Soulcalibur V

Soulcalibur V
Developer(s)	Project Soul
Publisher(s)	Namco Bandai Games
Director(s)	Daishi Odashima
Series	Soul series
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Genre(s)	Fighting
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Soulcalibur V (ソールキャリバーV, SōruKyaribā Faibu) is the upcoming sixth installment in Namco's Soul series of fighting games, and will be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. The game will take place 17 years after the events of Soulcalibur IV.

The main protagonist is Patroklos, the son of Soul series veteran Sophitia, while her daughter, Pyrrha is the deuteragonist. Ezio Auditore da Firenze from the Assassin's Creed series has been confirmed as a guest character.

Development

The game was officially announced by Namco Bandai on May 11, 2011 at their Level Up press conference in Dubai. The game was teased as early as 2010, where Daishi Odashima, game director, tweeted that "SC is back!". In late April 2011, Odashima tweeted again saying "Hopefully I will be able to announce something mid May." So far, 28 characters have been confirmed officially, Daishi Odashima confirmed on his twitter that the number of the characters in the game will be overall 30, so 2 characters remain to be confirmed.

Gameplay

Large changes to the series staple game play have been made for Soulcalibur V. The "Critical Finishes" of the previous game are no more, as is the Soul Gauge. Armor remains destructible but no longer has an indicator showing when it will break. A new gauge has been introduced that works similarly to the "super meters" found in other fighting games. Charging this meter in combat allows the characters to execute "Brave Edge" and "Critical Edge" attacks (progressively more powerful strikes that also require more meter to execute).

In addition to the 8 Way Run (introduced in the first Soulcalibur title), characters can now briskly sidestep around their opponent by double-tapping up or down.

The Guard Impact feature of the previous Soul series titles has been altered, now requiring holding away from the opponent and pushing horizontal slash, vertical slash, and kick together (as opposed to forward and guard). The Guard Impact will now repel any unblockable attack regardless of height, removing the need to anticipate the attack height of the aggressor. Guard Impacts require a segment of the Critical Meter to execute. Parries have been removed from the engine entirely.

A new defensive maneuver called "Just Guard" replaces the traditional Guard Impact technique. Using guard at the precise moment of an opponent's attack will result in a 'perfect' guard and considerably shorten the amount of delay that the character must wait before retaliating. This will allow players to respond to attacks quickly and with less consequence than a missed Guard Impact of previous installments (as mistiming a Guard Impact would not protect the character whereas a missed Just Guard will still provide defense without the advantage).

Ring Outs now add an extra layer of depth on certain stages, as knocking an opponent from the ring will result in both characters falling down into a new arena to continue the fight.

Character Creation has returned in his game, but with a vast amount of improvements. This time, the player can alter the height of the character, like in Broken Destiny. The player can also alter separate body parts, give facial effects, and do more improvement on editing clothing, and voicing. The player can also change the color of the weapons and effects of the weapon. There are several other fun features as well. Among the original characters' fighting styles that players will be able to choose from, players will also be able to choose the fighting style of Devil Jin from the Tekken series, a style only exclusive to character customization mode as well as Katsuhiro Harada, the director of the Tekken series, who cameos as a non-playable character in Soulcalibur V's Quick Match mode.

Characters

The information collected here is all a part of the Character page on the official Soulcalibur V website

