SoulCalibur V

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 206 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 90 out of 206
  2. Mixed: 83 out of 206
  3. Negative: 33 out of 206
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  1. TheAwesomer
    Mar 9, 2012
    6
    Pros - Beautiful graphics, fun game mechanics, and fun character creation.

    Cons - Story mode is terrible, the new characters feel super weak, and compared to every other soul caliber this game is the weakest when it comes down to features.
  2. Kurty
    Mar 11, 2012
    6
    I've been a Soul Calibur fan for years, ever since the first game on Dreamcast (I never got a chance to play Soul Edge/Soul Blade on Playstation). It was a game series that would make me buy consoles (Dreamcast for SC1, Playstation 2 for SC3). In the past (up to Soul Calibur 3), you always had a lot of single player content, with special "quest" modes and things like that. In Soul CaliburI've been a Soul Calibur fan for years, ever since the first game on Dreamcast (I never got a chance to play Soul Edge/Soul Blade on Playstation). It was a game series that would make me buy consoles (Dreamcast for SC1, Playstation 2 for SC3). In the past (up to Soul Calibur 3), you always had a lot of single player content, with special "quest" modes and things like that. In Soul Calibur 4, they added an online mode and kinda forgot about single player modes (except for a tower mode that wasn't very interesting). All Soul Calibur fans were waiting for this 5th episode, hoping that the mistake would be corrected... Well, it wasn't.

    Let's make things clear immediately : there's no single player content. You have a story mode that lasts less than 2 hours, and a Quick Battle mode which just makes you fight 240 characters controlled by an Artificial Intelligence at different levels. Namco once again focused on the online mode for this new episode, causing the rage of millions of Soul Calibur players all over the world.

    That being said, Soul Calibur 5 is still a Soul Calibur, and not a bad one. The old SC gameplay is still here, and it still works very well. They removed a few things and added a new special gauge. It goes up when you attack or take damage, and it allows you to perform special actions, such as Critical Edges (a kind of "fury"), Brave Edges (improved versions of other attacks) or Guard Impacts. I'm not a big fan of that system (I especially dislike the Critical Edge thing) but it's all right.

    So, you won't be lost with the gameplay if you played a SC game before. However, you may not recognize the characters... That's because they got rid of most of the old regular characters and replaced them with new guys, with similar move sets. No more Taki, here comes Natsu. No more Kilik (kinda), here comes the ridiculous Xiba, etc. Some old guys are still here (Mitsurugi, Maxi, Ivy or Cervantes) but many are gone, including my favorite character (Sophitia). There are also 2 "new faces" (with new fighting styles). Viola, a magician girl fighting with a floating ball, and ZWEI a guy with a kind of wolf fighting with him, appearing out of thin air. Oh, and I almost forgot the guest star, Ezio Auditore from Assassins Creed!
    You can also create your own characters in the Creation mode, with many different outfits, but you'll be limited to the existing fighting styles (+Devil Jin's style from Tekken). No special fighting styles that don't belong to a regular character like in Soul Calibur 3.

    Technically speaking, the game looks very good and the animations are smooth. I'm not sure the improvements since SC4 are big, though.

    I said earlier that Namco focused on the online mode for this game, and didn't bother adding any worthwhile solo content. So let's talk about the online modes! You can play in ranked matches, player matches (no ranking), or join the Global Colosseum to chat with people, defy them or enter a tournament. Nothing really original there, just normal stuff. However, I didn't have much fun online because it takes too damn long to find an opponent most of the times. In a 1 vs 1 game, finding an opponent should not take more than 10 seconds, more than that and it becomes really annoying. It's the case here, it always took too long for me to find an opponent to play against, which ruined my online experience.

    As you probably have guess by now, I've been very disappointed by this 5th episode of the Soul Calibur series (6th if you count Soul Edge). It had the potential to be a great game, the game system is as pleasant as before, but the shameful lack of single player content and the poor online experience ruined everything. That's too bad...

