PSX SCVI Gameplay Preview Analysis

PSX has revealed the first gameplay of SCVI in motion. I broke down the most notable changes on my twitch stream and I will link the archive below. I will list the changes me and my stream caught. Feel free to post what you have seen below! Here is the raw footage without me talking over it.

YouTube

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10:03

SOULCALIBUR VI - Gameplay Preview | PS4

Spoiler: My live analysis

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/208138433

Known system mechanics and character changes:

• Reversal Edge and Guard Impact will cause the user to take guard damage when they fail to connect it.

• Reversal Edge post hit causes a guessing game where verticals beat horizontals, horizontals beat sidestep, and sidestep beats verticals. You can potentially receive a ringout when it connects. It also automatically parries strings, but some moves have fast enough recovery to where you can block the automatic attack.

• Soul Charge (the mechanic similar to V-trigger) causes the opponent to receive chip damage. It costs 1 bar of meter and is set on a timer that's similar to max mode from KoF. Large push back on activation.

• Lethal Hits are hits that cause the character's clothing to break. When you hit them, the move properties change into combo starters. You can see Mitsurugi's 1A as well as Sophitia's 22B do this in the footage.

• Guts is still in the game as well as meter. You still gain a bar of meter for losing two rounds.

• Movement can be cancelled like in games pre-SCV. Run counter for backwards movement has been removed, but remains for side movement. (Hey guys, it looks like the mechanic might be that backdash can be run countered. It seems that verticals cant run counter in general. Only horizontals and tracking kicks.)

• Throws still can catch side movement.

• Mitsurugi has gained a running tackle that resembles an Arthur move from SC3. He has a new low mid option. 1aB has a new animation and 4KB causes severe knock back on hit. MST KB is NCC and his MST B+K causes an attack throw on normal hit. MST B string has a new follow up that resembles his 4B without the backdash.

That's all of the new information I could find in the video. Let me know if you find other things!

Changes found by 8wayrun:

• No damage on throw escape. They can also build meter.

• Meterless Guard Impact.

• Sophitia 1AA doesn't trip on first hit.
  
  
• Mitsurugi 1A doesn't trip on normal hit. Relic is in the game again.

 

No damage after escaping from a throw.

 

The Soul Charge in SCVI is the V - Trigger Mechanic and it cost 1 bar like a CE. Meter is only used for CE & Soul Charge. Did any notice the KO animations are like SCI?

 

It looks like GI doesn't cost meter in this game.

 

It looks like GI doesn't cost meter in this game.

Ah, forgot to write that down. Thanks.

 

New and returning mechanics

• Unblockable attacks seem to be a bit faster, maybe not as useless as they’ve always been.
• GI is meterless.
• Grabs build meter even when broken.
• Free bar of meter on game point is returning from SCV.
• There’s something called “Soul Charge” which seems to give certain moves different properties and costs meter.
• There’s a new mechanic called “Lethal Hits,” which seems to convert certain moves into launchers on Counter Hit. Sophitia’s 22B and Mitsu’s 1A are both seen doing this. Possibly a replacement for Clean Hits, e.g. a means of informing players which moves they should be using. Hopefully doesn’t have randomness baked in.
• Critical Edge is returning as a mechanic.
• Guard Crushes are called “Break Attacks.”
• Reversal Edge seems to be initiated by landing certain special attacks, which then force both players into a canned mix-up, à la rock-paper-scissors. Hopefully not as terrible as it sounds. Might be replacing aGIs and/or JG. [EDIT: aGIs are still in.]

Mitsurugi

• Is is the producer’s favorite character so loltoptier
• Relic stance is back.
• Relic B is a guard crush. Possibly an unsafe one?
• Throw did nothing against Mitsu when he was in MST
• 1A no longer knocks down in NH, despite appearing to be ~i34 (based on frame-by-frame analysis of the 30FPS video, assuming the game itself is running at 60). Looks as though it can ring out in the same way Algol’s 11K does in SCV.
• Has some crazy-fast mid, could be i12–16 depending on when the animation starts.
• Has a new, fast, high horizontal, possibly his new 66A, which has a second hit (which only comes out on CH?).
• The second hit of Mitsu’s new low/mid combo is part of a string, not some special JF despite the blue flash it had when it broke Sophitia’s Reversal Edge. The blue flash might’ve been a GC variant. He can also do a tackle similar to the one out of Relic.
• 2KB still doesn’t knock down, and no longer seems to be a NH combo.

Sophitia

• AA seems to be i11–12.
  
