At least one fighting game has answered the call to add Nier: Automata’s 2B, and that’s Soulcalibur 6. Bandai Namco Entertainment released a new trailer showcasing the YoRHa warrior and the fate she seemingly shares with Ivy. More importantly, she looks awesome, utilizing Virtuous Contract and Virtuous Treaty in battle. Check it out below.

2B’s evasions, POD, and mid-air combos have made the transition as well, and they look pretty cool. She’ll also have her own unique stage and music from the crumbling future of Nier: Automata’s Earth. While Bandai Namco hasn’t outlined when this content will be coming, it seems a given that 2B will be included with the Season Pass as DLC.

Soulcalibur 6 is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. You can read GamingBolt’s official review for the game here. Before 2B arrives, Season Pass holders can get their hands on Soulcalibur series veteran Tira. She’s also available as a standalone purchase so if you’re only interested in picking her – or 2B (presumably) – up separately, then that’s also an option.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35H8A4wO5jw

Despite making headlines for launch week physical sales being down by 59 percent in the UK, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 was still the number 1 selling game in its second week on sale in the region, according to Gfk Chart-Track. In fact, as GamesIndustry.biz notes, overall sales dropped by just 39 percent in the second week, which is a good sign.

FIFA 19 and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey retained their spots in second and third place respectively. Spider-Man on the PS4 actually saw a bump up from sixth to fourth place. Forza Horizon 4 remained at fifth place. Two new entries this week for the top 10 include LEGO DC Super-Villains at sixth place and Soulcalibur 6 at eighth place.

Super Mario Party was in seventh, while Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Shadow of the Tomb Raider rounded out the chart at ninth and tenth respectively. Starlink: Battle for Atlas also debuted, but at 14th place. It appears that Nintendo’s Star Fox cameo made a strong impact though – a whopping 82 percent of launch sales were for the Switch version.

It’s been a long time since Soulcalibur fans have had a new game to sink their teeth into. Thankfully, Project Soul’s Soulcalibur 6 is finally upon us, and Bandai Namco has released a new trailer to celebrate the same. It tells the same old tale of swords and warriors, crossing paths and battling it out for the ultimate power. Check it out below.

Soulcalibur 6 explores some “hidden truths” from the first game, and as such includes much of the classic’s roster. Kilik, Xianghua, Mitsurugi, Sophitia, and Astaroth join the likes of Raphael, Talim, Zasalamel. and Inferno. New characters include Azwel, Grøh, and The Witcher 3’s Geralt of Rivia, while Tira is a DLC character.

Along with pursuing the main Soul Chronicle storyline, players can also create their own fighter. This can be used in the Libra of Souls mode to embark on a different journey, complete with various challenges. Then there’s the usual online PvP with ranked battles. Soulcalibur 6 is out on October 19th for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Check out GamingBolt’s official review in the meantime.

SoulCalibur II was just as good as the original, adding more characters and more modes, while keeping the original’s fast pace, simplicity, and freedom of movement intact. III was a solid game, with perhaps the best single-player modes the series has ever had – a triumph in a fighter regularly lauded for its solo content. But the lack of an arcade edition meant that the game was unbalanced and it generally didn’t feel as good to play as SoulCalibur or SoulCalibur II. It introduced the series’ ridiculous in-depth character creator, but cracks were beginning to show in the formula. It just hadn’t changed that much. IV had similar ills. While it played better than III, it took away certain options from the character creator and lacked the magic of the originals. V was probably the series’ nadir. While it was a return to the mechanical excellence of the first two, it removed a number of fan favorite characters, such as Taki, Xianghua, Sophitia, Talim, Zasalamel, and Seong Mi-na. Some characters were replaced with their protégés or children, but certain styles were removed for no discernable reason. Worse, the series normally excellent single-player was replaced with a barebones alternative. Many fans were rightfully upset, and after V’s poor sales, a sequel seemed uncertain.

"Project Soul’s solution to SoulCalibur’s problems is both simple and elegant: keep the stuff that works, throw out the stuff that doesn’t, and bring back the stuff that series players expect without sacrificing the improvements made by recent games in the series. The easiest to fix was complaints about the series core cast. The game solves this problem by going back in time."