    Oh, last thing, for trophy collectors... This game has one really dumb trophy. It requires you to walk 87.6 km. After getting all the other trophies, I had walked about 16 kilometers... Great, only 70km to go!    … Expand
  3. kendylmau5
    Feb 14, 2013
    7
    It's not that Soulcalibur V is a bad game. In fact, it's not a bad game at all. It's actually relatively fun for the first hour or so it's on. The graphics in the game are beautifully detailed and crisp, making even the simplest character and stage designs visually compelling. The sound is typical SC, which means you'll hear a lot of HD sound quality swords clashing over a melodramaticIt's not that Soulcalibur V is a bad game. In fact, it's not a bad game at all. It's actually relatively fun for the first hour or so it's on. The graphics in the game are beautifully detailed and crisp, making even the simplest character and stage designs visually compelling. The sound is typical SC, which means you'll hear a lot of HD sound quality swords clashing over a melodramatic symphonic soundtrack. The gameplay, for the most part, is interesting as well; "Critical Edge" is overall a massive improvement over the MK knock-off "Critical Finishers". However, SCV's weakest points are some of its most significant: single player mode is beyond limited, offering no innovative new features gameplay wise and having little to none when it comes to modes other than story and arcade. That's another cons, its story mode and new characters are bogus. Story mode can be beaten within an hour and the cast of characters you're forced to learn about are underwritten and particularly uninteresting. The most enjoyable aspect of SCV is its online mode, which in comparison with popular multiplayer franchises such as Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and Marvel vs Capcom, remains uninteresting. SCV wasn't worth its $60 price tag and should have been retailed under $40 at least. For longtime players of this franchise, SCV will be a disappointment. But now that it's price tag is finally in budget, maybe players can feel a little less heartbroken (unless, of course, you bought the damn game at full price). For newcomers, the game should be at least moderately entertaining, because as I've said before, the game isn't bad at all. For the first few hours, it's actually quite fun. It has a ton of potential and maybe the creators will absorb that whenever SCVI comes around.… Expand
  4. Consortium
    Mar 19, 2013
    7
    A very solid fighter with a rich cast of diverse characters. But here is the catch- no story. Let me repeat myself- there is little to no story in this installment which is very disappointing. Project Soul has also taken the liberty of "killing" off more than 3 characters and replacing them with clones that supposedly come out of nowhere, and the story more doesn't explain it. I am veryA very solid fighter with a rich cast of diverse characters. But here is the catch- no story. Let me repeat myself- there is little to no story in this installment which is very disappointing. Project Soul has also taken the liberty of "killing" off more than 3 characters and replacing them with clones that supposedly come out of nowhere, and the story more doesn't explain it. I am very disappointed that the story was almost non existent, because you have this world where swords don't kill in one hit, (supposedly blunt swords? What?) and characters that have a very rich history with themselves and each other character in the game. It's almost like a Lord of the Rings gold mine. But alas, they fail to capitalize on it- giving us a lackluster and unlikable main character, and a cheesy story line with what could possibly be an incest ending (Sorry Project Soul.)

    Now the multiplayer. It is very solid and up to date like the previous mechanics, save for a little more tweaks and differences from the previous iterations. The inclusion of a "meter" made famous by popular 2D fighters, allows you to pull of various moves called Brave Edges or a super attack. It is well executed, however is not completely balanced for all characters. Some characters have good Brave Edges, while most don't. Soul Calibur 5 is great in that it is not too complicated to learn, but also very technical when it comes to pro-gaming. The netcode is a definite step-up than the previous Soul Calibur, allowing for more smooth matches. Overall, the package is solid, but there are many areas it lacks in. Global Colosseum is fresh and so is CaS, but the lack of sotrymode can be a turnoff for some. If your an Offline gamer, stay away. This game is all about the multiplayer and customization it seems.    … Expand
  5. kbl1983
    Apr 16, 2013
    7
    Enhanced character creation..... Can use Jin(from tekken) fighting style with your character. Can have the AI fight eachother like from SC3. But the flaws are alot of the characters from the other Soul Calibur were taken out and some replaced. Crap of a story mode. Not enough game modes. Took out a favorite mask that was in SC3 and 4. But its a pretty good game
  6. EverydayLegend
    Feb 5, 2012
    5
    The Soul series of fighting games have always been a breed apart - where other fighting game franchises have focused on fast and frenzied action, high-count combos and twitch reactions, Soul was different in the sense that it required elements of patience. You never had to worry about your guard breaking, because you were meant to constantly shift your position or quickly intercept anThe Soul series of fighting games have always been a breed apart - where other fighting game franchises have focused on fast and frenzied action, high-count combos and twitch reactions, Soul was different in the sense that it required elements of patience. You never had to worry about your guard breaking, because you were meant to constantly shift your position or quickly intercept an attack with a well-timed block. You never had to worry about one mistake costing you the match (in most cases) because juggles and combos, while present, took a backseat to a more deliberate style of fighting. It wasn't a scrap, it was a duel, and you had to do less outplaying of opponents than you would OUTHINK them, and this was a refreshing change of pace in an era where the Marvels and Guilty Gears of the world were focused on finding ways to use one more gauge. Soul Edge/Blade brought a new idea, SoulCalibur perfected it, and SoulCalibur II immortalized it. SoulCalibur III was released on the PlayStation 2 without an arcade playtest preceding it (for a Japanese fighting game, that's never a good thing) and as such had massive issues that plagued it, and SoulCalibur IV felt like it had an identity crisis - it didn't know exactly what game it wanted to be, and could never find a comfortable place in between trying to remain relevant to the changing tastes of the genre and maintaining its own unique sense of class.

    With that said, SoulCalibur V is a descent into full-blown manic schizophrenia, and is easily the most unnecessarily contrived attempt at revitalizing the franchise. Somewhere along the line, I imagine someone at Namco Bandai had to have said "I wonder if we'd do the franchise and its fans justice if we only took the system back it its roots," but I'm sure that genius was ignored or fired for speaking not only a great idea, but the truth. Whoever came up with the conceptual gameplay ideas for this title needs psychological evaluation. Probably rehab from whatever rocks they were smoking, too.

    First of all, let's talk gauges. SoulCalibur didn't have a "guard crush" anti-turtle mechanic until SC4, and they connected that to a one-hit-kill system that was almost impossible to initiate because it took forever to whittle down someone's guard. So, they thought up a better idea than half-heartedly stealing a Guilty Gear gameplay trope was to steal a Street Fighter one: enter the new gauge at the side of the health bar, which powers Brave Edge moves (think EX specials), Critical Edge moves (think Ultra Combos in SF4), and Guard Impact. The first two on this list are lame additions to try to add a false sense of complexity, but the last one kills not only me, but I'd be willing to wager 80% of the existing, longstanding fanbase.

