Soulcalibur 5 Musings

I haven't honestly been excited for a Soulcalibur title since the days when II was announced back in 2003. After II came out it was like a rebirth of something beautiful. The gameplay was slick, the characters looked amazing and were weird and everything was right with the world. Namco had done an amazing job and suddenly there was a decent competitive weapons-based 3D fighter out in the world. Thing were looking up for the franchise, but it wouldn't stay that way for much longer...

So, after the hype train and amazingness that was Soulcalibur II, 2005 rolled around and we were taken for another TALES OF SOULS AND SWORDS. But sadly, this road wasn't as slick or as golden as our previous venture. In fact, Soulcalibur III was fun, but still a major letdown. The core gameplay mechanics were alright, however the game lacked a bit of the depth and intensity of its predecessor. In a way, it really felt like a step backward. Sure the graphics had improved and they were trying out some new features, but the combat was sluggish. Delaying moves to expand an already expansive arsenal? Way to buffer something with nothing! Anyways, I digress. So, I'm going to skip over my bitching about Soulcalibur IV and just say this: it sucked.

Okay, so why am I hyped for V? Well, first off the usage of meter. This is a super simple, but realistically an interesting mechanic. First off, it was amazingly gimmicky in IV and only used to be flashy at an opponent. However, for V they've really overhauled it. First off, you can preform EX moves and Critical Edges which act like Supers in the SF series. Guard Impacts now cost meter as well, which I think will add a much-needed tactical element to the series. Any game that requires good meter management skills gets a decent rating in my book. But really, it's about how combat looks. It feels fresh enough without having to fall back too much on IV's cheese. Overall, I'm impressed and what's more is that I'm actually somewhat stoked for the new characters, given that Sophita's death is a bit of a downer. Any who, here's hoping for a good game.