SoulCalibur: Lost Swords

 PlayStation 3
User Score
2.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 91 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 91
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 91
  3. Negative: 72 out of 91

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  1. F-Rott
    Apr 26, 2014
    1
    LoadCalibur: Lost Connection

    When you actually get to play, it's bogged down by so much loading you're wondering if you're playing an hourglass simulator instead. Terrible, botched release. I hope someone gets fired for the sheer astounding level of ineptitude.
  2. hipzilla702
    Apr 25, 2014
    0
    Soul Calibur : Lost Swords takes the idea of the mainstream game we're used to and takes a large dump all over it in this Free to Play edition. First off, the popular multiplayer aspect of the game has been completely removed. This leaves you with "Quest Mode", a rather boring attempt at a vague storyline. There are no cut scenes, so you're stuck reading single paragraphs about how youSoul Calibur : Lost Swords takes the idea of the mainstream game we're used to and takes a large dump all over it in this Free to Play edition. First off, the popular multiplayer aspect of the game has been completely removed. This leaves you with "Quest Mode", a rather boring attempt at a vague storyline. There are no cut scenes, so you're stuck reading single paragraphs about how you journey takes you to another opponent in the road. Yippe! Load times are abysmal, on average between fights you're looking at 3-5 minute wait, since you are forced to be connected to a server in order to play. On it's actual debut a few days ago, many people couldn't not even play the game due to the massive server issues that kept players from logging on at all. Now it's quite common for you to get ejected back to the load screen between matching due to the same error. Let's say that you actually did manage to connect to matches and it didn't take you all day to connect to the next match, you are still limited by how long you can play due to AP (Action Points). Each Quest costs between 4-9 points so far, and the more you play, then the more you lose. At some point you will have to wait for the AP to recover before you can move on to the next quest (unless you feel like spending real life money on a AP Potion. One of the main selling points of the series has always been customizing and creating your own character to duke it out with fan favorites. This to has been cut away. You're given a meager three starting characters to choose from and, get this, they start in their underwear. So you not only get almost no choices in characters, but you can't even give them a great look. You have to grind thru Quest Mode to unlock common armor and accessories that reminisce of Soul Calibur IV days. Each piece has particular attributes that boast your stats, so if you really like that blue bandanna with only +2 HP, then you're S.O.L. when passing up better armor later on. Now you could always just do apparently what this game was originally trying to gear you towards and spend a ridiculously absurd amount of money on micro transactions (We're talking like $20 for 6 chests) for in game chests to get items, but who the Hell would be that stupid?! In conclusion, yes this game is Free to Play, but ultimately there simply isn't any real reason to bother picking it up when there are FAR better versions already got there to choose from. I say try it out if you've never touched Soul Calibur and if you like it, go out and purchase either IV or V. Better yet, just go do that now. Don't play this game.… Expand
  3. CaptainIpatch
    May 24, 2014
    1
    With Incredibly insulting content (lack there of) and a broken game engine (horrible loading times for the graphics it displays) and a general lack of soul, this game just gets a 1 out of 10. The only reason why it even gets a 1, and not a zero, is because it does somewhat, sometimes, feel like a game. I mean, at least it turns on.
  4. tugboat674
    Jul 15, 2014
    5
    SOULCALIBUR® Lost Swords - From a Free-Player Perspective:
    It functions similar to the average Mobile Game boasting micro-transactions.
    They make it easy for you to find/access the Shop at almost any time. These "micro"-transactions are quite overpriced. $20 for a set of random equipment, and $2 for more "energy" (AP) to keep playing the game (or wait a few hours for energy to    SOULCALIBUR® Lost Swords - From a Free-Player Perspective:
    It functions similar to the average Mobile Game boasting micro-transactions.
    They make it easy for you to find/access the Shop at almost any time.
    These "micro"-transactions are quite overpriced.
    $20 for a set of random equipment, and $2 for more "energy" (AP) to keep playing the game (or wait a few hours for energy to naturally replenish) are just a couple examples.
    Nothing wrong with buying any of this but at those prices, it's just not for me.
    Fights are a bit one-sided, they want you to lose and buy "continue tickets" similar to an Arcade machine that would just love more Quarters, but at least Ring-Outs have been removed from the game.
    (I play as Taki, her style involves at lot of jumping around where I could accidentally Ring-Out myself by jumping at the wrong time, so the removal of Ring-Outs is appreciated considering the way quests work and the fact these continue tickets cost real money).

