Soulcalibur VI | |
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Developer(s) | Bandai Namco Studios Dimps |
Publisher(s) | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
Director(s) | Yoshinori Takahashi |
Producer(s) | Michinori Ozawa Motohiro Okubo |
Designer(s) | Tomofumi Oosaka Takashi Yoshida |
Programmer(s) | Masanori Ota |
Artist(s) | Takuji Kawano Hiroaki Hashimoto |
Writer(s) | Sohei Kamada |
Composer(s) | Junichi Nakatsuru |
Series | Soulcalibur |
Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 4 Windows Xbox One |
Release | October 19, 2018 |
Genre(s) | Fighting |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Soulcalibur VI is a 2018 fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Dimps, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. As the seventh main installment and reboot of the Soulcalibur series, it was released for the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on October 19, 2018. The game revisits events from the first installment, set in the 16th century, with the aim of "uncovering hidden truths." Players engage in combat as they select from a diverse roster of characters, including both returning favorites and new additions.
Soulcalibur VI retains classic mechanics like the 8-Way Run and Guard Impact while introducing innovative gameplay features such as Reversal Edge and a revamped Soul Charge system. The narrative unfolds through two main modes: Soul Chronicle and Libra of Soul. Soul Chronicle presents a linear story focused on the main characters and the threat of Nightmare, featuring individual character storylines that provide depth to the overarching plot. In contrast, Libra of Soul allows players to create a custom character, known as the Conduit, who navigates a journey to close astral fissures and confront the rogue scientist Azwel, ultimately shaping the fate of the world through player choices.
Following the tradition of previous installments in the Soulcalibur series, Soulcalibur VI's gameplay involves two weapon-wielding combatants battling against one another using a 3D system. The game retains many familiar gameplay elements, including the 8-Way Run, Guard Impact, and character creation, while enhancing the traditional formula with the introduction of new mechanics such as Reversal Edge and the newly revamped Soul Charge. [1] The Reversal Edge allows players to defend against an incoming attack and quickly counterattack, accompanied by a slow-motion effect that enables more defensive options for players.
Soulcalibur VI features a base roster of 21 playable characters. Additional characters are made available through downloadable content (DLC) following the game's launch, bringing the total number of characters to 29. Additionally, there are 100 slots for custom characters. [2] New characters introduced in Soulcalibur VI are indicated in italics.
^a Guest character; DLC guests are not part of the game's storyline
^b Unlockable, but unplayable online
^1 2 Number denotes the season in which the character was added as DLC
Soulcalibur VI serves as both a sequel and a reboot to the series, taking place during the 16th century to revisit the events of the first Soulcalibur game/second Soul series game entry in order to "uncover hidden truths." [27] [28] It occurs after the events of Soulcalibur V (which take place during the Soul Chronicles of Cassandra, Amy, and Zasalamel's stories), where Cassandra from the original timeline warns her past self about the grim future facing the Alexandra family. Amy's original future self is revealed to be Viola, and Zasalamel receives a vision from his future self that leads him to abandon his quest for death, choosing instead to guide humanity toward a brighter future.
The plot of Soulcalibur VI begins with a remake of the second Soul game entry, occurring from 1583 to 1589, well before the events of the 1590 trilogy games. The story is divided into two distinct modes. The Soul Chronicle mode is the main narrative, focusing on the primary characters and the immediate threat posed by Nightmare. In this mode, the story unfolds similarly to a visual novel, featuring illustrated, voiced cutscenes that convey the plot and are interspersed with matches that represent significant battles within the story. The main narrative centers around Kilik as he sets out to confront the Soul Edge and Nightmare, primarily taking place in Europe. Additionally, each character is provided with an individual storyline that details their backstories or serves as side narratives to the main plot; one character’s story chapter occurs after the primary narrative, a year prior to the events of the original trilogy.
The second story mode, titled Libra of Soul, takes place shortly after the Evil Seed event of 1583, during which Siegfried acquires the Soul Edge and becomes Nightmare. In this mode, the player creates a custom character who serves as the protagonist. Predominantly set in Asia, the player embarks on a journey to prevent Azwel from recreating the Evil Seed while grappling with their own malfestation. This mode runs concurrently with the main narrative in the Soul Chronicle, and at times, the player character will encounter other characters from the main story.
