Soulcalibur V
Review
Swords at the ready
by Ryan Sandrey
reviewed on X360
The Heart and Soul (cntd)
However, the depth of the multiplayer lies in the online modes. Alongside the player matches included within the game, there are other options included as well, to whet your competitive appetite. Alongside the matchmaking facilities that allow you to cross swords with players from all over the world and be ranked according to your amount of victories, there is also the Global Colosseo mode. If you want to enter tournaments, chat with other fighters or simply have some casual battles, this is the place to go, with lobbies for most major regions. With replays, rivals and leaderboards included as well, there is plenty of room for you to step up and prove your dominance, or uselessness, in SoulCalibur V, with little or no lag affecting play.
The Warriors
Of course, all of the various modes are useless without a full roster of characters to complete them, and this is an area where SoulCalibur V shines, allowing you to choose from 25 fighters. Alongside series veterans like Ivy and shines, allowing you to choose from 25 fighters. Alongside series veterans like Ivy and Cervantes, there are a host of new faces or character reinventions to battle with, including Leixia and SoulCalibur V’s guest of honour, Ezio Auditore from Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series. Once you add in the massively improved customization options and character creation, this means a whole host of fighters are available for players to use or battle with in the game. There is also a special guest cameo from the producer of both SoulCalibur and Tekken, Katsuhiro Harada, in Quick Battle mode. With several of the fighters from previous titles evolving in style or weaponry, and a whole host of new characters as well, SoulCalibur V is a refreshing but familiar experience for veterans of the series.
Wrapping up SoulCalibur V’s strong offering is the presentation of the title. Quite simply, the game is stunning. The graphics are crisp and vibrant, with character models and stages all benefitting from a well-polished look. The FMVs that intersperse the Story mode are stunningly crafted as well, rounding off a strong visual showing. Although the current generation is showing its age, Namco Bandai have managed to squeeze a considerable amount of beauty out of it once more with the new engine they have used. The audio design is relatively weak in comparison, however, with the beautiful orchestral score juxtaposed against generic and uninteresting voice acting. Since it’s a fighting game though, not many people will notice nor particularly care about the voice acting once they’ve completed the story mode.
Victory
SoulCalibur Vimproves on previous iterations in nearly every department, providing a deeper and more challenging experience whilst still allowing it to be very accessible. Requiring more skill than its Namco stablemate Tekken, it can at first appear a daunting experience, but the game soon draws you in until you’re addicted. If you’re a newcomer to the series, then SoulCalibur V is the perfect game to start at, with a whole host of characters that are well-balanced and rewarding to play as.
With the amount of gameplay available to you, and the customization options allowing you to craft a fighter of your very own based on another character’s style, there’s plenty for you to do, new combos to learn and a whole host of multiplayer options for you to prove your worth. With all of this including in such a aesthetically pleasing package, if you’re a fan of fighting games, either casually or as an addict, then there is no logical reason why you shouldn’t own SoulCalibur V.
9.0
fun score
Pros
A brilliant game, with lots of playability, a well balanced roster, and stunning visuals.
Cons
Story Mode is a bit dull, with the generic voice acting and predictable story providing no excitement. Can at first be daunting.