    That being said, you do get a log-in bonus each day where you can get items to increase energy (AP Potion), inventory (to store armor/weapons), and continue tickets for free.
    As well as daily missions that allow you to earn AP potions and continue tickets everyday.

    You level up each character you unlock individually, but you retain a persistent Ranking level.
    You start naked, but you are given 1 free rank A(Rare) weapon corresponding to the character you choose at the beginning.
    Enemies from quests can drop armor/weapons/etc. to equip to your character.
    "Quests" are comprised of multiple 1-on-1 fights where you get a single Health Bar throughout the length of the quest.
    Enemies have the ability to Soul Burst, which gives them an additional health bar and they usually become very aggressive.
    Soul Burst can be broken or will expire after a few seconds.
    The Player cannot Soul Burst but can summon a friend's fighter (Ally) to help briefly during a match.

    Events are being added that give S and A rank armor/weapons, before you would need to purchase a random weapon pack or get a lucky drop to attain such a weapon.
    Other events allow you to unlock different characters, and recently events were added that grant pieces of a character's original outfit (such as Nightmare's armor).

    Loading Times are still noticeably annoying.
    This game has to be connected online continuously to be able to play.
    Losing connection during a fight will forfeit your progress but you will still lose energy (AP) you spent to play that Quest.

    It isn't fair to compare this game to a console title from the Soul Calibur series.
    It recycles the same graphics/animations you've seen from Soul Calibur 4 & 5.
    This is a free game and worth playing if you like Soul Calibur (or fighting games in general) and have patience.
    The emphasis on money/transactions is because of the fact this is a Free Game, but remember its also a service that intends to make revenue like any other.
    I haven't purchased anything on this game yet but becoming Allies with other players and being part of the community helps support the game, at least a little bit, in my opinion.
    The additional events they added recently have inspired me to keep playing but I would much rather see a new-gen console title in the future.
    As for Lost Swords, all I can say is don't expect much, and hope it gets better.    … Expand
  5. GamergodsFail
    Apr 29, 2014
    1
    Up until this point, I have had nothing but love for the Soulcalibur franchise. But when someone releases a title that depends 100% on online servers (in order to play a single-player only game, mind you), load times that are combined to be longer than actually playing the game itself, and pay to play encouragement (*cough* The War Z *cough*), this title practically becomes unplayableUp until this point, I have had nothing but love for the Soulcalibur franchise. But when someone releases a title that depends 100% on online servers (in order to play a single-player only game, mind you), load times that are combined to be longer than actually playing the game itself, and pay to play encouragement (*cough* The War Z *cough*), this title practically becomes unplayable right from the very start.
    However, when the game rarely does work, what little content and gameplay that's there is actually not that bad, even if it lacks the same level of depth and fairness compared to the rest of the series. All in all, the idea of this little game is great on paper, but they absolutely ruined it by making it "free to play" even if it really isn't so. They should've made this into a $9.99 PSN game with no "pay to play" or online server restrictions, then I definitely would've given it around an estimated 7 and would recommended it for Soulcalibur fans or people who enjoy fighting games.
    If you are a fan, pass. If you're a newcomer, especially pass, because this is a terrible first impression for gamers who've never played the any of these games before. I'm giving this a 1 instead of a 0, only because the combat isn't entirely broken. Play any other Soulcalibur game. This one isn't worth the stress and frustration, even if it starts out as free.    … Expand
  6. Darkbehi
    May 3, 2014
    0
