundamentals of a 3D fighting game, allowing eachplayer to try to guess their opponent's next move. Depending on your opponent'sposition on the stage, their aggression level, and their motive... one can definitely predict (not guess) their opponent's decision in Reversal Edge. 
THEMINDGAMES ARE REAL.
SoulCharge also makes its return, but is a completely revamped system for SoulCalibur6. Costing 1 meter of the Soul Gauge, Soul Charge is a temporary power-up(not unlike V-Trigger from Street Fighter V, but lest we forget SoulCalibur introduced this concept first). 
Upon initiation, Soul Charge pushes the opponent back with ashockwave and unlocks a variety of unique & powered-up attacks / abilities for each fighter.Comparatively to what Soul Charge offered back in the SC2 days, the newSoul Charge gives characters waaaay more offensive options than ever before. Characters such as Kilik, Grøh, and Azwel arealso given a dramatic visual overhaulduring their Soul Charge activation.
Also costing 1 meter, each fighter has ahard-hitting CriticalEdge super move. Against an attacking opponent, CriticalEdge attacks are very easy to connect, but can be blocked, sidestepped, GuardImpacted, and defended with Reversal Edge and immediately punished! When a character winswith Critical Edge, they will finish the roundwith a special cinematic animation. LethalHit is a special counter-attack which initiates when fulfilling specificconditions of the move (depending on what the opponent is doing). Lethal Hitwill also destroy the corresponding part of the opponent's armor. Certain high damage combos also becomepossible after a Lethal Hit connects - the most damaging combos in thegame, in fact. SC6 also features a successor to SCV's Just Guard defense system called Perfect Guard (tapping block at the perfect time an attack lands) which negates chip damage andbuilds meter for the Soul Gauge. Armor Breaks from SC4/SC5 alsooccur in various situations and visually alter characters' attire duringgameplay.
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| Yes, Cervantes looks like Rugal Bernstein... Art by Hiroaki! |
A second story mode... Libra of Soul takes inspiration fromfan-favorite 1-player modes of past titles, such as Weapon Master and Chronicle ofthe Sword. Libra of Soul has players create and fully customize their ownunique warrior who will appear in a cinematicstoryline alongside Soul Calibur veterans (and Geralt of Rivia from TheWitcher series).
Soul Calibur VI's SoulChronicle story mode, based on the ongoing struggle for the two swords,features a variety of "paths" for each character, retellingtheir original motive and storyline with new plot elements. Players will runinto generic opponents in succession untileventually confronting their character's main rival (or rivals). This mode features an over-the-shoulder cameraangle option and fully-voiced cutscenes (in English, too)! Story mode is complimented with beautiful hand-drawn 2D illustrationsfrom legendary fighting gameartist, Hiroaki.While Soul Chronicle surely isn't the epic SoulCalibur "Hollywood-style" interactive movie that certain hardcorefans might want (and play once), it does offer a sort of "preview" of each character's personalityand motivation in the storyline. However, SoulChronicle is the perfect way for beginner players to try out eachfighter's playstyle and moveset, as any fighting game story mode should be.Overall, some characters got sleepier story segments than others (and mostaren't particularly great), but overall it's a cool "bonus" for afighting game and worth a playthrough.
Fans of Character Creation mode will be happy to know that SoulCalibur 6's version of the mode is easily the deepest and mostcustomizable to date. Playershave an entire 100 slots to create and edit a seemingly endlessnumber ofunique characters (or the mainroster) using 1000's of clothing combinations, layers, stickers, and a fullColor Edit feature. 16 racesare available for custom characters, including human, lizard, living skeleton,orc, and several other strange oddities. 
Height, anatomy, facial features, hairstyle,clothes, armor and, of course, weapons & fighting style are also fullycustomizable. Creation also features a screen where you can view communitycreations and even save them for your own use! Obviously, for some... this mode mightbe worth the price of admission, alone.