    Guard Impact is to SoulCalibur as a series what breathing and blinking is to human life. They decided to change the way it's worked for the past 13 years for some reason, whatever reason that may be, it wasn't good enough. In its place is "Just Guard," where you need to block at the exact frame (or nearabouts) to cause a window of counterattack. This has taken a system that caused tense parry wars and impossibly exciting action between friends and foes alike and successfully reduced it to trying to tap guard at just the right moment of any incoming attack. So, they took yet another great 2D mechanic and plastered it into a game where it really didn't belong (you have Garou: Mark Of The Wolves to thank for Just Defense). Again, they have taken the rich complexity of chess at a hundred moves a minute, and reduced it to Connect Four on a PixyStix sugar rush.

    Every step isn't backwards, however. The music is fantastic, classic tracks and new alike. The visual fidelity is stunning, backgrounds pop and come to life, characters have ornate clothes, lip-sync is very well done for speaking animations. The online netcode is beyond solid and functions like a dream (X360). The character creation mode, a SC staple since SCIII, is easily the greatest part of the whole game. This is what every character creator should be, and Namco Bandai should carry that proudly. It's just a shame that the game that uses all of these sublimely fantastic elements should perform so underwhelmingly, and I'm not going to even go into the abysmal story mode and complete lack of single-player content, again, something the Soul series is not only known for, but carries high praise and accolades for those very features in past games. Let's do the math: major characters missing, balance issues out the wahzoo, a fighting system that doesn't deserve the name SoulCalibur, a complete and utter lack of meaningful single-player anything, fantastic presentation in which everything shines but the gameplay itself, atrocious storyline...it all equals a five, and it really should be a four, but the rest of it shows such high workmanship that I can't bear to not give credit where it's due.    … Expand
  7. DefWish
    Apr 11, 2012
    8
    First off, I love the SC series, since SE/SB it has had a great system to discourage button mashing and turtling, and this is no exception. You still have to be very aware of how your style strikes, and how to counter your opponent; you actually have to be patient to win. It also retains the same fluid feel to movement and attacking fans of the series are familiar with. I, unlikeFirst off, I love the SC series, since SE/SB it has had a great system to discourage button mashing and turtling, and this is no exception. You still have to be very aware of how your style strikes, and how to counter your opponent; you actually have to be patient to win. It also retains the same fluid feel to movement and attacking fans of the series are familiar with. I, unlike others,welcome the soul gage combo. My major gripe is that it is too easy to pull off, since every character has the same button sequence to pull it off. I 'get' it, this makes it more acessable to new players, but being able to pull off a nearly unstoppable combo that takes off 25%-45% of the opponents energy bar with a simple controller motion and basically one button is just too easy. This game would have got a 9 had they made this more complex and unique to each character. However, like SCIV, the customization system is back... it gives an insentive to do the challenges, but not as much as SVIV, since the different weapon attributes are gone (a huge mistake). In this regard SCIV is actually better. It seems like they dumbed it down to attract new fans, as opposed to building on what made SCIV so great. That knocks it down a point as well. Also, make sure your TV is compatible with the output, as if you have an older HDTV that only does 1080 and not 720, you will be playing it in standard def. This is kind of a ridiculous glitch that really should be fixed, but I will not dock them another point, just give you the warning to check your TVs compatability, since there is no upscaling option. All in all a solid and fun fighter with lots of unlockables, but dumbed down that may dissapoint you in a few key areas if you have followed the series for years. Where SCIV was a 9 or 9.5, this is more a 7.5 or 8… Expand
  8. dharma
    Feb 4, 2012
    8
    By setting the game 17 years after part IV, Project Soul managed to keep this fighting franchise fresh. New characters are introduced and while some are different versions of previous fighters, they feel fresh and above all, fun to play. Graphics are also the highlights, running at 60fps! The only gripe is the story mode, that is presented through storyboards!! Weird considering thatBy setting the game 17 years after part IV, Project Soul managed to keep this fighting franchise fresh. New characters are introduced and while some are different versions of previous fighters, they feel fresh and above all, fun to play. Graphics are also the highlights, running at 60fps! The only gripe is the story mode, that is presented through storyboards!! Weird considering that 'lesser' games such as Dead or Alive Dimensions in 3DS, used the in game graphics engine for that. Otherwise, a solid fighter!… Expand
  9. Xazh77
    Dec 29, 2012
    3
    The story for this game is a joke, ranging from laughably easy fights to aggravatingly difficult fights, it only includes about half of the total characters, if that. No depth, predictable and borderline kindergarden grade story. I have been a huge Soul Calibur fan since the Sega DC, have every game and beaten every one to almost perfection. "Soul Calibur V" is NOT a Soul Calibur game, itsThe story for this game is a joke, ranging from laughably easy fights to aggravatingly difficult fights, it only includes about half of the total characters, if that. No depth, predictable and borderline kindergarden grade story. I have been a huge Soul Calibur fan since the Sega DC, have every game and beaten every one to almost perfection. "Soul Calibur V" is NOT a Soul Calibur game, its a pathetic attempt to cash in on an established and proven franchise. If I could choose one word to represent this game it would be disrespectful; to the name of Soul Calibur and the entire video-game industry. I've rated this game a three because it IS rather gorgeous and there are interesting concepts with the new characters, but it seems unfortunate the entire budget and creativity went into enhanced graphics and unnecessary re-creations of many beloved characters.… Expand
  10. valber
    Feb 29, 2012
    8
    SoulCalibur V is a beautiful game. The gameplay has been completely re-worked, the graphics are very refined and the scenarios are consistent with the whole. The new characters are extremely charismatic and varying styles of gameplay proposes great challenges. But no challenge is better than online mode. Create your own character and venture into the strange universe of real players isSoulCalibur V is a beautiful game. The gameplay has been completely re-worked, the graphics are very refined and the scenarios are consistent with the whole. The new characters are extremely charismatic and varying styles of gameplay proposes great challenges. But no challenge is better than online mode. Create your own character and venture into the strange universe of real players is still trumps. The title is good, it is worth, but it is far from perfect.… Expand
  11. Fenro
    Apr 7, 2012
    8
    For competitive players my verdict is 10!
    For Casual players my verdict is 6.5
    I myself am what i would call a successful competitive gamer and do allot of research into game mechanics and what makes a great fighting game. Soulcalibur V team has done some remarkable job with the game and has acknowledged the issues with the game by chancing game mechanical aspects to suit competitive    For competitive players my verdict is 10!
    For Casual players my verdict is 6.5