Returning characters

• Siegfried Schtauffen, a zweihänder-user and former protagonist of the series. At one time wielded the Soul Calibur to stop Nightmare. In the 17 years since Soulcalibur IV, he has reformed the band of thieves known as "Schwarzwind" into a group of mercenaries he led during the time of Soul Edge, he also defeated and destroyed the original Nightmare in the end of Soul Calibur IV. He finds Z.W.E.I. and Viola as fugitives, and takes them under his protection. Once he hears about Soul Calibur changing it's appearance to a one-handed sword, he knew that it would need a worthy successor to take his place. He assigns Z.W.E.I. and Viola this task. Hilde accompanies him on his journeys.
• Cervantes de Leon, a pirate who once wielded Soul Edge until he was felled. He was once under the control of the evil sword, Soul Edge. However, after being defeated by his daughter, Ivy, in Soulcalibur IV, he was able to break free from Soul Edge's control and escape the other dimension. Now he is a free man, looking to take control of the Seven Seas once more. Wields a long sword and a short sword with a pistol in the hilt.
• Isabella "Ivy" Valentine, a whipsword-wielding alchemist and cursed offspring of Cervantes De Leon, the previous wielder of Soul Edge. After defeating her father in Soulcalibur IV, Ivy spent 17 years studying that Soul Edge was in another dimension, awaiting the day it can be reborn in this dimension once more. She has been researching for a way to go into the other dimension in order to destroy Soul Edge once and for all. She has not aged since her previous appearance due to Soul Edge's influence on her body to forget aging.
• Hildegard "Hilde" von Krone, the former princess of the kingdom of Wolfkrone who made her debut in Soulcalibur IV. Her kingdom has fallen after Soulcalibur IV, and she has since sought to rebuild it. Siegfried sent her a message that an army of malfested, organized by an unknown party, intends to claim her befouled kingdom. Now traveling with Siegfried's band of mercenaries, Schwarzwind, she intends to defeat this malfested army and rebuild Wolfkrone once more. She has also become a mother of two children in between Soulcalibur IV and V. Wields a short sword and a spear.
• Maxi, a sea-faring pirate who uses nunchaku. His entire crew was slaughtered by Astaroth and he has sought vengeance ever since that day. At the end of Soul Calibur IV, he knew that if he stayed with Kilik and Xianghua, he would drag them with him into darkness. He departed and felt his humanity gradually fading away. He found salvation at the hands of Edge Master, Kilik's former teacher. The old man taught Maxi how to live and suppress the shard's foul influence. Over eight years, Maxi's jovial temperament returned. Edge Master told Maxi that Kilik's life was in danger and there was only one way to save him; Kilik must bequeath his weapon, Kali-Yuga, to a boy named Xiba. Realizing what his teacher asked for, Maxi volunteered to mentor Xiba, leading his young disciple west on a quest to save his friend.
• Heishirō Mitsurugi, a Japanese mercenary, seasoned by many conflicts and forever seeking greater challenges who wields a katana. He is a veteran who has been with the series since the first installment. In Soul Calibur IV, He and Algol dueled because Mitsurugi wanted to best Algol so he can become stronger than him. However, Algol and the tower they were dueling on suddenly disappeared, leaving the battle undecided. Some time later, rumors of a great conflict in Japan got to Mitsurugi. When he got there, the war ended, leaving Japan at a state of peace and countless samurai without any jobs. With no money for travel, Mitsurugi retired into a life of farming. One day, a group of soldiers returned from abroad. They whispered a name so familiar to Mitsurugi that he stopped farming: Soul Calibur. Once hearing the name, Mitsurugi had hopes of finding Algol in Europe. He sold his entire harvest and secured transport on the first boat to the continent, seeking to end the battle that had begun 17 years before.
• Nightmare, the series main antagonist. Was at one time the moniker Siegfried used when under the influence of the Soul Edge then became the spirit of the Soul Edge itself, bound to the Azure Knight armor. The original Nightmare was vanquished during the events of Soulcalibur IV. The Nightmare appearing in Soulcalibur V is a new being and he is more deadly and stronger than his predecessor, plotting behind the scenes under the alias "Graf Dumas" which his new host adopted as his new name. He gained the trust of Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire by working his way up in rank. The Emperor granted him control over the Kingdom of Hungary. Nightmare than set out on the front lines of war and initiated a widespread hunt and masacre of the malfested. This purge was only a cover-up for his true intents: collecting the remaining fragments of Soul Edge and harvesting countless human souls. Wields the Soul Edge, transformed into a great sword.