    I don't always review games, but when I do, I review the 2014 game of the year! Of course I'm talking about Soulcalibur: Lost Swords. Let's talk about the equilibrium this game possesses: story, gameplay, and graphics. It also totally sold me on F2P games. Totally. The story had me tearing up. It's an epic shakespearean story that amounts to me and my friends having deep conversationsI don't always review games, but when I do, I review the 2014 game of the year! Of course I'm talking about Soulcalibur: Lost Swords. Let's talk about the equilibrium this game possesses: story, gameplay, and graphics. It also totally sold me on F2P games. Totally. The story had me tearing up. It's an epic shakespearean story that amounts to me and my friends having deep conversations about the meaning of life! Or why am I still playing this game. Can't recall which one. The story is told to incredible and innovative 4D graphics..not like they would ever use text to tell you whats happening. Nope. Gameplay is tight. Just what you'd expect from a Soulcalibur game. Not that they would use the same mechanics as Soulcalibur 5. Nope. Its graphics, let me tell you, are insane, almost PS4 quality..Not like they would ever use the same graphics as last game.. no sir.. I had to go to the optometrist to make sure I wasn't going crazy. The F2P element is done so well too. The store is cheap!.. only $19.99 for random equipment! A steal!! And that's just one of them. and OH MY GOD!! let me tell you about its NOW LOADING capabilities.. insane! I click on a button and it like goes back in time, its there!! its not like every single time I click ANYTHING a little clock symbol appears for like 10 secs.. and for fights, 30 secs.. and when I'm thinking of not playing this game, 5 seconds..or sometimes what it seems like an eternity. Oh and multiplayer, what an amazing..... wait.. it doesn't even have multiplayer?! The heck is this? I tell you what it is: A lazy cash-in to a popular series. It's an online-only single player fighting game. It loads more times than I care to remember. For the exception of when you're actually fighting, every single time you do anything, it loads. I'm not even going to mention the times I got kicked out of the server. Whatever story there is, is told through text, yes text. It boils down to read text, fight, get equipment, fight some more until you hit a point where it's necessary to either wait or literally buy more things that'll let you play it. The only good thing that I can say about this game is that I played 5 hours without having to pay to continue playing. 5 hours are more than enough to see that this game is worthless. Unless you like a repetitive, bugged down, yesteryear's fighting game.. you should use your time better, like playing Dark Souls 2. At least in that game when I died, it doesn't ask me to pay cash to keep playing. BTW F2P Dark Souls... worst game EVER..… Expand
  7. KingDevil999
    May 17, 2014
    5
    If not the for the long goddamn loading between just about everthing,this game would be a good free-to-play,it's weird if you compare to others,especially tekken revolution that the loading is quite fast,and it's also free,however,there is visible potential on this title,i really hope this ''will'' be fixed
  8. Dark_half-Elf
    Sep 19, 2014
    0
    this is not a fighting game, it's a miserable sluggish semblance of casual games with cards on smartphones, such as Blood Brothers, that is the game for imbeciles. I do not know what an idiot could think of to make a fighting game, but it 'genius ought to hang a **** so drugm and teach it to do such pohabshinu.
    Evaluation - 0, because there is no gameplay, urgently requires the loot, and    this is not a fighting game, it's a miserable sluggish semblance of casual games with cards on smartphones, such as Blood Brothers, that is the game for imbeciles. I do not know what an idiot could think of to make a fighting game, but it 'genius ought to hang a **** so drugm and teach it to do such pohabshinu.
    Evaluation - 0, because there is no gameplay, urgently requires the loot, and even slows! Top of arrogance and rudeness. Yes, I understand that the game is free, but that Ms. Tekken Revolution too free, but that fighting game, and it was a misunderstanding.    … Expand
  9. paleknight1
