For a franchise that was knocking on death’s door a mere decade ago, fighting games have certainly come a long way in the last couple of years. 2018 may go down in history as one of the finest year’s for the genre, as the pickings may have been slim but the games on offer were benchmarks in two-fisted action. Here’s a look at the best that the genre had to offer, as well as 2018’s overall king of the ring.

Following the great inclusion of Geralt of Rivia, Nier Automata's 2B is the next guest character heading to make an impression in SoulCalibur VI.

Can SoulCalibur 6 rise to the occasion? According to critics, the series is better than ever and its new gameplay mechanics are absolute godsends, to the point where they even cover up some of the rougher aspects of the fine sequel.

Soulcalibur is an example of a series that has seen its fair share of highs and lows. I could talk endlessly about it until your ears bleed, which I might just do. If you feel like ignoring me while I waffle on, here’s the first part in the Soulcalibur documentary series that Bandai Namco is rolling out.

Let’s cut to the chase: October is the month wherein Red Dead Redemption 2 releases, and everyone else is just along for the ride…right? Nope! In a month where you’d have to have some serious chutzpah to take on a game whose marketing budget can easily topple a small nation, the month ahead isn’t giving Rockstar Games and Red Dead Redemption 2 an easy path to ride on.

The art of sword fighting has always been intimately connected with nobility and Raphael fully embodies a noble warrior spirit in SOULCALIBUR VI!

Bandai Namco might be ready to throw in the towel on Soulcalibur 6 if it flops in October, as the publisher is just about ready to give up on the tale of swords and gravity-defying cleavage.

There are a few dead giveaways however that you might be tangling with a ne’er-do-well. Boisterous quotes about suffering and pain, skin that crackles with the darkest of arcane energies and glowing eyes usually signal that the fella in front of you might be a bit troublesome. All factors which Soulcalibur’s latest nefarious nemesis seems to possess in abundance, as the freshest face in that roster does not look like the kind of cult leader that I’d want to invite to a party...