SOULCALIBUR VI

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 10,444 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
SOULCALIBUR VI Game Cover
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"SOULCALIBUR VI" is the latest entry in the weapons-based fighting game series, featuring new battle mechanics like Reversal Edge and Soul Charge. It includes single-player modes such as Soul Chronicle, online battles, and a character creation mode. Geralt from The Witcher series makes a guest appearance.

  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 10,444 reviews
story544 positive mentions
grinding56 negative mentions
  • story2,916 mentions

    The story aspect of "Soul Calibur VI" has received mixed reviews, with players noting the presence of two distinct story modes: "Soul Chronicle," which follows the main characters' narratives, and "Libra of Souls," where players create their own character and navigate a more RPG-like experience. While some appreciate the depth and character-specific arcs, many criticize the storytelling format, which relies heavily on static images and text rather than animated cutscenes, leading to a tedious experience. Overall, the story is seen as lacking in engagement and quality compared to previous installments, with some players expressing disappointment in its execution despite the game's strong gameplay mechanics and character customization options.

    • “The game has a solid story with beautifully drawn characters and moments with actual clear narrative that I think makes this the best game of the series in regards to story.”
    • “Character creation offers unprecedented customization, while the story modes provide dozens of hours of engaging content.”
    • “The main story mode (libra of souls) is the best I've seen in any fighting game.”
    • “If you do your research, you'll find that the Soul Calibur series does not get the love it used to get from the developer, and I believe development was rushed, which accounts for the low quality of the story.”
    • “No animated cutscenes or voiceovers, just static pages and portraits with tiny letters scrolling to tell the story.”
    • “Now, 80% of both story modes consist of skippable dialogues that shouldn't have a place in a modern fighting game, boring and lazy storytelling for a story that was never very good to start with.”
  • gameplay2,026 mentions

    The gameplay of Soulcalibur VI is characterized by its engaging mechanics and diverse character creation options, making it accessible for newcomers while still offering depth for veterans. However, the introduction of the controversial "reversal edge" mechanic, likened to a rock-paper-scissors system, has drawn mixed reactions, with some players finding it disrupts the flow of combat. Overall, while the core gameplay remains solid and enjoyable, the balance and pacing issues, particularly with new mechanics, have led to a divided player experience.

    • “Solid and diverse character creation and gameplay mechanics make it extremely engaging and refreshing to play.”
    • “The gameplay is polished and exhilarating, especially when swapping blows with opponents.”
    • “The mechanics are excellent for the most part with fast, fluid gameplay.”
    • “Reversal edge is the worst game mechanic I have ever seen.”
    • “The reversal edge or whatever new mechanic is absolutely terrible, I didn't know fighting games also were capable of jumping on this new trash 'movie game' trend.”
    • “The big gameplay gimmick, reversal edge, may be controversial and is likely a big reason why this game's online mode, as of October 2022, is dead.”
  • graphics864 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and detailed character designs, particularly on high-end systems. However, some players note that the graphics feel dated compared to contemporary titles, with criticisms aimed at the lack of innovation and cohesion in the art style. Overall, while the game showcases beautiful graphics and smooth performance, it also shows signs of age and missed opportunities for improvement.

    • “The graphics are stunning and the gameplay is smooth and highly satisfying.”
    • “Immerse yourself in the breathtaking world of soulful battles, with its stunning graphics and unrivaled gameplay.”
    • “The game's graphics are stunning, with detailed character models and vibrant backgrounds that transport you to different parts of the world.”
    • “The graphics are completely lackluster, the story/writing is absolutely cringeworthy, and there is just no content.”
    • “The graphic is awful for its age.”
    • “Bad graphics, even on 1080p high settings it still looks blurry as hell; Soulcalibur 5 on the PS3/360 looks better than this game.”
  • music348 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its orchestral quality and nostalgic tracks from previous installments, while others find it generic and forgettable. Players appreciate the option to customize stage music from a large selection, including over 70 tracks, but many feel that the new compositions lack memorability compared to earlier titles. Overall, while the soundtrack is solid and enhances the gameplay experience, it doesn't consistently stand out as exceptional.

    • “The music in this game is just amazing (10/10), in my opinion, and the stages are gorgeous.”
    • “Great gameplay, fantastic music and awesome character designs.”
    • “The soundtrack is filled with grand orchestral tunes, much in line with what has been done in the past.”
    • “The music is also utterly forgettable.”
    • “It's like they just bought stock tracks from some music licensing provider.”
    • “The soundtrack is repetitive and boring, the story was the same as it is in other games and remains stale from what I remember.”
  • optimization170 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with some players praising its ability to run smoothly on low-end systems and achieving solid performance at high settings, while others report significant stuttering and poor performance even on high-end hardware. Many reviews highlight that the PC port has been refined, but issues persist, particularly with the menu system and online play. Overall, while some users experience excellent performance, others find the optimization lacking, especially in terms of customization options and online stability.

    • “A well-optimized game that can run well on even the lowest of low-end rigs.”
    • “The game is well optimized and looks great, with meticulously animated attacks that literally blow your socks off.”
    • “The game is well-optimized, and runs at a constant smooth 60 fps on my 1080 with graphics at max.”
    • “Ran terrible on my PC even with low settings, constant stuttering.”
    • “The game is extremely poorly optimized and what's worse, I was really looking forward to playing this.”
    • “I suspect that this game is poorly optimized for PC, as my frame rate drops to about 15-20 during regular non-online gameplay, despite the fact that the graphics of the game are basically PS3 levels.”
  • humor124 mentions

    The humor in the game is primarily derived from its character creation system, allowing players to design absurd and hilarious characters that often lead to comical in-game scenarios. Many users find the fighting mechanics and interactions between these quirky creations to be entertaining, even if the overall story and dialogue can be unintentionally funny due to their lack of seriousness. Overall, the game is recommended for those looking to enjoy a lighthearted experience filled with creative and amusing character designs.

    • “The funny meat sword tells you to kill people, and you can either do what it says and get cool powers or disobey it by killing different people to get different cool powers.”
    • “The character creation makes it possible to use your own characters and also make some funny creations.”
    • “Playing online is a blast, especially with all the hilarious variety of created characters you fight against.”
    • “Only 6 stages, no funny cutscenes in-between, no final boss, nothing.”
    • “It's not funny trying to unlock stuff by getting points when the multiplayer matches you against people that will simply clean the floor with you.”
  • replayability64 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the character customization, various game modes, and multiplayer options, while others feel it lacks depth and longevity, particularly in single-player content. Many highlight the potential for increased replay value through additional features like a tower of souls or more playable characters. Overall, while there are enjoyable aspects that encourage replay, the experience may diminish over time, especially in competitive play.

    • “Character editor is very entertaining, lots of replayability.”
    • “Super fun and deep gameplay, rewarding to explore, lots of replayability with the different game modes.”
    • “This is my favorite fighting game series and it comes with fighter customization and a RPG mode called Libra of Souls for endgame replayability.”
    • “It just doesn't have enough replay value, which, for a fighting game, is how you murder yourself.”
    • “Sc6 lacks replayability with an okay matchmaking, but due to ~250 daily player peak average, you will always and only get matched by top players, so yeah this game is dying faster than an aborted fetus.”
    • “Given the single player will eventually lose replayability other than for learning new characters, you'll eventually get bored and the multiplayer won't be worth doing unless it's with friends who aren't going to have abysmal net.”
  • grinding60 mentions

    Players find the grinding in the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, often requiring significant time investment for achievements and character progression. Many reviews highlight the frustration with poorly designed systems that force unnecessary farming, particularly in campaign modes where items cannot be sold or disassembled. While some enjoy the single-player content, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a major drawback, detracting from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “In campaign mode, weapons or items cannot be sold or disassembled, which forces players to do additional unnecessary farming.”
    • “With Libra of Soul in particular, 90% of the entire mode is mind-numbingly tedious, with only the ending 10% being challenging enough to hold one's interest.”
  • character development58 mentions

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of depth and uniqueness among characters, suggesting that stronger individual play styles are needed. While the character designs are generally praised for their creativity and detail, some feel that the overall development feels lazy and outdated, with recycled assets from previous installments. Despite these criticisms, the diverse roster and custom character creation options provide opportunities for players to engage creatively with the game's characters.

    • “I personally love how creative you can get with the character designs and use that the most for designing my OC's as 3D playable characters.”
    • “Even if it's just for character development alone, I would recommend!”
    • “Character designs remain true to the series as it seems to have gone back to its roots for this installment; graphically impressive to boot.”
    • “Characters need much stronger character development, and every character should have their very own unique play style.”
    • “Of all the current installments of all the franchises that are represented at EVO, this is probably the worst one -- whereas Tekken, Mortal Kombat, and Smash are all easily the best they've been in 20 years and have really thoughtful presentation and decent story modes, Soul Calibur is just kind of there, the menus are really blah, the character design is as cheesy as ever, it looks like a PS3 game graphically, and in general feels like it was made on the cheap.”
    • “This series is so incredibly lazy - I can tell the character design editor and clothing in it has been reused since 4; a game that came out in 2008. Ten-year-old assets are still being recycled; I'll give a positive review when they put some effort into their games.”
  • monetization52 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers expressing frustration over high-priced DLC for characters and content that should have been included in the base game. Players feel that the game offers a bare-bones experience for its $60 price tag, with additional costs for cosmetics and characters, leading to a perception of greed and a lack of respect for long-time fans of the franchise. Overall, the monetization practices have detracted from the game's value and enjoyment, leaving many feeling disappointed.

    • “In addition, there are no microtransactions or gambling mechanics to be found.”
    • “Was a great fan of the series, now it's just a soulless cash grab.”
    • “Soul Calibur 6 is a pretty bare-bones package for a $60 title with all the cosmetics and extra characters being sold as microtransactions.”
    • “So sick of these greedy and ridiculous monetization practices in fighting games now, where they charge a huge upfront cost for the game and then demand you pay for every character, stage, costume, piece of music, and button input.”
  • stability42 mentions

    The stability of the game is mixed, with many users reporting significant issues such as freezing, lag, and crashes, particularly in multiplayer modes and specific stages. While some players praise the PC port for its smooth performance and lack of serious bugs, others experience frustrating gameplay interruptions and connectivity problems. Overall, while the game runs well on capable systems, stability remains a concern for many users, especially in online play.

    • “It runs great, feels fast, and is entertaining to watch even when you're not the one playing.”
    • “This is actually one of the first things you will most likely notice about SC6; simply put, it runs great.”
    • “My computer's CPU doesn't meet the recommendations, but I'm still able to play this at the highest settings, and it looks amazing and runs great.”
    • “The only thing consistent in this game is the amount of jank/glitches; you can expect at least one each round, and it only takes one misinput caused by lag to lose.”
    • “I wish to report a crash issue: whenever I go to the cursed moonlight woods stage (in all battles), the game crashes (or more recently, freezes).”
    • “The servers for multiplayer can be a bit temperamental as they freeze up occasionally or boot everyone back to the lobby.”
  • emotional24 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game resonates strongly with fans, particularly through the return of iconic characters and nostalgic storylines that evoke feelings of excitement and connection. While some players found the narrative engaging and heartfelt, others felt that the story mode lacked depth and could be tedious, suggesting that emotional investment is crucial for a fulfilling experience. Overall, the game is seen as a wholesome tribute to long-time fans, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay and presentation.

    • “It's truly a lovable and heartfelt game to us fans.”
    • “It's a great wholesome emotional story and I'm really eager for a sequel hoping it ends well for them :)”
    • “Didn't care much to play the Raphael or Amy characters, but their story together did hit me a bit emotionally.”
    • “You can't skip intros in boring story cut-scenes!”
    • “The single player area is either a boring story with a custom character with text speech or the classic adventure we are used to.”
    • “Downsides are the bad matchmaking in ranked, clothing bugs and not enough clothing options, a boring story mode and not that great graphics.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is characterized by a mix of nostalgia, reminiscent of the SC3 environment, with new elements like specials and character models that are well-received. However, the online ranked mode is criticized for its repetitive gameplay, dominated by players who quickly finish matches. Overall, the set pieces and character designs contribute positively to the game's ambiance.

    • “Good set pieces, nice atmosphere, and more than satisfactory character models.”
    • “The online atmosphere of ranked is a lot of one-and-done players.”
    • “It felt like a rehash of SC3's atmosphere with new specials and many similar characters.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

21hMedian play time
45hAverage play time
7hMain story
38hCompletionist
12-52hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 52 analyzed playthroughs

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