Soulcalibur V

Soulcalibur V is the fifth major entry in the fighting series, bringing weapon-based combat on PlayStation 3 into a new generation of fighters. The story jumps seventeen years ahead, and most of the roster consists of new or reworked heroes, while a handful of series veterans appear in mentor roles, so the player witnesses a kind of generational handover of the torch between the series' old and new faces. The core of the game, meanwhile, stays true to the principle the series is built on - precise timing of strikes, defense, evasion, and making use of each weapon's specific traits, whether it's a longsword, a rapier-and-dagger pair, or more exotic weapons from various corners of the world. On PS3, the game offers a completely reworked story mode built around comic-book-style cutscenes and a more elaborate training mode that makes it easier for new players to grasp the more complex combat system, which in previous entries often discouraged newcomers with its steep learning curve.

Developer Project Soul also worked on the online features, including leaderboards, a replay system, and a spectator mode, which gave the series a solid place among the tournament fighting games of the time and let the community watch top players' matches directly in-game. Visually, the game benefited from the power of that console generation, so the arenas and character models looked noticeably more detailed than in previous entries, and the combat system also introduced a revised system of special attacks and so-called Critical Edge finishers, which gave fights a new rhythm and pushed players to rethink the established tactics from earlier entries. The reworked training mode also allowed players to practice specific strike combinations step by step, so they could work their way up to a higher level of play systematically rather than through trial and error as in previous entries in the series.

Why play: Soulcalibur V will appeal to players who want to try the weapon-based combat system in its more polished, tournament-oriented form - with a new cast, more elaborate training for newcomers, and strong support for both watching and playing matches online.