SoulCalibur VI, then, is a game with something to prove. Project Soul seems to have gone through every criticism leveled at past games, and especially SoulCalibur V, and addressed them one by one. The result is what is easily the best game in the series since SoulCalibur II and a treat for both series veterans and those making their way to the stage of history for the first time. Project Soul’s solution to SoulCalibur’s problems is both simple and elegant: keep the stuff that works, throw out the stuff that doesn’t, and bring back the stuff that series players expect without sacrificing the improvements made by recent games in the series. The easiest to fix was complaints about the series core cast. The game solves this problem by going back in time.

The vast majority of SoulCalibur VI takes place during the original SoulCalibur, which means the new game serves as both something of a soft reboot for the series as well as a sequel. In addition to serving as a gateway to new players, this also means that the original cast is back. VI’s roster might be quite as big as V’s was, but the right characters are back: Taki, Seong Mi-na, Talim, Sophitia, Zasalamel, and Xianghua return, and the series is better off for it. In addition, this return to the series’ roots allows the developers to trim the story’s bloat. SoulCalibur has always had one of the more enjoyable, if still silly, plots in a fighting game, but the story started to go off the rails after SoulCalibur III, which resulted in excess characters and single-player modes that collapsed under the weight of the plot. Paring these elements back allows Project Soul to focus on the elements that worked in the first place.

But that doesn’t mean that everything old is new again. While they’re throwing out what didn’t work, Project Soul has kept much of what made SoulCalibur V work in place: the gameplay. VI’s builds on V’s changes, opting for refinement over wholesale redesign, though there are new elements, too. What returns is what worked. The Guard Impact system, a sort of parry that allows you to reflect an opponent’s attacks if timed properly, returns more or less untouched from V, which simplified it into a single command. The series trademark 8 Way Run returns unchanged, as well, and other elements V introduced, such as a meter that allows you to do special attacks and activate Soul Charge, a buff that powers up each character and their moves in specific ways, return, too.

"No matter who you play, from a grappler like Astaroth to a specialist like Ivy, SoulCalibur’s problem has never been that its characters can’t do damage. The problem, rather, is defense. Aside from sidestepping and Guard Impacts, defensive options have always been limited. Project Soul has recognized that. The biggest mechanical addition in VI is Reversal Edge, a defensive technique that also allows for big damage if used properly."

On the surface, none of these things might seem liked a big deal, but they allow SoulCalibur to remain fast and fluid. The game has always maintained a careful balance, and that remains true here. Each character has access to vertical attacks, horizontal attacks, kicks, and throws, and combining these techniques with the 8 Way Run system is what makes SoulCalibur work. Horizontal attacks are quick and will hit your opponent even if they move up on down on the stage, but their damage is limited. Vertical attacks, on the other hand, are high damage affairs that can be sidestepped, leaving you open for attack. Kicks work as quick responses that can control space and work as counter attacks, and throws beat blocking. Combining these basics techniques and the 8 Way Run system is what makes SoulCalibur unique, and it’s good that Project Soul has embraced the series core while keeping new mechanics, like Critical Edges (think Super moves in Street Fighter) and the refined Soul Charge.

Unlike something like Tekken, the key to SoulCalibur has never been long combos or the ability to juggle an opponent, though certain characters do use juggling in their combos. Rather the focus is on outmaneuvering your opponent, knocking them down, and keeping them on the ground so you can get guaranteed damage with follow-up attacks. Each character has a different way of doing this: Taki, for instance, is fast and her short swords do their best work in close, while Siegfried is more defensive and wants to keep his opponent just in on the edge of his zweihander, and Cervantes uses special moves to control space and keep the opponent off guard.

No matter who you play, from a grappler like Astaroth to a specialist like Ivy, SoulCalibur’s problem has never been that its characters can’t do damage. The problem, rather, is defense. Aside from sidestepping and Guard Impacts, defensive options have always been limited. Project Soul has recognized that. The biggest mechanical addition in VI is Reversal Edge, a defensive technique that also allows for big damage if used properly. When a character activates Reversal Edge, they essentially enter a state that makes them immune to throws and normal attacks. There are exceptions: Break Attacks, which are special attacks designed to break an opponent’s guard, can beat them, but most normal attacks will lose out. After enough time has passed, or you let go of the button, you’ll transition to a Reversal Edge attack.