• Tira, loyal servant to Soul Edge who wields a ring blade. Her mind is divided in half by the effect of Soul Edge. After several years, the new Azure Knight was not all what she hoped for. The new Nightmare curried favor with human nations, scheming in secret and gathering souls from the shadows. Tira never accepted this new Nightmare, and begun to prepare an appropriate vessel to Soul Edge herself. Years later, she decided the new host of Soul Edge; Pyrrha Alexandra.
• Voldo, a blind, mute old man who serves the merchant Vercci by protecting his beloved Money Pit. Wields matching tri-bladed katars and has been with the series since the first installment. He has been malfested by the evil energy of the demonic sword, Soul Edge. He restored the Money Pit to its former glory, but Voldo knew something was missing. He sealed the Money Pit and set out to find his master; his true master, Soul Edge.
• Astaroth, is the "younger brother" of the original Astaroth. A living golem that wields a great axe, created by those who would serve the Greek god Ares. The Astaroth appearing in Soulcalibur V is a new creature, said to be more ferocious than his predecessor. This Astaroth was the first of many to be created by High Priest Kunpaektu, who clawed his way back to life from the brink of death.
• Raphael Sorel, a French nobleman who uses a rapier. Seeks to create a "perfect world" for his adopted daughter, Amy, whom he has taken under his care. Was cursed by Soul Edge into becoming a vampire-like being that can drain others of their essence. After Soul Calibur IV, he had been sent into prison, and was there for many years. Remember his foster daughter, Amy, he knew he had to be reunited with her. He broke out of prison after many years, to find his lost daughter.
• Geo "Le Bello" Dampierre, a con artist who wields two spring mounted daggers strapped to the underside of his wrists. He will be making a return to the series beyond his introduction in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, exclusive for players who pre-order the game at Best Buy. Hearing that Graf Dumas, ruler of the Kingdom of Hungary, was preparing for war, Dampierre knew that he would make an investment from the war. He sought out for Hungary to meet the king.
• Yoshimitsu, the leader of the Manji ninja clan and successor to the man who once bore the title. The title of Yoshimitsu was given to anyone who defeats the current owner of the sword, Yoshimitsu. Yoshimitsu the First was cut down by his dearest disciple, making the Yoshimitsu in Soulcalibur V, Yoshimitsu the Second. He made a vow to see through the mission that the first Yoshimitsu had begun; to continue the fight against evil. Wields a katana that bears the same name as its owner ("Yoshimitsu II").
• 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 evolved a pair of wings. Aeon Calcos was a Spartan swordsman tasked with destroying Soul Edge. However, Soul Edge got the best of him, and turned him into something with a reptile-like appearance. For years, he killed warriors to find the answer to his problem. He heard an inhuman voice from a cave that gave him the power to inherit the nature of those he consumed. Now, each time he tastes blood of new prey, his body and soul transformed. Gradually between Soulcalibur IV and V, he regained the power of reason. Then on, he knew that to regain what he lost, he must consume the flesh of holy warriors. Unlike his previous appearances, he fights with two hand axes.
• Edge Master, an old master of many styles and Kilik's instructor. Has not been seen since the original Soulcalibur. He is capable of using all weapon styles in combat, switching between them as the rounds change.
• Algol, a king who existed in an ancient time. He is the first man to have been known to tame the power of Soul Edge, using it to spread good through the world. However his son fell under its influence, forcing Algol to take his life. In response, he forged the Soul Calibur from a fragment of Soul Edge, so as to balance the evils of Soul Edge. Is revived during the events of Soulcalibur IV, due to the clash of Siegfried and Nightmare. Wields both the Soul Edge and Soul Calibur, as well as weapons that he can hide inside his body.
• Kilik, a veteran to the Soul series as well as the first student of Edge Master. His fighting style has changed from Bo Staff to being a mimic character for all male characters. Other than that, not much is known about him in the game.
• 'Cassandra, Sophitia's older sister and Patroklos and Pyrrha's aunt, a veteran to the Soul series. Casssandra was confirmed is 1P Costume in Soul Calibur IV future blue and 2P Costume in Soulcalbur II classic green.

