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Developer : Namco (Project Soul)
Publisher : Namco Bandai
Director : Daishi Odashima
Series : Soul series
Platform : PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release date : 2012
Genre : Fighting
Mode :  Single-player, multiplayer
Media : Blu-ray Disc, DVD-DL

Soulcalibur V (ソウルキャリバーV SōruKyaribā Faibu?) is the upcoming seventh installment in Namco’s Soul series of fighting games, and will be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. Namco has drawn back the velvet curtains on a new version of Soul Calibur. At its LevelUp showcase in Dubai on Mei 10 2011, the company announced that Soul Calibur V will tread the boards of destiny again next year, continuing the weapons-based fighting series famed for its mighty swords, sumptuous visuals and S&M tinged outfits.

Story

Set 17 years after Soul Calibur IV, the game represents a generational shift for the series. Siegfried is 39 years old and no longer wields the eponymous Soul Calibur sword. The lineage of power has instead passed to Sophitia’s son Patroklos, whose prominence in the new trailer suggests a leading role in the forthcoming brawler. In an unexpectedly phallic plot twist, however, the Soul Edge and Soul Calibur swords have been reduced in length to short swords. Apparently all will be revealed later. That, I’m almost certain, is the first time a game’s story has hinged on the varying lengths of a sharp instrument — let alone two sharp instruments.

Gameplay

The combat system is being overhauled to make it more reactive, while combos will be easier to access and perform. “Soul Calibur IV was a little heavy and there was often a delay between the button press and the action, especially online,” explains producer Hisaharu Tago. He refers to the new system as “much lighter, sharper and more elegant”.

Tago says there will be a mixture of favourite characters and newcomers and that we can possibly expect to see the children of other long-time cast members in the title (apparently, Patroklos’s fighting style is a more agile version of Sophitia’s so we can probably expect more of these inherited and adapted brawling styles). Personally, I’m hoping for the lovechild of Ada and Voldo – although I wouldn’t want to bump into this monstrous progeny in a dark alley.

Elsewhere, Tago has confirmed that the “create a character” mode will return from the previous game, and that the online modes will be updated and expanded. In a Q&A session at the end of his demo, there was even confirmation we can expect at least one surprise guest character, in the manner of Darth Vader and Yoda, appearing in IV. He also hinted that we may one day see a modern day setting for the series, which is currently set in a hazy 16th century timeframe. On a roll now, the producer, suggested that in the wake of the newly announced Tekken: Blood Vengeance animated movie, there’s a chance we’ll see a full-length Soul Calibur anime, possibly set in that 17-year gap between IV and V.