"Of course, there’s an arcade mode and a versus mode, but the real meat is found in Libra of Soul and Soul Chronicle. In the former, you create your own character and travel the world of SoulCalibur, meeting core members of the cast, fighting battles, and advancing a story that parallels the journey of the main characters, all while gaining experience and leveling up, earning money, and acquiring new weapons. The best comparison is SoulCalibur II’s Weapon Master mode, though Libra of Soul is even better."

Should it hit, you’ll enter a mini-game, even if the opponent is guarding. During this time, you’re free to enter an attack, block, or dodge. Attacks work in a rock paper scissors fashion: vertical attacks beat horizontal attacks, horizontal attacks beat kicks, and kicks beat vertical attacks. If both players enter the same input, your characters will Clash and try one more time. You can also dodge or block, though each comes with its own risks. Blocking beats everything except vertical attacks, which cause a Clash state and prevent you from guarding a second time. Dodging provides opportunities for huge damage should you guess right, but each dodge only works on one specific type of attack. If you guess wrong, you’re eating it. Reversal Edges add a much-needed defensive option to the game, and the fact that they’re flashy is just a bonus.

Of course, a great cast – which also includes new characters Awzel and Groh and The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia, all of whom are excellent and have their own unique style – isn’t enough. SoulCalibur has (almost) always raised the bar for single-player content in fighting games and I’m happy to say that not only makes up for V’s barebones modes, but rivals the best entries in the series. Of course, there’s an arcade mode and a versus mode, but the real meat is found in Libra of Soul and Soul Chronicle. In the former, you create your own character and travel the world of SoulCalibur, meeting core members of the cast, fighting battles, and advancing a story that parallels the journey of the main characters, all while gaining experience and leveling up, earning money, and acquiring new weapons. The best comparison is SoulCalibur II’s Weapon Master mode, though Libra of Soul is even better. Between missions you’ll make moral choices that affect the outcome of the story and complete side quests.  The former is window dressing, but it’s largely well-handled and interesting, and I was often curious about the paths I didn’t take. The latter is something of a gauntlet. Traveling costs gold and is dangerous, as you’ll often fight enemies on the road while you move from area to area, but it’s also the best way to make money. Losing during a quest is fine, but losing while traveling will cost you everything you’ve gained so far, making for a system that incentivizes risk and creates tension, even though you can end a journey any time.

Soul Chronicle is a more traditional take on the franchise’s story, following each character through their separate story arcs. While the game’s main plot focuses on Kilik, the rest of the cast gets their due here, as well. Most of the story between battles is delivered by animated portraits, but there is the occasional cutscene and much of what’s here is good, even if the voice acting sometimes leaves a little to be desired. Whatever you choose, both Soul Chronicle and Libra of Soul are long modes that will provide more than enough to keep players busy for a long time, but there’s still more to do. The game also features a content-packed museum mode that has concept art, cutscenes, gameplay tips, and even content from all of the previous games in the series to unlock. It also features battle strategies for each character for every skill level, detailing core moves and how to approach matches. This, combined with an excellent training mode, makes learning SoulCalibur easier than it has ever been.

" This is a statement release from Project Soul, a game that atones for the mistakes of SoulCalibur V and pushes the series in exciting new directions, while remaining true to what makes SoulCalibur work. When Namco Bandai announced this game, I was a skeptic, but I leave my time with the game eager to return, and knowing I’ll likely dump hundreds more hours into it. For the first time in more than a decade, SoulCalibur’s future looks just as bright as its past."

If that’s not enough for you, there’s also SoulCalibur’s famous character creator, which is better than it’s ever been. You can create anything from a lizardman to a demon and everything in-between and customize them to your heart’s content. This has been a big selling point for the series for more than a decade and it’s clear that Project Soul has dumped a lot of time and effort into it. I look forward to an eerily accurate version of the Grinch swinging Astaroth’s axe around come Christmas time. Rounding out the package is online play, which hits all the standard notes: there’s ranked and casual matches, and you can create your own rooms for friends. Nothing about the game’s online offering is exceptional, but it has everything you’d expect from a modern fighter and works well, which is all you can ask for.

