Although unquestionably a genre staple, SoulCalibur has been on the quiet side for the better part of the decade. The lukewarm reception of SoulCalibur V and Bandai Namco's unsuccessful forays into the free-to-play and mobile markets have dealt the series a terrible blow.

Easy to learn; hard to master combat system is rewarding; Fantastic animations; Engaging online

Dull storytelling; Combat horribly weighed down in single-player modes; Serviceable; but lackluster selection of modes

Buy SoulCalibur6 In recent years, the SoulCalibur franchise has become increasingly convoluted and difficult to follow, and none of the games really quite had the necessary spark of success. In short, it was a game that desperately needed a back-to-the-roots reboot.

When it comes to its bread-and-butter franchises, Bandai Namco generally operates on a principle of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." There's nothing inherently wrong with that approach, but the Japanese video game development company and publisher does have a rather conspicuous habit of bringing...

"Transcending history and the world, a tale of souls and swords, eternally retold." These are the words heard so many times in the past and anticipated to be heard again. Soul Blade , a weapon-based fighter that preceded SoulCalibur -series, was the first game I bought for my PlayStation.

Geralt from The Witcher guest stars in Bandai Namco's revamped fighter, but does the famous single-player mode live up to fan expectations

Excellent fighting system that anyone can pick up and play but which has plenty of hidden depth for more expert players; Good graphics and a wide range of game modes; Geralt works great

The single-player modes have too much boring storytelling and unnecessarily short fights; Low rent presentation and too few new characters

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why, but Soul Calibur has always been a fighting game appreciated by the casual crowd. Perhaps that's due to the fact that it's easy to get things done because it only has three attack buttons and one to block.

Syed enters the arena to see how strong this fighter's soul still burns

Refined and updated combat, new mechanics add a new dimension to fights; Defensive play no longer punished; Story mode encourages experimentation with fighting styles; Gorgeous visuals and smooth framerate; Stellar soundtrack Fun, over-the-top voice acting

Currently unstable online mode; Crippled character creation; Story mode outright, ignores gameplay at times; Player choices have negligible consequences; Japanese audio is, poorly balanced

I have always loved Soul Calibur since SCII on the PS2. Aside from SCIII, I felt that IV and V were really lacking, and did not live up to the strength of SCII. Finally, SCVI feels like it's a return to form.

Fighting game franchises have been making somewhat of a resurgence in the past little while, with games such as Tekken 7, Injustice 2, and more recently Dragon Ball FighterZ coming into the forefront. In addition to these, Street Fighter V continues to be popular and titles such as Super Smash Bros.

Interesting narrative; Libra of Soul mode; Simply fun

Minor slowdowns; Could use more characters

Soul Calibur VI has the heart and soul of what makes a great fighter great. However, Reversal Edge is a mixed bag, and some presentation elements lack visual investment. Regardless, Soul Calibur VI is the complete package, accommodating to newcomers and veterans alike.