It’s a faster game than its predecessors, too, with flurries of attacks springing out of characters despite the overall movement speed feeling similar.īut some of the series’ main problems quickly make a return.

In peak moments this is swift, balletic combat that’s beautiful in full flow, though beginner players (like me) can find themselves immediately flicking from a smooth rhythm to stilted, lumpy weapon swinging. By taking a leaf out of Street Fighter IV’s hallowed book, new Critical Edge moves take on the role of Ultra combos and are executed with the same button inputs. The series’ bread-and-butter combos have been remixed so they’re not as frustratingly cheap, and there’s even basic moveset parity amongst most fighters.

Stages burst with colour, and silky animations ensure characters’ attacks flow neatly into one another. The fifth entry enters the ring embroiled in an identity crisis, then, with SoulCalibur V forced to reinvent a series quickly losing its relevance despite a fighting genre in the midsts of renaissance.įirst impressions are positive. For a game that boasts to be a tale of soul and swords eternally retold, Soul Calibur IV was a little too soulless.