The bottom line is this: no matter how you choose to play, SoulCalibur VI is an exceptional game. Every time I start the game, I am reminded that I have so much more to do, and even with all I’ve talked about here, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what the game has to offer. This is a statement release from Project Soul, a game that atones for the mistakes of SoulCalibur V and pushes the series in exciting new directions, while remaining true to what makes SoulCalibur work. When Namco Bandai announced this game, I was a skeptic, but I leave my time with the game eager to return, and knowing I’ll likely dump hundreds more hours into it. For the first time in more than a decade, SoulCalibur’s future looks just as bright as its past. Before, the question was whether or not SoulCalibur could ever again reach the heights of its predecessors. Now, the question is where we go from here. Whatever happens, SoulCalibur VI proves that the soul still burns, even 20 years later, and the legend will never die.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

The cast of Bandai Namco’s Soulcalibur 6 is only getting bigger, roughly two weeks away from its release. In a new character trailer, the development team at Project Soul unveiled Inferno. You might recognize him as a major antagonist in the early Soulcalibur games and the controlling force behind Nightmare. Check out his new look below.

Inferno is essentially the “embodiment” of Soul Edge’s will (the same blade that characters like Siegfried, Cervantes, and Kilik have run afoul of). His main shtick is adopting various styles to battle with. So in one round, he could be using Xianghua’s techniques, before switching to Astaroth’s devastating strength in the next round.

There isn’t much of that in the new trailer, but Inferno is still capable of darting about quickly and dealing massive damage. Bandai Namco is promising this to be the strongest and most brutal version of the burning man yet. We’ll find out for ourselves when Soulcalibur 6 launches on October 19th for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

REBOOT

With Soulcalibur 6, developers Project Soul are, in many ways, looking to start afresh and give the franchise a new lease of life. One of the ways they’re doing that is by treating it as a reboot of sorts. Rather than continuing or expanding the story that they’ve told in previous games up until this point, Soulcalibur 6 will instead go back to the very beginning, and look at things from a new perspective to, in the developer’s own words, “reveal hidden truths”.

STORY SETUP

Soulcalibur 6 will retell the story of the very first Soulcalibur, but it won’t be a remake – obviously. Rather, it’s retelling the same story, but adding on new elements while also looking at already known events from different perspectives to offer a new and unique tale that fresh and familiar at the same time. The story will take place between the years 1583 and 1590, and will once again focus on the battle between the two legendary blades – Soul Edge, the cursed sword, and Soul Calibur, the spirit sword. Things will will begin as Kilik sets out on his quest to steal the Soul Edge, while the developers have also said that players will be able to see the story from the perspective of multiple characters.

GERALT

Guest characters have long been a tradition of the Soulcalibur franchise, with each instalment pulling in well known and famous characters from other franchises to its roster, from The Legend of Zelda’s Link in Soulcalibur 2 to Star Wars’ Darth Vader and Yoda in Soulcalibur 4, to Assassin’s Creed’s Ezio Auditore in Soulcalibur 5, and so many more. Soulcalibur 6 is going to continue that tradition, by including Geralt of Rivia, protagonist of CD Projekt RED’s highly acclaimed The Witcher trilogy, in its roster of characters.

ROSTER

There’s going to be several familiar faces in Soulcalibur 6’s roster, and a few new ones as well. Groh, armed with dual sabres, and Azwel, armed with some sort of gloves, are new characters, while the likes of Cervantes, Mitsuguru, Kilik, Astaroth, and Voldo are all returning. Some returning characters, such as Tira, are also going to be exclusive to DLC- which brings us to our next point.

SEASON PASS

One piece of information that Soulcalibur 6 that understandably bugs some people is its season pass, which will consist of several content drops. These will be bringing four characters to the roster, in addition to two armour packs, and over a hundred customization items. Of these four characters, the first has been confirmed as the fan favourite ring blade wielding mentally unstable Tira, who was first introduced in Soulcalibur 3 and also appeared in Soulcalibur 4.

