| 1 | !All spoilers pertaining to the original timeline of the series (''Soul Edge'' to ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburV'') are unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned! |
| 2 | |
| 3 | !!Games with their own page: |
| 4 | * ''YMMV/SoulcaliburV'' |
| 5 | * ''YMMV/SoulcaliburVI'' |
| 6 | |
| 7 | ---- |
| 8 | |
| 9 | * AccidentalInnuendo: |
| 10 | ** "Ha ha, this rod shall be your doom!" Um, Kilik...? |
| 11 | ** ''Soulcalibur II'' had a knack for this, by some fans' opinions. |
| 12 | --->'''Taki:''' (''groans'') "I can feel the evil!"\ |
| 13 | '''Nightmare:''' "My thirst is endless!"\ |
| 14 | '''Raphael: '''''"Thrust!"''' |
| 15 | * AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: In ''Soulcalibur'' and ''Soulcalibur II'', Nightmare's quotes can be ambiguously interpreted as [[FightingFromTheInside Siegfried speaking through him]] instead of Soul Edge trying to reclaim its lost shards. ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' revists this and seemingly confirms the idea in the later chapters of Nightmare's Soul Chronicle, where we see Siegfried being lured into harvesting more and more souls at the behest of Soul Edge under the guise of his father Frederick, with the narration calling attention to [[TragicMonster the tragic character beneath the suit of armor]]. |
| 16 | * {{Altitis}}: [[JustHereForGodzilla One of the largest appeals of the series]] from ''III'' onward was its {{character customization}}. Particularly in ''V'', where it was the most complete part of the game. Most of the time spent on it is making as many and as detailed characters as possible (be they {{Original Character}}s or {{crossover}}, plus [[LittleBitBeastly "gijinka"]] if those characters aren't humanoid) [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny and watching them beat each other the hell up]]. |
| 17 | * AluminiumChristmasTrees: That sword gun Cervantes carries? [[https://i.warosu.org/data/tg/img/0287/57/1386600681885.jpg At least one actually existed.]] |
| 18 | * AngelDevilShipping: Present with the surprisingly popular pairing of Cassandra, a family-oriented warrior fighting for her sister, and Raphael, a suave, arrogant fencer seeking to create a world suitable for his foster daughter. Since their debut in ''II'', the two have actually interacted with each other a few times in the following installments. Another notable, funny thing about this pairing is how well certain match intro quotes of theirs from ''Soulcalibur II'' fit each other. |
| 19 | -->'''Cassandra:''' "Ugh!! You're ''definitely'' [[YoureNotMyType not my type]]!" |
| 20 | -->'''Raphael:''' "''You're'' '''''quite''''' the rude one." |
| 21 | * BaseBreakingCharacter: |
| 22 | ** Tira is a classic example, being considered the most interesting and competent of the series' villains by a large portion of the fanbase but also hated by people that don't like her voice acting or her role in Sophitia's FaceHeelTurn. |
| 23 | ** The ''Franchise/StarWars'' characters. Everyone likes [[EvilIsCool Darth Vader]], but not necessarily as a ''Soulcalibur'' fighter. Although they helped introduce new fans to the series similar to Link in ''SCII'' (especially Vader), the fact that they [[AnachronismStew come from a futuristic sci-fi setting]] [[note]]which is still technically "a long time ago"[[/note]] was ''not'' taken lightly. Yoda deserves special mention for his height making him rather unorthodox to play as, and because many Xbox 360 users were stuck with him rather than the much, ''much'' cooler Vader (until the DLC came out). The fact that many fans had been [[WhatCouldHaveBeen hoping for]] [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]], who only afterwards got to be in the less popular ''Broken Destiny'', did not help matters. |
| 24 | ** Algol. Either he's a well-rounded, [[TragicVillain tragic character]] with [[AntiVillain understandable]] [[OutlivingOnesOffspring motivations]] who also happens to be an undeniable badass, [[SNKBoss an OP warrior who is a complete pain in the ass to fight against]] and [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere seemingly materializes out of thin air]] with [[FlatCharacter little depth]] [[EvilOverlord to his name]], or is simply a guy who lacks the wow factor of bosses such as Abyss and Night Terror from ''III''. A great deal of fans asked if Algol would be returning in ''V'', but when he was revealed to indeed be in the game, this caused a schism. Then it was revealed that Algol, like several characters, was a non-entity in the game's story. The base was broken even further. |
| 25 | ** Dampierre. He's either a whimsical, hilarious and awesome addition to the roster or too wacky and annoying for the series and (like the ''Star Wars'' characters) completely out of place. |
| 26 | * BestKnownForTheFanservice: |
| 27 | ** While ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' can comfortably reign on top as the King (Queen?) of [[PantyFighter Fanservice Fighters]], ''Soulcalibur'' could be considered a close second in that regard, particularly in the later games. While ''Soul Edge'' and ''Soulcalibur'' were rather light on {{fanservice}} compared to ''DOA'', it seemed that the series spent the subsequent games trying to catch up. Each installment starting with ''Soulcalibur II'' has given the established female fighters [[FanservicePack bustier, curvier, and shapelier bodies]], [[HotterAndSexier with skimpier outfits to match]]. [[BrokenBase There's two different camps on whether or not the series' status as a highly sexualized fighter is a good thing.]] While ''V'' did [[TamerAndChaster dial this down]] out of Daishi Odashima's desire for the series to be taken more seriously, this didn't last after he left the team, and the series went straight back into being a sexualized fighting game for the "next" installment (see directly below). |
| 28 | ** ''Lost Swords'' was known for being mediocre, having barely-there costumes full of shameless fanservice, and [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs for being mediocre while having barely-there costumes full of shameless fanservice]]. |
| 29 | * BraggingRightsOption: |
| 30 | ** Between [[DressedLikeADominatrix an interesting manner of dress]] [[{{Stripperiffic}} clearly meant to be]] [[MsFanservice eye-catching]] and a ''[[DifficultButAwesome very]]'' [[DifficultButAwesome technical]] fighting style involving a [[SomeDexterityRequired difficult-to-control]] WhipSword [[StanceSystem with two modes and multiple stances]], Ivy is a standout example of this. That's not even getting into [[DamnYouMuscleMemory how often her moveset and inputs change with each new installment]]. She's also noted to possess a very spectacular, very damaging command grab which is, unsurprisingly, exceptionally difficult to pull off. Needless to say, an Ivy player managing to nail it usually makes for an extremely crowd-pleasing moment. And speaking of "crowd-pleasing," Ivy's [[LimitBreak Critical Edge]] in ''VI'' is well-regarded among certain circles for [[{{Dominatrix}} the suggestive imagery it gives off]]. [[note]]Do not be surprised if you see multiple comments online along the lines of "Step on me, Ivy!"[[/note]] |
| 31 | ** Yoshimitsu ([[LegacyCharacter both of them]]) is [[MechanicallyUnusualFighter very]] [[ConfusionFu much]] the same FightingClown as his ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' counterpart, right down to the infamous (and highly entertaining) DeathOrGloryAttack that is weaponized {{Seppuku}}. In addition to the usual oddities one can expect from Yoshimitsu [[labelnote:(For example...)]]NotQuiteFlight via his [[ArtificialLimbs mechanical arm]], using his sword as an improvised pogo stick, [[LifeDrain sapping his foes of their strength]] during a FacePalmOfDoom, [[SpinningOutOfHere teleporting through the ground]] from [[LotusPosition Indian Position]], etc.[[/labelnote]], this Yoshimitsu gained [[DivergentCharacterEvolution some additional variance]] as the series progressed, such as [[ImprobableWeaponUser being able to smack opponents with the flag worn on his back]]. ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' would then go the extra mile by allowing him to [[ManaDrain steal meter from his opponents]] with certain attacks and making him the only character in the game to essentially retain the Brave Edges from ''V''. |
| 32 | * BrokenBase: |
| 33 | ** Good news! ''Soulcalibur II'' is getting a HD re-release complete with online multiplayer! Heihachi and Spawn will even both be available for the [=PS3=] and 360 versions. Wait, you want to play it on the Wii U and with [[EnsembleDarkhorse Link]]? Too bad. |
| 34 | ** [[FanservicePack The increased T&A with each subsequent sequel]], which came to a head with ''Soulcalibur IV''. It's not uncommon to hear debates over whether it's acceptable or past the point of absurdity. One of the few points of praise ''V'' received by one portion was for then-director Daishi Odashima [[TamerAndChaster scaling back the fanservice from its predecessor]]. [[ZigZaggingTrope That changed when]] Masaki Hoshino was put in charge, who then promptly turned the {{Fanservice}} back up to eleven in ''Lost Swords''. Motohiro Okubo followed suit with ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'', having fanservice that could rival or even ''surpass'' that of ''IV''. |
| 35 | ** Speaking of ''Lost Swords'', that game frustrated the fanbase to no end, especially after the mess with ''SCV''. It had a shoddy story, steep energy costs to keep playing, the player was locked to ''one character'' at the beginning, unlocking new characters was either highly difficult or expensive, [[AllegedlyFreeGame the game was filled to the brim with]] {{microtransactions}}, and there was no player-versus-player component (as a misunderstood response to the complaints about the lack of single-player features in ''V''). The fact that it was free-to-play just forced comparisons to ''[[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Tekken Revolution]]'', another [=F2P=] game by Namco that was better received. |
| 36 | ** Even to this day (i.e. the ''SCVI'' era), people continually ask Bandai Namco for ''Soulcalibur'' to "return" to Nintendo consoles, which they have responded with "maybe later" responses to rather honest admissions (which is they don't do it to avoid backlash over having/not having a Nintendo-exclusive character like [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] or even a ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' character in the roster). Where the fandom is divided is the debate if there should be a Nintendo version (be it the Platform/NintendoSwitch or its successor) and if that version deserves an exclusive character the other consoles (and PC without mods) will never have, since the idea of an exclusive first party Nintendo GuestFighter is the one of the biggest reasons many fans want the franchise to return to a Nintendo console. |
| 37 | * CargoShip: In a series with {{Empathic Weapon}}s, this was inevitable. This is most prominent with Tira, [[MadLove who explicitly fell in love with Soul Edge and wishes to have her soul consumed by it]], but a few other characters have shades of it (such as Ivy and her Valentine). |
| 38 | * CatharsisFactor: The Character Creation feature introduced in ''III'' resulted in people making [[SelfInsertFic fighters based off of themselves]] and their enemies, then beat the living crap out of them. [[Webcomic/{{Sonichu}} Chris Chan]] notably [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgEQINfsJSM did this.]] |
| 39 | * CommonKnowledge: |
| 40 | ** Seong Mi-na is often thought of as just being a female MovesetClone of Kilik, the latter being the more recognizable character between them. In fact, when people argue cleaning out the roster of clones, they'll cite Mi-na as the biggest example. The thing is, Seong Mi-na ''predates'' Kilik by having appeared in the original game, ''Soul Edge'', whereas Kilik didn't appear until ''Soulcalibur'' (the name that the rest of the series is based off of due to SequelDisplacement). While this could be considered OlderThanTheyThink, it's so ubiquitous that it deserves mention here. |
| 41 | *** A new one will likely arise in the wake of ''VI'': Mi-na is a clone of Kilik at all. Considering that DivergentCharacterEvolution has made them play little like each other apart from their weapons, it's not even fair to call her a clone anymore, not that it'll stop people from doing it. |
| 42 | ** A lot of people imagine Nightmare as Siegfried, and imagine him as using a OneHandedZweihander. Actually, this combination didn't happen until ''much later''. Siegfried-as-Nightmare lasted all of two games (''Soulcalibur'' and ''II''), where afterwards the two were [[DecompositeCharacter made separate characters]] on the roster due to Siegfried breaking free from Soul Edge and then Zasalamel [[AnimatedArmor bonding Inferno and Soul Edge's memories as Siegfried into a discarded suit of armor]]. It wasn't until ''III'' where this was introduced, which was done on purpose to make them [[DivergentCharacterEvolution stand out from each other]], and was maintained in future games. Before that, Siegfried-as-Nightmare would hold Soul Edge with ''both'' of his hands (normal and monster), just as Siegfried did/does. While having Siegfried wield Soul Edge with one hand would indeed happen, this wasn't introduced until 2018's ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' -- [[NewerThanTheyThink a little more recently than one might think]]. |
| 43 | ** Everyone "knows" that Soul Edge is the [[DarkIsEvil evil sword]] and Soul Calibur is the "[[LightIsGood good sword]]", and imagine that the two are at war with each other because the former wants to reign chaos and the latter wants to prevent that from happening for the good of mankind. Those who still think that would be ''very'' surprised that [[FromACertainPointOfView this can only be true if taken at face value]]. In reality, ''[[UnholyHolySword both swords]] [[EvilVersusEvil are evil]]'', [[OrderVersusChaos but in different ways]], and are similar to each other. Hinted at throughout the series, and first made explicit in ''IV'', it wasn't until ''V'' did the fact come to light where Soul Calibur was shown to have its own version of Inferno with Elysium, and similarly would've taken over Patroklos as its host to create its version of Nightmare. The overall theme is BothOrderAndChaosAreDangerous, since humanity is screwed no matter ''who'' wins. All in all, Soul Edge might as well say to Soul Calibur "Yeah, I'm evil. But {{at least I admit it}}." |
| 44 | ** On a meta level, many think Tira was voiced by fan-favorite actress Creator/JenniferHale -- she never was. Same is said for Talim supposedly being voiced by Creator/HyndenWalch. |
| 45 | * ComplacentGamingSyndrome: |
| 46 | ** Kilik seems to be a favorite of many casual fans; he's easy-to-use, has good reach, and is decently strong, if not somewhat linear in his attack patterns. In fact, many of the custom characters in ''IV'' are based on Kilik, though Siegfried and Nightmare-based [=CASes=] are also common. |
| 47 | ** High-level online play in ''IV'' tended to be dominated by one name and one name only: Sophitia. Quick on her feet and good at stringing together combos, her high offensive potential made her a favorite of more competitive-minded players. |
| 48 | * CompleteMonster: |
| 49 | ** [[MadScientist Kunpaetku]] is the HighPriest of [[ApocalypseCult Fygul Cestemus]], an ancient cult worshipping the god of destruction Palgaea. Ordered by Palgaea to obtain [[EvilWeapon Soul Edge]], Kunpaetku plotted to use it to [[TheStarscream usurp his master]] and [[GodhoodSeeker become a god of destruction himself]]. Capturing Aeon Calcos and countless other warriors, Kunpaetku performed twisted experiments that transformed them into predatory Lizardmen. Abducting the young child Bangoo to serve as bait for Nathaniel "Rock" Adams, Kunpaetku intended to experiment on and sacrifice them. When his prized creation, the golem Astaroth, betrayed and slaughtered the cult, Kunpaetku mockingly dismissed him as a failed copy of Rock. Transforming himself into a human/golem hybrid, Kunpaetku shut down an insurrection and continued his experiments--sacrificing even his own cultists--to create a new line of mindlessly loyal golems he sent out to kill indiscriminately, intending to sacrifice them to become a "supergod". |
| 50 | ** ''VideoGame/SoulCaliburVI'': |
| 51 | *** [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist Azwel]], the [[BigBad main villain]] of the "Libra of Soul" story, was formerly a high-ranking member of the Aval Organisation. While a member, [[EvilutionaryBiologist Azwel]] performed terrible experiments that turned people violent and murderous, and at one point during his tenure, Azwel forced a group of ruffians to fight to the death and questioned the survivor, relishing the man's guilt, anguish and conflicting emotions. Eventually leaving Aval, Azwel stole a fragment of both Soul Calibur and Soul Edge and formed the Qualifiers, naming himself the [[DarkMessiah Leader of Humanity]]. Azwel continued his experiments while searching for Astral Fissures to absorb and strengthen his fragments and create full duplicates of the two swords. His final goal was to use the swords to sacrifice [[PlayerCharacter The Conduit]] and create an "Ultimate Seed" that would wipe out much of humanity while the survivors would ascend with himself in charge. Driven by his fanatical "love" of humanity, Azwel was a madman who saw people as playthings that exist for his amusement. |
| 52 | *** [[BloodKnight Astaroth]] is a {{golem}} created by the High Priest Kunpaetku of the cult Fygul Cestemus to retrieve the cursed sword [[EvilWeapon Soul Edge]]. Intended as a mindlessly loyal slave, Astaroth is granted sapience by the dark god Palgaea and feigns loyalty to the traitorous Kunpaetku while plotting to betray and murder him. Developing a sadistic love of combat and bloodshed, Astaroth hones a brutal fighting style and becomes one of Nightmare's generals when promised the opportunity to kill as much as he wants, plotting to [[TheStarscream betray Nightmare]] once Soul Edge is restored to full power. Astaroth rampages across Eurasia, gleefully slaughtering entire villages, butchering Maxi's pirate crew, and goading Kilik into succumbing to his malfestation. Disquieted by the realization that if he gave Soul Edge to Palgaea he would be without purpose, Astaroth tries to kill Ivy Valentine--spitefully revealing that she had been conceived as a spare host for Soul Edge and unwittingly serving it--before being vanquished by Maxi. |
| 53 | * ConfirmationBias: Despite [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928195434/http://www.soularchive.jp/SC3/wat01e.htm all the]] [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/28/no-online-for-soulcalibur-iii official]] [[https://imgur.com/a/cIWBUHe confirmation]] that ''Soulcalibur III'' had no [[GuestFighter guest character]], you'll still see some fans (mainly those outside of Japan) insist that [[VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} KOS-MOS]] is the guest character on account of there being a special set of "Type X" CAS parts that recreates her appearance. |
| 54 | * ContestedSequel: The fourth game, to an extent. While the graphics vastly improved thanks to the move to [=PS3=]/Xbox 360 and the ''Franchise/StarWars'' characters were welcomed by the fandom (as characters only; as fighters they're [[BaseBreakingCharacter more contested]]), the gameplay and story still [[ToughActToFollow lingered behind]] ''II''[='s=] shadow. [[BrokenBase Depending on who you ask]], ''IV'' is either seen as a slight improvement from ''III'' (the console version, at least) with a refurbished Create-a-Soul feature or a much slower-paced, turtle-friendly game with a stripped-down CAS system. (The latter boils down to whether the player values the extra weapon styles of ''III'' over the extra customization items and skills system in ''IV''.) [[BestKnownForTheFanservice Not to mention there's a surprising amount of skin visible over there...]] |
| 55 | * DifficultySpike: The third Chronicle in ''III''[='s=] Tales of the Sword mode; once you get a to a certain point, the A.I. goes from just gradually increasing to difficulty to flat-out jumping to an insane level, and it's like that for the rest of the playthrough. Keep in mind that one of the requirements for reaching the TrueFinalBoss is winning every single battle on the character of choice's [[GuideDangIt specific story path]]. |
| 56 | * DieForOurShip: |
| 57 | ** Rothion must die for [[FanPreferredCouple Siegfried/Sophitia]], Hilde must die for [[OppositesAttract Siegfried/Cassandra]], Yun-seong must die for [[CrackPairing Link/Talim]], Link must die for [[BelligerentSexualTension Yun-seong/Talim]], Hwang must die for [[FanPreferredCouple Yun-seong/Seong Mi-na]] and among others. Come ''V'', Hilde having to die makes no sense, since she is a married woman with two children (much like Sophitia, in fact), but this has not stopped some. |
| 58 | ** With the exception of Rothion, this all seems to go in reverse, too. Whether or not the [[ShipToShipCombat shipping wars]] are somewhat friendly or [[DieForOurShip downright hostile]] depend upon the individual pairing in question. |
| 59 | ** Rothion's case has taken a more positive and hilarious turn thanks to ''V'' and ''VI''. Basically, if Rothion had to die for the ship, the main reason would be to prevent [[TheScrappy Patroklos]] from coming to existence; therefore, Rothion dying is now retroactively considered a HeroicSacrifice. (That said, Rothion was also legitimately RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap in these games; fans felt bad that he implicitly died of a broken heart prior to ''V'', while ''VI'' gave him actual screen time, portraying him as a loving, supportive NiceGuy and making it easy to believe [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan Sophitia would be deeply enamored with him]].) |
| 60 | * EnsembleDarkhorse: |
| 61 | ** Taki was quite possibly the earliest example of this in the series, becoming its first BreakoutCharacter and one of the most iconic female characters in the series (rivaled only by Ivy). Her popularity is attributed to the fact that she's a mature kunoichi (unlike most female ninja in fighting games, who tend to be teenagers, she's a grown woman), her general badassery shown in the story, her fun-to-use playstyle, and... her [[MsFanservice generous assets]] as well as [[SensualSpandex her]] [[PaintedOnPants costume]]. Her likability amongst fans only continued to grow as Taki and her fellow female co-lead Sophitia [[DemotedToExtra became (somewhat) less integral to the plot]] in favor of characters like Siegfried, Xianghua, Kilik, and Hilde. Naturally, quite a stir was caused when she was replaced by Natsu in ''V'', and many welcomed her back when she was announced for ''Lost Swords'', even if the game itself was less-than-stellar. [[http://soulcalibur.wikia.com/wiki/Soulcalibur_Series_Character_Popularity_Poll In the popularity poll,]] she placed second out of all characters behind only Talim with 720 votes. In 2016, she was the first character to get celebrated during the series 20th anniversary, despite the fact that she had been cut from the last game. With her chances of returning in a future game looking pretty good based on this, Project Soul eventually delivered what the fans wanted and properly brought back Taki for [[VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI the next main installment]] to great fanfare. |
| 62 | ** In the series' heyday, Sophitia was one of the most popular characters, both for being a [[MsFanservice stunningly beautiful blonde who got some T&A endings]] and because critics noted that she was one of the most unambiguously heroic fighters in the story -- standing out against a group of anti-heroes. After Sophitia missed out on ''V'' (due to ''dying'' between games), ''Lost Swords'' [[JustHereForGodzilla sold itself near exclusively on the fact that]] [[TheBusCameBack she was once again a playable character]]. Her return in ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' (due to a ContinuityReboot undoing her death in the previous game) was also well-received. |
| 63 | ** Li Long. He was probably ''the'' reason many people got into ''Soul Edge'', thanks to his unique weapon and flashy moves. His lack of presence in the other games makes this all the more sad. Thankfully Maxi uses the same weapon -- [[{{Expy}} hey, wait...]] [[note]]Well, according to WordOfGod, Maxi ''did'' learn how to use nunchaku from Li Long...[[/note]] |
| 64 | ** After being replaced by [[ReplacementScrappy the far less likable Yun-seong]], Hwang saw a notable upswing in popularity, to the point that fans petitioned him to be included in ''V''. He unfortunately didn't make it, but he and Li Long did briefly return in ''III'', even receiving expanded movesets alongside Amy in the game's ''[[UpdatedRerelease Arcade Edition]]''. [[TheBusCameBack His appearance as a side character in Seong Mi-na's story]] in ''VI'' (and Yun-seong nowhere to be seen outside of a brief mention) generated much speculation and anticipation that he'd become playable in future DLC. [[IKnewIt Speculation which was later proven right]], as he was the final character added in Season 2. |
| 65 | ** Seong Mi-na -- one of the original three ''Soul'' ladies, but the one with the least plot importance by far -- was thrust here at some point after ''V''. There was even a short-lived movement, Occupy: Soul Calibur, that tried to get her and fellow darkhorse Talim (see below) into the game as DLC. Like Sophitia and Taki before her, fans were looking forward to her "return" in ''[[AllegedlyFreeGame Lost Swords]]'', but when it was learned that the only means of unlocking her boiled down to [[http://www.gamer.ne.jp/news/201410150004/ buying three sets of x12 Premium Chests]] (equaling a grand total of '''[[BribingYourWayToVictory $90 USD]]'''), they were quick to voice their displeasure. Fortunately, damage control was done with the announcement of Mi-na's inclusion in ''VI'' at EVO 2018, which received a roaring applause from the crowd. |
| 66 | ** After her introduction in the original ''Calibur'', Ivy [[IconicSequelCharacter quickly became a fixture of the series]] and ended up supplanting both Sophitia and Taki as ''the'' female face of the series -- she was the ''only'' female character from any of the first three games to appear in ''V'', [[WolverinePublicity was featured on the cover of]] ''[[WolverinePublicity every]]'' [[WolverinePublicity game in the series]] released between ''Calibur'' and ''V'' [[note]]both ''II'' and ''IV'' had multiple covers due platform-exclusive {{Guest Fighter}}s; Ivy appeared on the [=PS2=] cover for ''II'' and the [=PS4=] cover for ''IV''[[/note]], and [[SexSells was marketed heavily]] in advertisements for both ''V'' and ''Lost Swords''. The fact that she has [[WhipSword an interesting weapon]], a [[DifficultButAwesome mechanically complex]] and [[AlchemyIsMagic visually]] [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome stunning]] [[StanceSystem playstyle]], and [[ChildByRape a]] [[HereditaryCurse tragic]] [[IHateYouVampireDad backstory]] on top of being [[MsFanservice one of the biggest sex symbols in video game history]] only further endears her to fans. |
| 67 | ** Talim is also very popular due to her kind personality and unique playstyle. Filipino players especially like her, since she's the only Filipino fighter in the series (and was the only Filipino character in any other fighting series out there until [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Josie Rizal]] came around approximately ''[[VideoGame/Tekken7 thirteen]]'' [[VideoGame/Tekken7 years later]]). The lack of Talim is cited as one of the reasons why fans dislike ''V'', and then she proceeded to top the popularity poll. Yeah, she's THAT loved. And, much like Taki, her long-awaited return to the series in ''VI'' was welcomed with open arms by the fanbase. |
| 68 | ** [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]], the [[Platform/NintendoGameCube GameCube]]-exclusive {{guest|Fighter}}. Singlehandedly got more people into ''Soulcalibur II'' than any other system's guest character. In fact, the [=GameCube=] version is one of the few multiplatform games in the [[MediaNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames sixth generation of consoles]] to sell best there. |
| 69 | ** Shura. Possibly the most popular (bonus) character in ''Soulcalibur IV'', likely owed to her [[{{Fanservice}} eye-pleasing design]], [[TheTease flirtatious]], [[BloodKnight fight-loving]] personality, and use of [[DualWielding Cervantes's fighting style]] -- only with {{katanas|AreJustBetter}}. Harada and Odashima received a lot of tweets asking if she would return. Unfortunately, WordOfGod stated that she would not be returning in ''V''. |
| 70 | ** [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]] evolved from a BaseBreakingCharacter into one of these, for being one of the best guest characters to use in competitive play, the only one of the three ''Star Wars'' guests to not be broken in some way, and for being, y'know, ''[[EvilIsCool Darth Vader]]''. [[JustHereForGodzilla Possibly a bigger game-seller than Link.]] |
| 71 | ** [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]]. Probably [[JustHereForGodzilla the main reason]] why fans bought ''Broken Destiny''; fans had been hoping for him as a guest character ever since ''SCIV'' was announced. |
| 72 | ** [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed Ezio Auditore]], generally considered to be among the upper echelon in regards to [[GuestFighter guest fighters]] featured in the series, and the most beloved and least contested newcomer in ''V'' by far. |
| 73 | * EpilepticTrees: |
| 74 | ** The Assassin enemies in ''II'' were believed to be Hwang due to them duplicating his moveset. As a FandomNod, Mi-na's Soul Chronicle in ''VI'' has Hwang make a surprise appearance and save Mi-na during a BigDamnHeroes moment, all while wearing a disguise that's a dead ringer for Assassin's outfit. |
| 75 | ** There's a somewhat popular theory that Voldo is none other than ''Vercci himself'', simply driven insane by his paranoia and greed. As nothing in the series suggests Voldo and Vercci aren't two separate characters, some fans suscribe to the idea of DeadPersonImpersonation to explain away this "discrepancy." |
| 76 | * EvenBetterSequel: |
| 77 | ** The general fandom consensus is that ''Soulcalibur II'', the [=GameCube=] version especially, is the best game in the series, though this is still widely debated due to the [[PolishedPort excellent]] [[Platform/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] port of ''Soulcalibur'', which is considered to be far superior to the Arcade versions, and a good contender for the best game ever released on the console. [[note]]Metacritic scores have ''Calibur'' rated higher than its sequel (98% vs. 92/93%), and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AraJT_xQHB8#t=13m57s most critics were of the opinion that]] the first ''Calibur'' was such a landmark, innovative 3D fighter that its sequel, no matter how many objective improvements it made, simply didn't have the same impact, but more fans lean towards ''II'' for the tightening of mechanics from ''Edge'' and ''Calibur''; [[SerialEscalation the expansion of character movesets, fighting arenas, and game modes]]; and the introduction of {{guest|Fighter}} characters, Link most notably.[[/note]] |
| 78 | ** There is also a sizeable camp [[TakeAThirdOption that instead]] deems ''III'' as the best game of the series, citing the colossal amount of single-player content -- you have individual stories for each character with MultipleEndings, Chronicles of the Sword, a fun and varied Mission Mode, Arcade, a random Tournament Mode, not to mention the now iconic Create-a-Soul feature with a vast array of character creation options that future iterations would never quite match. The most common complaints are ''III'' being exclusive to the Platform/PlayStation2 whereas ''II'' was MultiPlatform and [[CasualCompetitiveConflict the questionable gameplay balance and number of glitches that arose from the single-player focus]], and the game rated lower than either of its predecessors on Metacritic (86%), but ''III'' is typically held up as the last entry of the ''Soul'' series' "golden age" -- and almost entirely on the strength of its single-player experience. |
| 79 | * EvilIsCool: Most of the series' villains count, particularly BigBad Nightmare ([[SeriesMascot who is even on the Project Soul logo]]) and [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot undead dual-giant-gun-sword-wielding pirate]] Cervantes. |
| 80 | %%* FandomEnragingMisconception: Saying that Seong Mi-na is a [[MovesetClone "female clone"]] of Kilik when in reality ''she'' came first. If anything, it's ''Kilik'' who's a clone of Mi-na. Strangely, the series itself is guilty of adding to the misconception. Save for ''SCIII'', Mi-na is always the unlockable character when she and Kilik appear together, and many of the attacks she shares/[[DivergentCharacterEvolution shared]] with Kilik weren't added to her command list until ''after'' the original ''Soulcalibur''. Mi-na also learns aspects of the Ling-Sheng Su style from both Kong Xiuqiang and Edge Master prior to the events of ''SCI'' and ''SCIII'' whereas Kilik was formally trained in those arts from his youth. With this in mind, [[LampshadeHanging Kilik noting that one of Mi-na's moves is his]] during her story in ''IV'' '''is''' technically true. |
| 81 | * FanNickname: |
| 82 | ** There are quiet a lot of these made up by the fandom -- "Sieg/Sieggy," "Soph/Sophie," "Cass/Cassie," "Raph," and "Mitsu" are some prominent examples. Xianghua is often just called [[OneLetterName "X"]] due to the difficulty in spelling and pronouncing her name. |
| 83 | ** Courtesy of [=8WayRun=], Cervy Beards for Cervantes. It hasn't quite caught on outside of their forums, however. |
| 84 | ** As a carryover from ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'', Yoshimitsu is usually called Yoshi for short, but his [[LegacyImmortality successor]], Yoshimitsu the Second from ''SCV'', is alternatively known as Yoshi II or, [[PunnyName for extra punnage]], [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Yoshimitwo]]. (You can thank [=8WayRun=] for that last one, by the way.) |
| 85 | * FanonDiscontinuity: ''Soulcalibur: Lost Swords'' was poorly received by fans and critics alike, and many fans take Project Soul labeling it a spin-off as a sign that, like its fellow spin-offs ''Legends'' and ''Broken Destiny'', it's non-canon. |
| 86 | * FranchiseOriginalSin: The use of {{Guest Fighter}}s that tends to annoy fans nowadays began with ''Soulcalibur II'', considered by many to be the best entry in the series. While back then it was considered a neat idea made into reality, the fact that, today, [[OnceOriginalNowCommon virtually every game has at least one]] has made it a little harder to see the inclusion of guests as an "innovative" concept. Often, fans hold the sentiment that staple veterans, [[EnsembleDarkhorse fan]]-[[IconicSequelCharacter favorites]], and other highly requested characters get shafted in favor of a fighter who will [[OneShotCharacter only be there in one game]], [[BaseBreakingCharacter may not have universal appeal]], and/or [[FishOutOfWater looks jarringly dissimilar to the rest of the game]] in either aesthetics and/or gameplay, something that came to a head when ''Soulcalibur IV'' included [[Franchise/StarWars Yoda and Darth Vader]]. |
| 87 | * FriendlyFandoms: |
| 88 | ** There's a fair amount of overlap between ''Soulcalibur'' fans and ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' fans. Even leaving aside the similar titles, the emphasis on sword fights and ability to create your own character has resulted in a large number of ''Dark Souls'' characters showing up as Create-a-Souls online, and fans frequently request that ''Dark Souls'' characters be added as guest fighters. |
| 89 | ** ''Soulcalibur'' also has this with ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'', the ''other'' big HistoricalFantasy weapons-based fighting game series. With an all-new SoftReboot of the ''[=SamSho=]'' series coming not long after the release of ''Soulcalibur VI'', many fans clamored for a crossover game -- a wish that was sort of realized when Haohmaru [[https://twitter.com/EVO/status/1158141474371801088 was announced]] to be a GuestFighter in ''VI''[='s=] second season of DLC. |
| 90 | ** For [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment obvious]] [[SharedUniverse reasons]], ''Soulcalibur'' fans also tend to be on good terms with ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' fans. |
| 91 | * GameBreaker: |
| 92 | ** For single-player, there are AIBreaker movesets that even high-difficulty computers have hard time blocking. Particularly game-breaking in ''Soulcalibur III'' with lots of single-player content. The most egregious examples including: |
| 93 | *** Xianghua's A+K B+K move. The computer almost never blocks it. |
| 94 | *** Special mention goes to the Iron Sword custom character discipline, which is more or less an entire ''moveset'' of [[AIBreaker A.I. Breakers]]. |
| 95 | *** Siegfried's B 2A move. Has good damage and range (even longer range if Soul Calibur is equipped), and the move knocks enemies flying off, making them prone to ring-outs. |
| 96 | ** Another A.I. killer would definitely have to be Link's A+G throw in the GCN version of ''Soulcalibur II'', which can RingOut from almost anywhere on the stage. |
| 97 | ** Link's regular throw is so abuse-worthy to the point that he's used for some of the harder Weapon Master Mode missions. To top off that, he's one of the few characters with an easy-to-perform air combo, and one of the WMM missions involves you only being able to damage the enemy with air combos. Despite his bottom-tier standing, [[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman Link's utilities make him a very popular pick for clearing missions]]. |
| 98 | ** Sophitia and Taki have "unblockable" attacks which, while still slow to use, have areas of effect which can't be walked around, so you need to jump/attack the other person instead. Sophitia's barely even has the startup restriction, since another attack leads into it. |
| 99 | ** Astaroth was arguably this in ''III'', where he had some of the most powerful throw combos in the history of the series. |
| 100 | ** Setsuka's initial incarnation in ''III'' was very hard to beat, since her fighting style emphasizes quick, hard-to-block strikes. |
| 101 | ** Hilde. Ringing people out with her in ''IV'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkNl6labtyo#t=10m37s was so easy]] that every Hilde player who appeared on the main stage at the Evolution 2009 tournament was booed by the crowd. |
| 102 | ** Any mention of liking Amy on the [=8WayRun=] forums is bound to be met with a boatload of hate. |
| 103 | ** Guard Break attacks, which coat your weapon in electricity, do boosted damage, and stagger foes if they were guarding. They are barely slower than regular attacks, and plenty are horizontal strikes (which means you can't walk out of the way). |
| 104 | * GameBreakingBug: Save files for ''Soulcalibur III'' can corrupt the entire memory card if the card is messed with too often, including moving/deleting completely unrelated games' files. The best course of action is just giving the game its own dedicated card to use. |
| 105 | * GeniusBonus: Ivy uses a whip-like weapon and is the daughter of a pirate captain. Another name for the whip-like cat-of-nine-tails is "captain's daughter," according to [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} the Other Wiki]]. |
| 106 | * GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: |
| 107 | ** Maxi is very popular among Chilean fighting game fans, specially those who played in arcades around TheNineties or the TurnOfTheMillennium. This is for Maxi's ''uncanny'' physical similarity to a SoBadItsGood local singer from these years, which brought ''many'' memes to Chile's gaming community. Which led to quite the case of HilariousInHindsight in 2016... |
| 108 | ** Taki's biggest fanbase by far is in the west, where she's constantly ranked among the most popular fighters in the series, being voted the second-most popular character after Talim. She has a large fanbase back in Japan as well, but gamers there tend to favor Ivy, another widely popular female fighter, over her. |
