Check out the previous part here.

Shadow Warrior 3

The one where Wang gets a grappling hook. Shadow Warrior 3 does away with its predecessor’s wide array of melee weapons and focuses on one single constant – the Dragontail katana. Being able to quickly whip it out and slice an opponent feels more intuitive, and each slash feels more responsive. Upgrades also allow for directional inputs to call down lightning, shoot fire or unleash a wave of water which is also nice.

Bandai Namco recently took to Twitter via the series’ official account and confirmed that Soulcalibur 6 has sold over 2 million units worldwide. The game launched nearly three years ago in October of 2018, so the pace of its sales certainly doesn’t compare to something like, say, the aforementioned Mortal Kombat 11- but it’s still an impressive accomplishment.

Soulcalibur 6 is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In our review of the game, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Smart gameplay refinements, a ton of content, the return of the original cast, and excellent teaching tools makes this the best Soulcalibur in years and prove that the soul still burns 20 years later.” You can read our full review through here.

Transcending history as #SOULCALIBURVI has reached 2 million copies sold!

Thank you to all of our fans for your continued support and may your soul still burn! pic.twitter.com/mXUkfXZH60

— SOULCALIBUR (@soulcalibur) July 21, 2021

After being absent from Soulcalibur 4 and 5, Hwang returns for Soulcalibur 6. He’ll be available on December 2nd as a new DLC character in Season Pass 2. Check out the trailer below to see him in action and appreciate the new look.

As part of the initial roster in Soul Edge, Hwang is wielding a new weapon called Dark Thunder and seemingly a demon hunter/exorcist. He’s still incredibly skilled with the blade and chaining together martial arts though. Along with Hwang, a new update will also launch that adds the new Motien Pass Ruins.

Seong Mi-na’s classic costume parts and new episodes for Mitsurugi and Nightmare are also coming. Then there’s the Character Creation Set F which will allow for even more character customization. Soulcalibur 6 is currently available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. With Season Pass 2 coming to a close, it should be interesting to see if any more support is planned. Stay tuned, as always, for more details.

Granblue Fantasy Versus

Cygames’ mobile RPG envisioned as a fighting game with side-scrolling hack and slash RPG battles, weapon grids and bosses? It’s doable but Arc System Works took the idea and ran with it, using its incredible visual style and art direction for each character and environment. The combat has a decent amount of depth with Skybound Arts (which are executable using a single button, if necessary). The online play could be improved – as is always the case with these kinds of games – but Granblue Fantasy Versus is still a worthy title especially with updates and new fighters rolling in.

Bandai Namco’s next DLC character for Soulcalibur 6 is a returning fighter – Setsuka, who made her debut in Soulcalibur 3 and was subsequently missing in Soulcalibur 5. She’s out later today for Season Pass 2 owners along with update 2.20. Check out the reveal trailer below which showcases her new look and moves.

Even for those who don’t pick up Setsuka or the Season Pass, there’s quite a bit to experience in the new update. All characters will be receiving battle adjustments and there’s a new stage – Murakumo Shrine Grounds – to fight on. A new episode for Groth is also coming and players can also access Setsuka’s Classic Costume Parts for her old-school look.

If that weren’t enough, Character Creation Set E will also be available. Its theme is Tekken, allowing you to customize fighters with a variety of Tekken cosmetics and armor. Stay tuned for more extensive patch notes later today.

Soulcalibur 6 is out for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Check out our review for the base game here.

Microsoft has revealed its current slate of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass subscribers in July. Out of the Park Baseball 21 and Soulcalibur 6 are currently available on Xbox Game Pass for PC and console respectively. However, next week will see the addition of Fallout 76 and CrossCode.

Bethesda’s Fallout 76 has easily been the studio’s most controversial release but received numerous improvements through updates and patches. The Wastelanders update in April added human NPCs, reputation systems, factions and more while Season 1: The Legendary Run has begun with its own set of challenges and rewards. The online title will be available for both PC and Xbox One subscribers on July 9th.

Radical Fish Games’ CrossCode will also go live on the same day but for Xbox Game Pass for console subscribers. It takes place in a virtual game called CrossWorlds with its protagonist, Lea, trying to regain her memory. With a deep action RPG combat system, retro-art style and memorable boss fights, it’s well worth getting into (especially since the Xbox One version will have unique content).

Games that will be leaving Xbox Game Pass on July 15th are as follows:

• Blazing Chrome (Console & PC)
• Dead Rising 4 (Console & PC)
• Metal Gear Solid 5 (Console and PC)
• Timespinner (PC)
• Unavowed (PC)
• Undertale (PC)

Prestigious fighting game tournament Evo 2020 has been canceled. Much like other events canceled earlier this year, the organizers have cited the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic as the main culprit. To “keep the Evo spirit alive”, there will be online event taking place instead. Refunds will be issued for tickets purchased.

While the safety and health of participants is important, it remains to be seen whether an online event will be a good replacement. Several of the titles selected for this year’s Evo including Dragon Ball FighterZ, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Samurai Shodown have notoriously poor netcode. Other titles like Street Fighter 5 Champion Edition, Soulcalibur 6 and Tekken 7 are somewhat better though this still won’t replace the experience of playing on-site.

We’ll have to wait and see how things pan out regardless. Evo 2020 joins the likes of E3 2020 and SXSW 2020 which have been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Others like GDC 2020 and Gamescom 2020 are opting for digital experiences, with several other online events like IGN’s Summer of Gaming, the Summer Gaming Fest, and Microsoft’s upcoming Inside Xbox filling the gap. Stay tuned for more details on Evo’s plans in the coming weeks.

A message from the Evo team… pic.twitter.com/ANXUXDiNGK

— Evo (@Evo) May 1, 2020

Explosive Barrels

It’s probably happened a few times in Borderlands 1, 2 or 3 because really, who can keep up with all of the annoying colored barrels, projectiles, screaming psychopaths, mechs, pets, Rakks, etc? You’ll like find yourself irradiated, electrocuted or just plain burning from a stray bullet grazing the odd barrel. On the bright side, there’s nothing quite like triggering a bunch of explosive barrels near an enemy and watching the fireworks.

The return of Samurai Shodown last year was one very much celebrated by fans. It also happened to come not too long after the return of Soulcalibur with its sixth mainline installment. It seemed only natural that these two weapon-based games would collide in this era of crossover-mania in the fighting game genre, and so it was that Samurai Shodown‘s Haohmaru was announced to be making his way to Soulcalibur 6, and now we know when.

As you can see from the launch trailer below, you’ll be able to end this month with the Samurai Shodown regular as he’ll slash his way through the Soulcalibur regulars. He seems to fit right in and will come with his own stage and sound effects.

Soulcalibur 6 is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Samurai Shodown is also available, getting its own updated roster, so you’ve got a lot of ways to get your hand on this samurai.

Fatalities

Let’s start with Fatalities in Mortal Kombat. We’re not against the inherent concept of finishers or even players outright killing their opponents. It’s just weird to see some fighters absolutely brutalized and then return in the next game. Unless they were killed “in storyline,” because cutscene deaths are always lethal. Mortal Kombat 11’s Story Mode did address this somewhat by not having every fight end with the opportunity for a Fatality but it’s still weird in other games.