You've probably seen the insanely imaginative community creations all over theinternet by now, as Creation Mode "wizards" have already recreatedcountless recognizable characters from other series, and then some... indescribableabominations. 
Bandai Namco also plansto add 100's of new (and classic) customization items to the game in the futureupdates (included in the Season Pass). To state the obvious, fighting game fans who might not have the attention span to actually learn how to playSoulCalibur VI will likely get lost having fun in Creation, which is fine... I guess. 
I only hope these casual fans realize that however imaginative and creative they canpossibly be in Creation Mode, actual players are being just as creative (ifnot more) by utilizing the incredibly vast and dynamic character movesets in very creativeways... in actual gameplay. Play. The. Game.
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| Geralt of Rivia from TheWitcher joins SoulCalibur. |
Alongside the return of iconic tried-and-true mechanics like 8-Way-Run,Ring Outs, and Wall Combos... experienced Soul Calibur players will behappy to know that returning characters, amazingly, have a plethora of their classic moves,stance transitions, and cancels from prior installments. In my experience, mostveteran characters play closest to their SC2 counterparts, which is thebest possible decision, if you ask me.
While Soul Calibur VI offersan impressive amount of single-player content at launch, the title was first andforemost designed to bea balanced and competitive fighting game. Project Soul stated on numerousoccasions that they want to make a game that competitive players will love toplay for years. Thankfully, Bandai Namco has already updated SC6 withtimely bug fixesand balance updates, aiming to provide the best experience possible. Theall-important Online mode doesn't have many bells or whistles, besides letting players conveniently wait for an online opponent in the fullTraining Mode, with their choice of any stage (which is actually a great thing). Most importantly, the netcodeis just as solid as TEKKEN 7's, offering silky smooth fights at 4 and 5bars. It would be nice if Training mode had a few more/better training options (closer to T7's) butit mostly gets the job done. (And I'm proud to say I've spent much more time inTraining than Creation mode.) 
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| Creation Mode is ambitious and fun... actually playing the game is better! |
A 3D FIGHTINGGAME STILL IN TOUCH WITH 2D ARTWORK. . .
While certain other fighting game developers seem to be "playing down" the role of 2Dartwork in fighting games of this era... Namco's 2D illustrators have clearly been busy. Bandai Namco stillcares about 2D artwork in your fighting games, as they already demonstrated in TEKKEN7, and we should still appreciate them for it here in 2019. FightingGame Artwork Legends: HiroakiHashimoto and Takuji Kawano deserveour admiration and respect for these amazing Soul Calibur VI character illustrations, andyou should show your appreciation by supporting and buying this game (andactually learning a character or two, or three)! SoulCalibur IV isunfairly (but understandably) underrated... but it's still a "gem" ifyou ask me, and levels above many other "modern" fighting games of the2010s.
