Review Game Soul Calibur 6

Bandai Namco Producer Motohiro Okubo has shed some light on Soulcalibur 6's single-player modes. As was first reported by Destructoid, Okubo told Japan's Famitsu magazine that Soulcalibur 6 features a story mode called "Soul Chronicle" with an interactive timeline starring the entire cast of fighters.

Soul Chronicle is set between A.D. 1583 and 1590, making it both a Soulcalibur origin story and a continuation of the events that have unfolded in previous games. The story mode's first events will offer up some backstory taking place before the tale told in the original Soulcalibur, but the story will continue forward from there. Players will be treated to illustrated and 3D cutscenes while they battle through the critical moments that shaped the fates of Soulcalibur's cast of fighters.

Additionally, Soulcalibur 6 will have another "major" single-player mode, but Okubo declined to reveal any details about it.

Soulcalibur series lore has always focused on control of a pair of mystical swords called the "Soul Edge," with 1998's Soulcalibur focusing on the struggle to prevent the character Cervantes from wreaking havoc with one of the blades in the year 1587. Most characters are obsessed with controlling, destroying, or protecting Soul Edge.

When SoulCalibur 6 was announced during last year’s Game Awards I was stunned. Having not followed the gossip of fighting fanatics on various game forums, I had lost almost all hope that I’d ever see the franchise return for another bout. But now, on the year of its twentieth anniversary, SoulCalibur is back and – as much of a cliche as it is – it feels better than ever.

Now, full disclosure, I’m an avid fan of the SoulCalibur series. Compared to the landscape of skilled fighting game fans, my ability is but a blip on the horizon. But, I’ve been in love with the series since I first picked up SoulBlade on the PlayStation – a game I only obtained because the wrong disc was put into my Blockbuster rental. That sparked a fascination with the series that, as with many other long-time fans, peaked with SoulCalibur II.

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Later entries are the epitome of a series that lost its way over the years but SoulCalibur 6 remains a compelling addition because it’s all about returning to where everything began. Confusingly set between the original SoulCalibur and its follow-up SoulCalibur II, SoulCalibur 6 is reinventing the 3D fighter by pulling it right back to its roots.