Thanks to Bandai Namco, this past weekend I did nothing other than play the SoulCalibur 6 network test or beta as I called it. It was my first time getting some hands-on with the game and after about 40 matches or so, I have to say that I’m impressed. Not only does it look stunning, especially after watching some SoulCalibur 5 matches prior. The gameplay is smooth, and I thought it was easy to get into. I suppose it helps that I used to play the heck out of SoulCalibur 2 & 3. And yes, it does feel like both of those games.
Since it was a network test, I guess I should mention how I felt about that. It seemed that it didn’t matter if I had either 4 or 3 bar matches, as it didn’t seem to have any bearing. In fact, I had better matches with 3 bars, while many of the 4 bar matches were full of lag. Hopefully, that gets that gets ironed out before the full release. Regardless of that, I enjoyed my time with the game and felt that the online component has a lot of promise. Ran into some very interesting match-ups, including a really, really good Taki. Props to that person, they played a damned good match. I also managed to record most of those matches and uploaded them on YouTube for all to enjoy. I have a few others that will also be uploaded later during this week.
Definitely recommend anyone who hasn’t played either the network test or hasn’t had a chance to play the game, to check them out. These should give you an idea of what to expect. It’s also a chance to see Tira in action since she’s a DLC character and won’t be available on day one. If you’re new to the series or game, then be sure to check out our SoulCalibur 6 mechanics guide.
Lastly, all my matches were played on the Xbox One X. While I also played on the PlayStation 4 Pro, the X seemed more fluid and seemed to hold a stable FPS at 4K. Both looked good, just that the X looked a bit better. Of course, that’s just for this network test. No telling if Bandai Namco will make any changes prior to the game being released.
SoulCalibur 6 releases on Oct. 16, 2018, and will be available on the PS4, Xbox One and for the first time, the PC. If you pick it up and happen to see the gamertag online “Shadowhaxor”, that’s me. Be sure to wave, or stab me a few times!
