Video Game Vintage Title: Soulcalibur V

Soulcalibur V

Soulcalibur V is a video game developed and released by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012.

The sixth main installment in Namco's Soul series of fighting games, Soulcalibur V is the follow-up to Soulcalibur IV and retains the weapon-based combat that characterizes the series but follows a new character, Patroklos, who aims to rid his sister of a curse brought upon her by an ancient weapon.

The game was positively received but was often criticized for the removal of many iconic characters from the earlier games in the series.

Soulcalibur V Plot

The game takes place 17 years after the events of Soulcalibur IV and centers around the children of Soul series veteran Sophitia. The protagonist is her son Patroklos and his estranged sister Pyrrha is a supporting character. The two siblings journey across Europe in an attempt to rid Pyrrha of the "malfestation", a curse that is bestowed upon whoever comes into contact with the evil weapon Soul Edge.

Soulcalibur V Gameplay

Like the previous games in the series, Soulcalibur V is a weapon-based fighting game. Players use high and low vertical and horizontal attacks to damage opposing player characters and can block incoming attacks or parry enemies' moves to gain a tactical advantage. The game features a tweaked "Critical Edge" system, allowing players to fill up a meter and utilize a variety of special attacks.

The game features a variety of gameplay modes. In Story Mode, players take control of the game's protagonist Patroklos and various supporting characters, guiding him through a series of battles divided into 20 episodes. Unlike previous installments, not every character is playable in Story Mode. The game's arcade mode allows players to control any of the game's characters and face six opponents in time trial matches. In addition, the game features Quick Battle mode, which allows players to unlock titles for their online profiles and an extra "Legendary Souls" mode. Like its predecessors, Soulcalibur V also sports variety of multiplayer modes, allowing players to face each other both online and offline. The character creation mode from previous games has also been retained.

Reception
Critical reception of Soulcalibur V was generally positive with average Metacritic scores of 77 (Xbox 360) and 81 (PS3). As of June 2012, the game has sold 1.38 million units worldwide.

1UP.com criticized the story mode, but was overall positive in its review, stating that the game "reinvents the series again". Adam Biessener of Game Informer called it "the best Soulcalibur ever." On the other hand, IGN's Steven Lambrechts wrote that Soulcalibur V "feels like more of the same" and was disappointed by the game, especially criticizing its story mode. According to the review by Jordan Mallory of Joystiq, Soulcalibur V "is simultaneously one of the best Soul Calibur games ever made, as well as the worst Soul Calibur game ever made."

Besides the lackluster story mode, an often-repeated point of criticism was the absence of many of the series' stalwart characters such as Sophitia, Cassandra, Taki, Talim, and Seong Mi-na. Cheat Code Central included "every new character in the game" on their list of top ten lamest video game characters of all time, and stated that they turned the game into Saved by the Bell: The New Class.