Martial arts is about the journey; it’s not about punching or breaking blocks, rather the dedication to reach that point. So too then is this reset of Soul Calbur lore, retracing the odds to recapture a sword made of pure evil. It’s both historically fantastical and richly colorful, so fluid in combat as to look rehearsed. And, it takes place across the planet, stepping through deserts, forests, and seas, stubbornly told through static images, if eclectically narrated.

Soul Calibur has a rich character roster. It’s a shame to see that legacy reduced to created designs, player-made designs used in a thick, slow RPG-like mode. While vibrant in community potential, the likes of Mitsurugi, Maxi, Taki, and Sophitia (among others) deserves stand-out lineage in fighting game lore. They earn that here – each is given their own stand-alone story thankfully. Their strikes and motions haven’t changed in the near 20 years since Soul Calibur (and longer if considering Soul Blade), just becoming flashier and sharper. Their journey is one of perfectionism.

4/5