CHARACTER CREATOR

Soulcalibur 5’s character creation will be making a return in Soulcalibur 6, but it’s going to be more expanded than it was in its previous appearance. For instance, there’s going to be more customization options than before, such as even being able to choose your character’s race this time around, while even more options will be added on as DLC, as we’ve already mentioned. Additionally, for the first time in the series, a guest character’s fighting style will also be available as one of the options available to players.

LIBRA OF SOULS

Created characters will have much more use this time around, too. In Libra of Souls, which is an entirely separate story campaign from the main one, players will play as their own created character. While the main story mode will have a focus on retelling the story of the original Soulcalibur, Libra of Souls will act as a second story mode that sees players embarking on a completely different journey as their very own character.

REVERSAL EDGE

One of the biggest new mechanics being introduced to the fighting in Soulcalibur 6 is Reversal Edge, a timing based block of incoming attacks which triggers a slow motion effect and is intended as more of a defensive option. When the bullet time style effect is triggered, both fighters will engage each other in a single button exchange with each other, with the winner being determined based on a rock-paper-scizzors strengths and weaknesses system.

LETHAL HIT

Another new mechanic is Lethal Hit. While Reversal Edge is more of a defensive option for players, Lethal Hit is almost the exact opposite, as the name suggests, resulting in attacks that can literally send the enemy flying. Very particular and specific conditions have to be met for players to be able to use this attack, which will also vary depending on which move is being pulled off,. What this means is that players can’t spam the new mechanic (thankfully enough- or well, that’s what we hope for anyway).

SOUL CHARGE

Soulcalibur 6 introduces many new mechanics to the series’ fighting style, a couple of which we’ve just discussed, but it’s also bringing plenty of stuff back. For instance- Soul Charge, which was last seen in Soulcalibur 3. However, given just how different Soul Charge is going to be in the upcoming sequel, it might as well be a new mechanic. Thanks to Soul Charge, players will be able to transform into entirely different versions of the characters they’re playing as, which will grant special abilities and other powerful attacks to let loose.

GUARD IMPACT

Another mechanic that’s returning in Soulcalibur 6 is Guard Impact, which is a defensive move that allows all characters to either counter or parry attacks. But though the fact that Guard Impact is returning may not be all that notable, what is notable is that in while in Soulcalibur 5 each Guard Impact would drain 25% of your critical gauge, this time around it will have no gauge cost at all.

CRITICAL EDGE

Also returning in Soulcalibur 6 is Critical Edge. First introduced way back in Soul Edge, Critical Edge was never seen again right up until Soulcalibur 5, where it was heavily altered to become more of ultimate moves that consume the entirety of the Soul Gauge, dealing ultimate attacks of massive damage similar to, say, Ultra Combos in Street Fighter. In Soulcalibur 6, these will largely remain unchanged.

ARMOUR BREAK

Yet another mechanic that’s returning is Soulcalibur 6 is armour break, which fans might remember from Soulcalibur 4 and 5 as well. Armour breaks in Soulcalibur 4 will allow players to deal damage to separate sections of armour. Interestingly enough, though, it will also have an effect on characters’ hair, of all things, as well.

THE FATE OF THE FRANCHISE

While fans of the Soulcalibur series will obviously be absolutely thrilled that they get to experience another entry in this series, the future doesn’t look all too secure for it. Recently, Motohiro Okubo, who serves as the game’s producer, confirmed that Bandai Namco wasn’t all too keen on bringing back Soulcalibur as it is, and had low expectations from the franchise, and that getting Soulcalibur 6 greenlit was a struggle in and of itself. He then went on to confirm that if the game doesn’t sell too well, it’ll probably end up being the final game in the series.

NINTENDO SWITCH VERSION

Though Soulcalibur 6 is for now only releasing for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, a Nintendo Switch version of the game isn’t completely out of the question. While right now the development team at Project Soul remains completely focussed on the game’s launch, they have stated that the Switch is a great piece of hardware that they might possibly be interested in bringing their game to. Bandai Namco also have enjoyed a great relationship with Nintendo for years now, so if Soulcalibur 6 does well at launch, who knows, we might actually get to play it on the Switch at some point in the future.

