Month: March 2019

The “Winter Rose” returns to the Stage of History!

Last Monday, Bandai Namco Entertainment released the latest patch for SoulCalibur VI, upgrading the game to Version 1.30. This patch included balance adjustments for all 22 characters, in addition to some notable system changes. Core mechanics like Reversal Edge, Grapple Breaks, 8 Way Run, Guard and Reverse Impacts, and Battle Camera Angles were all affected. The Sunken Dessert Ruins and Master Swordsman’s Cave: Azure Horizon stages were also increased in size in an effort to reduce the frequency of Ring Outs on them.

As a result of these adjustments, characters such as Siegfried and Nightmare, who had the Ring Out capabilities of some of their throws removed, have had the property restored. This does come at the cost of an increased Grapple Break window, which has been universally applied to all throws in the game. This necessitates that Taki is given a second Grapple Break command, now that they are easier to perform. That way you do not lose too much of her aggressive pressure advantage following a successful throw.

In comparison to the previous two balance patches, Version 1.10 and 1.11, the character-specific changes are on the lighter side. Each of the warriors receives minor buffs, with very few nerfs, in order to improve their individual performances in battle. This brings the characters closer in line with the battle philosophies that Project Soul intended them to portray. There were also several quality-of-life changes made to the game itself, such as finally adding the ability for players to configure their buttons at the character select screen.

Preparations were also made for the release of the game’s third DLC character, returning veteran Amy Sorel, the adopted daughter of Raphael, also known as the “Winter Rose”. Amy was made available for download yesterday, as the second of the three characters contained in the title’s Season Pass, coming bundled with her own Soul Chronicle story as well as adding her Creation Parts to Create-A-Soul. She also received her SoulCalibur IV attire as an alternate costume.

You can see the full notes with developer explanations at the following link and can catch Amy’s reveal trailer from Evo Japan below, for those who might have missed it.

We also have some comments on the new character from SCVI’s Battle Director from an interview with 4Gamer, which have been translated by Avoiding The Puddle, which explains her new “Abandonment Level” mechanic:

“Brought back from SoulCalibur IV, Amy returns as a Rapier wielder having learnt the art of fencing under Raphael. As a fighter, she has a natural talent for ‘reading’ the enemies movements during the battle.

While she has short range and her attack power is on the low side, she can perform many extremely fast techniques to match the opponent’s brute strength in an up-close battle.

While maintaining many of her moves from the previous SOULCALIBURs, SoulCalibur VI adds new actions where she throws roses at the opponent. Even if you have played Amy in the previous games, there are new things to try out this time around. Her unique component in SoulCalibur VI is that she has certain abilities in her movelist that raise an “Abandonment Level” (見切りレベル). Over the course of a match, you can gradually build this up to later unleash a very powerful attack.

As a character, Amy is recommended for players that prefer a more strategic approach to their gameplan that lays their ‘cards’ out early and then over time, build-ups and wins with a ‘strong card’ finish to secure the victory.”

Amy is available as part of the Season Pass for $29.99, which also includes the already-released Tira (as a bonus), 2B, and the Character Creation Pack A. The season pass also includes a yet-to-be-revealed fourth character and Character Creation Pack B. Amy can also be purchased individually for $5.99.

Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment; Avoiding The Puddle