SoulCalibur V

 Xbox 360
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 142 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 142
  2. Mixed: 52 out of 142
  3. Negative: 29 out of 142
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  1. Duncaaaaaan
    Jan 31, 2012
    9
    First of all, I'm going to make it clear from the start of my review: a lot, and I mean the vast majority of reviewers, have given SCV a low score (for example IGN and gamespot) because they thing the singleplayer is not great. Perhaps it isn't, but attacking it so vehemently is just completely wrong; it's a competitively geared fighting game. It was made to be the most valid entry in theFirst of all, I'm going to make it clear from the start of my review: a lot, and I mean the vast majority of reviewers, have given SCV a low score (for example IGN and gamespot) because they thing the singleplayer is not great. Perhaps it isn't, but attacking it so vehemently is just completely wrong; it's a competitively geared fighting game. It was made to be the most valid entry in the series for tournament play. Anyways, on to my review:

    The graphics, although not a huge leap from SC4, don't have to be. They were already pretty amazing in SC4, and the fact that they are better (and noticeably) means SC5 is is a beautiful, beautiful looking game. Ezio is a more appropriate guest character this time around, compared to Yoda and Vader. It's still too early to say if the game is more balanced. All I know is that Siegfried, my main (who I am pleased to know looks pretty badass this time around), is nerfed a bit. Some of his moves that were safe in SC4 aren't safe anymore.

    The real crowning achievement for SCV, in my opinion, is the absolutely incredible online and lobby mode.The netcode is absolutely excellent. Players can choose their preference for connection quality, and there is regional matchmaking. You can even choose to match up with some japanese gosu if you feel like getting your ass whooped. Of course, there will be lag if you live in America or europe. With the regional matchmaking, you'll get 4/5 bar connection, which means almost no lag at all. SC4 was tainted with lag abuse online... and you'll never see it again here.

    The lobby system is on an entirely different level to other games. Up to 6 people can join into a lobby in player matches, for people watching two others duking it out. What makes it amazing is that players can actually text chat with each other. PC players might scoff at this... but for people who primarily play on consoles, that's pretty damn awesome. It's great to see the "gg"s floating about the lobby. The game also records automatically records your last 8 matches.

    The other feature of SCV which will leave your jaw firmly glued to the floor is the new Create a Soul (CaS). Think of SC4's CaS (if you played it), then multiply it by a factor of 10... now you've got SCV's CaS. The original characters of the series can have their armour/clothing customized ad infinium, as opposed to a single monochrome colour base from before. You can even fiddle around with the colour saturation. Every character has more weapons to use than before. There's a staggering amount of weapon and armour unlocks. The possibilities really are endless this time around. Have a favourite character from a book/film you like? You can create it easily. I created a very accurate replica of Guts from the manga "Berserk" with ease. So there you have it: The best online mode, netcode and lobby probably ever seen so far in a fighting game, absolutely beautiful visuals, and a staggering amount of customization.

    I think many people will be turned off by these so called "professional" reviews that completely fail to focus on the important parts of a fighting game, instead focusing on paltry tings like story mode, and "lack of a tutorial mode (gamespot.... it's called training mode ffs).    … Expand
  2. MCfresh
    Feb 5, 2012
    8
    While long term fans of the series may be disappointed with the lack of single player features, no RPG style elements, or the loss of tower mode, those competitively minded will find that this game is incredibly enjoyable. The main focus here is multiplayer. The netcode is superb, and easily one of the best of any fighting games currently on the market. Lobbies are executed wondefully andWhile long term fans of the series may be disappointed with the lack of single player features, no RPG style elements, or the loss of tower mode, those competitively minded will find that this game is incredibly enjoyable. The main focus here is multiplayer. The netcode is superb, and easily one of the best of any fighting games currently on the market. Lobbies are executed wondefully and global colosseo tournaments and ranked matches allow the user to get their competitive fix.

    One thing soul calibur has always suffered from is the lack of recognizable characters, but Create a Soul mode more than makes up for this. If you don't like any of the characters that are provided but love their fighting style, use create a soul to make you own fighting badass with the moveset of your choice.