| 109 | ** Overall, the series as a whole is more popular in the west than back home. In North America and Europe (especially France), the series is one of the most popular fighters on the market. In Japan, it tends to get [[StuckInTheirShadow stuck behind the shadow]] of fellow Namco franchise ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}''. |
| 110 | * HilariousInHindsight: |
| 111 | ** ''Soulcalibur III''[='s=] Event Viewer let you change any character's weapon before choosing which scene to watch. Choosing to equip Mitsurugi with Soul Edge and choosing to view his ending could lead to the implication and sight of him being able to wield Soul Edge ''and'' Soul Calibur at once... and then came ''Soulcalibur IV'' which introduced Algol, who could do exactly that as part of his story. Even funnier when you learn that Mitsurugi's later story involved him challenging Algol to a duel. |
| 112 | ** A character voiced by Creator/RogerCraigSmith who is aided by Creator/LeonardoDaVinci? Who are we talking about, Siegfried in ''Legends'' or [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Ezio]]? |
| 113 | ** In ''Legends'', Creator/YuriLowenthal voices Michael, an incredibly conceited warrior with blonde hair. In ''V'', Lowenthal voices Patroklos... an incredibly conceited warrior with blonde hair. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrJgyDsfkfQ#t=11m24s This has not gone unnoticed.]] |
| 114 | ** The large and notable reaction to the ''Franchise/StarWars'' guest fighters in ''IV'' can be seen as this in light of [[VideoGame/SoulcaliburV the following game]], where Patroklos's character traits and story are frequently compared to that of Anakin in the prequel trilogy. |
| 115 | ** Cassandra's 2P outfit in ''II'' (featuring a green top and thigh-high boots) is similar to Linkle from ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', making her look like a female Link years before Linkle appeared in canon. It's particularly appropriate since Link himself appears in that installment. |
| 116 | ** Link and Heihachi are both in ''Soulcalibur II'', but were unable to fight each other due to being exclusive to opposing consoles. In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU for 3DS and Wii U]]'', Heihachi's likeness is available as a DLC costume for the Mii Fighters, giving players the ability to finally see Link vs. Heihachi fights. Not only that, but [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud Strife]] was the original guest for the [=PS2=] version of ''Soulcalibur II'', only to be replaced by Heihachi at the last minute. Now, he can fight both Link and Heihachi in ''Smash''. |
| 117 | ** As said above, Maxi is rather popular in the Chilean fighting game community because he looked almost exactly like a Chilean kitsch singer that was very popular in TheNineties and the TurnOfTheMillennium. In 2016, said singer, René de la Vega, ran for mayor in a Santiago commune... ''and won''. |
| 118 | ** Many ''Franchise/StarWars'' fans called foul on Mitsurugi's metal sword being able to trade blows with a lightsaber, as it's shown to do in a cutscene where he duels Darth Vader. Then ''Series/TheMandalorian'' used beskar metal as a major plot point, which is shown to be capable of just that. Complaints quickly turned into [[MemeticMutation jokes about how Mitsurugi's katana was clearly made of beskar]]. |
| 119 | * HoYay: |
| 120 | ** Possibly Voldo for Vercci, also conveying NightmareFuel because Vercci is dead. This trait gets taken advantage of by Soul Edge, who impersonates Vercci's voice in order to bend Voldo to his will. |
| 121 | *** Voldo knows and realizes it's a trick. He goes along with it anyway because he's so happy to have a new purpose in life. In his own heart, he serves only Vercci. Furthermore, in Voldo's ending, he becomes the guardian of Soul Edge, which kind of works as a double-edged sword for Nightmare. On one hand, Voldo kills anyone trying to take or destroy it; on the other hand, since Soul Edge no longer has a body, it can't absorb souls anymore. |
| 122 | ** Although it shouldn't be taken seriously, Cassandra has a one-sided case of [[HoYay Les Yay]] towards Hilde in [[http://www.otadesho.com/soul-calibur-4-omake-translation/ the gag comics]] [[https://kotaku.com/5030327/learn-about-soul-calibur-iv-from-a-cute-manga explaining the new features]] in ''IV''. Works surprisingly well considering her battle quote "Ugh, you're definitely not my type!" is only used against males. |
| 123 | * JustHereForGodzilla: |
| 124 | ** The games that featured guests ([[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]], [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Heihachi]], ComicBook/{{Spawn}}, [[Franchise/StarWars Vader, Yoda]], [[VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed The Apprentice]], [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]], [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed Ezio]], [[Franchise/TheWitcher Geralt]], [[VideoGame/NierAutomata 2B]], [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Haohmaru]]) included them for the sole purpose of introducing people who wanted to use them in a fighting game to the series. |
| 125 | ** Additionally, the [[CharacterCustomization Create-A-Soul]] feature from ''III'' has become a staple of the series, and the reason why many otherwise non-fans buy the game. Taken to a new level in ''V'', where the new-and-improved creation system was more or less ''the main selling point''. |
| 126 | ** After ''V'' unceremoniously killed off Sophitia, ''Lost Swords'' adopted [[TheBusCameBack bringing her back]] as one of its major selling points (though this still wasn't enough to save the game for many fans). |
| 127 | * LauncherOfAThousandShips: |
| 128 | ** Siegfried is this among the het ships, though his main five "partners" appear to be (ordered roughly in terms of pairing popularity) Sophitia, Hilde, Ivy, Tira, and Cassandra. Not bad for someone who vowed in ''IV'' that [[CelibateHero "no one would touch his heart."]] [[note]]Even then, Daishi Odashima hinted prior to ''V'' that fellow Schwarzwind member [[NumberTwo Salia]] [[TheStrategist Olschmidt]] is pining for Siegfried, pointing to [[UsedToBeATomboy her more mature-looking redesign]] as a way to catch Siegfried's attention. ''[[AllThereInTheManual New Legends of Project Soul]]'' would later confirm she's romantically interested in Siegfried. And if both said artbook and Libra of Soul in ''VI'' are any indication, she's likely been holding a candle for him as early as the ''Soulcalibur'' days, if not even further back.[[/note]] |
| 129 | ** Sophitia is this among the {{yuri fan}}dom; people have hooked her up with Taki, Ivy, Tira, and even [[BrotherSisterIncest her younger sister Cassandra]]. Project Soul has not helped her case either, particularly with [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/soulcalibur/images/e/e8/Ivysophie.jpg this render of the Grecian holy warrior at Ivy's mercy]] and Tira canonically stalking Sophitia's family while on the prowl for a new host for Soul Edge. |
| 130 | * LowTierLetdown: Rock has been considered a rock-bottom-tier character for pretty much the entirety of his existence. His moves tend to be either slow, predictable, or both, leaving him with only a handful of ground throws to rely on and rendering him a serious one-trick pony. It doesn't help that the series has Astaroth as an alternate MightyGlacier character who's better than Rock at the few things Rock ''can'' do. |
| 131 | * MemeticBadass: In some circles of the internet, Mitsurugi is this. Both in-story and in-gameplay, the samurai is noted for his ability to defeat ''anyone''. |
| 132 | * MemeticLoser: Rock. He's so forgettable that fans were actually ''glad'' to see him removed from ''V'', and it's been joked that ''an actual rock'' would be more interesting than him. His low-tier status has also given him the reputation that he's a weak fighter in-series as well despite the lore implying nothing of the sort. [[note]]It should be noted that in the actual series canon, Rock defeated Lizardman and then fought Sophitia ''to a draw'' with a broken weapon and [[BadassNormal no divine abilities]] compared to Sophitia having god-given skills and a divine weapon. Additionally, Kunpaetku, high priest of the Fygul Cestemus sect, created Astaroth at Ares's request using Rock as a template. So saying that he's "weak" lore-wise is more than a little unfounded.[[/note]] He's also been eclipsed by his MorePopularReplacement Astaroth, who ironically was created using him as a template in-universe. |
| 133 | * MemeticMolester: |
| 134 | ** Voldo, Ivy, and various other questionable attacks can pertain this status. These two just [[DoubleEntendre dominate]] the competition. |
| 135 | ** To a lesser extent, Tira, thanks to her Critical Finish in ''SCIV'', which involves her forcing a {{kiss of death}} on her opponent. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50HW-irLF5Q Her non-input ending]] in ''SCIII'' also contributes due to how easily taken out of context it can be, as does the fact that she gets ''another'' ForcefulKiss in ''VI'' as a possible Reversal Edge follow-up attack. Note that both of Tira's kisses [[DepravedBisexual work regardless of her opponent's gender]]. |
| 136 | ** Raphael is often the butt of jokes in this vein too, owing to Amy, to whom he is [[LoveMakesYouCrazy madly]] [[LoveMakesYouEvil devoted]], being the only significant person in his life. His foster daughter's [[AgeInappropriateDress outfits]] getting [[HotterAndSexier more and more revealing]] doesn't help, nor does his destined battle in ''III'' being against the ''other'' young teenage girl on the roster. |
| 137 | * MemeticMutation: |
| 138 | ** [[https://deathlegionare.deviantart.com/art/o-rly-olcadan-30469169 O RLY?]] |
| 139 | ** The narrator, starting in ''Soulcalibur''. Not a FountainOfMemes himself, but, if not directly quoting him, fans have found it amusing to do mock commentaries in his pithy, sometimes nonsensical style. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjm11vYJkbU Just listen to Matt]] when the WebVideo/{{Two Best Friends|Play}} play ''SCV''. |
| 140 | --->'''Matt:''' (''in the Narrator's voice'') [[WebVideo/AngryVideoGameNerd "Live like a Windrammer as you fuck."]] |
| 141 | ** With the addition of his [[StanceSystem Mist Stance]] in ''Soulcalibur'', Mitsurugi mains eventually created a ritual of sorts wherein they'd rapidly cycle through his ducking and hopping motions (the latter especially). This "dance" slowly grew in popularity over the years, reaching a zenith by the time the series came roaring back with ''SCVI''. |
| 142 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00d3DR_ojCE#t=15s Crybaby Xianghua]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]One of Xianghua's moves (Guei, A+B while on the ground) involves her throwing a tantrum while laying down. [[LethalJokeItem Said attack is surprisingly effective at stunning people and doing damage]], which led to players [[OlderThanTheyThink "rediscovering"]] it in ''VI''. (Xianghua's had the move since her ''Soulcalibur'' debut, though she could only perform it while face-down in her first two appearances.)[[/labelnote]] |
| 143 | ** "Amy." [[labelnote:Explanation]]In ''Soulcalibur III'', Amy's only dialogue in Story Mode was saying her name. When she was added as a playable character, they reused existing sounds which meant that she wound up using PokemonSpeak, a fact that saw a great deal of memetic use in the fandom at the time.[[/labelnote]] |
| 144 | ** Breaking shirts or pants tends to be brought up whenever ClothingDamage is brought up for the series. |
| 145 | ** A semi-recurring joke is that, due to most of the female cast [[FanservicePack becoming curvier, shapelier, and generously more endowed with each new game]], Sophitia's character artwork in ''IV'' depicts her crying not due to [[TheWoobie her]] [[BreakTheCutie story]] [[ForcedIntoEvil progression]] [[http://imgur.com/v3bvG but because of]] ''[[BoobBasedGag back pain]]''. Possibly {{ascended|Meme}} in ''VI'', where Amy's taunt against Sophitia or Ivy has her snarkily ask if their back hurts. |
| 146 | * {{Moe}}: |
| 147 | ** Talim, with her innocent demeanor and positively adorable appearance. |
| 148 | ** If you can find the love between a {{Yandere}} and an EvilWeapon touching, then Tira counts as well. |
| 149 | * SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: |
| 150 | ** Hearing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY8sm2rq7nI "The Deed Is Done"]] upon completing Taki's Edge Master Mode playthrough in the first game. It contains ThatOneLevel where you have to beat Sophitia with [[AwesomeButImpractical Taki's Critical Edge]], a nightmare if you don't know how the timing works and tough even if you do given her tendency to just block it, and you get three shots tops. Some of the other levels are tough too, and the whole path could be considered the most difficult thing in the entire game. So if you do manage to get this song, you can definitely say ''you've earned it''. |
| 151 | *** To the pleasant delight of some older fans, ''Soulcalibur IV'' featured [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0bbpiH1ToM a rearrangement of the track]] as the theme that plays during a custom character's ending. |
| 152 | ** The various victory fanfares, first introduced in ''SCII'', are bound to bring a smile to any player's face, especially after a hard-fought battle. Special note goes to the original, which was a mainstay in the next three main installments in some form or another before finally being "retired" in ''VI'' (to the sadness of some). |
| 153 | ** Likewise, the staff rolls are majestic, sweeping compositions that hammer home the end of an epic journey. "Path of Destiny," featured from ''SCII'' to ''SCIV'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzlqde9504M is particularly notable]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcd0NmNSywA in this regard.]] |
| 154 | ** The composers working for Project Soul had a knack for creating sentimental pieces for even the most mundane aspects of the game. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoNWLIpztqk "Going to Where the Wind Blows"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txL3XD8r3U4 its reprise]] from ''Calibur'' ([[MusicalNod the basis of]] the aforementioned "Path of Destiny") is used for in-game galleries, as is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sYnap5IFFo "Healing]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIvyEZ5oWTY Winds"]] from ''II''/''III'' , and ''IV''[='s=] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPpnYZUoeSI "Winds and Memories"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyTJLRQu-JI "Entwined Destiny"]] are perhaps [[LongSongShortScene wasted]] on the Event Theater and Chains of Souls features. |
| 155 | * {{Narm}}: |
| 156 | ** Nightmare's unbelievably hammy dialogue can often stray into this territory. |
| 157 | -->'''Nightmare''': "HAVE A TASTE OF MY DARKNESS!!" |
| 158 | ** Voldo's ''Soul Edge'' ending, emphasized by bad [[Platform/PlayStation PS1]]-era voice acting. |
| 159 | --->'''Vercci's Spirit:''' "Voldo... you fulfilled my wish... Good for you!" |
| 160 | ** [[ApologeticAttacker Sophitia]] in ''II'' has this... bizarre victory quote: |
| 161 | --->'''Sophitia:''' You're in pain. [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment It's painful, isn't it?]] |
| 162 | ** The random create-a-character option in ''III'' is a wonderful source of this, because no matter what an amazing fighting background you give them, no matter how epic the background music and how dead serious the battle lines are, nothing is going to add seriousness to a battle where, say, a bald, blue-skinned guy in a mix of samurai getup and a jester's outfit that is continuously dancing in a silly fashion with tambourines in his hands is fighting a half-naked, bespectacled mute old lady that beats things to death with a giant piece of meat. |
| 163 | ** ''III'' had an issue where character intro lines would be cut off by the announcer starting the fight. So you'd have Abyss giving a BadassBoast like "You who would stand against me... [[PrepareToDie Prepare-]]" "VERSUS ABYSS, '''FIGHT!'''" |
| 164 | * NarmCharm: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbTsj_hEPbY "The Edge of Soul,"]] the ''[[PALBonus Khan Super Session]]'' opening theme for ''Soul Edge'', is fondly regarded despite its arguable (inarguable?) cheesiness. It helps that the strings invoke a feeling of whimsy and grand adventure fitting for the time period. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6vqn0xRQUA "Our Way Home,"]] conversely, is a genuinely moving song, much like the other ending themes found in the series. |
| 165 | * NewerThanTheyThink: The series has been around since the mid-[=90s=] and hit its peak from '99-'03, and yet some traditions and series staples are a little more recent (and weren't introduced at the series' high point) as one might imagine. |
| 166 | ** [[CharacterCustomization Create-A-Soul]] is often held as a tradition and is a major selling point; suggesting that it ''ever'' be removed is akin to FandomHeresy. Yet it wasn't introduced until ''Soulcalibur III'' in 2005, and (if you can believe it) was often held as a point of ''criticism'' because the created characters were seen as "knockoffs" of the main cast. Now, it would be unthinkable to have a ''Soulcalibur'' game without customization, and over rival games it's held as one of the biggest draws. |
| 167 | ** Some members of the cast considered to be {{Iconic Sequel Character}}s also fit. Zasalamel and Tira in particular are quite popular despite also not having been introduced until ''III''. |
| 168 | ** When one thinks of Nightmare, players are usually quick to think of his first host, Siegfried. Moreover, they're likely to envision him as he appeared in ''Soulcalibur II'', reinforced by [[SeriesMascot this design being used as Project Soul's logo]] for most entries thereafter as well as Nightmare's design in ''V'' being a stylistic throwback to his appearance in ''II'' (despite Soul Edge using a different vessel in that game). There's a good chance many may also imagine Siegfried-Nightmare [[OneHandedZweihander wielding Soul Edge with one hand]], but that combination didn't happen until all the way in 2018 with ''Soulcalibur VI''. Siegfried was Nightmare in ''Soulcalibur'' and ''II'', and then [[DecompositeCharacter split]] from him thereafter, Siegfried becoming his own man again while [[EnemyWithout Nightmare]] was [[AnimatedArmor inhabiting a suit of non-living armor]] in ''III'' (2005), and it was only then did the idea of Nightmare holding his {{BFS}} with one hand became real, meant to [[DivergentCharacterEvolution differentiate the two from each other]]. Obviously, Siegfried wasn't the originator of this convention, yet it became so emblematic of Nightmare no matter his incarnation that it's hard ''not'' to imagine Siegfried-Nightmare wielding his sword like that from the start. |
| 169 | %%** As anyone will tell you, Siegfried is ''the'' hero of the series. While Siegfried has indeed been part of the series since Day 1, he wasn't exactly heroic in the early days; not an outright villain, but certainly one of the darker [[AntiHero anti-heroes]] of the ''Soul Edge'' cast. Originally the leader of a band of thieves, Siegfried was rash, arrogant, and something of a jerk (though Schwarzwind would later be established as having [[JustLikeRobinHood a Robin Hood-esque reputation]] among the peasantry for primarily targeting corrupt nobles and similar persons of import, whereas it was shown as early as Siegfried's ''Soulcalibur'' ending that the group, for all their faults, were TrueCompanions). He even ended up [[SelfMadeOrphan killing his own father]] when Schwarzwind attacked a group of knights returning from a foreign crusade, the realization shattering Siegfried's sanity and spurring him on a quest for "revenge" that eventually led the boy to Soul Edge. Becoming TheAtoner after ''Soulcalibur'' only to be corrupted by Soul Edge into becoming Nightmare once more, Siegfried didn't truly get a crack at absolving himself of his past sins until ''III'', when he was finally free of Soul Edge's influence and embarked on a [[RedemptionQuest redemption arc]], whereupon he's remained a good guy since. He additionally was ''not'' the lead of ''Soul Edge''; that would be poster boy Mitsurugi according to WordOfGod, with Sophitia and Taki the likely {{deuteragonist}} and tritagonist given their joint role in defeating Cervantes. With all this in mind, it would however be fair to say that, given his importance to the series chronology (embarks on the [[ProtagonistJourneyToVillain Protagonist's Journey to Villain]] in ''Edge'', BigBad in ''Calibur'', VillainProtagonist in ''II'' via WordOfGod, and finally explicitly established as TheHero of ''III'' and ''IV''--complete with obtaining Soul Calibur), Siegfried ''is'' the overall main character of the series. |
| 170 | ** The use of {{Guest Fighter}}s itself can be seen as this. If one discounts [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Yoshimitsu's]] inclusion in ''Soulcalibur'', this now-famous element wasn't introduced until ''Soulcalibur II'' in 2003, after [[SequelDisplacement the series had already been put on the map]]. Even then, the concept of guests hadn't truly solidified as tradition until ''IV'' was released five years later with the ''Franchise/StarWars'' characters (though, technically speaking, ''Legends'' -- featuring Lloyd Irving from ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' -- came earlier in late 2007). It was here that the series decided to have a new guest for every subsequent mainline entry, and also threw in [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]] for 2009's ''Broken Destiny''. [[note]]A longstanding rumor states there allegedly were plans for ''III'' to have a guest of its own in the form of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'''s Dante (which would've truly established consistency), only for said plans to be scrapped for whatever reason, but [[https://web.archive.org/web/20061031174023/http://www.joystiq.com/2005/02/09/dante-joins-the-soul-calibur-3-lineup/ said rumor]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNUFJNKZxzE is false.]] The game's producer, Hiroaki Yotoriyama, not only confirmed in [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/28/no-online-for-soulcalibur-iii a March 2005 interview with IGN]] and [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928195434/http://www.soularchive.jp/SC3/wat01e.htm an interview on the now defunct Soul Archive site]] that ''SCIII'' would have no guest characters, but also went as far as to directly rule out Dante (along with Necrid) in a separate interview featured in ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly'' #195 from September of the same year, [[GodNeverSaidThat noting that the unsubstantiated gossip came straight from the internet]]. That installment ''did'', however, feature a special set of custom parts that allowed the player to recreate KOS-MOS from ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' -- though this still did not officially count as a guest appearance from the gynoid.[[/note]] |
| 171 | * OlderThanTheyThink: |
| 172 | ** The series [[VideoGameLongRunners dates back to 1995]] with its first installment ''Soul Edge'' (released on the [=PlayStation=] as ''[[MarketBasedTitle Soul Blade]]'' in 1997). The game is often overlooked by new fans despite being revolutionary at the time of release. This is partially because the home version was a [=PlayStation=] exclusive at a time when the console had a large amount of fighting games (not least Namco's own ''Tekken'' series, of which 1998's release of ''Tekken 3'' had market dominance) and the game being NintendoHard (which turned some players off), but the third and most significant reason is that those who were introduced to the series [[SequelDisplacement through its sequel]] would naturally assume ''Soulcalibur'' was the first game in the series (when, as originally intended, each game would have been named after a different sword). |
| 173 | ** Arthur was designed for ''Soul Edge'' as the Korean exclusive replacement for Mitsurugi, but his design was rejected in favor of Hwang. Hwang became a part of the worldwide roster from the Arcade Version II onward, so when ''Soulcalibur'' came around, Arthur was added as Mitsurugi's replacement instead. |
| 174 | ** Some fans introduced to the series in later games are under the impression that Seong Mi-na and Rock are {{Moveset Clone}}s of Kilik and Astaroth, respectively. The former two actually predate the latter two by one game, having been in the roster of the original ''Soul Edge'' while the latter didn't appear until ''Soulcalibur''. Project Soul didn't exactly help their cases by usually making both Mi-na and Rock unlockable characters whenever Kilik and Astaroth were present. |
| 175 | *** Rock has it worse than Mi-na in this regard; he's ''always'' been an unlockable character in ''every'' appearance starting with ''Soulcalibur'' and was even removed from the roster of ''II'' in favor of a different clone fighter known as Berserker. In fact, in ''VI'' he still didn't make the cut even though the whole theme is about the series returning to the ''Soulcalibur'' era, while Astaroth was made into a CompositeCharacter that inherited Rock's moves and some of his style, with Rock himself only receiving an offhand mention in the Museum files. |
| 176 | *** Seong Mi-na herself could be seen as an example, as many would legitimately be surprised to learn she was in the original ''Soul Edge'', and is thus as classic as the far more popular and instantly recognizable Sophitia and Taki, and predates Ivy. It wasn't until ''VI'' that she was truly able stand out on her own due to finally getting DivergentCharacterEvolution from Kilik to ensure she had very little in common with him besides using a rod-based weapon. |
| 177 | ** Cassandra was mentioned as far back as Sophitia's bio in ''Soul Edge'''s Edge Master Mode ([[SpellMyNameWithAnS albeit misspelled as "Kathandra"]]), two games prior to her first playable appearance. |
| 178 | * OnceOriginalNowCommon: |
| 179 | ** ''Soul Edge'' was the first 3D fighting game where all characters were able to sidestep around opponents (or to use their terminology, 8-way run), which became a standard in Namco's 3D fighters thereafter. |
| 180 | ** While the concept of a GuestFighter had existed before ''Soulcalibur II'', it wasn't nearly as widespread until ''II'' brought it to the public's attention. Back in 2003, it was a novel concept and was a major selling point by having a platform-specific guest character, specifically [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Heihachi]] for Platform/PlayStation2, ComicBook/{{Spawn}} for Platform/{{Xbox}}, and [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] for Platform/NintendoGameCube. This was the point where many requested guests to appear in other games, which is precisely what happened. Now that having at least one guest (and oftentimes more) is so pervasive and common in the FightingGame genre that it's more or less expected these days, many gamers are more annoyed by it than wowed, particularly in titles that aren't meant to be {{Massive Multiplayer Crossover}}s. All the while, this also makes ''II'' seem less unique in hindsight, as its use of guests are now so commonplace that some have wondered what was so special about it. Though ''II'' is still held in high regard, the guests are often not one of the reasons for it ([[JustHereForGodzilla apart from maybe]] [[EnsembleDarkhorse Link]]). |
| 181 | * PolishedPort: At the time of its release, the [[Platform/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] port of ''Soulcalibur'' was highly praised for being not [[ArcadePerfectPort arcade-perfect]], but drastically arcade-''superior''! In fact, ''Soulcalibur'' is often considered to be the best game ever released for the console and quickly became a KillerApp, selling over one million copies in the span of four months. |
| 182 | * PortingDisaster: |
| 183 | ** As noted in BrokenBase above, this is the common view on ''SCII HDO''. For many fans, it seems like the HD "remaster" stripped away features from the original game for no reason, barely tweaked what was left in, and tacked on a shoddy online experience for good measure. |
| 184 | ** The [[Platform/XboxLiveArcade XBLA]] port of the original ''Calibur'', while otherwise very competent, was a victim of Microsoft's at-the-time 200 MB size limit on XBLA games [[note]]which was raised a mere ''month'' later when ''VideoGame/BionicCommando Rearmed'' was released[[/note]]. As a result, every character was unlocked from the start, the game lacked the Dreamcast original's Story Mode, and there was no online play. |
| 185 | * ReplacementScrappy: |
| 186 | ** Averted with Cassandra, who was intended to be Sophitia's SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute, but has been quite well-received (perhaps because popular demand brought Sophitia back as well, meaning the fans gained a new sword and shield character without sacrificing anything). Played perfectly straight with Hwang's "replacement" Yun-seong, however (though Hwang's moveset was closer to Mitsurugi and Xianghua). There are a LOT of people who far prefer Hwang to him. |
| 187 | ** A good number of Hwang fans (and fans of the [[ShipTease Hwang/Mi-na pairing]]) were not so fortunate when he was replaced for ''II'' by Yun-seong, who they saw as a HotBlooded teen yahoo with a grating English voice, far less likeable than Hwang the badass OfficerAndAGentleman. Apart from a brief reintroduction in ''III'' as a Yun-seong MovesetClone and [[TheBusCameBack his glorious return]] in ''VI'', Hwang fans would have to be saddled with Yun-seong for a long time. |
| 188 | ** Certain Li Long fans see Maxi as this due to Li Long's "tougher" mechanics in ''Soul Edge''. Fans of the series who entered from ''Soulcalibur'' onward tend not to realise this due to SequelDisplacement, and the situation was briefly alleviated when Li Long was brought back as a playable character in ''III'' and its ''Arcade Edition'' [[DivergentCharacterEvolution with enough playstyle differences to make him and Maxi better stand out from one another]]. |
| 189 | ** A good portion of the new characters from ''V'' were seen as inferior to the characters they replaced. See [[YMMV/SoulcaliburV that page]] for more info. |
| 190 | * RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: |
| 191 | ** Cassandra was originally Sophitia's official replacement, and took her spot in the arcade version of ''II'' with the lore reason being that Sophitia retired to raise her family. [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks A backlash ensued]], as Sophitia was one of the most beloved icons of the series and replacing her with someone of a different personality was seen as a bad idea. To that end, Cassandra [[ReplacementScrappy received a rather cold reception]] to match. Project Soul took notice, and brought Sophitia back in the home version alongside Cassandra. Because of this, those who initially didn't like Cassandra warmed up to her now that she was no longer a replacement, and Cassandra became a major hit with fans as the "less serious" Alexandra sister. To this day, Cassandra is a fan-favorite character that is very well-liked, and is almost Sophitia's equal in terms of fandom popularity. In fact, [[FriendlyFandoms most who like Sophitia also like Cassandra, and vice versa]] as opposed to there being a inter-FandomRivalry, and fans often point to how ''II'' handled the Alexandra sisters as the template Project Soul should have followed in ''V'' with several of its newcomers. |
| 192 | ** As noted below, a few characters who were widely despised prior to ''V'', such as [[NonPlayerCharacter Rothion]] and Yun-seong, garnered more favorable reception due to a combination of their complete absence in the game and several ''even more'' controversial additions to the series (most notably Patroklos) making them look much better by comparison/in hindsight. |
| 193 | * RetroactiveRecognition: Creator/YukariTamura is widely known as the voice of [[Franchise/LyricalNanoha Nanoha]] since 2004, but before that, in 2002, she voiced Talim. |
| 194 | * TheScrappy: |
| 195 | ** The most universally hated character in the series appears to be [[NonActionGuy Rothion]], Sophitia's NPC husband. Mostly for DieForOurShip reasons, as people prefer to pair Sophitia with characters of either gender such as Siegfried, Taki, Cassandra, or ''themselves''. As of ''V'', he's finally dead due to illness. But then so is Sophitia. You can't have your cake and eat it too, people. Fortunately for him, [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap reception towards him actually improved]] in ''V'', but that's largely because the fans hate his son Patroklos ''even more'' (see [[YMMV/SoulcaliburV that game's YMMV page]] for more details). Thankfully, outside of the fans who ''still'' invoke DieForOurShip, Rothion was finally given a fair shake in ''VI'', thanks in part to making an actual on-screen appearance and [[NiceGuy proving exactly why]] [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan Sophitia fell for him in the first place]]. |
| 196 | ** Patroklos... Sweet ''lord'', ''Patroklos''. [[YMMV/SoulcaliburV To make a long story short]], his {{Jerkass}} personality, status as the DesignatedHero, and AssPull tendencies left the fanbase ''livid'' over his existence. |
| 197 | %% For future reference, SCV-specific examples should go exclusively on the game's YMMV page. (The above entry now links to what's already present on that page.) |
| 198 | * ScrappyMechanic: |
| 199 | ** ''IV''[='s=] take on [[CharacterCustomization Character Creation]] has Attack, Defense, HP, and the five parameters (Power, Impact, Gauge, Boost, and Special, which you need for using skills) tied to the weapons and equipment. This leaves you with several unfavorable options: either you play with [[RainbowPimpGear a hodgepodge of ill-matched items cobbled together at random]], a cool-looking warrior who is poorly suited for tackling challenges that require better stats ([[NintendoHard Tower of Lost Souls]] in particular), or the basic 1P/2P costumes for each character which can only equip special equipment gems (they affect two of the five parameters, although they provide both generous amounts of skill points and stat boosts) and whose color is the only thing you can customize in the vein of ''III''. CAS builds that are both eye-pleasing and practical do exist, but prepare to spend a lot of time jumping through hoops to get there. The feature was dropped in ''V'', giving the player more freedom in the customization area, without ever minding about pros and cons. The trade-off for this is the unfortunate lack of effects on the extra weapons, a staple in every previous game barring ''Soulcalibur''. |
| 200 | ** ''V'' offers the incredibly frustrating mechanic of equipment destruction. To elaborate, if a character is defeated with a particularly hard-hitting attack, bits and pieces of their outfit come off. Standard characters may lose their shirt or a gauntlet, but custom characters are only left with their pants intact. It begs the question as to why Namco would implement such a complete character creator, only to have your painstakingly crafted outfit smashed to bits. This would continue on to ''VI'', with the Lethal Hit mechanic [[note]]scoring a counter hit on an opponent with specific moves, with [[HitStop the resulting impact]] leading to combo opportunities normally not possible[[/note]] causing even more instances of ClothingDamage. |
| 201 | ** In ''Lost Swords'', the Equipment Box at the Character menu. Players only had a finite amount of space to hold spoils from missions, and whenever it hit or exceeded maximum capacity, they had to sell or craft items to lighten their load before they could go questing again. While this number would slowly increase through inventory expansions given out as daily login bonuses, once the player hit 180 slots, they originally had to ''buy'' any additional expansions. (The maximum amount was previously 200, and only increased to 250 with the 1.5 Million Download Campaign, with a few expansions continuing to serve as login bonuses.) On top of this, while equipment and accessories were counted separately, soul stones, which served no purpose beyond crafting materials for weapons and armor, were included in the equipment total. Then there was the matter of items being awarded through login bonuses, by clearing missions, or by ranking high enough in Soul Edge Scramble events; while anything sent via item mail could be stored ([[http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/731136-soulcalibur-lost-swords/71409643 almost]]) indefinitely as long as the mail remained unopened, the same couldn't be said for the others, many of which were unique, one-time only acquisitions. A common solution like a storage system for depositing and withdrawing items using the in-game gold never existed. It all served to make item regulation in an already sluggishly paced and meandering game extremely tedious. |
| 202 | * SequelDisplacement: To fans not around in the late 90s, ''Soul Edge'' has fallen into this, especially as [[MarketBasedTitle it has a different name overseas]] and hasn't seen any anniversary reissues. It's not helped by inconsistent naming, brought about by a [[ScrewedByTheLawyers trademark kerfuffle]] with Tim Langdell. |
| 203 | * {{Sequelitis}}: Though the subject is a matter of frequent debate, the most common consensus tends to be that the Dreamcast port of ''Soulcalibur'' is the best entry in the series (and a strong contender for the best game ever released for the console); ''II'' is, depending on who you ask, either an EvenBetterSequel for ''Calibur'' or "merely" an excellent follow-up that just falls short of its predecessor's incredible story and mechanics. While praised for its colossal trove of fun game modes and single-player content, the odd GameBreakingBug you see in ''III'' put a damper on the quality one would come to expect from the series, and the game being a [=PS2=] exclusive prevented many of [[NewbieBoom the new blood brought in by the previous iteration]] from getting a chance to experience it. ''IV'' was fairly well-received but also where the series began its decline for many fans, though offset slightly by the fact that it was originally meant to be GrandFinale for the ''Soul'' series and very much felt like it at the time. Then came the announcement of ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburV'' in May 2011, with its launch date arriving less than a year later. A short, clunky and only partially realized story told from the POV of [[ReplacementScrappy a firmly despised replacement for fan-favourite heroine Sophitia]], a large portion of the series' other familiar faces also being replaced by younger and less likeable replacements, and a poorly utilized setting change and other disagreeable lore alterations all consigned this entry to be banished into ContestedSequel territory. ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'', a SoftReboot designed from the ground-up to undo ''V'' and go back to the series' roots with the original ''Calibur'', [[WinBackTheCrowd was received with warm reviews and considerable commercial success]], seemingly saving the series from [[FranchiseKiller an untimely end]] at present. |
| 204 | * SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer: You're surely going to spend a lot of time [[CharacterCustomization creating characters]] and hardly actually fighting. |
| 205 | * SpiritualSuccessor: Can be considered one to ''VideoGame/KnuckleHeads'', Namco's 1992 weapon-based 2D fighter. While ''Knuckle Heads'' was poorly received, ''Soul Edge'' is Namco's ImprovedSecondAttempt on the weapon-based fighting subgenre, giving it a better narrative and moving it to the third dimension. |
| 206 | * ThatOneBoss: |
| 207 | ** Setsuka is a stone-cold bitch to fight when she's a computer in ''Soulcalibur III'', due to the PerfectPlayAI taking the "difficult" part of her DifficultButAwesome kit and throwing it out the window to combo you mercilessly. She has been known to be singlehandedly responsible for ending many a player's attempts to reach their character's true route in Tales of Souls, even more so than the likes of Colossus (see directly below), Keres, and Olcadan. |
| 208 | ** Colossus is this a bit, but it's not terribly fake difficulty or cheap A.I. He's a goddamn giant statue that deals extra damage, is hard to block, and even springs a KaizoTrap on you if you manage to beat him. For once, it's a reasonable point that he'd be hard. |
| 209 | ** [[SNKBoss NIGHT TERROR.]] There is ''a perfectly good reason'' it serves as the TrueFinalBoss of Tales of Souls in ''III''; you ''need'' to be flawless if you want to [[GuideDangIt even reach it]], let alone win. One would expect what is effectively Nightmare/Inferno's OneWingedAngel form fueled by the power of both soul swords to be more than a little overpowered, but Night Terror exceeds these expectations by leaps and bounds. Night Terror is the largest "human-sized" character in the game, hits like it, [[LightningBruiser moves far faster than its size would indicate]], [[{{BFS}} has what is likely the longest reach of the cast]], and possesses a command list where nearly every other move -- be it basic melee combos, {{Sword Beam}}s, [[DeathFromAbove airborne]] [[BeamSpam laser barrages]], or a much larger and much quicker-acting version of [[SphereOfDestruction Nightmare's Soul Wave]] -- is ThatOneAttack. Perhaps worst of all, he's ''completely immune'' to Ring Outs in a cruel aversion of WingsDoNothing. You knock it off the stage and it will merely fly right back up to continue the fight. All in all, these traits combine to give you what is undoubtedly the most gloriously unbalanced character in ''Soul'' series history. |
| 210 | ** [[VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed The Apprentice]], despite not being a broken character, tends to be a pain in the neck to fight against. If you haven't mastered defensive strategy going into a fight with him, you certainly will by the time you win it. |
| 211 | * ThatOneLevel: |
| 212 | ** In the first game, Taki's Edge Master Mode battle against Sophitia. You can only damage her by using a Critical Edge -- something you only have three chances to do in a fight. |
| 213 | ** The Mission Mode challenges on Hard difficulty in ''III'', particularly Dancing Statue. In this case, you have to fight Cassandra, Sophitia, and the [[ThatOneBoss Colossus]] in that order, except they're on PerfectPlayAI, take reduced damage, and have slowly-but-surely regenerating health. You can ring out the first two -- you can't ring out the Colossus, who hits like a truck and has the aforementioned KaizoTrap above. And just for extra difficulty, you only restore a portion of your health on beating the first two, and losing to the Colossus at the end means starting from Cassandra all over. |
| 214 | * TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Unlike the other DittoFighter characters, Charade wasn't limited to a humanoid form. Its Weapon Demonstration was it flying around in a comet shape, before reforming. Its event match in ''III'' showed that with the [[ExtremityExtremist Grieve Edge]] discipline, it didn't even have to be a whole body. And it even had ''eye beams''. None of this was ever used again. Possibly justified in that, by the time of ''IV'', (nearly) all the shards and permutations of Soul Edge, Charade included, had returned to Nightmare to reform the sword. |
| 215 | * TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Lizardman's RageAgainstTheHeavens plotline starting in ''III'' was largely forgotten, and Lizardman eventually became no more than a vehicle of PluckyComicRelief by the time of ''IV''. However, Lizardman's bio (or should we say Aeon's) in ''V'' shows that this is slowly beginning to reverse itself. Or, at least, it ''would have'' had not most of the game's intended plot ended up being jettisioned in the process. |
| 216 | * ToughActToFollow: Many agree that ''II'' is where the series peaked, so every game since is this by default. Still, there are a great deal of fans who will take the original ''Soulcalibur'', ''SCIII'', and--most recently--''SCVI'' as acceptable answers ([[CasualCompetitiveConflict regardless of the reasons]]) for one's favorite entry in the series alongside ''SCII''. |
| 217 | * UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny: A major thing most people use the character creation feature in ''III'' and ''IV'' for. |
| 218 | ** Behold, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiss-keIKrM Jesus vs. Bruce Lee,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilwOXdsWG3Y Gandalf vs. Sauron,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29w7cadJ7A0 Ronald McDonald vs. Colonel Sanders,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt7YCnCYtmg Obama vs. McCain...]] |
| 219 | ** The inclusion of [[Franchise/StarWars Vader and Yoda]] means half the work is already done for some people, or all of it for those who download the other guy. |
| 220 | ** ''Soulcalibur II HD Online'': Spawn vs. Heihachi Mishima. |
| 221 | * UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The [[GuestFighter special guests]] in each game starting from ''II'' make it clear each game was a product of their time: |
| 222 | ** ''Soulcalibur II'' had [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] in his ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' appearance, with his ending even showing him using the eponymous instrument. In later years, his appearances in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' [[WolverinePublicity became the primary ones used in marketing for their respective eras]] (much like the Hero of Time before them). |
| 223 | ** ''Soulcalibur III'' featured [[VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} KOS-MOS]] as a pseudo-guest character through the "Type X" parts found in Create-A-Soul. ''Xenosaga'' would later be CutShort in 2006, and would be overshadowed by ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' in later years, with KOS-MOS being relegated to cameos in games like ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' and ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2''. |
| 224 | ** ''Soulcalibur IV'' included [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Galen Marek/Starkiller]] (only known as "The Apprentice" in-game), who was there primarily to promote the then-upcoming ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheForceUnleashed''. Considering that game came and went, and was denounced as non-canon once Creator/{{Disney}} bought out the series, it sticks out like a sore thumb much like the ''Franchise/StarWars'' characters [[FishOutOfTemporalWater themselves]] in that game. |
| 225 | ** ''Soulcalibur V'': |
| 226 | *** The guest fighter was [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Ezio]], who was the mascot of the ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' games at the time of release, coming off of [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII a successful]] [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood trilogy]] [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations of games]]. A year later, Ezio would have to share his mascot status with [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag Edward Kenway]], and neither of them have appeared in a mainline entry to date (though Ezio would appear in a ''VideoGame/ForHonor'' {{crossover}} event held in December 2018/January 2019). |
| 227 | *** Similar to the KOS-MOS custom parts in ''III'', ''SCV'' would also feature [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Devil Jin]] as a hidden Create-A-Soul discipline for custom characters. The character received a redesign alongside all other ''Tekken'' characters in ''VideoGame/Tekken7'', so his appearance in ''Soulcalibur V'' mainly pulls from his playable debut in ''VideoGame/Tekken5'' in terms of influence. |
| 228 | ** Present but downplayed in ''Soulcalibur VI''. |
| 229 | *** The game's first guest, [[VideoGame/TheWitcher Geralt of Rivera]], likely owes his inclusion to the immense popularity of ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'', which also managed to become [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff an oversight sensation in Japan circa 2017]] -- one year prior to ''VI''[='s=] release. However, Geralt would go on to appear in other Japanese-developed games like ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' and ''VideoGame/DaemonXMachina'', while the ''[[Franchise/TheWitcher Witcher]]'' franchise would receive even greater mainstream recognition with [[Series/TheWitcher2019 its 2019 Netflix live-action series]]. |
| 230 | *** The game's second guest, [[VideoGame/NierAutomata 2B]], arguably comes closest, serving as the face of the collective ''Franchise/{{Drakengard}}''[=/=]''VideoGame/NieR'' series after ''Automata'' became a BreakthroughHit and one of the biggest games of 2017. This led to 2B being its representive character in ''SCVI'' despite hailing from a futuristic setting with technology levels far beyond that of the ClockPunk seen in the ''Soul'' series. Much like Geralt, though, ''Automata'' and its cast enjoy enduring popularity, leading to not only future collaborations in other games (such as ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', which even turned 2B's Player 2 colors from this game [[CanonImmigrant into an actual character]]), but an internationally released VideoGameRemake of the original ''[=NieR=]'' and an [[TheAnimeOfTheGame animated adaptation]] of ''Automata''. |
| 231 | *** The game's third guest, [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Haohmaru]], released at the end of March 2020 as part of the game's second season of DLC, no doubt riding off the coattails of ''[=SamSho=]''[='s=] own resurgence with its 2019 installment. On the other hand, Haohmaru is noted to be an inspiration for Mitsurugi (making his inclusion a {{heartwarming|InHindsight}} example of ExpyCoexistence) and while ''[=SamSho=]'' [[Timeline/SamuraiShodown occurs]] at a much later point of (Japanese) history compared to the ''Soul'' series (similar to how Ezio hails from [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance a period of time]] that predates the events of ''SCV'' and the series as a whole), Haohmaru is generally seen as a perfect fit for the series' MagicRealism setting and aesthetics (again, similar to Ezio). |
| 232 | * {{Woolseyism}}: Yoshimitsu's famous theatrical melodramatic YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe voice in the English dub of the games is more or less the equivalent to the Japanese version having Yoshimitsu speaking with an ''[[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns archaic]]'' Japanese accent, and a similar level of [[LargeHam hamminess]]. |
| 233 | * WTHCostumingDepartment: |
| 234 | ** Certain characters' outfits became more and more ridiculous with each new entry, sometimes deliberately (like Yoshimitsu and, arguably, Voldo) and sometimes not. While the answer to the question of who has fared "worse" varies from fan to fan, ''Soulcalibur IV'' is almost unanimously seen as the lowest the series ever got, though much of the criticism was levied at the blatant {{fanservice}} (most notably, the increasingly {{Stripperiffic}} and/or top-heavy female characters and the ClothingDamage feature) than the actual character designs themselves as a whole. |
| 235 | ** ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' attracted criticism from vocal outlets (namely Kotaku and Fandom) for having "immature" and "objectified" character designs, which in the fanbase has been a ''[[FlameWar very]]'' [[BrokenBase heated issue]] (see above and [[YMMV/SoulcaliburVI the corresponding YMMV page]] for ''VI''). ''VI'' may be the most sexualized fighter in the series to date, even surpassing that of ''IV'', and those who enjoyed ''V'' going in a TamerAndChaster direction were disappointed to learn that it was temporary thing and the series would be fully embracing its fanservice once again. And while ''IV'' at least had [[TokenWholesome Hilde as a counterbalance]] and gave most of the (female) characters considerably more conservative 2P outfits, ''VI'' lacked Hilde until Season 2 and has no additional costumes by default -- players have to make edits in Creation if they want to cover up any of the characters. On an unrelated note, newcomer Grøh was derided by some for being an "edgy" anime-influenced character who seems out of place given ''VI'' losing much of its anime influence from ''V'', and feels more representative of Japanese tropes rather than him being Scandinavian (not unlike the criticisms previously levied at the other Namco Scandinavian fighter, [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Lars Alexandersson]]). |
| 236 | |
| 237 | ---- |
| 238 | The alternate universe single player modes, Weapon Master and Chronicles of the Sword, have examples not found in the main games: |
| 239 | |
| 240 | * AntiClimaxBoss: |
| 241 | ** Chester in Chronicle 10. He finally reveals himself as the king of Maletta and the person responsible for a good portion of the conflict, and he gets a climactic setting and speech to lead off the fight, but the fight itself is mostly just an afterthought compared to the ruthless gauntlet of enemies that the game put you through just to get to him (namely Hyle and Kierkess with their cheaty PerfectPlayAI and a metric crapton of tough mooks). |
| 242 | ** Aurelia, despite being the ArcVillain for a good part of the first half of the campaign, is an absolute joke when you finally fight her. She goes down a lot more quickly than even the regular enemies that attacked you at the beginning of her Chronicle, and her A.I. isn't too impressive either. |
| 243 | * AssPull: Oh boy, ''where to begin'' with some of the writing for Chronicles of the Sword? |
| 244 | ** The entire introduction to the [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Maletta Kingdom]]. [[spoiler:They just literally come out of nowhere and kill the last remaining Halteese heir, Halphas. No hinting of their existence in the intro movie; they just pop out of nowhere and are lead by Demuth for some time, only for him to be usurped by Chester. The only way that anyone could have seen this coming is if they read the [[ItsAllThereInTheManual Japanese website that explained all the backgrounds of the CotS characters]], and even then, it doesn't alleviate much.]] |
| 245 | ** The transition from the Mantis War storyline was never properly done. [[spoiler:Not only was the Mantis War plot [[AbortedArc completely discarded]] by the time you've killed Aurelia and ended the Kingdom of Dalkia, literally all that's said next chapter is that [[TimeSkip a year has passed since then]], and you're immediately dumped with the fact that Girardot started a rebellion against Strife. No explanation about why Chester is now working for Strife or his involvement, just that [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains Strife is suddenly now the new antagonist]] despite how the intro movie pushed Chester as the main villain.]] |
| 246 | * BreatherLevel: Chronicle 14, which simply has you fighting a bunch of underleveled attacking enemies. While losing the Cadet just once [[HeroMustSurvive results in failing the mission]], the enemy mooks are so weak it's not even a concern unless you get very careless or decide to go after the {{Optional Boss}}es, making for a very easy level sandwiched between the gauntlets of the previous Chronicles and the upcoming DifficultySpike. |
| 247 | * ClicheStorm: The Chronicles of the Sword mode in ''III'' cheerfully uses a lot of tropes and character archetypes you should be familiar with if you're into eastern TurnBasedStrategy or generally eastern military fiction. |
| 248 | * ComplacentGamingSyndrome: |
| 249 | ** In Chronicles of the Sword, most players will more likely resort to two types of unit: Bandit and Cavalry. Bandits are the second best units in both speed and destroying strongholds, while Cavalries are the fastest units. In contrast, [[MightyGlacier Knights]] have highest defense and best at destroying strongholds, but are the slowest that it's hard to utilize their strengths, while [[JackOfAllStats Infantry]] has highest damage on enemy units, but then... |
| 250 | ** Players will more likely resort to traditional battles a.k.a. Decisive Battles rather than real-time skirmishes, especially 1v1. Real time skirmishes, aside from being time-consuming, are guaranteed to inflict damage on both units. By engaging in Decisive Battles, not only can the player pause all action on the map, but they can also score perfect wins by abusing the various AIBreaker moves found in ''III''. Not to mention that some bonuses requires several perfect victories, and that this completely removes the Bandit's main weakness of being terrible in skirmishes. This is also the reason why Knight and Infantry units are negligible. |
| 251 | * EpilepticTrees: In ''II'''s Weapon Master Mode, one of the three gates main antagonist Veral is trying to destroy in order to release the full power of Soul Edge is guarded by Tristy, Guardian of the Soul, who appears as Kilik in the story. In the epilogue, Tristy notes that the powers of the two soul swords have made them immortal, and as such, they'll spend the rest of their existence recording the history of the world. Most fans came to the same conclusion: Tristy is the past identity of Edge Master, with additional "backing" seen in Olcadan recognizing Kilik's style (as it's heavily implied Edge Master and Olcadan fought to a draw in the past). This is despite the fact that Weapon Master appears to take place in its own continuity much like Chronicles of the Sword (if the world map is anything to go by) and, more importantly, it is easy to miss that [[SamusIsAGirl Tristy is actually a woman]] (which is only revealed by a single pronoun in the Chapter 9 Scenario text). |
| 252 | * FashionVictimVillain: Did they just set the character editor to random for creating the characters in Chronicles of the Sword? Even [[BigBad Strife]] fails to be threatening, mostly due to his hair. |
| 253 | * PlayerPunch: It's safe to say that [[spoiler:Girardot's death and the fall of the rebel faction at the hands of the player was meant to make them [[HeelRealization feel like shit]] and help them realize that [[TokenGoodTeammate they]] [[EvilAllAlong were fighting for the primary antagonist the entire time]] the minute they entered the Grandall army]]. |
| 254 | * GameBreaker: |
| 255 | ** The Swordmaster Job in Chronicles of the Sword is possibly an [[PurposefullyOverpowered intentional]] one: Highest stats bar speed, and being able to use all custom style weapons. While it has downside of not being able to use main characters' styles, considering that some of the available styles are [[GameBreaker Game-Breakers]] on their own (especially the Iron Sword discipline), it doesn't need to. It's also the hardest job to get, but the payoff is worth it. |
| 256 | ** The next best thing is Barbarian, which starts with decently high attack power and access to the Iron Sword discipline, probably the most hilarious AIBreaker in the game. It's entirely possible to win fights with Iron Sword by doing nothing but spamming the right trigger (which, by default, is bound to A + B - easily avoidable by players, but the AI will never properly guard against it and only ever avoids it by accident when sidestepping to get away from a wall). Several of the discipline's other moves also give the AI fits, meaning that you can easily stumble across broken moves completely by accident. |
| 257 | * LowTierLetdown: Thief is statistically the second worst job in Chronicles of the Sword, but becomes the worst job thanks to its choice of weapons. While Dancer is the worst job stats-wise, it is offset by excellent weapons choices, especially [[GameBreaker Soul of Xianghua]]. Thief, however, has none of those. The default weapon style, Dagger, has very weak AIBreaker moves and is awkward to use. Thief has two souls, Yun-seong and Tira, but Yun-seong has no discernable AIBreaker moves, and Tira is also available on Assassin, an advanced and better job. |
| 258 | * ThatOneBoss: |
| 259 | ** GUARDIAN FUCKING FORCE!! It's a stronghold ability that grants SuperArmor on any opponent within the stronghold, but since Soul Series still hasn't used the mechanic by this point, they basically turn into this. There are very few, but those few are certainly qualified. They are: |
| 260 | *** Aege in Chronicle 11. She's even harder than Luna, the stage's boss, and achieving a Perfect in a straight fight is nigh-impossible due to the combination of Guardian Force and the periodic earthquake effect that stuns you if you don't jump or guard low (thus opening you up to getting brutalized by Aege). She's also the reason why the bonus only requires four Perfect matches out of a total five. |
| 261 | *** [[spoiler:Girardot in Chronicle 15.]] On top of the Guardian Force, he's also a Knight, which means he has insane health and durability. Fortunately, if you raid his stronghold with more than one unit, [[PlayerCharacter The Cadet]] will be the last one to face him. Even then, it'll be a heavy task to whittle down his health with all your units, especially if they're underleveled. |
| 262 | *** [[spoiler:Abelia in Chronicle 18.]] Unlike [[spoiler:Girardot]], only [[PlayerCharacter The Cadet]] can face her if you ZergRush her stronghold. Worse, one of the loss conditions is "Death of The Cadet", so you only get one try once you raid the main stronghold with your character. The only saving grace is that her level is quite low for that point in the campaign, and she's a [[GlassCannon Gladiator]] with low defense. |
| 263 | ** Hyle's latter two fights (in Chronicles 9 and 10) are some of the toughest fights in the entirety of Chronicles of the Sword, due to ''Soulcalibur III'''s notorious PerfectPlayAI being on full display. His style is the Sword and Shield, a DifficultButAwesome moveset that the AI can of course use perfectly, and his weapon passively gives him protection against both Ring Outs and throws. To make it worse, both aforementioned fights have stronghold effects that stack the odds against you; in Chronicle 9, ''all of his attacks are unblockable'', and in Chronicle 10, he takes very little damage despite being a [[GlassCannon Gladiator]], allowing him to thrash multiple of your units in quick succession without breaking a sweat. |
| 264 | ** Chronicle 19 has two Swordmaster bosses: |
| 265 | *** Ende, a Level 99 Swordmaster, and the highest level enemy in the entire mode. Not only that his stats are sky-high, but his stronghold ability allows him to knock you up in the air for some time, leaving you vulnerable to jugglings. Thankfully, he's {{optional|Boss}}, unlike... |
| 266 | *** Chester as the chronicle's last boss. In contrast to his AntiClimaxBoss encounter in Chronicle 10, he has been upgraded from Thief to Swordmaster, buffing him up significantly. And enjoy his "All Guard Break" stronghold ability! |
| 267 | ** [[FinalBoss Strife]] in Chronicle 20. Oh boy, where do we start? First, despite being a Level 63 Swordmaster, his stats are impossibly high, even exceeding Ende's, and [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard not players can't catch up with him stat-wise, not even with Level 99 Swordmasters]]. That he wields Soul Edge ''would'' appear to be a double-edged sword since the cursed weapon's high power comes at the cost of a constant health drain effect... but he has health so insanely high that the already slow health drain is negligible, so your usual defensive tactics against Soul Edge wielders won't work here. |
| 268 | * ThatOneLevel: |
| 269 | ** Chronicle 9 causes a fair bit of hair-pulling. While it starts out normally, taking a single enemy stronghold causes the enemy's QuirkyMinibossSquad to bum-rush your main base. You'll have to then pull your characters back to defend it as losing the main base is an instant GameOver, except you might end up getting steamrolled by sheer weight of numbers, and losing your entire party is also a GameOver. Take your pick. |
| 270 | ** Chronicle 10 is also no slouch. You have to fight against an extremely aggressive DamageSpongeBoss that can easily outlast half your squad, and once you beat him, you get attacked by ''ten'' EliteMooks without so much as a breather. This is likely the only spot in the campaign, up until the final level, where suffering a TotalPartyKill is a legitimate danger. |
| 271 | ** Chronicle 16 has your party shrunk down to only 3 units, and the second half of the map is nothing but EliteMooks that will move to attack you once you progress far enough. It doesn't help that most of the Elite Mooks and the end boss are Samurai, who have obscenely high attack power and will delete you in a few good hits, and the end boss also applies Guard Break on all his attacks. |
| 272 | * TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: |
| 273 | ** Those who slogged through Chronicles of the Sword usually feel that so much more could've been done in both the story and gameplay departments. ''Especially'' with the Halteese arc and the plot regarding Chester and the Mantis War overall (see AssPull above). |
| 274 | ** Besides the ClicheStorm mentioned above, the use of custom characters arguably removes any attachment to the fixed story characters, making one of the highlights of the story, wherein the player's previous allies are possessed by Soul Edge shards forced onto them, much less effective. |
| 275 | ** The gameplay is an attempt to merge RTS and the 1v1 battles of a typical FightingGame, making encounters a choice between full fighting game matches or RTS-style battles. With different characters and conditions, it looked promising, and the first few levels are actually really fun. However, after that, the RPG elements come in, along with ''SCIII''[='s=] already infamously cruel A.I., and COTS goes from fun and challenging to unfair and grueling. Basically, you're either breaking the A.I. horribly spamming the same moves over and over every battle, with the RTS elements amounting to how you get to the next slog, or stuck in a ruthlessly difficult battle that will have the A.I. blocking about 85% of your attacks no matter how well you play. And finally, if you used a memory card that has COTS data on it for any other save, the data will likely be corrupted thanks to a GameBreakingBug, meaning you can't beat it ''ever again'' unless you start over the entire game itself. |
| 276 | * ToughActToFollow: Despite the flaws mentioned above, Chronicles of the Sword is one of the reasons why the single-player content of ''Soulcalibur III'' is so well-regarded, which had the effect of overshadowing any future attempts at single-player content in future games. Fans were upset that ''IV'' and ''V'' didn't even bother to add anything similar despite the improvements made to the character creation feature, and even ''VI''[='s=] Libra of Soul is often compared unfavorably to COTS (though, conversely, many would argue it's not a fair comparison, being closer in mechanics and narrative to the Weapon Master Mode seen in ''II''). |
| 277 | * SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: For a miniature world, the maps in Chronicles of the Sword are well detailed, complete with effects that complement the map's atmosphere. |
| 278 |
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