Soul Calibur 5 is the most recent entry in the popular weapon-based fighting game franchise. It hopes to reinvent the series by introducing a new story while revamping the gameplay. While it’s story lacks in comparison to previous Soul Calibur games, Soul Calibur 5 manages to be a great fighting game with fun, competitive gameplay.
The story is set 17 years after the events of Soul Calibur 4 and focuses on two new characters, Patroklos and Phyrra. The two are the children of Sophita, who played a prominent role in the past Soul games. Phyrra is inflicted with malfestation, a curse inflicted on her by the evil sword known as Soul Edge. She and her brother travel Europe in hopes of finding a cure and defeating Soul Edge.
Unfortunately, Soul Calibur 5’s story fails to impress; especially when compared to previous Soul Calibur games. Many of the new characters lack personality and are boring (not all are thankfully). Most of them barely appear in the story anyway; which makes you wonder whether they put much thought into the writing. To makes matters worse, all of the new characters were made to replace characters from earlier Soul Calibur games, who are a lot more interesting than the new ones. There are also plot holes that make the story confusing at some moments. Some events don’t make sense, and I was frequently left wondering what happened to certain characters. It isn’t the worse story present in a video game, but it certainly doesn’t have the quality previous Soul Calibur games had.
Thankfully, while Soul Calibur 5’s story fails, it’s gameplay excels. Combat is fun, fast, and competitive; making it perfect for hardcore gamers. It is also easy for newcomers to pick up a controller and start playing as well. The game’s online mode allows players from all around the world to fight, and even chat while watching other people play. For those who are not interested in online play, V.S. mode allows two people to play against each other. If you’re the type that likes to play alone, there’s arcade mode which let’s you play against the computer. Finally, there’s a character creation mode that allows you to create your own character to use in the game. With the addition of a leveling system that rewards you with unlockables as you play, Soul Calibur 5 will keep you coming back for more.
Gameplay aside, Soul Calibur 5 also has great graphics and sound. The music is top notch, with a variety of tracks that perfectly fit the game‘s fast paced action. Voice acting is also well done; despite the fact some of the characters are a bit dull. As for the graphics, Soul Calibur 5 happens to be one of the most visually appealing fighting games to date; featuring beautiful stages and characters.
Despite having a lackluster story, Soul Calibur 5 is a great game that features fun, competitive gameplay, great visuals, and a nice soundtrack to boot. With online multiplayer, character creation, and a variety of unlockables, you’ll keep yourself occupied for a while. If you enjoy fighting games, and don’t mind one with a bad story, Soul Calibur 5 may be the game for you.
The Geeky PK 