    Overall this is a great game with a lot of fun to be in multiplayer online and offline (if your into the whole tournament thing.) I can see why the EVO tournament decided to include the game this year and its a great fit. Pass on this if your looking for singleplayer, but if your a fan of fighting games for multiplayer reasons, this is a title that should not be passed on.

    My non-biased review is an 8 for the lack of single player options and a terrible storymode. My biased review is a 9 for the tons of multiplayer fun this game can afford.    … Expand
  3. nayerr
    Feb 3, 2012
    9
    Why anyone is moaning about story mode is beyond me. Be glad they even added one. This game is meant to be played as a 1 on 1 fighting game and thats it. Screw the story mode. I love this game. Even though I'm not very good at it.
  4. Belmontix
    Jan 31, 2012
    9
    i just picked it up today, and i thought the game was just as fun and engaging as always! the critical edge can be kind of abusive, but it works just fine with the game. its a bit sad that some characters were cut, but the new guys like ZWEI and Ezio (the guest character) are fun to utilize. The character creation is waaaaaay better than last game, with way more you can do for youri just picked it up today, and i thought the game was just as fun and engaging as always! the critical edge can be kind of abusive, but it works just fine with the game. its a bit sad that some characters were cut, but the new guys like ZWEI and Ezio (the guest character) are fun to utilize. The character creation is waaaaaay better than last game, with way more you can do for your character. The story mode is disappointing, but at least u could get it done and over with to get characters. Its a very effective build-up from the previous game… Expand
  5. Bloodlustrous
    May 11, 2013
    8
    Soul Calibur took a chance by changing up the story mode, a move that did not work in its favor. Having a personalized experience for each character in the game is part of what gave the Soul series so much replay value. In the latest installment, that feature is lost.

    Another daring move Namco made was replacing fan-favorite characters for some fresh faces. Soul Calibur V takes place 17    Soul Calibur took a chance by changing up the story mode, a move that did not work in its favor. Having a personalized experience for each character in the game is part of what gave the Soul series so much replay value. In the latest installment, that feature is lost.

    Another daring move Namco made was replacing fan-favorite characters for some fresh faces. Soul Calibur V takes place 17 years after Broken Destiny, so I believe trading in some of the characters was necessary to match the timeline. Many of the new characters bear similar fighting styles to those absent, so it is not a huge loss. However, Amy's graceful fencing and my favorite Talim's dual-wield elbow blades did not return. Truly disappointing.

    Despite the two major flaws, I still believe Soul Calibur V is a game worth being played. Both English and Japanese voice acting is flawless, the graphics are clean and crisp, the combat is excellent as always, the character customization is limitless and the character designs are original and sexy.

    If you have XBL then you will thoroughly enjoy this game. Online matches with other players against their customized characters is entertaining and with great combat it's simply unbeatable.
    If you're not an XBL user, then you might just want to stick with Soul Calibur 4. It has more replay value and you get a cooler guest character.    … Expand
  6. Eliut
    Feb 2, 2012
    10
    The best 3D fighting game is return and Better than ever, more characters, more options, best mode for playing online... what else could you want? Are you a fan from the series? don think about it and buy it!
  7. MikeDubC
    Feb 3, 2012
    9
    This is a great game. People are complaining about the single player, but I think that is absurd as this ia really a multiplayer game. the netcode is very solid too. All around great game.
  8. Gygaa
    Feb 5, 2012
    8
    In terms of story and customisation, the game has left a lot to be desired, but last time I checked SoulCalibur a fighting game, and the actual gameplay mechanics are at there best here. Combat is more fluid, there are less move-sets therefore a greater emphasis on mastering them. Each character is well designed and incorporated into the game, even Ezio feels like a long-standing member ofIn terms of story and customisation, the game has left a lot to be desired, but last time I checked SoulCalibur a fighting game, and the actual gameplay mechanics are at there best here. Combat is more fluid, there are less move-sets therefore a greater emphasis on mastering them. Each character is well designed and incorporated into the game, even Ezio feels like a long-standing member of the franchise. Ignore those claiming that the single-player experience is below-par. SoulCalibur V's Quick Battle mode is a masterstroke, imitating the feel of online play for those who don't have an online account, or simply for those who can't wait to find a match in multiplayer. The characters in this mode are a combination of custom-created ones using the character creation feature and a few of the games proper characters at a tougher difficulty level. The game operates on a E5 - A1 difficulty ladder with the latter being the hardest. This is emulated in the ranked online play with the player starting at the bottom and working their way up through a points system. There is also the option of a player match king of the hill/winner stays on style match in which you can spectate on your opponents. Single player Arcade mode now has more routes ranging from Europe & Asia, to Leaderboard routes. Once you've mastered Arcade mode on normal and then hard, you can move onto Legendary Souls mode (if you've completed Story mode first to unlock it) which is another version of the Arcade mode but on the games highest difficulty setting, with a set list of boss-style opponents ranging from Nightmare to Algol (SCIV) and another few from previous games that I'll leave to your imagination.

