Soulcalibur V Message Board older than one year ago

The Soul Calibur series has a long and storied history for inserting extra-IP characters into its weapon-based brand of 3D fighting, but hidden beneath the glitz and glamour of big-name cameos lurks a world of truly bizarre weirdos.

Take Lord Geo Dampierre, for example: We're still not entirely sure which major retailer will include the Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny alumni with pre-ordered copies of Soulcalibur 5, however we are entirely sure that his fighting style can be classified as both "goofy" and "incredible," thanks to the above trailer. It'll be interesting to see how this self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Assassin" will fair in combat against the world's actual greatest assassin; they both have wrist-mounted blades, seems pretty even to us!

You know the biggest news related to Soulcalibur V; and now you can see the game's biggest box. Namco Bandai revealed the book-style collector's edition for the game, which includes the usual soundtrack and art book, along with a making-of video and exclusive downloadable White Knight and Dark Knight (not that Dark Knight!) armor sets for the character creation mode.

The CE will be available alongside the standard edition on January 31. No price was given, but it looks classy, which no doubt adds a couple dollars to the total.

Speaking of class, Namco also unveiled a pre-order bonus from an as-yet-unspecified retailer: Dampierre, the Waluigi-looking fellow from Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny. You'll find lots of images of him, along with Ezio, new character Leixia, and returning characters Raphael and Nightmare, in our gallery.

With news of Assassin's Creed Ezio Auditore joining the cast of Soulcalibur V still fresh off the presses, word has come from Namco Bandai about when Soulcalibur V is set to be released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...

This is probably the best decision Namco made since the GC version of SCII.

 

I'm not gonna lie, I think Ezio is a damn good choice for a guest character considering his abilities and all.

Carrying on a fine tradition that saw the likes of Link, Spawn, Heihachi, Yoda, and Darth Vader as featured fighters in previous iterations of the franchise, NAMCO Bandai revealed that SoulCalibur V would feature Ezio Auditore da Firenze of Assassin's Creed fame as a playable character in the game's roster. The white-clad assassin that found fame in Ubisoft's stealth/murder franchise will be available in both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game...

#soulcalibur That'll teach me to doubt! More »

CyberConnect2 has movie-making experience from working on a CG .hack movie, and it's that experience -- including motion capture expertise -- that drew Namco Bandai to the developer for Soulcalibur V. "I was approached by Namco almost two years ago," CEO and Naruto cosplayer Hiroshi Matsuyama told Gamasutra. "I knew they were working on Soulcalibur V, and they asked for help in the visual side of the game. The fighting gameplay was handled by their own team, and they just needed help in the visuals of the game, because they wanted to add more to the dramatization of the game."

CyberConnect 2 did storyboarding and motion capture for the fighter. Matsuyama said that the motions have a CC2 look. "The actions look a little like in Naruto, in the sense that the motion doesn't look like we used motion-capture," he said. "In that sense, I think the game looks like it's been done by us."

Matsuyama also said that Epic is surprised by CC2's use of Unreal Engine 3 for Asura's Wrath. He said it's "difficult" to make a cinematic action game in an engine designed primarily for shooters, but there's something like that for every engine. "I think the tools don't matter," he said. "And, a perfect engine doesn't exist. There's always something that's difficult to do with every tool."

Soul Calibur V doesn't have a release date yet, but it may have its first cameo...

The picture above was provided to us by an anonymous tipster, which we're told comes from a beta version of the upcoming Soulcalibur 5 appearing at recent fighting game tournament. If this shot is real, Assassin's Creed protagonist Ezio Auditore de Firenze will be a playable character in Soul Calibur 5, set to launch next year.

Unfortunately, we don't have confirmation just yet, and there's no information about whether Ezio is limited to a certain version of the game, or available to anyone playing it. But one thing is for sure: The Hidden Blade would look pretty nice decked out with Soul Edge finery.