• 1AA doesn’t KD on its first hit. Looks to be ~i28.
• 1K looks to be i18 and KDs on CH. Goddamnit.
• BB still has stupid left-side tracking and looks to be i14.
• 3A+B looks to be i18, still stuns when only the 2nd hit connects.
• CE is horizontal, has short to medium range.

Miscellaneous observations

• The aesthetic is different, and not just due to the transition to Unreal Engine 4. Judging from the in-game HUD and Sophitia’s character artwork, they’re going for some sort of dollar-bill-esque engraving/woodcut style.
• Health bars have segments; maybe meaningful?
• Combo counter doesn’t seem to work in the builds we’ve seen; just says “Hits” with no number.

 

I think they add a changing weather on open stages... cool
And, thanks to all gods, they did the name fonts RIGHT!
I'm getting sick of this Sans fonts on there names in IV and V

 

Meterless GI confirmed at 0:48

 

Niiiiiiiceeeeeee!!!! I'm too excited. Can't wait to see Astaroth new look

 

Niiiiiiiceeeeeee!!!! I'm too excited. Can't wait to see Astaroth new look

He's going to look the way he did in SCI & SCIV

 

From this footage and the gameplay trailer, it looks like Soul Charge replaces Brave Edges. Some moves gain counterhit properties, some become guard breaks, and some become BEs proper.

 

When he said they're combining aspects of gameplay to make SC2 and SC5 feel like a single experience, I was so happy.

Those two are by far my favourites from a pure game-play perspective.

 

Sophie:
4B returns (fast overhead mid)
44B+K returns (slow mid overhead)
4B+K returns with an auto GI glow (tech crouch shield hit, slight backswing)
It has a string followup that looks the 2nd hit of SCIV 6AB (SCV Omega 6BA)
SCIV 66A+B (SCV Omega 22B, high TC knockdown stab) returns.
Looks like it went back to the old input. It causes a big bounce!
66A classic animation returns
44K shitty frontflip kick returns
A+B auto GI returns
66B has a lot less range
66B+K looking move, a TC shield hit, has an auto GI and a low string followup.
Looks kinda like Cassandra's version too.
Her worst unblockable returns, the 44bA one I think it was?
44K (Omega 6K) returns
1K returns, looks like old i21 speed, not Pyrrha i16?
AK returns
11AA returns, didn't see UB charge though
8B+K/8A+B jumping ground slam UB returns. Small or nonexistent slam.
44A(B) returns
WS K returns
ground pokes return
BB strings into 33A+B
A+G leaves them standing, probably just outside grab range
1A hits grounded

 

At 0:50 when Mitsurugi breaks the grab, the battle message states "Front Escape". Not sure what exactly this means.

 

Mitsu
MST KB not NC
66BB returns
4A MST
MST BBB into a mid
new FAST mid. Has a mid string followup that MST transitions 2:15
22A returns
4KB returns
1A_1AB returns
2KB doesn't knockdown on NH
lots of new flashy stuff
2KB MST
approaching shoulder move
low mid launcher string transitions to Relic
Relic returns
Relic shoulder tackle
Mitsu V-trigger-like "Soul Charge" makes him stomp the ground
66A+B guard break lightning when soul charged
RLC mid UB
3B returns
1A is slow, doesn't knock down
auto GI charge up? white flash, goes into new cinematic mixup mechanic
SCIV 22A+K returns. Big slow long range high
6A returns
SCII 66AA returns
6K returns
SCIV 44A or 22A whatever that mid horizontal into RLC was
1K returns
33B RLC transition

His 2A and AA have a lot more range.

 

GUYS GUYS GUYS
Starting at 4:15, we see that both RE and GI consume guard, as Mitsu's life starts to flash yellow and then red as he does more of these. His guard would've probably been crushed if he had blocked any attacks after that.

 

At 0:50 when Mitsurugi breaks the grab, the battle message states "Front Escape". Not sure what exactly this means.

Maybe all character can break side throws and back throws.

 

Movement can be cancelled like in games pre-SCV

I liked this part a lot, i havent played SCV in ages...how do you cancel moves in that game, using meter also? Or its about the amount of moves that can be cancelled? i dont remember.

 

At 0:50 when Mitsurugi breaks the grab, the battle message states "Front Escape". Not sure what exactly this means.

Maybe they plan to allow escape from the back, which few character like Voldo could do.
Maybe it needs a fast reaction time or something

 

Anyone notice at 3:54 Mitsurugi's 3B cleanly breaks Sophitia's B ? Both are verticals, but when the swords clash Sophitia is sent into a guard break animation (no damage taken however)

In SC2 there used to be a general rule of verticals cleaning beating horizontals on the same impact frames, but I cannot decipher what I just saw.