    Pros: -Quick Battle Mode
    -Best Online play of the series
    -Fluid Gameplay
    -No more Soul crushes etc.
    -Better character roster
    -Main character focus no longer on Seigfried
    -Online rivalries with friends

    Cons:
    -Mediocre Story Mode
    -Scaled down character customisation
    -Raphael is an A.I breaker
    -Dampierre is a pre-order bonus only
    -May feel ~soul-less~ to some

    I would recommend this game, one of the better fighting franchises for the console.    … Expand
  9. Kolaboxing
    Feb 6, 2012
    8
    Fighting games seem to be in an odd position at the moment. After a prolonged dry spell during the previous generation of consoles, the genre saw a large boom in popularity with the release of Street Fighter 4 and Mortal Kombat. Along the way, one of the industryâ
  10. DrEggman
    Sep 13, 2014
    9
    SC5 is without a doubt the best fighter out there, the most fun to play, the most technically brilliant. Along with the returning veteran fighters you can make your own custom characters, this mode gives you slightly more options than in SC4, however there is room for improvement still so I must award only a 9/10
  11. Joxelico
    May 20, 2012
    10
    El peor modo historia, el peor modo un jugador, los jugadores nuevos simplemente no están a la altura y decepcionará a cualquier fan. No tiene galería, ni teatro ni nada que se le parezca.

    Es divertido y jugablemente sigue siendo el mejor, pero muy por debajo de los anteriores.
  12. garrixon
    Feb 8, 2012
    9
    The fighting game genre has had an incredible renaissance in recent years due to the success of SF4 and SCV is set to capitalize on that. SC2 3, and 4 all tried to capitalize on RPG elements to popularize the games during the stagnant fighting game scenes of the time. Fast forward to today and you'll see that RPG elements are seen as detriments to the competitive scene (see SFxT's infamousThe fighting game genre has had an incredible renaissance in recent years due to the success of SF4 and SCV is set to capitalize on that. SC2 3, and 4 all tried to capitalize on RPG elements to popularize the games during the stagnant fighting game scenes of the time. Fast forward to today and you'll see that RPG elements are seen as detriments to the competitive scene (see SFxT's infamous gem system) and the competitive scene is the main source of promotion and interest in the game's target demographic: fighting game fans. If you are a fan of the previous games Weapon Master modes, dungeon crawling, and RPG customization you will be disappointed with this game's stunted single player content. This is not to blame Namco, they chose a side and took it wholeheartedly: multiplayer. This game has the best netcode of any fighting game on the market sans Blazblue, and is the most exciting 3d fighter to hit the competitive scene since, well, SC2. If you play fighting games with friends or in tournaments then you will love this game and I can't recommend it enough, pick up the guide while you're at it. If however you're looking for an in-depth RPG hacknslash single player game pick up Amalur instead. SC5 is a multiplayer experience.… Expand
  13. SomecallmeBguti
    Feb 10, 2012
    8
    I will say that the character creation is more diverse than before and i think that's where it shines. Story is ehhh.....its short, and the ending is kinda rushed, but its still a great game. Good to play with your friends.
  14. BIGP6
    Feb 17, 2012
    8
    Its soulcalibur enough said.....only problem i found was the unlockables where EXTREMLY lacking compared to previous soulcalibur games but other than that every thing is exactly what you would be expecting from soulcalibur
  15. Trafaret
    Mar 28, 2012
    10
    The game is BRILLIANT. The story is short yet touching, gameplay is perfect, characters are balansed and the game's world is the perfect one to live in. That's just a perfect tale. AND STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT DISAPEARRENCE OF OLD CHARACTERS. That's inevitable part of evolution.
  16. haru
    Jul 20, 2012
    8
    So, this is the first game of SoulCalibur that I play. I found it great, not worth a 10 because there's no perfect game, but good. I like the fact that we can create our own charather. Like this, we can create whatever we like. Yeah, I like that game and I think it worth something.
  17. smbrian62386
    Jun 27, 2013
    8
    First things first: if you loved the story mode in the previous Soul Calibur games, you will most likely hate this game with the passion of a thousand suns. If you were like me, however, and thought the story mode was neat, but found the replay value in it's other modes, you will most likely like this game.

