Soul Calibur 'Broken Destiny': PSP

Video Games | Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny | Review

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Hello Peeps! It's been an age since I last posted here, and for that I apologise. And it's not even as if I'm returning on a high. I'm returning here with something of a moan, so here goes. I rushed out to buy SC:BD, as I have every other Soul Calibur release since SC2 on the PS2.

I absolutely LOVE Soul Calibur. I have every incarnation of the game including it's 'prequel' Soul Blade on PS1. It's my favourite fighting game of all time, and I love fighting games. So when I heard there was a handheld version coming out for the PSP, and that the frankly wonderful Kratos, star of PSP classic GOW: Chains Of Olympus was going to be a playable character, I was nearly wetting my pants.

I'd loved Tekken: Dark Resurrection for PSP, with it's single UMD versus mode and resplendent graphics. SC:BD promised to surpass it. So off I skipped to Game and picked up a copy.
Disappointment #1. was the fact that I bought a faulty copy which kept 'freezing' in my PSP. Not a great start...

Onto the second copy. New characters? Check! But the first one was the foppish Dampierre, a top-hatted dandy with a penchant for stabbing himself in the arm. WTF??? Count me unimpressed... Next, Kratos... Brilliant surely? Well, erm, no actually... Would it be the most controversial thing in the world to say I preferred playing as Yoda in SC IV? 'Cos I did!

The games modes are uninspiring to say the least. I've no idea how to play random players online, in fact I've not managed to play versus anyone... The Gauntlet Mode, requiring the player to pull off specific moves, against a variety of opponents, is one of the most frustrating game modes I have ever encountered. I got to a certain point and could just not get past it.

I ended up wanting to throw my PSP against the wall in rage, then I remembered that would be a rubbish idea, LOL! In the end I just took the UMD out and I've not put it back in since. I can't remember a time I was more disappointed by a game.

With GTA: Chinatown Wars, I got one of the best and most satisfying game experiences I can remember, which was coincidentally on a handheld. With SC:BD I got one of the most annoying game experiences I can remember, which just so happened to look amazing and feature one of the most iconic gaming characters of all time. Go figure!

Now very often, when I don't take to a game, it's me and not the game. I wonder of anyone else could confirm or deny which one if at fault? In the interest of fairness, I'll post a video review. Then you can make up your mind!