This Soul Calibur 5 preview gives a quick look at what can be expected from Project Soul’s upcoming fighting game.
The game takes place 17 years after the events of Soulcalibur IV. The main protagonist is Patroklos and the deuteragonist is Pyrrha, son and daughter of Sophitia and Rothion Alexandra and nephew and niece of Cassandra Alexandra.
No other official details of the story line have been released thus far.
Soulcalibur V is the newest installment in Namco’s Soul series of fighting games, and will be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012.
Soul Calibur V producer, Hisaharo Tago, talks about what people can expect from the game in this interview from the Namco Bandai’s Level Up event!
The soul still burns in this demo for SoulCalibur V at the GameSpot Comic-Con 2011 Stage Show.
And watch as the effortlessly cool assassin, Ezio Auditore, is introduced in this teaser trailer!
Key Features of Soul Calibur V
Here is a list of key elements that will be available in Project Soul’s Soul Calibur V based on news and announcements made so far.
Discarded Elements
The “Critical Finishes” of the previous game are no more! The Soul Gauge has also been scrapped in Soul Calibur V.
New Gauge
A new gauge has been introduced that works similarly to the “super meters” found in other fighting games. Charging this new meter in combat allows characters to execute powerful “Brave Edge” and “Critical Edge” attacks.
“Just Guard”
A new defensive maneuver called “Just Guard” will replace the traditional “Guard Impact” technique. Tapping guard at the precise moment of an attack will result in a ‘perfect’ guard and considerably shorten the amount of delay that the character must wait before fighting back.
Returning characters
Many characters will be returning in this installment of Soul Calibur, including:
- Siegfried Schtauffen, a zweihänder-user and former protagonist of the series. In the 17 years since Soulcalibur IV, he has reformed the band of thieves known as “Schwarzwind” into a group of mercenaries, he also defeated and destroyed the original Nightmare at the end of Soul Calibur IV.
- Cervantes de Leon, a pirate who once wielded Soul Edge until he was felled. Was resurrected by the Evil Seed and now hunts down the evil blade to claim it once more.
- Isabella “Ivy” Valentine, a whipsword-wielding alchemist and cursed offspring of Cervantes De Leon, the previous wielder of Soul Edge. She has not aged since her previous appearance.
- Hildegard “Hilde” von Krone, the former princess of the kingdom of Wolfkrone who made her debut in Soulcalibur IV. Now travels with Siegfried’s band of mercenaries, Schwarzwind, due to her kingdom falling.
- Maxi, a sea-faring pirate who uses nunchaku. His entire crew was slaughtered by Astaroth and he has sought vengeance ever since that day.
- Heishiro Mitsurugi, a Japanese mercenary, he is a veteran who has been with the series since the first installment. In Soulcalibur V, he is searching for a young martial artist, who may be his last living brother.
- Nightmare, the series’ main antagonist. The original Nightmare was vanquished during the events of Soulcalibur IV. However, the Nightmare appearing in Soulcalibur V is a new being and is more deadly than his predecessor, plotting behind the scenes under the alias “Graf Dumas”.
- Tira, loyal servant to Soul Edge who wields a ring blade. Her mind is divided in half by the effect of Soul Edge.
- Voldo, a blind, mute man who serves the merchant Vercci by protecting his beloved Money Pit. He has been malfested by the evil energy of the demonic sword, Soul Edge.
- Astaroth, is the “younger brother” of the original Astaroth who was a living golem. The Astaroth appearing in SoulCalibur V is a new creature, said to be more ferocious than his predecessor.
- Raphael Sorel, a French nobleman. He seeks to create a “perfect world” for his daughter, Amy. He was cursed by Soul Edge into becoming a vampire-like being that can drain others of their essence.
- Geo “Le Bello” Dampierre, a con artist. He will be making a return to the series beyond his introduction in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny and will be an exclusive for players that pre-order the game.
- Yoshimitsu, the leader of the Manji ninja clan and successor to the man who once bore the title.
- Aeon Calcos, a man who was cursed into a reptilian form by the cult of Kunpaetku and at one time known as “Lizardman”. In SoulCalibur V, he goes by his human name (Aeon Calcos) and has grown a pair of wings.
Quick Step
A new feature called the “quick step mechanic” will also feature in Soul Calibur V. “Quick Step” is a fast side-stepping move that enables the player to dodge an opponent’s vertical attacks and counter from a more advantageous position.
Game Modes
A wide variety of game modes have been revealed, up to and including offline play, Legendary Souls, Arcade, Quick Battle, VS Battle, Team Battle, CPU vs CPU (Battle Theater), Training, PlayStation(R)Network/Xbox Live and Story – 1607 A.D.
New & Guest Characters
A single guest character has been confirmed thus far: Ezio Auditore from Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood and Revelations, alongside several new playable characters, which include:
- Patroklos Alexandra, Sophitia’s son. He is the main protagonist of SoulCalibur V.
- Pyrrha Alexandra, Patroklos’ sister and Sophitia’s daughter. Pyrrha was kidnapped by Tira when she was only three years old and is the deuteragonist of SoulCalibur V. Pyrrha has lived most of her life as a wanderer.
- Yan Leixia, a fifteen year old girl wielding a Chinese sword. She is the daughter of the former Soul Calibur wielder, Xianghua.
- Natsu, female ninja disciple of Taki wielding two tant? like her master. She is the container for a demon called “Arahabaki”.
- Z.W.E.I., a man who has the ability to summon werewolf-like creatures called “E.I.N.” to aid him in battle. He is one of the secondary antagonists in Soul Calibur V.
- Viola, a woman who serves Z.W.E.I., she does not remember her origins or what happened during her past life. She is another secondary antagonist in Soulcalibur V.
- Xiba, a young man who was raised near the mountains where Kilik trained.
Stages
Soul Calibur V is set to feature more than 20 stages, where the player will have the choice to play either of the characters’ music theme or the stages’ background music. In addition, some stages will be multi-tiered.
Fifteen stages have been confirmed so far, and include: Ancient Citadel: Under Siege, Conqueror’s Colisseum, Cavern of Light and Darkness, Free Imperial City Center, Free Imperial City: Old Quarter, Fu-Ma No Sato: Mechanical Spider, Luoyang: Grand Festival of Guandi Temple, Sacred Mt. Fuji: Sidestream, Shrine of the Snake God Palgea, Sinking Merchant Ship, The Adrian, Torture Chamber, Tranquil Wasteland, Valentine, House: Private Mansion in Prague and The Unknown Forest.
Check out the trailer!
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Be sure to check out our Soul Calibur V Screenshots Gallery!