We know, we know, the big story here is that Assassin's Creed sneakster Ezio Auditore da Firenze may have stealthily infiltrated Soulcalibur 5's dramatic tale of swords and souls, but look! There's totally another dude up there, completely unaccounted for!

We've been over our tipster's image with the finest fine-toothed combs money can buy, and every single character on this screen can be quickly and verifiably identified, except for the dude to the right of Ezio. Head past the break for a breakdown of the menu and let the wild, rampant speculation begin.

#rumor So we'd be led to believe, going by this single screenshot. Just the one. No video. Taken at a reportedly recent Soulcalibur V press event. More »

We know, we know, the big story here is that Assassin's Creed sneakster Ezio Auditore da Firenze may have stealthily infiltrated Soulcalibur 5's dramatic tale of swords and souls, but look! There's totally another dude up there, completely unaccounted for!

We've been over our tipster's image with the finest fine-toothed combs money can buy, and every single character on this screen can be quickly and verifiably identified, except for the dude to Ezio's left. Head past the break for a breakdown of the menu and let the wild, rampant speculation begin.

The picture above was provided to us by an anonymous tipster, which we're told comes from a beta version of the upcoming Soulcalibur 5 taken at a recent fighting game tournament. It appears to show that the fight for the Soul Edge will have a new guest contender this time around, hailing from the Italian Renaissance. If this shot is real, Assassin's Creed's Ezio Auditore de Firenze will be a playable character in the Soul Calibur 5, due out in March of next year.

Unfortunately, we don't have confirmation just yet, and there's no information about whether Ezio would be limited to a certain version of the game, or available to anyone playing it. But one thing is for sure: The Hidden Blade would look pretty nice decked out with Soul Edge finery.

One of the universal truths of the fighting-game world is that at all times, someone out there is better than you, no exceptions. It's a sure thing, so much so that this cosmic natural law even applies to games that aren't even out yet, as is evident by the SoulCalibur 5 Astaroth v. Ivy match video above.

It's nice to know that even though the bright, cheerful announcer we've come to know and love has been replaced by a gruff, melancholy fellow, matches are still followed by confusing and non-sequitur one-liners about justice and victory. Slide past the break for a few more videos showcasing the new fighters and reworked mechanics. Welcome back to the Stage of History; now eat it!

The story mode in Soulcalibur V has been elevated in importance, at least on the developer's side. Namco Bandai is working on the narrative component of its upcoming fighter alongside CyberConnect2, the exuberant studio behind Asura's Wrath and the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm series.

Andriasang relays the information from Namco Bandai, which claims that CyberConnect2 has been involved with the project since its inception, providing the storyboards and the motion-capture shoots that -- presumably -- explain all the eternally immolated souls and so forth. We imagine CyberConnect2's taken Namco Bandai's draft script and done a find-and-delete on anything that seemed even vaguely plausible. (You have seen Asura's Wrath, right?)

If it's crazy enough, it could be even be a hit for Hollywood and its bizarre compulsion to adapt the game genre where story is of least importance. C'mon, they even did King of Fighters.

Dear Namco Bandai,

Thank you for bringing Astraroth, our series favorite and tournament go-to character, back to the Stage of History in SoulCalibur 5. His glowing, infection-prone chest would have been sorely missed, as would his massive axe and memorable catchphrases like "Stay down!" or "Aruarghg!"

Additionally, having your bevy of psychically astute brain institute graduates reach into the deepest, darkest corners of our subconscious was a brilliant move; Viola is the perfect combination of Freddy Krueger and Athena Asamiya, and is exactly what we've always wanted. Rest assured, our impassioned mailing campaign will now end.

With souls still burning,

The Joystiq Staff

#soulcalibur Two more fighters are officially confirmed for next year's most anticipated weapons-based fighter, Soulcalibur V: oversized axe-wielder Astaroth and a new contender, Viola, who has a touch of Freddy Krueger to her. More »

Back in the day, I was a pretty big fan of fighting games. Ever since my older brother purchased Street Fighter II for our SNES some 20 years ago, I was quite enamored by the genre. My affinity of fighters reached its apex when, during the Dreamcast era, I fell in love with games like Power Stone an...