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Page Updated: January 20th, 2024 Developer(s): Bandai Namco (Project Soul), Dimps Publisher(s): Bandai Namco Designer(s): Motohiro Okubo Producer
Yoshinori Takahashi DirectorArtwork by: Takuji Kawano Character Art
Hiroaki Concept / Story Art
Junny Special IllustrationsPlatform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Release Date(s): October 19th, 2018
November 25th, 2019 Season 2Characters: Mitsurugi, Sophitia, Grøh, Nightmare, Kilik, Ivy, Xianghua, Zasalamel, Siegfried, Taki, Yoshimitsu, Maxi, Talim, Voldo, Astaroth, Seong Mi-Na, Tira, Cervantes, Raphael Sorel, Geralt of Rivia, Azwel, Inferno, 2B (DLC), Amy (DLC), Cassandra (DLC), Haohmaru (DLC), Hilde (DLC), Setsuka (DLC), Hwang (DLC)
Featured Video:
Related Games: Soul Calibur V, Soul Calibur:Broken Destiny, Soul Calibur Legends, Soul Calibur: Lost Swords, SoulEdge, Soul Calibur, SoulCalibur 2, Soul Calibur 2: HD Online,Soul Calibur 3, SoulCalibur 3: Arcade Edition, Soul Calibur 4, TEKKEN 7, Blade Strangers, BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, Samurai Shodown (2019), Granblue Fantasy Versus
Gameplay Engine 9.5 / 10 Story / Theme 7.0 / 10 Overall Graphics 8.5 / 10 Animation 9.5 / 10 Music / Sound Effects 9.0 / 10 Innovation 9.0 / 10 Art Direction 9.0 / 10 Customization 9.5 / 10 Options / Extras 9.5 / 10 Intro / Presentation 6.0 / 10 Replayability / Fun 10 / 10 "Ouch" Factor 9.0 / 10 Characters 9.5 / 10 BOTTOM LINE
9.1/ 10
Reviewbased on Steam / PS4 Pro version
Final Words: It was clear to me in the first few hours of playing the beta that Namco made agreat fighting game. As someone who enjoyed SC2 competitively for 15+ years (strongly preferring it over all other entries all this time), I can tell you that SC6 plays just as good (dare I saybetter, in some ways)as my beloved SC2. I wasn't expecting this to happen, either. SC6 is a true love letter todedicated players of the series. If youcan understand the frustration of being "disappointed" by certain gameplayaspects of SC3, SC4,and SC5... then you can take comfort in the fact that the remedy has arrived, and it'scalled SoulCalibur 6. Buy it.
While SC6 seems a bit "low budget" compared to other major fighting games in recent times... SC6 is packed with plenty of content at launch, and Bandai Namco's DLC support extended its lifespan. SC6 is actually the first game in the series to receive post-launch support, and it's great to see Namco didn't forget about such aniconic and influential series to the world of fighting games. Knowing Namco is building upon what's already great in SC6 is a positive outlook on the future (as us old school fighting game plays didn't have such a convenient thingback inthe Arcade/PS1/PS2 days). This is what makes things like DLC and "Season Passes" avery good thing for a modern 2019 fighting game — a game worth putting time into, mind you.
For "casuals" and fans of single-player content, SoulCalibur VI alreadyoffers far more than the typical fighting game. Two story modes, a robustCreation mode, Color Edit, Gallery, etc. Once you stop wasting timeenjoying the hell out of Creation mode and making ugly (or pretty)characters, get your ass into Practice Mode and learn how good SoulCalibur 6actually is.
I try to be a simple man, when I can. I don't need too manythings in life. But one thing I need are great fighting games that take yearsto master. Games that are funand rewarding to learn for years (not just fun to look at). I don't likewasting time with games that aren't built to last. Thanks to the deep combat mechanics, dynamic movesets, and balance of SC6... I already know that I'll most likely be adding SC6 to my list of "all time" favorites.Yep, it's actually that good. How do I know? Because I don't feel I'm "good enough" at thegame, even after my 150+ hours of playing it. A game like SC6 iswhy I still play fighting games competitively.
In an era where balance patches and free content can arrive at any time (a practice thatextended TEKKEN 7's lifespan by years — one of the most impactful fighting game success stories of this generation), one would think SoulCalibur6 will follow a similar path if Bandai Namco plays their cardsright.
(Ipromise not to forget about you, TEKKEN 7.) I guess it's a good thingwhen my current "biggest problem in life" is time management between playingTEKKEN 7 and SoulCalibur 6. Don't I have a website and social media profiles to run, too?Good thing I'm not single.
I must be one with time.
Obviously, I'm beyond ecstatic to finally have one of my all-time favorite fighting game franchises back in the spotlight after such a long absence. Us SoulCalibur players had to wait a good 6 years for aproper new installment (much longer if you want to count from SC2), but the wait was worth it. One of my most enjoyable EVO '18 moments waswatching the SC6 exhibition... and the full game wasn't even outyet. Shoutout to the epic commentary by Aris and Markman, too. (Love thoseguys.) I truly hope SC6 catches on with the current climate of the FGC and remains a major competitive titlefor years into the future, because quite honestly, this game deserves it.Unfortunately, most "gamers" of this generation are too lazy to learna complex 3D fighting game like SoulCalibur 6, but Bandai Namco has done everythingconceivably in their power to make this game attractive to all types of fightinggame players.