Ahead of its launch in October, Bandai Namco has announced a network test for Soulcalibur 6 on September 28th. The test will start at 8 AM PDT and ends on September 30th at 8 AM PDT for Xbox One and PS4. The client will be available to download from September 27th, 8 AM PDT so you can prepare accordingly.

Along with 15 playable characters to try and nine playable stages to battle across, Ranked Match mode will also be available to try out. Since it’s a network test, things could get flaky (or not work properly at all) so keep that in mind. Oddly enough, PC players won’t be getting the network test next week.

Soulcalibur 6 is out on October 19th for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. It marks the series’ return after a long sabbatical, and explores “hidden truths” from the first game’s storyline. Numerous classic fighters return, and we even have The Witcher 3’s Geralt making a guest appearance.

Be one of the first to set foot on the stage of history! ⚔ Join the #SOULCALIBUR VI Network Test to try the online versus mode on PS4 and XB1, and help us fine tune the online experience!
Start: Sept 28, 5 PM CEST / 8 AM PST
End: Oct 1, 5 AM CEST / Sept 30, 8 PM PST pic.twitter.com/ICHwgkoXvZ

— SOULCALIBUR (@soulcalibur) September 22, 2018

Even if it’s one month away from release, Bandai Namco continues to reveal characters for Soulcalibur 6. This time around, it’s the rapier-wielding Raphael, who relies on quick strikes and kicks to throw his opponent off while going for the killing blow. Check out his gameplay reveal below.

Raphael joins a fairly loaded cast, which includes Ivy, Kilik, Voldo, Talim, Taki, Astaroth, Seong Mi-na, Xianghua, and many more series greats. New characters include Grøh, Azwel, and The Witcher 3’s Geralt of Rivia. While players will battle through the Soul Chronicle mode, revisiting events from the very first game and unearthing secrets, they’ll also use the custom character creator in Libra of Soul mode for an array of different challenges.

Soulcalibur 6 will be releasing on October 19^th for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Depending on its sales, this could be the last Soulcalibur game in a while, so here’s hoping it reignites interest in the franchise.

So far, we’ve been able to see quite a bit of Soulcalibur 6, including a story trailer and the Libra of Souls mode. Now a brand new trailer has been released by Bandai Namco, which showcases even more different game modes, features, and more.

The story modes includes Soul Chronicle and Libra of Souls, in which you can play as your own customized character. If you’re interested in the Battle modes, then there are the arcade, versus, and training modes as well. The game will also have quite a few online features too, including Ranked Match, Casual Match, Replay, and Rankings.

The trailer also gives us a look at the in-depth character customization system, which fans of the series should be used to by now. There will also be a Museum feature which will give us a look at the artwork, information, and more details about the history of the series. You can check out the trailer below.

Soulcalibur 6 is set to release for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 19. Though it hasn’t been announced yet, a Nintendo Switch version of the game isn’t completely out of the question. That said, the developers have admitted that the series’ future isn’t as secure as perhaps they’d like it to be. Read more on that through here.

Update: An official trailer is now available for Cervantes, providing a better look at his abilities and moveset.

Original Story:

Another Soulcalibur legend will be making his return in Soulcalibur 6, courtesy of a new leaked trailer. Considering the number of characters we know about already, this might not seem special. Then again, it is Cervantes de León, the dreaded dual-wielding pirate who cares little for anything aside from regaining Soul Edge. Check him out below.

Cervantes boasts a more ghoulish appearance this time, but he’s still rocking the longsword and gunblade combo. The latter allows him to hit ranged attacks and chain them together in combos for explosive results. As such, moves like the multi-stab and spiral slice make a return, so if those annoyed you in previous games, prepare to rage once again.

Soulcalibur 6 will release on October 19th for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Along with Cervantes, Tira will also be returning (though she’s a pre-order bonus). A new character named Azwel will also join the roster. Two story modes will also be available at launch – Chronicle of Souls and Libra of Soul, the latter allowing you to create custom fighters and face unique challenges.