Soulcalibur 6 Review
"Soulcalibur 6" delivers exciting combat with new features, engaging story modes and a solid roster, making it a standout fighting game.
After six years, Soulcalibur is back with its seventh main game. It keeps the weapon-based combat fans love but adds new mechanics to make it feel fresh and competitive.
The story goes back to its origins, retelling the events of the original Soulcalibur, with two engaging story modes that make the tale of swords and souls more approachable than ever.
More than anything, Soulcalibur 6 is simply fun. It’s enjoyable to play, learn, and watch, and even when minor presentation issues pop up, they hardly affect the overall experience.
Everything that viewers adore about the series is mechanically back: With its 8-Way Run, well-balanced system of horizontal and vertical assaults, and engaging weapon-based fighting, each character feels strong and distinct.
A new feature is the Reversal Edge mechanic, where players block hits and counter with a strike, starting a rock-paper-scissors-style minigame. While it might seem based on luck, it adds strategy to the fights. For example, Kilik’s kick does little damage but can be a smart move to counter certain attacks.
Reversal Edge: A Strategic Mechanic That Enhances Mid-Match Mind Games
Both vertical and horizontal attacks let Kilik deal significant follow-up damage, with horizontal attacks even allowing a combo into a Critical Edge. Each character benefits differently from a Reversal Edge clash, rewarding players who take the time to learn and adding depth to the mind games in matches.
Every character also has a Soul Charge, which is triggered by spending a bar of meter. This gives characters a unique buff and access to powerful moves and combos, adding more distinction between them. Players must decide between using the meter for a big move or a Soul Charge for longer, sustained damage.
The rest of Soulcalibur 6’s mechanics refine an already great combat system. Guard impacts no longer cost meter, and lethal hits work similarly to crush counters in Street Fighter 5. Despite new mechanics, Soulcalibur 6 remains one of the easiest fighting games to pick up and have fun with, even for beginners.
A Timeless Tale of Souls and Swords
Libra of Souls and Soul Chronicle are the two story modes in Soulcalibur 6, both covering the same timeline in different ways.
Libra of Souls is an RPG-like mode centered around your custom character, “The Conduit.” You level up, buy gear, and complete unique missions across Europe and Asia. While it starts slow, without voice acting or cutscenes, it quickly becomes engaging with its varied missions, challenging combat, and RPG elements that add depth and progression.
Although the lack of voice acting can make the story feel dry, the overall plot and character encounters kept me hooked until the end.
All Playable Characters in Soulcalibur 6 So Far
Soul Chronicle is the main story mode in Soulcalibur 6. It follows the trio of Kilik, Maxi, and Xianghua as they chase Nightmare and the cursed sword, Soul Edge. Fully voice-acted, it offers a traditional story experience. You can also play mini-campaigns for each character, seeing what they’re doing during the same timeline. These mini-stories are laid out on a timeline, allowing you to choose the order. It’s a fun way to explore each character’s journey and ties the roster together well.
Soul Chronicle mode is a great addition, tying the character roster together smoothly. Soulcalibur 6 also includes Arcade Mode, Training Mode, and online play. However, Training Mode feels basic, with no combo challenges or in-depth guides beyond tips hidden in menus. Online matches felt smooth, improving the series’ past netcode issues.
On a base Xbox One, load times are long, taking up to a minute between matches, but they’re shorter on Xbox One X and PlayStation 4. The roster is small with only 20 characters, but fan favorites are included, and Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher series joins as a guest fighter with a unique style.
Conclusion
Soulcalibur 6 has few minor issues like a small character roster and longer load times but it still excels with its new features. Reversal Edge and Soul Charge mechanics add more strategy to the fights, making battles more interesting and fun. Reversal Edge lets players guess their opponent’s next move while Soul Charge gives characters temporary power boosts to turn tide of battle.
The game also has two strong single-player modes. Libra of Souls allows you to create your own character, level up, and go on missions, while Soul Chronicle tells the story of the main characters and ties everything together. Even though the roster only includes 20 characters, it features fan favorites, and Geralt from The Witcher is a cool addition to the game.
Overall, Soulcalibur 6 is a great game for all players, offering exciting combat, fun story modes and hours of entertainment.