Even though "1-button" super moves are now a thing, the game still has a steep learning curve. By far, SC6 is the most accessibleinstallment in years, while locking down a pretty high skill ceiling for playersstriving to master the mechanics & match-ups. Once you learn the ropes andfully understand how the "beginner-friendly" mechanics work, you'lldiscover a mountain of new possibilities and depth... especially if you're a "creative"type of player. If for some reason you don't see or feel the amazing depth... either you're lacking fundamentals,you're using the wrong character, you're stuck in the simple "2D fightinggame-based flowchart" mentality, or you're relying too much on beginner's mechanics (which are good, by theway... for beginners).
When all is said and done... high-level SoulCalibur players still get to playhigh-level SoulCalibur in SC6. That's important. What that means is: In tournament-level play, you'll see smart Guard Impacting, more Soul Gauge activationsthan supers, badass combo setups, fast-paced movement & spacing, and ahealthy balance of offense and defense (not just running up and attacking). FUN FACT: "Yolowake-up supermoves" only work in noob play (most of the time).
I only hope today's generation of players are capable andcreative enough to discover how special and complex of a game SC6actually is.
SC6 being a prequel / reboot is an intriguing and smart direction for thefranchise, andhas opened the door for one of the best character rosters to date. More importantly thanthe legacy these characters already have, each fighter's most iconicmoves have been reimagined and repurposed in SC6. Overall, SC6 charactermovesets are a healthy mix of newand old. It almost seems like Namco made each character's moveset as a "GREATESTHITS"love letter for dedicated players and fans of the series. I can't think ofanother fighting game that has done this so seamlessly, besides TEKKEN 7of course. Naturally, of course many players (including myself) still have gripesabout how certain moves have changed or are missing, but if you do your homework,adapt, and experiment, you'll find thateach fighter now has "better" options than the onesyou might've been looking for.MY WISH LIST:
- #1: More Stages. This game needs more stages. Badly. Classic stages: Pirate Ship, Clock Tower, Raft stage, etc. More stages with wall breaks would be cool, too.
- #2. More Guest Characters. Geralt & 2B wereexcellent choices.With Geese Howard now a TEKKEN character, this old school fighting gameris hoping for some more SNKlove with the addition of Samurai Shodown and/or Last Blade characters.SC6's mechanics and visuals are more than perfect for the addition of suchvibrant characters. If we get more characters and stages, SC6's rating could easily move up a few notches.[UPDATE] THANKS BANDAI NAMCO / SNK. <3 Dreams do come true. I've wanted to see SoulCalibur x SamSho for decades. Haohmaru was an amazing choice and Namco did a brilliant job with his moveset & personality. 10/10. Now, please try to get the budget for a full-fledged crossover / sequel! Both series deserve it.
Also throw in Cloud Strife, Sephiroth, a Bloodborne Hunter, etc. Then it will be the best weapon-based fighting gameroster of all time and we can call it a day.
If you appreciate dynamic, complex fighting mechanics over the simpler "dumbed-down" ideas thatcertain games of this era are becoming known for, buy SoulCalibur 6. Ifyouappreciate fighting games that advertise themselves with beautiful 2D hand-drawnartwork of brilliant characters who deserve more attention andrespect... Buy this game. And most importantly, PLAY IT!
~TFGWebmaster | @Fighters_Gen
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(Ipromise not to forget about you, TEKKEN 7.) I guess it's a good thingwhen my current "biggest problem in life" is time management between playingTEKKEN 7 and SoulCalibur 6. Don't I have a website and social media profiles to run, too?Good thing I'm not single.
Thank you for reading, btw.
