Lightning in a bottle is hard to replicate. Both Tekken and Soulcalibur have that problem - none of the sequels are ever going to compare to those early peaks.
SOUL CALIBUR VI PATROKLOS SERIES
I guess there's something to be said about games ripe for series material that peak too early on. Still, I have kept this game on my shelf after all these years because it's not an AWFUL game. When there is too much light, it leaves one blind. Everything must be absolutely pure and orderly, no exceptions. This was greatly disappointing because all the friends I'd played couch co-op style with back in the days of I and II had moved on, so online was my only option and half the time it was an absolute miserable experience. The two Soul Swords are meant to represent the extremes of the light and darkness in peoples hearts. The online was oftentimes laggy which left the controls feeling unresponsive. of soul calibur finds a new viable wielder in the vengeful yet dutiful patroklos, son of the holy warrior.
The character creation mode, in my opinion, was a dud. The character models are OK, but don't come close to the old ones. The stage music and stages themselves are perfectly fine, but nothing groundbreakingly unique or innovative.
The combat is fun but it just doesn't compare to I and II, something about it just feels. That's what this game feels like - a good weekend rental. Honestly, I wish I had just rented this game for a weekend. Well, I ended up getting a little too hyped and even bought the collector's edition. The fact that they were adding a character creation mode also interested me. When this game was announced, I decided I'd make my return and try out online fighting for the first time ever.
I would never end up buying or playing III or IV. For whatever reason (life happens), I lost touch with the series after playing the living hell out of II. I still consider them both to be masterpieces. I played Soulcalibur and its first sequel, Soulcalibur II, to death back in the day.