#soulcalibur Welcome to the stage of history, Maxi, Tira, Voldo and Hilde. The four newest characters to join the ranks of Soulcalibur V are at the focus of this year's Gamescom showing, illlustrating how these familiar faces look with another 17 years of experience and age. More »

#gamescom As gamers from around the globe descend on Cologne for Gamescom, Namco Bandai is releasing the latest trailer for upcoming weapon-based combat title Soulcalibur V. More »

Were you born under a sword? Or on a sword? Maybe near a sword? Close enough for SoulCalibur 5.

#soulcaliburv The freshly-concluded EVO 2011 wasn't just a fighting game tournament. It was a celebration of all things fighting, meaning there were things like developer panels. And where there are panels, there are gameplay videos. More »

Comic-Con may be over, but it's still dishing out video game media, such as this SoulCalibur 5 trailer. The video features many of the new upstart fighters, and poor Mitsurugi takes quite a walloping. We'll bet his soul will be burning for at least a week.

#soulcalibur A 46-year-old female ninja with a preference for revealing red tights may still have a place in the next Soulcalibur game, according to its creators—the same creators that found a way to make Soulcalibur's Ivy look remarkably young in her advancing years. More »

#comiccon2011 See Soulcalibur V's newest confirmed souls—Zwei, Natsu and, looking pretty spry for a 49-year-old, Ivy—do battle in the game's latest trailer, which made its debut at the San Diego Comic-Con. We've shakycam-captured it for your squint-filled enjoyment. More »

Namco Bandai released a series of SoulCalibur V screens showing two new characters, Zwei and Natsu, and of course Ivy, aged in plotline but not in looks. We don't want to see any older, maternal figures in our real lives wearing this particular outfit, but Ivy can pull it off.

Hello! My name is Hisaharu “Heath” Tago, Producer for SoulCalibur V and a member of Namco Bandai Games’ Project Soul development team. I wanted to go over the SoulCalibur V news we announced at this week’s San Diego Comic-Con to the PlayStation.Blog and all of its fans.

SoulCalibur V (SCV for short) is a bit of a particular project. There are two main reasons for this: The first one is because Project Soul, the development team behind the SoulCalibur franchise, was disbanded after the release of SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny for the PSP system. The members were spread throughout Namco Bandai Games to work on other projects within the company. Soon after that happened, Katsuhiro Harada, the Director of the TEKKEN series, called on SoulCalibur fans to speak up and send a message to Namco Bandai Games to develop a new SoulCalibur title. As a result of Harada-san’s request, we received many passionate notes from fans allowing us to reform Project Soul for SCV.

The entire Project Soul team, myself included, appreciates the outpouring of support from fans and wanted to reflect this with a new Project Soul logo:

The new logo represents the team and fans coming together to make SCV possible. It also represents a new era and direction for the team, which can be seen and felt through SCV. I would like for fans to be proud of what they have done for us whenever they see this new logo.

The second reason are the changes to the battle system. These changes will surely surprise SoulCalibur fans and let them feel the beginning of the new chapter for the series. Some of you might have already recognized the changes by watching our trailers. SCV is faster and sharper, different from the previous games in the series.

The beautiful graphics the SoulCalibur series are known for will return with more elegance than ever before in SCV. We promise every player will feel extremely excited and satisfied when they defeat an opponent by successfully using the new Quick Move high-speed evasion from attacks, sharp combos in sequence, and brilliant special moves causing lots of damage.

We know that innovation causes not only expectation, but concern as well. Please be reassured that we understand that characters fans are used to must not be completely changed, and that these innovations must not make the game unbalanced. We are working day and night to ensure that the game will be well balanced and make for an exciting and satisfying gamepay experience.