    I myself am what i would call a successful competitive gamer and do allot of research into game mechanics and what makes a great fighting game. Soulcalibur V team has done some remarkable job with the game and has acknowledged the issues with the game by chancing game mechanical aspects to suit competitive gaming better (ie. removing Quick step guard & Fuzzy guard) The games characters are well toned and most characters are suitable for tournament play (excluding some very bad characters, which every game has to have at least a few)
    This game will definitely be in the tournament cycle for at least few years. The problem with the game is, that it was not made for casuals at all. the game was made possible with a big effort from the fan base and the still active soulvalibur IV scene. and thus the major focus was to make the game a good tournament fighter above all else. This is why some of the new characters were just bland anime stereotypes (Xiba anyone? or how about the EMO skunk hair Z.W.E.I?) and the story mode was a big letdown. the story mode can be summarised by one sentence "Seen that, done that"

    The multiplayer options are interesting and offer somewhat of a good basis for onlinewarriors. the connections were fine wen the game launched but now for some reason the games online environment has gone aloof, allot of random de-synch and other problems make it hard to play against some people you had no problem playing earlier.

    Also i have to note that a majority of players online seem to be full of "s#it" and cant handle a loss. dont get me wrong every game has these, but soulcalibur has always had a very salty player base online. If you are a casual gamer who likes to sit down with friends and have a few rounds, this game is great. but dont go looking for a big bundle of Singleplayer content because its next to nothing. Competitive gamers ahoy, go buy this game and give it a go. it will definitely suit your needs.    … Expand
  12. Bookmaster
    Feb 8, 2012
    9
    Soul Calibur 5 is a spectacular game of its genre. From Soul Calibur 4, they have improved the game mechanics to become more sleek and fun, making it much more easy for people to jump in, and learn. Though, like any fighting game, the game now offers a feeling of much depth, a system to be mastered that was impressive when it is, unlike Soulcalibur 4, that seems to lack that sort ofSoul Calibur 5 is a spectacular game of its genre. From Soul Calibur 4, they have improved the game mechanics to become more sleek and fun, making it much more easy for people to jump in, and learn. Though, like any fighting game, the game now offers a feeling of much depth, a system to be mastered that was impressive when it is, unlike Soulcalibur 4, that seems to lack that sort of reward. SoulCalibur 5 also brings back character customization, with a more sensible customizer and much more reasonable loading times. The graphics look as though they were taken straight from SoulCalibur 4, which is a good thing, and improved upon to the point things move quicker, and manage to look more impressive. While the story is a bit short, I found it to be a very good one, and something most should enjoy if they don't mind a narrative within their fighting games. If not, a classic arcade mode, a quick battle where you compete for titles, and a legendary battle mode are all offered to add more depth to the lonely SoulCalibur man. Now, for all the lonely online SoulCalibur players, online makes a return with improvements all around. The only place where I'm disappointed, is in fighting styles. After a while, you start getting characters that are blatant clones of past ones, offering nothing new except slightly different controls, and even then, some of them don't play different AT ALL. Despite these choices in characters, the game is still very good. I would quickly recommend it to just about any fan of fighting games that feel a bit more brutal, swords slashing against shields, that type of combat. Now, let us meet on the holy ground, where the phoenix rises! Ready? Fight!… Expand
  13. Bountak
    Feb 15, 2012
    7
    Great characters customization, great fighting game, great characters, bad story mode, average online mode, not that many features other then that less characters then previous games and many new ones are just the same old ones with different names and 2 moves changed.
  14. XRAIN
    Jun 19, 2012
    6
    The games have always been great in this franchise, but this a disappointment for me. While the gameplay is improved with good changes and it's still masterpiece, the game seriously lacks in content compared to previous games.