    Cons The story is laughable, short, and rushed. That's not good. And even while    First things first: if you loved the story mode in the previous Soul Calibur games, you will most likely hate this game with the passion of a thousand suns. If you were like me, however, and thought the story mode was neat, but found the replay value in it's other modes, you will most likely like this game.

    Cons The story is laughable, short, and rushed. That's not good. And even while this isn't a defining factor to me, it ruins the overall quality of the game. The biggest wtf for me was the zero explanation of the new characters aside from Sophitia's kids. They're never explained and there's no story to go along with them whatsoever. Lame. Also, there's a lack of arcade modes, like survival and (drum roll) TEAM DEATH MATCH. Seriously, Namco? That was the main mode I would always go back to in previous entries, but no more. Again, lame.

    Pros Gameplay is smooth, fast, and furious, which quickly brought back memories of SCII (which in my opinion is the best installment of the series). Graphics are gorgeous and lovely. Stages have different levels to them (about time!). Online Mode is fun and addicting, and if you have a fast connection, there's virtually no lag this time. Quick Battle is a neat addition, although will likely get old after awhile. Training mode doesn't hold your hand through it, but who cares? It has many options within it that give you ample opportunities to learn a character. The guest characters rival the best in all the series, with Assassins Creed's Ezio and Devil Jin through creation mode. Speaking of...

    Creation Mode is straight up amaze balls. I could lose myself for hours on end tinkering around with the buffet of items and options available. True, this time around it doesn't offer any different styles, outside of devil Jin. That's really the only let down. However, if you have even a remotely small creative side, prepare yourself: this mode is addicting. In fact, I dare you to think of any movie, video game, or comic character and try to create them. You'll likely be able to. That's how vast this editor is. The added bonus of editing a main character's colors and overall costume is nice too, but the real fun is starting from the ground up. This might be the best feature in this game.

    All that being said, is this the best Soul Calibur yet? No. The lack of a solid story mode shouldn't persuade you to not get it though, because it's worth a look, especially now at a retail price of $20.    … Expand
  18. RaphaelSorel
    Oct 1, 2013
    9
    Great game wish Bandai and NAMCO would give the Soul team more time so we could have got more DLC and Zas back. Really iffy story but the falls all on the higher ups not the dev team. SCVI I'm waiting

Awards & Rankings

77
#77 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2012
51
#51 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 56 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 56
  3. Negative: 1 out of 56
  1. GameCritics
    Mar 29, 2012
    60
    Unfortunately for those returning after an absence (like me) or who are brand new to the series, Soul Calibur V does little to bring a player up to speed with the new characters and mechanics beyond throwing them into the fight and letting them wade through as best they can. Factor in the scarcity of offline single-player content, and this means that multiplayer is the only thing granting Soul Calibur V any longevity; players looking for long-term offline play will be better served with Soul Calibur IV.
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  2. GamesBeat
    Mar 12, 2012
    80
    Critics praised this series for its unique campaigns like Weapon Master that feature a variety of challenges and weapons with different properties, but SC5's offerings feel limited and rushed.
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  3. Armchair Empire
    Mar 7, 2012
    80
    While there's nothing revolutionary in the gameplay of SoulCalibur V from its predecessors, fans of the franchise will enjoy once again the blade battling that looks just as good as it plays.
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