SoulCalibur V hands-on preview
SoulCalibur V marks the comeback of one of gamings best-loved fighting series, ready to take on the best of the rest on both PS3 and Xbox 360. SoulCalibur V doesn’t hit the shops till February, but that didn’t stop Stephen Ebert getting a sneak peek at how the newest fighting game on the block is shaping up. First impressions this way…
Would you believe that it’s been four years since SoulCalibur 4 hit the shops? We barely could. So much has changed since then. But was there ever danger that the SoulCalibur series would lose ground on its rivals?
Not a chance. It’s as if the series never left. Gameplay remains as free-flowing as ever. Yes, there are tweaks to some of the mechanics, but the core SoulCalibur gameplay remains. There’s that rare breed of gameplay that anybody can pick up, yet beneath the controls lies a breadth of tactical opportunities for fighting experts to master.
In with the new
New Brave Edge and Critical Edge are powerful unblockable attacks capable of dealing nearly a whole health bar worth of damage. We say unblockable. A Guard Impact feature triggered by a combination of button presses can repel these moves, but at the expense of a critical meter. It is when this critical meter is filled that players can activate the Critical Edge attacks, so players have the choice whether to fight on the offence, or defensively.
A fresh batch of characters have been added to the mix and replaced with similar foes. Xiba, for example is a staff-wielding combatant similar to the now departed Kilik. Soul Calibur fans need not fear – most of the the old favourites are still there.
A special guest appearance sees Assassin’s Creed protagonist Ezio Autidore take to the stage with an array of lethal close quarter moves, fitting in as if he belongs. His close-quarter style most suited to players with a bit of patience. In the right hands, he could be handy.
A new quest of heroes
In the story mode, players control Patroklos, who must fight his way through soldiers and evil minions in pursuit of the powerful Soul Edge sword, in a story narrated by dramatic cut-scenes and hand-drawn storyboards. Just like previous SoulCalibur games, we’re hoping for more weapon collecting and challenges along the way.
On the side players will find a character creation tool letting them tinker with an existing fighter, or create a new one from scratch. It’s an easy to use tool offering a wealth of possibilities, both fun and deadly.
Conclusion
It rounds up what is already looking like another great fighter capable of sitting alongside the likes of Street Fighter, Tekken and Marvel vs Capcom as another top game in the genre. There’s never been a better time to be a beat-em-up fan. SoulCalibur V is looking great. We can’t wait to play it some more. Look out for our full review soon.
SoulCalibur V reaches stores on 3rd February 2012