    Remember Soul Calibur 2? Remember its ridicolous amounts of game modes? Remember the amount of weapons you could unlock and actually were more than just looks?    The games have always been great in this franchise, but this a disappointment for me. While the gameplay is improved with good changes and it's still masterpiece, the game seriously lacks in content compared to previous games.

    Remember Soul Calibur 2? Remember its ridicolous amounts of game modes? Remember the amount of weapons you could unlock and actually were more than just looks? Yeah, it's all gone. Weapon Master still doesn't do a comeback. Instead, we got Story mode, which takes only 1-2 hours to beat. The story is boring and while it's nice to see drawn pictures, it doesn't look so good, that I would like it. You can only use specific characters too, which is stupid (Even though there is very good reasons to why play as them). There are no team battles. No survival. No special modes where your selected weapon would affect the gameplay. Nothing except for tutorial and arcade mode. And a new game mode called Quick Battle, but in there you just select an AI to fight againts. Nothing else.

    The new characters feel like just younger versions of previous characters. There also is too many characters, who use weapons of random characters. That's just boring and waste of character space.

    The online multiplayer still doesn't work the best way. Host still gets quite a large advange.

    Is there anything improved? I'm so so with the character creation. While it does have some nice improvements (The clothes don't change your stats), the game forces you to level up in order to unlock new gear, which is stupid.

    In overrall, the game is worse than previous games in content. If you can play the game split-screen with your friends, grab Soul Calibur 2 instead. It also has a lot more content instead.    … Expand
  15. darkwraith
    Mar 29, 2012
    5
    Soul calibur v turned out to be a great dissapointment great graphics great character models good online play mainly lag free. But thats about it no real campaign there is one but its very poor. no cgi story cut-scenes just sketches in black and white. all the old modes have gone no survival mode no gallery no edge-master learning levels that were fun . its as if they've stripped everySoul calibur v turned out to be a great dissapointment great graphics great character models good online play mainly lag free. But thats about it no real campaign there is one but its very poor. no cgi story cut-scenes just sketches in black and white. all the old modes have gone no survival mode no gallery no edge-master learning levels that were fun . its as if they've stripped every good bit of this game out. and really all that remains is the online mode. customisation is great but with so little content i cant recommend soul calibur at all. As a long time fan of the series i traded it in 2 days after purchase . After completing around 20 matches, of story mode? and playing online a bit. this edition of SC- 5 is the worst yet. another annoying feature is that the fighters seem to end up facing backwards to the opponent quite a bit ive never seen this in a fighting game, And it feels looks like a bad bug glitch?. If its a new mechanic its still annoying and looks wrong.… Expand
  16. Metascoreman
    Mar 23, 2012
    7
    Ever since the original Soul Blade on PS, this franchise has been sliding into mediocrity. Sadly the latest offering is worse than it's predecessors.
    I remember the game having the coolest and the most versatile characters of any video game in it's genre and how excited I was after seeing the next one. They were different in their body shapes and fighting styles and graphics were different    Ever since the original Soul Blade on PS, this franchise has been sliding into mediocrity. Sadly the latest offering is worse than it's predecessors.
    I remember the game having the coolest and the most versatile characters of any video game in it's genre and how excited I was after seeing the next one. They were different in their body shapes and fighting styles and graphics were different and interesting. To me, all the characters now look bland and story mode was just horrible. I also remember the intro movie in the original Soul blade blowing my mind at the time. This one looks like they slapped it together as cheap as they could with silly dialogue and using mediocre, cheap sketches to tell the story. Special moves do not feel nowhere near as exciting as they did before. I wish they put more effort as it was a great franchise.    … Expand
  17. LiquidGamer
    Apr 3, 2012
    6
    It was great to see a new SoulCalibur get released this year. Based off of 'special guests' I was concerned who would be added to the mix. Etzio fit into the genre and setting but it didn't work out as much as I wanted it to. The story was awesome but was able to beat very quickly. If you love IV then V is the same thing with a few variations on characters. http://liquidgamer.podbean.com/
  18. Ritechappy
    Jan 31, 2012
    7
    I am a big Soul Calibur fan. Always has been. That said, I have to say that this game is just not doing it for me. Most of the characters are dumb down and the roster itself is unfortunate. It almost feels like the series went backwards. The graphics are nice and it's still fun to play, but ends as a big disappointment. I really dislike the critical edge moves. The game did NOT need it.I am a big Soul Calibur fan. Always has been. That said, I have to say that this game is just not doing it for me. Most of the characters are dumb down and the roster itself is unfortunate. It almost feels like the series went backwards. The graphics are nice and it's still fun to play, but ends as a big disappointment. I really dislike the critical edge moves. The game did NOT need it. Also, the single player portion of the game is probably the worst in the series as well. I'm still going to play it, hoping that it will grow on me, but man... it could have been so much better. Oh and if you're going to advance the story 17 years and get rid of some of the series regulars... you have to make sure that the story is worth it. It's not. I really hope this game grows on me. See you guys on-line!!… Expand
  19. RMenezes
    Feb 4, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's better than Soul Calibur 4 in gameplay, but is worse than 3 in game modes. The Creation and Online modes are excellent, and the new characters like ZWEI and Viola were very creative. And finally the story mode started walking again, but I would like to see the end of the other characters too. I recommend this game for all the fighting game fans, specially the SC fans.… Expand
  20. nemean
    Feb 7, 2012
    1
    Story: ~1hr to beat. Note: this involves a few fighters. The rest -omitted, you get to fight on a few stages. The few people that do show up have 1 line of dialogue. Almost the entire cast of SC5 is not in the 'story mode'. Wow! Big effort Namco. ~3 cut scenes in story mode. The rest is pencil drawings. Yeah, I prefer pencil drawings on my 60" 1080P HDTV. Thanks Namco for 1996 &Story: ~1hr to beat. Note: this involves a few fighters. The rest -omitted, you get to fight on a few stages. The few people that do show up have 1 line of dialogue. Almost the entire cast of SC5 is not in the 'story mode'. Wow! Big effort Namco. ~3 cut scenes in story mode. The rest is pencil drawings. Yeah, I prefer pencil drawings on my 60" 1080P HDTV. Thanks Namco for 1996 & chargingfull price for a 'new' game. It's as if Namco scanned the storyboard pencil drawings that should have become CG video or even in-game-engine sequences & decided "Nah, we're 2 cheap. Let's use pencil drawings instead." I almost forgot, you're going to hear a LOT of "I love you brother/sister/mother" in story mode. You get to hear those words & READ them 2. Why? cuz you can unlock the text. cuz that is SO much more fun than unlocking katas (e.g.SC2), different gameplay modes (e.g. SC3) & ending movies (e.g. SC4).