    Oct 8, 2014
    0
    Tried it out to see what it was like thought hey free-to-play now that is something yet it turned into extreme disappointment lets see where to begin. Oh I know the AP points which makes it so you have to wait for awhile to do any missions or quests. Making feel more like a facebook game then a real game. But wait it gets better if you lose in a fight you have to use a continue ticket andTried it out to see what it was like thought hey free-to-play now that is something yet it turned into extreme disappointment lets see where to begin. Oh I know the AP points which makes it so you have to wait for awhile to do any missions or quests. Making feel more like a facebook game then a real game. But wait it gets better if you lose in a fight you have to use a continue ticket and if you don't got a ticket you have to buy it with real money in order to continue the fight where you left off. Oh and if you leave the fight all the AP you used is wasted and you have to wait. The funniest part in a disappointing matter is that there are equipment slots that barely gives you enough room for any armor which is used for resistances and HP which gives you just enough for two characters, and the rest you have to buy with real money for $6.99 to get 10 slots. The ally slots to buy 10 is $1.99 yeah the people abusing the micro-transaction system. Congrats Soul Calibur Lost Swords? More like Soul Calibur Lost Fundings!… Expand
  10. PcGamer1990
    Jul 15, 2014
    0
    U cant play this game , u have to wait 100 hours for the loadings... If action was faster i could have a better opinion around 1 star...But i give u 0... and its too much cuz i wasted my time to vote for this trash.
  11. Orlandeu
    May 31, 2014
    4
    Yes, i agree on all the reviews about this game, but in my opinion this game is not a disaster and it is worth to download for free. You can spend a few minutes you can play this game while drinking your tea or waiting for any other things to do. Graphics are not bad at all too.
  12. TGLloyd
    Jun 22, 2014
    2
    This game was absolutely disappointing. I went through the whole arduous process of installing the game and waiting during the loading screens for an utterly underwhelming gaming experience. Three characters to play as, a focus on gaining money and points instead of gameplay, a flawed partners and allies system, a severe lack of variety in gameplay - the game was a bore hole. I wasThis game was absolutely disappointing. I went through the whole arduous process of installing the game and waiting during the loading screens for an utterly underwhelming gaming experience. Three characters to play as, a focus on gaining money and points instead of gameplay, a flawed partners and allies system, a severe lack of variety in gameplay - the game was a bore hole. I was disappointed because I'm a huge Soulcalibur fan and have played almost every single game religiously, but this one left me wondering why I went through the trouble of downloading it in the first place. Even for a free-to-play game, it was a waste of time.… Expand
  13. Metamora
    Jun 27, 2014
    0
    Another "free-to-play" scam as far as I'm concerned. This isn't a Soul Calibur game, I cannot call it that, it would be an insult to the actual game series. I don't even understand the concept of forced online single player, why would anyone do such a thing? If a nearly constant rotating hourglass is your thing then download this game.
  14. Tsant
    Jul 12, 2014
    0
    The game could be somewhat fun, except moving between any two screens is met with a loading screen that lasts at least 3-5 minutes. You want to equip that new weapon you found? Wait 10 minutes while traversing to your inventory. There's not an in-game shop unless you include the premium shop, so good luck spending 30 minutes per map grinding; oh, and most of that time is spent in loadingThe game could be somewhat fun, except moving between any two screens is met with a loading screen that lasts at least 3-5 minutes. You want to equip that new weapon you found? Wait 10 minutes while traversing to your inventory. There's not an in-game shop unless you include the premium shop, so good luck spending 30 minutes per map grinding; oh, and most of that time is spent in loading screens.