In 1584, about a year after the Evil Seed ravaged the world, the hero, referred to as the Conduit, awakens from a violent nightmare involving Soul Edge and a mysterious realm. Zasalamel appears before them and explains that the energy of the Evil Seed has linked their soul to the realm known as Astral Chaos. Unless they absorb energy from the astral fissures that have been appearing recently, their soul will be shredded from the pressure, resulting in death. Zasalamel then trains the Conduit to absorb the energy from the fissures and gives them a special scale called the Libra of Soul.
After closing several fissures with the help of Maxi and Mitsurugi, the Conduit is approached by Grøh, Dion, and Natalie, members of the mysterious Aval Organization tasked with hunting down the rogue Aval scientist Azwel and his cult-like followers, the Qualifiers. Knowing only that Azwel has taken an interest in the astral fissures and the circumstances surrounding the Evil Seed, Grøh conscripts the Conduit into their group, as they are the only one capable of closing the fissures. However, Azwel manages to gain the energy from the fissures and reveals his intention to create a similar Evil Seed event he calls the "Ultimate Seed" in order to protect humanity from its own self-destructive tendencies. Grøh, partially corrupted by Soul Edge's evil due to Azwel's meddling, succumbs to the darkness and tackles Azwel off a cliff, but to no avail.
Uncertain of Azwel's plans, the Conduit seeks out Zasalamel for guidance. Zasalamel informs the Conduit that, although their absorption of the fissures has made them stronger and mitigated Astral Chaos's hazardous effects, only Soul Edge and Soul Calibur possess the power to stop Azwel. However, both blades have been sealed away inside Astral Chaos, and the Conduit must draw upon their power through combat with individuals connected to the weapons (Kilik, Xianghua, and Siegfried for Soul Calibur, and Taki, Sophitia, and Cervantes de Leon for Soul Edge). Once they gather enough strength, the Conduit confronts Azwel, and despite Azwel's attempts to use them as the final piece of the Ultimate Seed, the Conduit kills him.
However, before they can rest, the Conduit is contacted by the Aval Organization and informed that Grøh survived his encounter with Azwel but must be eliminated due to his malfestation. After tracking him to Scandinavia, the Conduit once again draws upon the Soul swords to confront him.
The ending of Libra of Souls is influenced by the player's alignment throughout the game. If aligned with darkness, the Conduit draws on Soul Edge and strikes down Grøh before burying him. If aligned with light, the Conduit draws on Soul Calibur and purges Grøh of his malfestation. Grøh then continues his work with the Aval Organization from a distance.
Soulcalibur VI was announced during The Game Awards 2017. [29] Development on the game began over three years prior. [30] Producer Motohiro Okubo described the game as a celebration of the franchise's 20th anniversary. [31] [32] Bandai Namco placed a greater emphasis on story elements compared to previous games in the series. [33] [34] The game utilizes Unreal Engine 4, the same engine used in Bandai Namco's previous fighting game, Tekken 7 . According to Okubo, the title's code name was "Luxor" to reflect the team's intention of creating a brighter experience akin to the original Soulcalibur. Additional mechanics were introduced to assist players with the game's learning curve. [32]
The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on October 19, 2018. [35] Its Collector's Edition included an art book, a soundtrack, a Sophitia statue, and a metal case. [36] A series of season passes for the game each included four additional characters and further items for character customization. [37]
Aggregator | Score |
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Metacritic | PC: 80/100 [38] PS4: 84/100 [39] XONE: 84/100 [40] |
Publication | Score |
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Destructoid | 85% [41] |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8/10 [42] |
Game Informer | 8.75/10 [43] |
GameRevolution | [44] |
GameSpot | 8/10 [45] |
IGN | 8.9/10 [46] |
PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 8/10 |
VideoGamer.com | 8/10 [47] |
4Players | 84% [48] |
HobbyConsolas | 85% [49] |
New York Daily News | [50] |
Soulcalibur VI received generally positive reviews. Both Game Informer and EGM praised the story modes. [43] [42] VideoGamer.com lauded the environments, [47] while Destructoid highlighted the music and the character roster. [41] Game Revolution reviewer Jason Faulkner stated it was "one of the most enjoyable fighting games I’ve ever played." [44] IGN summarized it, saying, "The new mechanics add new layers of strategy and mind games while the one-two punch of Libra of Soul and Soul Chronicle will provide hours upon hours of fantastic single-player content." [46] 4Players praised the netcode, [48] while HobbyConsolas commended the character creation. [49] GameSpot's Tamoor Hussain remarked that the game was "both intuitive and deep." [45] [51] Dead or Alive 6 director and producer Yohei Shimbori expressed confusion over why his series faced criticism for its fan service content, while Soulcalibur VI "can do it and doesn't get a beating over it." [52]
The game reached number 5 in the UK sales chart. [53] In Japan, it sold 24,049 copies within its first week on sale, reaching number 3. [54] It reached number 8 in Australia and number 7 in New Zealand. [55] In the US, it was the 8th most downloaded game of October on the PlayStation Store. Sales were reported to have increased compared to Soulcalibur V and were also compared to Soulcalibur III , Soulcalibur , and Soul Blade , but still lower than Soulcalibur II and Soulcalibur IV . [56] In 2019, Namco reported the launch as "successful." [57] As of July 2021, the game has sold over two million copies worldwide. [58]
Year | Award | Category | Result |
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2018 | Game Critics Awards | Best Fighting Game | Nominated [59] |
The Game Awards 2018 | Nominated [60] | ||
Gamers' Choice Awards | Fan Favorite Fighting Game | Nominated [61] | |
Titanium Awards | Best Fighting Game | Nominated [62] | |
2019 | New York Game Awards | Raging Bull Award for Best Fighting Game | Nominated [63] |
22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Fighting Game of the Year | Nominated [64] | |
NAVGTR Awards | Franchise, Fighting Game | Nominated [65] | |
SXSW Gaming Awards | Most Promising New eSports Game | Nominated [66] |
Soulcalibur is a 1998 fighting game developed by Project Soul and produced by Namco. It is the second game in the Soulcalibur series, preceded by Soul Edge. Originally released in arcades on July 30, 1998, it ran on the Namco System 12 hardware, and was ported to the Dreamcast console in 1999 with new features and improved graphics.
Soulcalibur II is a 2002 arcade fighting video game developed by Project Soul and published by Namco. It is the third installment in the Soulcalibur series of weapon-based fighting games as the sequel to Soulcalibur (1998). Originally intended to be released on Sega's NAOMI arcade board, the game was built on the Namco System 246 board before being ported to the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox home consoles in 2003.
Soulcalibur III is a 2005 fighting video game produced by Namco as a sequel to Soulcalibur II (2002) and the fourth installment in the Soulcalibur series. It was originally released for the PlayStation 2 and was followed by an improved arcade version, subtitled Arcade Edition, in 2006. It was the last Soulcalibur game to receive an arcade version and was also the last to be released by Namco as an independent company. Soulcalibur III received a mainly positive reception, and it was followed by a sequel under Namco Bandai Games, Soulcalibur IV (2008).
Talim is a character in the Soulcalibur of fighting games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division, she first appeared in Soulcalibur II and in most subsequent titles for the series. The Filipino daughter of a shaman and trained to be a Priest of the Wind, after encountering a fragment of the cursed sword Soul Edge she travels the world to return it to its rightful place. In English, Talim has been voiced by Julie Parker and Kira Buckland, while in Japanese she is voiced by Yukari Tamura.
Nightmare is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the Soulcalibur series of video games. The evil possessor of Siegfried Schtauffen's body, he later becomes an entity entirely separated from Siegfried in Soulcalibur III onward. Nightmare is the living incarnation of Soul Edge and a vessel for Inferno.
Isabella Valentine, commonly called Ivy, is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division, she first appeared in the original Soulcalibur and its subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise related to the series. She was voiced in Japanese by Yumi Tōma between Soulcalibur and Soulcalibur III, Kanako Tōjō between Soulcalibur Legends and Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, and Miyuki Sawashiro in Soulcalibur V, and Soulcalibur VI; in English, she was voiced by Renee Hewitt in Soulcalibur II and Lani Minella for the remainder of the series.
Necrid is a character in the Soulcalibur series of weapon-based fighting games. Designed by comic book artist and toy designer Todd McFarlane through a collaboration with Namco, the character appeared in console ports of Soulcalibur II and later as part of an action figure set created by McFarlane Productions. Necrid's concept and physical build were outlined by Namco, who aimed to target North American audiences with the character, while McFarlane provided the character's design and name.
Soulcalibur is a weapon-based fighting game franchise developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
Soulcalibur Legends is a 2007 action-adventure game developed by Project Soul and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the Wii. It is a spin-off of the Soulcalibur fighting game series and primarily features two of its most popular characters: Ivy and Siegfried.
Soulcalibur IV is a 2008 fighting video game developed by Project Soul and published by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. As the fifth main entry in the Soulcalibur series, it marks a significant evolution in gameplay with enhanced graphics and new features compared to its predecessor Soulcalibur III (2005), including the introduction of three guest characters from the Star Wars franchise: Darth Vader, Yoda, and the Apprentice.
Sophitia Alexandra is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division by designers Aya Takemura and Takuji Kawano, she first appeared in Soul Edge and its subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise related to the series. A baker turned warrior from Athens fighting with a Xiphos and shield, Sophitia became involved in the search for the cursed sword Soul Edge at the behest of the god Hephaestus. The affair soon affected her other family members as well, including her sister, Cassandra, and later her children, Pyrrha and Patroklos.
Voldo is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division, he first appeared in Soul Edge, and later in all games of the Soulcalibur series with the exception of Soulcalibur Legends. Servant to a long-dead weapons merchant, Voldo guards his treasure vault, attacking intruders while occasionally wandering out in search of a cursed sword named Soul Edge. Designed by Aya Takemura and Takuji Kawano around his dual hand katars, Voldo went through several designs, and in the early design phases was called "Psycho Murder". Having no spoken dialogue and instead strictly moaning or hissing deeply while fighting an opponent, his high mobility and flexibility influenced his outfits throughout the series, with several designed to take advantage of his unique traits.
The following is a comprehensive list of characters from the Soulcalibur series of video games, beginning with Soul Edge in 1995.
Taki is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by designers Aya Takemura and Takuji Kawano of Namco's Project Soul division, she was introduced in Soul Edge, and later appeared in almost every subsequent sequel. Taki is a Japanese demon-hunting kunoichi and the greatest warrior of the Fu-Ma ninja clan. She is traveling the world on a quest to destroy the cursed sword Soul Edge. Taki has been featured as a player character in every main entry in the series up until 2012's Soulcalibur V, when her place was taken by her own young disciple named Natsu, but she returned in 2018's Soulcalibur VI. She has further appeared in all of Soulcalibur spin-off games, as well as in some other titles such as Namco × Capcom, The King of Fighters All Star, and Queen's Gate. She has been voiced in Japanese by Fujiko Takimoto until Soulcalibur III, and then by Sachiko Kojima and Nanako Mori in later games, while her English voice actors include Desirée Goyette and Cynthia Holloway.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny is a 2009 fighting video game in the Soulcalibur series, developed by Project Soul and published by Namco Bandai Games, for the PlayStation Portable. The game uses many of the features of Soulcalibur IV, including its character customization mode. One of the goals of the game is "to target beginners and novice players with Soulcalibur IV's content". It introduces two new characters to the series: Kratos from the God of War series and Dampierre, a new original character. In December 2023, the game was released digitally on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Soulcalibur is a weapon-based fighting game series by Namco Bandai Games. The series revolves around a sword that, after years of bloodshed and hatred, gained a soul of its own, the Soul Edge, and the sword forged to counter it, Soulcalibur. The discography of the Soulcalibur series consists of two soundtrack albums for the first game in the series, Soul Edge, and one soundtrack album each for Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur II, III, IV, V and VI. None of the other games in the series have received a soundtrack release.
Soulcalibur V is a 2012 fighting video game produced by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. As the sixth main installment in Namco's Soulcalibur series, Soulcalibur V serves as a follow-up to Soulcalibur IV (2008). It retains the weapon-based combat that characterizes the series while introducing a new protagonist, Patroklos, who aims to free his sister from a curse inflicted upon her by an ancient weapon. This installment marks the conclusion of the original Soul series timeline.
Marie-Laure Norindr, also known as Kayane, is a French esports player and journalist. She specializes in fighting games, in particular in the Dead or Alive, Soulcalibur and Street Fighter series, and has been playing competitively since 2001. Since then, according to Guinness World Records in 2011, she has been the most successful female participant in fighting game tournaments, especially regarding the Soulcalibur games. She is currently sponsored by Red Bull.
Soulcalibur: Lost Swords was a free-to-play fighting game distributed through PlayStation Network. Released in 2014, the game is based on Soulcalibur V and is strictly single-player. It uses the same weapon-based fighting system from previous games; however, several of the gameplay mechanics were changed, simplified or otherwise removed.
The 2018 Japanese Evolution Championship Series, commonly referred to as Evo Japan 2018, was a fighting game event held in Tokyo, Japan on January 26–28. As mentioned in its namesake, the event was the first Evo event to take place in Japan and outside of the United States. The event offered tournaments for various fighting games, such as Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Over 5,000 people registered for the event with Street Fighter V and Tekken 7's entrant numbers being on par with their respective Evo 2017 numbers.