    Arcade: Remember picking a fav fighter, pick their 1P/2P/3P costume, select their diverse weapon set? Play through arcade/story & unlock their 'ending movie'? That was fun & rewarding. Namco removed that part of the game. Yes, no story mode for the remaining people in the game. All fighter endings are gone. No option to view the cutscenes, all 3 of them. That's right, they removed all the endings. Want to know what happened to Astaroth? Raphael? Amy? Taki? or Cervantes? Good luck, cuz all that is missing from this game. What did they replace it with? You get a sad arcade mode (fight 6 times) Yippie! cuz that is *so* much better than full CGI endings (sarcasm). Oh, I forgot they added a 2nd arcade mode. What is different about it? You get to fight 6 times (sound familar?) and... The difficulty is higher. rip-off. Even SF2/MK1 had ending movies We've got HDTVs, 3D games, lossless high-def master audio surround sound & what does Namco give us? pencil drawings & text descriptions of "Loves his sister, can't wait to live with her". WTF?

    Chronicles of the Sword/Tower of Souls: GONE. Replaced with... ??? Nothing. It is just gone. You have arcade (fight 6 times), training (worthless), & VS mode (which doesn't work properly). Oh wait, you can fight online.... except you could already do that in SC4.

    Reduced: Taki, Sophitia, Kilik, etc are gone. But you get 3 ppl that are mimics (copy other styles),add 2 more that have ~identical styles [Sophitia's son & daughter], that seems 2 be an extra 2 fighters, it's more clones, that makes 5 mimic fighters.