    Aside from the loading screens, there's not really much to say about the game. It's a single-player game that requires access to online servers to play. It's a long grind to do anything, which ends up not being much. Also, it's an energy-based game, so I guess you wouldn't notice thanks to the loading screens, so that's a plus.    … Expand
  15. WillWork4Brains
    Nov 30, 2014
    7
    Fun game if you like the Soul Calibur series, miss single player, and dislike multi-player. Honestly I didn't like this game when it was first released. Now since they've fixed a bunch of the bugs (still plenty more to go) it's at least fun, and challenging.

    Expect a high level of difficulty if you do not purchase the greatly over-priced "random new gear." Who doesn't like a good    Fun game if you like the Soul Calibur series, miss single player, and dislike multi-player. Honestly I didn't like this game when it was first released. Now since they've fixed a bunch of the bugs (still plenty more to go) it's at least fun, and challenging.

    Expect a high level of difficulty if you do not purchase the greatly over-priced "random new gear." Who doesn't like a good challenge though?

    Pros:
    Taki and Sophitia are back
    New content all the time, it's designed to keep you coming back for new stuff.
    Loading time has been fixed. It's not lightning fast, but its's much better.
    13 free to play characters to choose from. 3 to choose from at the start, 10 more to unlock. (con: 2 to buy)
    Variety of options for gear, both free and purchasable.
    Hey it's free, right?

    Cons:
    Hey it's free, right? Yes up to a point, then you hit a brick wall competing vs people who have seemingly endless money to burn.
    "Free" only goes so far, Like Maxi? $60... Like Seung Mi-na? $90!!! ...W... T... F...
    Limited weapon choices, unless you're willing to risk random new gear premium chests.
    Premium chests are extremely over valued, and too costly for most people. I bought 3, and that is my limit. Some people have spent thousands of dollars on this game. Let me repeat that, THOUSANDS of dollars.
    Waiting for "AP" aka "action points" is a drag. F2P nonsense that it is.
    No multi-player
    Story mode is just text that barely passes for a children's bedtime story.
    While they do have tournaments to win prizes, 75% of the top ones go to players willing to buy hundreds of dollars of AP, to win prizes they don't even need, or use. AWESOME right?

    Fun experiment in free gaming, but definitely one of the greediest. Don't fall into the "well I've gotta spend money to win" crap. Try it out, if you like it, buy a chest or 2 to maybe help yourself out. But be warned: nothing is guaranteed with "random." You might get a weapon for the $90 character that you'll never get to use.    … Expand
  16. YessirKilla
    Jul 12, 2015
    1
    Load times. Connection but no multiplayer. High price for microtransactions. Perfect gift for your kids if you want to be hated.

    If you've never heard of SoulCalibur, pass.
    If you're a HUGE SoulCalibur fan, pass.
    No matter who you are, pass.

    Only reason why I'm giving this a 1 and not a 0 is because the fighting isn't too glitchy, But still, don't waste your time.
  17. darkwings13
    Mar 4, 2015
    0
    This game shall forever be a slap in the face for fans of the series. It's blatant cash cow with no shame what so ever. I have never in all my life seen a DLC character costing 100$ to be unlocked, especially for this Free to play game. There is nothing new or innovative and it even dumbs down the fighting mechanics, such as removing ring outs. If you really miss old characters that gotThis game shall forever be a slap in the face for fans of the series. It's blatant cash cow with no shame what so ever. I have never in all my life seen a DLC character costing 100$ to be unlocked, especially for this Free to play game. There is nothing new or innovative and it even dumbs down the fighting mechanics, such as removing ring outs. If you really miss old characters that got cut I swear you will have ten times more fun and less frustration to just play old games of the series.
    The loading times is enough for me to fold a week's worth of laundry while waiting to play and the constant errors is ridiculous. The costumes they release for you to buy is downright disgusting. I don't mind some sexy costumes/fanservice once in awhile but this is getting beyond pathetic. It's so obvious they're trying to pull horny teenagers into buying that they've even hired a hentai artist to design one of their latest outfit. The grace, depth and efforts of all the past games were thrown out the window and buried with this game. I laugh at whoever spends money on this game and when I uninstalled this piece of garbage, I never looked back. This game doesn't even deserve a 1/10. SC: Legends is better than this garbage and I never thought that could be possible.    … Expand
  18. Alvokun
    Oct 29, 2017
    5
    Bearing in mind it was a free game, it is acceptable. I found it a bit boring because there are characters you can choose; you just create and improve a generic one. It takes too much time when loading, too.
  19. EThd
    Jun 9, 2022
    7
    it's free and actually I have some fun playing it. the loading time could have been better however

Awards & Rankings

71
#71 Best PS3 Game of 2014
19
#19 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2014
59
#59 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
38

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 7 out of 9
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jun 29, 2014
    40
    The lack of multiplayer is baffling. [July 2014, p.80]
  2. Games Master UK
    Jun 29, 2014
    38
    The shame here isn't that this is a a bad beat-'em-up. It's that it's a good one saddled with so much nonsense and tedium that you're unlikely to care. [Aug 2014, p.78]
  3. Eurogamer Germany
    Jun 28, 2014
    30
    In some weird way all of Lost Swords bad ideas remind you why you once loved the series.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »