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Top 10 Reasons Why SC6 Is Awesome

10. Character Creation
If you’ve heard anything about the game, it’s probably the character creator. You get to adjust not just your character’s body, but their outfit from a plethora of different pieces; there’s a separate slot for underwear, inner and outer layer of apparel, gloves and shoulder pieces, socks and boots, doodads to wrap around their waist or collarbones. On top of that, there are three accessory options; these range from flowers, to bunny ears, tails, gun holsters, to tiny porcelain cats or Japanese masks, and you can place them practically anywhere. You can also leave any of these out, so if you want your character to wear just an undershirt, or just a leather jacket, you can do it. Moreover, almost every piece of clothing can have a texture laid over it, which you can color and tweak to your liking, allowing for trillions of combinations. Last but not least, it’s important to mention that you can adjust your character’s height and this is the only part of character creation that affects gameplay; shorter heroes have less reach, but deal more damage. You can use this feature to create some surprisingly hard-hitting brawlers.
Check out these characters designed by my friend and myself!
9. Gameplay Variety
Aside from the character creator, SOULCALIBUR VI is a really solid game. I’ve had a passing interest in fighting games since I was four, but it wasn’t until recently that my interest in them was revitalized, largely thanks to SC6. Unlike many other fighting games, SC6 has a wide array of strategies that allow even beginners to have a good time, where in a different game, a more experienced player would likely wipe them out in an instant. This isn’t to say SC6 is not a skill expressive game; quite the opposite, there’s a large amount of stuff to learn and apply. Only much of that isn’t tied to characters’ movesets.
8. Reversal Edges & Break Attacks
One of those strategies is Reversal Edge (RE). Every character has a move which puts them in a parry-everything state; you hold a button to deflect attacks, then release for a punish. This way you can always dissuade a more aggressive player from knocking you out in an instant. RE’s however leave you heavily exposed if you mistime them, opening you up for a combo, a throw or a super. You can also punish a more defensive player with Break Attacks—moves engulfed in blue lighting, with long windups that mow through RE but not regular guard. Last but not least there are unblockable attacks, which take a long time to charge up, but absolutely wreck shop if they hit, bypassing everything for massive damage.
7. Character Diversity
In SOULCALIBUR most characters move at different speeds, attack at different distances and employ super moves of varying properties. Some characters, like Hwang, can even trade their starting HP for additional moves and damage. About half the roster has mechanics exclusive to them, like Tira’s split personality, Amy’s rose counter, Haohmaru’s rage and so on. Like in any good fighter, there are many characters which seem impossible to deal with it, until you learn more about them and understand that their power comes with easily exploitable weaknesses. Learning how it all works and how to tip the odds in your favor is fantastic.
6. Music
When I first launched the game, I thought the music was quite generic. Until I realized there was actually a way to pick the music for every stage in the game individually from a much larger list. Including all the expansions, there are over 70 tracks to choose from and I was soon able to replace all the music I didn’t like with what I enjoyed better (Hubris from SC2 is a particular favorite of mine).
5. Accessibility
The aforementioned Reversal Edges are just one of the many features that make SC6 approachable. True, if you’re new to the genre, at first you’ll just mash buttons, but the need to hone your skills will arise quickly. Despite the abundance of information to chew through, I found the learning curve of SC6 very pleasant; there’s an in-built encyclopedia that describes not just the characters’ movesets, but more importantly, how to apply them in combat. It goes through many basic tenets of fighting games, such as spacing, applying pressure, paying attention to your surroundings and so on.
This is further helped by the relative absence of long, egregious combos that keep your character suspended in mid-air for eight seconds. Some characters can still do it, but it’s rare. You never feel like your opponent is having fun at your expense.
4. Supers & Buffs
Every character has a unique super which tests the player’s timing, sense of spacing and ability to calculate damage. Some can be blocked with RE, others can be used as a parry move, some deal little damage but can be applied from afar and others have no reach but cannot be blocked otherwise. Knowing those properties can give you a big edge over others, completely throwing them off and filling you with an intense feeling of smug satisfaction. This variety of abilities allows you to express yourself through gameplay in a way that’s very personal. If you lack the confidence to land a super, you can instead spend your gauge on a temporary buff, which grants you damage through the opponent’s guard and unlocks a slew of powerful moves.
3. Story Mode
Initially I was heavily let down by just how dull the game’s story mode was. And while I’m not particularly predisposed towards shōnen anime, the gameplay on offer would eventually open up and the difficulty ramped up substantially. There are ways alleviate the challenge (consumables, upgrades, side quests, mercenaries) if you feel like you aren’t up to it, allowing you to set your own difficulty dynamically, rather than choosing one from the menu. And you will get your ass kicked if you don’t get good. I guarantee it.
2. Ring Outs
Picture this. Your opponent has you cornered. You took some hits; too many to reasonably make a comeback. You know there’s no way you’re gonna beat them legitimately. So what do you do? How about lure them to the edge of the arena, let them overextend, only for you to simply grab them by the limbs and toss them over the ledge, winning instantly. I’ve done this to people a lot and had this happen to me even more times. (And oh boy, how infuriating it is when it happens to you!) It’s ingenious, rewards creativity, punishes blunt force and is a feature I want to see more often. If you are a weirdo and don’t like that, there’s always a way to turn it off before the fight.
1. Fan Service
There is an endearing silliness to SOULCALIBUR’s fan service. Personally I’ve nothing against scantily clad women (and men) beating each other up with katanas, rapiers or whips and it’s definitely given the series a personality all of its own. On top of this, if your character takes damage under certain conditions, part of their equipment will break; it’s not unusual for two fully geared up characters to end up nearly naked by the end of the match. (This feature can be turned off for each individual character, in case you don’t want their costume ruined). What matters the most is that the fan service never gets in the way of a more compelling, sincere experience, nor crosses the boundaries of good taste. The breast slider and jiggle physics are just a nice bonus.
If your Catholic parents think anime is the work of Satan, then perhaps it’s time to move out of the house and enjoy your life.