    Museum Mode/Gallery mode/photo mode/Kata mode: GONE. Replaced with: Nothing.
    1-player: All standard modes like time attack, team battle, tower of souls, survival, ARCADE, gallery, etc. ARE ALL GONE. Nothing to do in 1-player. This stands out since previous SC games had a strong single player (i.e. SC2). Using your fav. fighter & level them up by playing a variety of matches? How cool it was to have reached level 10 with everyone? This led to further rewards in-game... GONE.
    2-Player: Good luck trying to get this working. It took over 10min+ to get a VS match. Oh, & both players were sitting IN THE SAME ROOM. Remember how you could handicap your fighter compared to your opponent? i.e. in SC4 you could have 1/2 health & your little brother could have X2 health. Help even out matches where someone is less skilled, it was useful & a staple in SC? GONE.
    Training: Games typically give you info on new features & explain how 2 use them? it's good 2 have this info? Namco doesn't provide it. Yet they tout it as 1 of the main features. Contrast that with SC4 which provided it. Namco couldn't be bothered to copy some text into the game to help out players. Oh wait! They do have text... yes they provide lots of text about love....(More later). Training mode is reduced compared to SC3/4. Gone.
    Unlockables: Oh how we used to collect artwork, concept art, music, weapons, movies, opening CGI sequences (complete with inserting your CaC into those sequences), BGM, kata (demonstration) mode & all sorts of other fun stuff? Well That is all gone too. But you CAN unlock things like these wonderful TEXT descriptions. E.g. I just unlocked "Loves his sister." Wow, that is great Namco. A... piece of text? What can I do with it? I can have it appear when I play online. Wow.... that is supposed to be better than having Taki or Sophitia in the game? RIP OFF!!!
    Options: No 3D support (Arkham City/Assassin's creed). Remember changing time limits/round? You could select 'infinite' time/round, have a fight 2 the finish? GONE. Namco decided to force a max limit [60 sec]. Thanks for giving me LESS options than before.
    I've been with SC series from the start & SC5 is a joke. I even explained to Namco (via Twitter) what was wrong with SC4. In fact, 1000's of fans explained exactly what they did/didn't want. Yet Namco gave us this? Reduced, reused & recycled over-priced POS.    … Expand
  21. McNinja
    Feb 1, 2012
    3
    If you have never, ever played a Soul Calibur game before, don't bother. If you have, and loved SC4, you'll love this one. This game isn't even worth the label on the blu-ray. Absolute stripped down bare-bones single-player modes combined with a terrible story mode that focus' on two unlikeable characters does much to put another nail in this series coffin. It has hope, but any semblanceIf you have never, ever played a Soul Calibur game before, don't bother. If you have, and loved SC4, you'll love this one. This game isn't even worth the label on the blu-ray. Absolute stripped down bare-bones single-player modes combined with a terrible story mode that focus' on two unlikeable characters does much to put another nail in this series coffin. It has hope, but any semblance of the series returning to the high of SC3 is long, long gone.… Expand
  22. c0mmander
    Feb 4, 2012
    8
    Soulcalibur V is nothing short of excellent and takes its crown of one of the most systematically marvellous fighters of this gen. While there is a depth to other fighters, the Soul Calibur series has commonly been seen as the scape goat for methods to implement in the Tekken series. Soul Calibur V not only completely obliterates this theory it proves itself to be a game to be marvelled atSoulcalibur V is nothing short of excellent and takes its crown of one of the most systematically marvellous fighters of this gen. While there is a depth to other fighters, the Soul Calibur series has commonly been seen as the scape goat for methods to implement in the Tekken series. Soul Calibur V not only completely obliterates this theory it proves itself to be a game to be marvelled at and is not just leaps and bounds above Soul Calibur IV, it is also leaps and bounds above any 3D fighter currently on the market. However thats not to say there aren't problems with the game. The single player modes are too far and few between and it feels like the single player experience has been cut dramatically from SCIV, the biggest hinderance on the single player time is the reduction of a Story Mode for each character. Instead the game has switched to a single story path which mainly follows new characters Patrakolos and Pyrrah. While this story line is extremely weak it is good enough to plug the holes between each fight and adding a bit of substance, however the narrative as a whole falls flat on its face. Again this is a step by Namco Bandai in one of their leading fighting game franchises which should not have been made. A similar fate beheld Tekken 6 which attempted to change the story structure and again fell more than flat on its face, this is one of the reasons why Tekken 6 was a dissapointment to many. Moving away from the single player experience in story mode, there are also the 'Legend of Souls' mode, which is a bit like a challenge mode, an arcade mode which is standard and a quick battle mode which again is standard. But where this game excells is not in its modes but in the fighting system they have created for Soul Calibur V. The system really excells in every way taking a cue from the Street Fighter series and adding special moves resembling those found in the earlier mentioned series. The system is fast and fluid and takes into consideration the high, low and mid attacks and makes them a main function of surviving in a battle. We also have the critical guard system and many other systems to engage even the most hardcore Soul Calibur fans. Now the roster. The roster features around 27 characters (I believe) and between this set of warriors the variety is fantastic with those characters which are more technical to those which are simply slow, but power houses. They've added new characters which mostly stick to the same fighting styles as characters of old however some like viola introduce new fighting styles to the series. All in all the roster is not bad but is not the best roster in fighting games either, it feels just about good enough but is still very befitting for players with enough variety to keep players wanting to learn the tricks of each style. As usual creation is back, however it is not the best creation mode we've ever seen in the Soul Calibur series. It lacks some finesse that other creation modes as in 3 (Particuarly) and 4 had. However again it is fitting and gives many different styles of creating your character from that cool ninja outfit to that not so cool Viking helmet. There are other modes such as an online mode and the usual multiplayer modes to explore as well which again as with many fighting games is where the game truly excells, giving all players a chance. Gameplay: 9.5
    Graphics: 8.5
    Presentation: 8.5
    Lasting Appeal: 8    … Expand
  23. Maxkev11
    Mar 21, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. SoulCalibur V is an awesome game with stunning visuals, good customization, and great variety of characters. Down side is that most mode from previous SC series haven't return. So there's a lack of mode for offline play, but quick battle and legendary mode makes up for it. The story contains at least 20 chapters. It took me a day to finish the story. If your fan of SC or sword fighting games you should defiantly buy.… Expand
  24. SwollenKnuckles
    Feb 22, 2013
    0
    Namco has watered the Soul Calibur franchise down to almost nothing with Soul Calibur 5. Seems a thing or two rubbed off on Namco from working with Capcom, including a near non existent offline mode. Don``t bother trying to b eat the game as there are literally NO, yes you read that right, NO character endings. Story mode can be beaten in 2-4 hours and is appallingly bad and boring. TheNamco has watered the Soul Calibur franchise down to almost nothing with Soul Calibur 5. Seems a thing or two rubbed off on Namco from working with Capcom, including a near non existent offline mode. Don``t bother trying to b eat the game as there are literally NO, yes you read that right, NO character endings. Story mode can be beaten in 2-4 hours and is appallingly bad and boring. The only redeeming characteristic of the game is the create a character and online play. Namco sells out hard with this one and Capcom winks at them and gives the ole thumbs up!… Expand
  25. LightlySalted
    Feb 1, 2012
    4
    Easily the worst of the series, this one manages to eliminate time honored characters, throw out game balance and supply the least amount of single player play to date. I found myself turning the game off after and an hour of game play simply because there so little to do. The game actually made me crack open SC IV because I wanted to play Soul Calibur, not one laden down with 10 hitEasily the worst of the series, this one manages to eliminate time honored characters, throw out game balance and supply the least amount of single player play to date. I found myself turning the game off after and an hour of game play simply because there so little to do. The game actually made me crack open SC IV because I wanted to play Soul Calibur, not one laden down with 10 hit combos and pure cheese attacks. Let's hope they some of the DLC for the game can greatly improve what's missing.… Expand
  26. Eliut
    Feb 2, 2012
    6
    I do not like this version... is the same in XB360, I do not understand because they give favoritism to this, at least to me, the control here is terrible.
  27. VidsRule
    Feb 28, 2012
    8
    This is an easy 9 but the AI brings it 1 full point down. I'm playing a enemy who i destroy for 2 rounds but then some impossible god ai come forth and makes even a hit impossible while my health bar is destroyed in 2.45 seconds. And don't tell me to just play online like everyone else. If you look at others online cards you'll see that single player is played 90% of the time. SingleThis is an easy 9 but the AI brings it 1 full point down. I'm playing a enemy who i destroy for 2 rounds but then some impossible god ai come forth and makes even a hit impossible while my health bar is destroyed in 2.45 seconds. And don't tell me to just play online like everyone else. If you look at others online cards you'll see that single player is played 90% of the time. Single Player is EXTREMELY important. And this game is lucky I only detracted 1 point. Other than that it's a great fighter.… Expand
  28. MrWhiggy
    Feb 4, 2012
    6
    Soul Calibur V does nothing new for the series or for the genre of fighting games. The graphics are look good, but the story does fall short. While the online capabilities work well, you'll be playing characters that are near overpowered in order to keep up because the characters are not balanced. Ezio makes a nice addition to the series, but the roster is slightly disappointing. If thisSoul Calibur V does nothing new for the series or for the genre of fighting games. The graphics are look good, but the story does fall short. While the online capabilities work well, you'll be playing characters that are near overpowered in order to keep up because the characters are not balanced. Ezio makes a nice addition to the series, but the roster is slightly disappointing. If this is your first Soul Calibur, have a great time. But if you're a veteran to the series, just keep playing IV until V goes on sale.… Expand
  29. ilovegames32
    Feb 22, 2012
    0
    this game is terrible on all levels e& should be avoided by fighting game fans & especially fans of soul calibu4r 1-4!! unlocking artwork? GONE!! unlocking demonstrations? GONE!! taki,zasalamel,Kilik & other favorite characters? GONE? why is probably your question but you think story mode has the answers right....WRONG this is probably the worst aspect of this shadow of a great fightingthis game is terrible on all levels e& should be avoided by fighting game fans & especially fans of soul calibu4r 1-4!! unlocking artwork? GONE!! unlocking demonstrations? GONE!! taki,zasalamel,Kilik & other favorite characters? GONE? why is probably your question but you think story mode has the answers right....WRONG this is probably the worst aspect of this shadow of a great fighting game series as it only focuses on two characters who are totally useless in drawing you into their struggles especially his sister who is just a a neurotic mess & ends up with soul edge!? this game takes a step back in every aspect except graphics which has always been a high point in this series but the worst part for me is that you need to fill a bar just 2 parry is just beyond me & inexcusable as this ability seperated button smashers from skilled players yet this bar is also needed to perform your special/ultimate move...now I'm stuck fighting button smashers without truly punishing them & hoping they up their skills!!! this game should have stayed in development as it GREATLY LACKS what made previous SC games enjoyable!!!… Expand
  30. Sideline
    Aug 24, 2012
    9
    This is the king of 3D fighters as far as I'm concerned. I cannot compare it to the previous iterations as I am not a veteran of the series but I can say that a lot of work and attention went into this title. This is a fighting game that rewards patience and focuses on mind games instead of pure input skills. The online mode is solid with very little noticeable lag and the training modeThis is the king of 3D fighters as far as I'm concerned. I cannot compare it to the previous iterations as I am not a veteran of the series but I can say that a lot of work and attention went into this title. This is a fighting game that rewards patience and focuses on mind games instead of pure input skills. The online mode is solid with very little noticeable lag and the training mode is very helpful for newcomers in the series. The story mode is not that great but I don't see this as an important aspect of a fighting game. The creation mode is an awesome feature as it allows players to customize an existing character or create a new one from scratch with a wide variety of costumes and items that can be used to make a really unique fighter you can use online. The graphics are great and the music is really nice. There is a leveling system that is not punishing to beginners and there are lots of modes where you can fight against AI that actually feels intelligent compared to other fighting games. If you love 3D fighting games, SoulCalibur V is a must!… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

42
#42 Best PS3 Game of 2012
31
#31 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
56
#56 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 53 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 53
  3. Negative: 0 out of 53
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Mar 22, 2012
    70
    A good genre piece brings fans hundreds of hours of entertainment. Japanese poetics with schoolgirls wearing katanas and thin knights with iron swords are worth seeing. [March 2012]
  2. Thunderbolt
    Feb 19, 2012
    70
    The combat mechanics are easy to pick up, but the advanced techniques ought to be more than enough to keep things interesting. Regardless of its shortcomings, Soulcalibur V is still a fun and engaging game. That's all what really matters.
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  3. Games Master UK
    Feb 15, 2012
    86
    A gorgeous and playable fighter that offers a strong alternative to Street Fighter and Tekken. [March 2012, p.86]
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