And now, I would like to dicuss the SCV characters that have just been revealed!

I think Ivy’s appearance is what everyone really worries about, because 17 years have passed since SCIV. But as you can see below, you don’t have to worry about that. In a way, her eternal existence is promised.

Name: Isabella Valentine (Nickname: Ivy)
Sex: Female
Age: Stopped at 32
Birthplace: London, British Empire
Height: 5’10″ ( 179 cm)
Weight: 128 lbs. (58 kg)
Date of Birth: December 10th
Blood Type: Unknown
Weapon: Snake Sword
Weapon Name: Valentine (Ivy Blade)
Fighting Style: Unrelated Link
Family: Her adoptive parents, Earl and Countess Valentine, are deceased. Her real father is Cervantes.

The next is a brand-new character named Natsu. She is an apprentice of Taki, a character that has been in SoulCalibur since the beginning. I think it is better to show Natsu’s charm in motion and not by talking about her appearance — please look forward to gameplay videos soon. SCV’s sharper and faster battle system really compliments Natsu’s ninja speed and evasive maneuvers. After you use Natsu, you can discard any prejudice you may have that she is simply a replacement for Taki.

By the way, being so excited to talk about Natsu, I almost forgot to mention that Taki is alive.

Name: Natsu
Sex: Female
Age: 17
Birthplace: Izumo, Japan
Height: 5’5″ (166 cm)
Weight: 115 lbs. (52 kg)
Date of Birth: August 3rd
Blood Type: O
Weapon: Ninja Sword x2
Weapon Name: Kuzukiri & Awayuki
Fighting Style: Musoh-Battoh-Ryu
Family: She is Taki’s student and brought up by Chie, the chief of Fu-ma clan. She harbors the great demon Arahabaki within her.

Regarding the next new character, I’ll try not to explain too many details about him just yet. His name is Z.W.E.I. and he is a completely new character.

The biggest surprise with Z.W.E.I. is the short sword in his hand is not his main method of attack. His inclusion is making SoulCalibur’s “Weapon-based Fighting Game” style step into all-new territory. Please watch the Comic-Con trailer on Monday, July 25th and imagine how his fighting style will play out. The clue is Z.W.E.I. means “two” in German. Does that mean there must be a “one” as well?

Name: Unknown (Calls himself Z.W.E.I.)
Sex: Male
Age: Unknown (Appears to be early 20′s)
Birthplace: Unknown
Height: 6″ (182 cm)
Weight: 179 lbs. (81 kg)
Date of Birth: Unknown
Blood Type: Unknown
Weapon: Sword
Weapon Name: Kreuzgriff
Fighting Style: Self-Taught
Family: He does not talk about them.

If you are reading this before July 31st, I really would like you to come to EVO at Las Vegas. At the event, SCV’s Game Director Daishi Odashima will be in attendance to show some exciting content.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the fans for their continued support for not only SCV, but the SoulCalibur franchise as a whole. This project would not be possible without your continued support.

#comiccon2011 To answer the question "What will a middle-aged Ivy look like in Soulcalibur V?" Namco Bandai has responded with a still youthful looking Ivy, now dressed more modestly. Slightly. The fighting game maker has also fully revealed two fresh souls. More »

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. is giving SOULCALIBUR fans an exciting opportunity to be in the newest installment of the popular weapons-based fighting series, SOULCALIBUR V. Until August 5, 2011, fans can head to http://www.soularchive.jp/npc_recruiting/ to enter their name and favorite weapon fi...

SoulCalibur 5 producer Daishi Odashima treated fans to an early reveal of a new character in advance of his Comic-Con panel, after teasing them with two silhouettes on July 5. There's still plenty to be revealed (like who this person is or what her backstory is) but now we know what one of the two new characters looks like!

Basically, she's Momohime from Muramasa: The Demon Blade, but blonde, and in a way more ornate outfit.