Huge step backward.

User Rating: 3 | SoulCalibur V PS3
This game is broken. Fighting vs friends is fun, but the changes to the game are awful. Blocking is way too soft and unresponsive. Game rewards endless juggle combos that cannot be broken once started; get the first combo and the match is already over. Attacks randomly override each other, so way too many times, you'll attack first but your opponents attack just rides through and hits anyway.

Also, the devs were clearly Fanboys of certain characters that are way overpowered. IE Natsu- fastest character but inexplicably all her combos do 50%+ damage? Really? Astaroth- longest reach and high damage, but also super fast and can chain attacks endlessly? Really? Same with Xiba, Nightmare, and 1-2 others. The rest of the characters are meh.

The story line is awful and there is no other offline modes that offer any extras.