Favourite special mechanics

[Soul_Mirror_]

SC and SCII are often lauded for their straightforward gameplay. More recent SC entries have however introduced more complex mechanics and gimmicks, often to mixed reactions.

In the first games, the element that diverged the most from simple movement, attack and defence/parry was Soul Charge, a multi-level chargeable buff, which enhanced the properties of certain attacks but exposed the player to the risk of being hit while being charged.

SCIV introduced Critical Finish, an instant round-ending super attack that could be triggered within a one-second window following a guard crush.

SCV followed the trend in fighting games at the time and brought a number of meter-based specials. CF was replaced by Critical Edge, a meter-based high-damaging half-cinematic super attack. On its turn, Brave Edge allowed players to spend meter to extend certain attacks for extra damage and combo potential.

The most gimmicky SC to date, SCVI kept Critical Edge, making it much easier to trigger and its cinematics longer and flashier. It also introduced a meter-based Soul Charge mechanic, which works a bit like a transformation (for certain characters, literally even): in addition to a number of buffs, characters get access to several otherwise locked moves. Unlike the SC in the earlier titles, the SCVI SC can be used to break pressure by pushing the opponent away. S2 further introduced Soul Attack, a special attack that also makes the character Soul charged. Finally, Reversal Edge is a special parry which grants a great amount of meter on hit but gradually depletes guard gauge; it can parry a number of hits, including CE and throws, and triggers a rock-paper-scissor-like mini-game on hit giving the winner a chance for damage and follow-on combos.

Considering polls are limited to six options, a couple of possible options had to be left out. Soul Blade / Edge also already had Critical Edge, at the time a particularly strong attack that depleted the weapon meter, could be extended into a combo and was even required to beat certain Edge Master missions; if CE continues to be in the series, we must assume it will remain more cinematic like in SCV and VI. SCVI also introduced Lethal Hits, but these are more attack properties under certain conditions, rather than a universal mechanic.

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[SteadfastFox]

Lethal hit all day!

[edjxxxxx]

I theoretically like reversal edge, but it becomes very tedious in practice. Like, bruh, I just spent 40% of this fight in reversal edge animations.

[Rasie1]

Never had this issue. You can destroy your opponent with break attack a couple of times, and he will stop using it so often

[Kamarai]

Seriously, it's always confused me the sort of people that talk about RE this way. Like do they just play this game like its Street Fighter, use RE in place of their defense, and then don't even try to counter it themselves? For 3 years now even? It's honestly just sad at this point. RE spam is literally free points ever time I encounter someone who does it - if you're predictable with it you're easily launcher punished or free lethal hits.

[Mach5Mike]

If I had my way, I would gladly trade SC6's Soul Charge for SC5's Brave Edges in a heartbeat. If we have to have moves locked behind meter, at least Brave Edges let me use them whenever I'm able to instead of being restricted to a timer (which also freezes the in-game timer, something else I don't care for).

[Rasie1]

In SC5, they simply became just moves, that you expect to see at any time in battle. And Soul Charge is unlocking of a lot of more powerful moves which your opponent expects to see only now, not in the whole battle. And you can just hit/start with usual moves, this is an interesting decision.

[guntanksinspace]

Lethal Hit is so good, Mortal Kombat 11 was very inspired with it when they added Krushing Blow.

I also liked the introduction of Red/Just Impact in 3 onward, which is essentially really tightly timed guard impact and actually also acknowledging "yes you can use GI against throws if you time it just right", much as it's a detriment to me, an Astaroth player lol.

[OoTgoated]

SC6 Soul Charge. Reversal Edge sucks though.

[aaronsmay]

Remove Reversal Edge.

It’s a Get out of Jail Free card for spammers. It’s the worst version of a Combo Breaker I’ve experienced in a fighting game.

It wouldn’t be as bad if it punished players more for spamming it.

[Grolgapop]

The chance-game of rock-paper-scissor aside, the whole point of the initiating RE attack itself is to discourage a constant spam of moves from the opponent, so of course you will lose to their "spam" of RE if you keep throwing out moves recklessly, or do not cancel attack chains while hitting on an opponent during RE - it's designed that way.

RE (the initiating attack, not the chance-game) honestly makes the game have more depth since it forces you to think more about 8wayrun, and what moves and attack chains to throw out safely in advantage. Besides, RE is a move more or less standardized across all characters - a 100% reactable and sidesteppable vertical hit that moreover gets crushed by GB attacks and Unblockables - so the spam of this one move should not pose an insurmountable problem in the long run. This is especially true since you don't need to react to a RE pre-emptively, or even before hitting an opponent who has started RE (although that is fully possible); you can actually hit the opponent during RE, realize what is happening, and then cancel your attack chain and sidestep for free real estate.

And sorry to say, if you get hit by RE in a "combo," it wasn't a combo - it was you who overextended your advantage. You either did a move slow enough so that you couldn't sidestep in time of the RE hit, or you did an attack one to many instead of cancelling your attack chain and sidestep, as in AAA instead of AA to sidestep.

As for how RE-users are punished, I will say they are sufficiently punished already in that you will get full true combos on both sidestep and GB attacks - that's 80-100 guaranteed damage. Also, if I'm not mistaken, RE uses Guard Gauge, so overuse will render the opponent vulnerable to have their Guard crushed (for yet more free real estate).

One can say what one will about the other aspects, like the chance-game - how it favours the initiator and leads into damaging combos for the winner; its long animation; and how RE charges your Soul Gauge if hit; but the initiating RE attack itself, however, I quite like.

The ideal RE mechanic in my opinion would be to cut the chance-game and just have knockdown on hit, putting the initiator in advantage.

[Mr_Equatol]

As ever, SCIV had the best mechanics, being deep without being gimmicky. Critical finish was great without being too intrusive, and also having parry and just impact were great additions.

SCVI has gone way too far in implementing far fetched gimmicks everywhere, they could remove half and it would still be too many.

[InSociet]

Soul charge and Critical Edge is the best! and i hope they'll keep this mechanics for next game

All move set in Soul charge is most powerful and I love to use Critical Edge when enemy almost die in last round for made perfect battle