Is Soulcalibur IV a reboot of the original Soulcalibur?
Soulcalibur VI is a partial reboot of the popular fighting game which returns the series to classic characters and familiar story elements.
It’s been six years since Project Soul released Soulcalibur V, a different direction for the series which introduced over ten new playable characters as well as significant changes to the game’s well-established fighting system.
There were those who felt the previous instalment had moved too far away from the design and formula which makes Soulcalibur what it is, whilst others welcomed the changes and saw it as a positive move forward for the long-running series.
So with Soulcalibur VI representing the first major title in over half a decade, a lot of fans are asking: does this really constitute a reboot? And what can we expect from the game?
Is Soulcalibur IV a reboot?
CREDIT: PROECT SOUL
Bandai Namco’s plans for the title were announced last year at the 2017 Games Awards with a teaser trailer that seemed to promise the return of some much-loved characters.
A subsequent press release promised that the game would “uncover hidden truths” about the original Soulcalibur and so we’ve known for some time that the latest instalment would revisit the first-ever game.
In the sense of retelling the story of the original Soulcalibur – with new details, extra context and a wider array of perspectives – Soulcalibur IV very much is a reboot of the original.
Rather than moving the game forwards in time, as was the case in SC5, Project Soul have gone back to their own source material, with two different story modes (‘Libra of Souls’ and ‘Soul Chronicle’) which cover the same timeline: offering new pieces of narrative and character information as you progress.
Initial reviews have been favourable, with IGN giving the game 8.9/10 and praising its “new layers of strategy and mind games.”