New characters

• Patroklos Alexandra, Sophitia's son who uses a short sword and a shield like his mother. Unlike his sister, he knows that he has an older sister and is apparently searching for her and his mother. He is the main protagonist of Soulcalibur V.
• Pyrrha Alexandra, Patroklos' sister and Sophitia's daughter who uses her mother's sword and shield which were made by her father, Rothion. Pyrrha was kidnapped by Tira when she was only Three years old in order to torment Sophitia, she is the deuteragonist of Soulcalibur V. However, unlike her brother, who knows about her, Pyrrha has lived her life as a wanderer since she knows nothing about her family and she has no one she can truly call "family".
• Yan Leixia, a fifteen year old girl wielding a Chinese sword. She is the daughter of the former Soul Calibur wielder, Xianghua. She appears to be wearing Kilik's pendant around her neck. Receiving a pendant with a blue stone from her younger brother on her 15th birthday, she shows it to her mother. However, Leixia and her mother's once-prepared journey became no more since her mother did not want her to see the outside world any longer. She ran away from home, hoping to discover the truth about her pendant. She travels alongside Natsu, Maxi, and Xiba.
• Natsu, female ninja disciple of Taki wielding two tantō like her master. She is the container for a demon called "Arahabaki". More than two weeks have passed since her master, Taki, departed on a journey. Worrying for her master, Natsu set out on a journey to find her missing master. She travels alongside Leixia, Xiba, and Maxi.
• Z.W.E.I., a man wielding a sword with three handles. He summons a werewolf-like creature called "E.I.N." to aid him in battle. He is one of Siegfreid's Schwarzwind mercenaries along with Viola and Hilde. Siegfried found Z.W.E.I. along with Viola and took them under his protection. Siegfried assigned Z.W.E.I. and Viola the task of finding a worthy successor of Soul Calibur.
• Viola, a woman who serves Z.W.E.I. and does not remember her origins or what happened during her past life. She is a fortune teller who wields a steel claw and a magic crystal ball that floats around her during battles. She is one of Siegfried's Schwarzwind mercenaries along with Z.W.E.I. and Hilde. Siegfried found Viola with Z.W.E.I. and took them under his protection as part of his band of mercenaries, Schwarzwind.
• Xiba, an orphaned young man who grew up in the Zhen Hang Mountains. He was trained by Kong Xiuqian in the both the Secrets arts of the Ling-Sheng Su Style Rod & Kong Style Rod. His design appears to descend from the protagonist of Journey to the West, Sun Wukong, and like his inspiration he uses a rod in battle. He is on a quest to inherit Kali-Yuga, Kilik's previous weapon. He travels alongside Maxi, Natsu, and Leixia he is also the spiritual successor of Kilik as the staff wielding character in the Soul Calibur series.
• α Patroklos, a different version of the original Patroklos. His fighting style is completely different from his original, changed to a different version of the fighting style used by Soul veteran Setsuka. His main weapon of fighting is a one-handed version of Soul Calibur. Other than that, not much else is known about him.
• Pyrrha Ω, a different version of the original Pyrrha. Her fighting style is a similar one to her original, except she attacks very brutally now. Her main weapon of use is a one-handed version of Soul Edge. Other than that, not much else is known about her.
• Elysium, an angelic woman bearing a very strong resemblance to Soul veteran Sophitia. Her fighting style is a mimicry style for all female characters. other than that, not much else is known about her.

Guest characters

• Ezio Auditore da Firenze from Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations. He will appear as he did during Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. According to Shaun Hastings, a character from the Assassin's Creed series, Ezio had a gap in his timeline. The data of the Animus showed that on Ezio's way to Navarre to fight Cesare Borgia, he found a mysterious object which was being held by a group of Templars plotting to overthrow Queen Catalina, off the Spanish coast. Ezio killed the Templars and stole the chest which contained the object. According to the data of the Animus, Ezio's timeline somehow jumped from the beginning of the 16th century all the way to the beginning of the 17th century, with Ezio fighting several strange, powerful foes. Immediately afterwards, Ezio appears in 1507, sailing for Navarre. The object Ezio recovered remains a mystery.

Collector's Edition

It was revealed by Joystiq on October 22, 2011 that a collector's edition of Soulcalibur V will be released on the same day and date as the standard edition. The CE of the game is in a book-like package and contains the game, CD game music soundtrack, art book, making-of DVD and exclusive White and Dark Knight character creation DLC.

External links

• Official website