SoulCalibur VI Reviews
SoulCalibur VI tries to provide a comprehensive package, but the single player offerings are still lacking. The fighting system is solid, but it's the package that lacks something special.
Newbies with no real attachment to the Soulcalibur franchise will find that reversal edges only go so far and quickly become frustrated by the underlying complexity, while old-timers will quickly get sick of CPUs (and trolls online, no doubt) spamming reversal edges to slow down and drag out matches. At first glance, Soulcalibur VI looks to take the balance of Soulcalibur V and marry it with the better characters and story of the early games by returning to the events of the Dreamcast original and Soulcalibur II, but it falls all over itself in too many ways to recommend to fans or newcomers.
The general feeling with Soulcalibur VI is disappointment. We simply expected more from a game we waited six years for. The story is lacking, it’s graphically unappealing, and it doesn’t even have a decent tutorial to explain how the game works or how to fundamentally play each character.
SoulCalibur VI is a fresh game which also hits the nostalgia chords very well.
SoulCalibur VI tries to go back to its roots and mostly succeeds. It is far from being the game expected after waiting so long for the sixth entry, with low quality visuals, long loading times, and not much improvement over the same old combat, but if the return of old character favourites and that classic gameplay is what is sought after, this will do the job, with plenty to do for the solo player in story modes, although there is a lack of options outside of that.
Soul Calibur VI is the best looking and best playing game of the series, but the number of available options and characters is lacking. Fighting game fans will still have a blast in this stage of history, but don't be surprised if it leaves you wanting more.
SoulCalibur VI as a fighting game is all style over substance. While it retains most of its tactical combat it is easily the most user-friendly title in the series and for some longtime fans, that may be more discouraging than a return to form.
SoulCalibur VI is a fantastic looking entry in the series, but beyond that feels like something of a missed opportunity. The core combat remains as vibrant, weighty and enjoyable as ever, but the Reversal Edge adds in an element of chance that feels at odds with what most fighting games set out to achieve. The two interminably dull story modes don't help either, with players left to rely on the the straightforward arcade and online modes for their kicks.
In a market full of fighting games that deliver nuanced single-player and multiplayer modes, having a solid fighter just isn't enough to rely on. While the fighting is fun, fast and full of varied technical layers, SoulCalibur VI doesn't offer enough beyond the core vs aspect to set it apart as something special.
All in all, Soulcalibur VI is fun, despite all of its problems, and I think it's all that matters in a fighting game. If we also take into account the developer's propensity to bring in characters from other games, such as The Witcher or Sonic, it moves the game to another meta-level. And that's definitely something that players will want.
If you just want a fun 3D fighting game with no extras, then Soulcalibur VI is the grand revival of the franchise you have been waiting for. If you want something more, Soulcalibur VI doesn't offer nearly as much as other fighting games on the market.
SoulCalibur VI's combat could crack even the toughest case of fighting game-phobia; it's strategic, fluid, and deep, but remains as accessible as ever. It's unfortunate that it's hampered by a lack of interesting modes, and that its hefty single-player offerings attempt to shift the focus away from the robust combat system and towards stale, cumbersome stories.
A fighter with a great roster and exciting brawls, let down by an undercooked singleplayer component.
After all is said and done, there's no denying that SoulCalibur VI's core gameplay is solid while offering some fresh mechanics.
If you're into fighting games, you don't want to miss SoulCalibur VI especially because its online multiplayer mode doesn't have all the headaches of Tekken 7. Also fights are quite fun enough to enjoy.
Review in Persian | Read full review
For $60, you'll get a dozen playable characters, a cut-off story into two parts, a good personal design that's fine in depth, and an online fun that increases the quality of the game, but if you hate reading a lot of texts and repeating the battles themselves, think twice before buying this game for its story.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
It’s a must-own game even if you’re not a fan.
While there are some nagging issues, Soul Calibur VI represents a huge step in the right direction. It does not make me more of a fan of this series than I am of their other 3D fighting game, but I had a lot more fun than I expected. One disadvantage to having so much fun with the game is that I now want to go back and play through The Witcher 3 again as soon as possible (for the seventh time through). That is only a problem because of how many other great games there are to play right now, and Soul Calibur VI is definitely one of those great games. Not only is the $59.99 full price justified, but I can’t blame anyone for spending an additional $29.99 for the Season Pass. That is a bit steep, but 2B fans are going to be chomping at the bit to get their hands on her as a fighter. Meanwhile in the fighting game community, we are again flooded with a glut of riches for new quality games. Plan on seeing a very large presence for Soul Calibur VI at the next Evo. With this game, the series is at it’s best place in a very long time, possibly ever.
"Soulcalibur VI" proves to be a modern, albeit slightly superficial, beat 'em up classic. Even though the fighting engine has undergone a noticeable fine-tuning, giving the game a pleasantly tactical depth, there's no point in looking for groundbreaking innovations. Especially the staging outside the fights is sometimes very unkind, so that "Soulcalibur VI" rather moves in the shadow of other beat 'em up's. All in all a technically round title with a decent amount of scope, inviting fans of beatings to entertaining game sessions.
Review in German | Read full review
The best tale of souls and swords in a generation