SoulCalibur V (Xbox 360)
ReviewsWelcome back to the stage of history.
Posted 1st February 2012, 10:11am in Games / By Michael J Fax
And if you count how many times we said SoulCalibur in that one paragraph, and times that by 1000 SoulCaliburs then any SoulCalibur fan should find the latest installment exactly what they're looking for. SoulCalibur (this one wasn't necessary).
That's the thing with long-running franchises though, it's more important not to mess things up than create a brand new game. And it's also one of the more jarring flaws with this game. Revamped characters, new personalities, an engaging story, proper online play facilities – yeah, it's all there, but at its heart it is the same old school beat 'em up it's always been.
SoulCalibur V's story, oddly, revolves around two new characters – Sophitia's son Pratroklus and his search for his sister Pyrrha. Taking place in the year 1607, it's told with an endearing melodrama, particularly with Pyrrha who pleads for peace before smashing three shades of shit out of everyone; outpouring empathy as she nuts her enemies. However, it's short. Really short. And with very little in the way of replay value, you'd be forgiven for overlooking it completely. Stuck in the shoes of two new characters, it can be difficult to get to grips with if you're not fond of their fighting styles, however all the oldies are there to play with later. Ahh, Nightmare, how we've missed your cheesy, angry ways. There's also a guest appearance from Ezio Auditore of Assassin's Creed infamy, who handles well but seems to have no reason for being there at all.
As always, SoulCalibur is a game of timing and rhythm. While it's possible to button bash your way to victory, what's special about the series is how it's almost an arcade-style dance. Knowing when to block and when to attack, what moves to utilise, how long they take to play out – it can all become an orchestrated thing of beauty at times. Equally though, particularly online, this can see your face being pummelled by the expertise of hardened players.
Unfortunately, the fights are not always a slick and organised musical – dodging and blocking can be hit or miss and the bulky characters, if you're timing is way off, can seem worryingly sluggish.
Most notable changes to the battles include a Street Fighter-esque Critical Edge power bar that fills up and unleashes a special attack. Luckily, and equally unluckily, the special attacks don't seem to have quite the impact you want. When it goes right, though, fuck does it go right! Sidestepping the opponents and guarding bonuses aplenty, it can often feel like an intuitive and fluid dream. It's likely you'll leave one fight with the sublime, ego-boosting and glorious feeling that it all went your way due to your own hardened and refined skills, only to have that cruelly ripped from you in the next round by a quick and perfect defeat.
So, that's us finished the story mode and the arcade modes in about, ohhh, four hours! What now?! Take it to the world. SoulCalibur V's online play is more refined than its predecessor, with a more complete set of options to choose from when setting up a lobby of violence, plus the control over character creation allows you more freedom to show off your bizarre concoctions. Stat tracking and levelling up sits well to character creation, with unlockable armour, clothes and styles to dress up your terrifyingly raging dolls.
Ultimately, SoulCalibur V is likely to become the go-to game for newcomers to the series. Its accessible and old-school glory is one that should appease its most hardest fans as well as complete beginners. With a story campaign that seems depressingly short, and limited Arcade options for offline play, there seems to be more of a push towards online play this time round. Which is great – smashing opponents up with a devastating array of moves is a mouth-watering piece of lovely that should last long enough to wear out the disc. But, perhaps, there's too little to actually do alone. A longer story mode, and more variation for offline play would make this an unbeatable delight. The reluctance to really change anything is both something to breathe a sigh of relief about as much as it's something cowardly. Nobody wants to rock the boat, but some daring leaps forward may have ruffled the repetitive feathers of its single player mode. Regardless, SoulCalibur V makes up for some of the stuff we've had to endure with the series in the past. All is forgiven! Welcome back to the stage of history!
SoulCalibur V is available on 3rd February for Xbox 360 and PS3.
Rating: 8/10
DIY Radio Now Playing
DIY Radio Now Playing
Elsewhere on DIY
NewsThe xx Announce US Tour Dates
Posted 7 hours ago
RSS Feed
Comments