He can also pressure the opponent with crossbow bolts that strike high or low, as well as a hidden gun that works similarly to Cervantes' pistol sword.Īnd yet, despite offering the most lovingly detailed roster in the series' long-running history, SoulCalibur 5's true merit is found in its underlying mechanics. He makes the transition from the 16th to 17th century with both his Italian accent and a stealthy arsenal of swords, daggers and wrist blades which he can use defensively to bait mistakes. He also benefits from an intermediate level of execution - which means Ezio Auditore, cameoing from Assassin's Creed, is a better choice for players who want to skip the entry exam.Īlthough SoulCalibur 4 was no slouch, 5 raises the benchmark in terms of character animation and stage detailing.Ĭompared to previous guest characters like Link, Kratos and the ankle-chopping Yoda, the white-cloaked assassin is much less intrusive by his very nature, Ezio is trying to blend in. to extend his combos and cover his back while recovering from a whiffed strike. His weapon of choice is a tri-handled sword that offers a balance between speed, power and range, and to give his style a bit of personality, he can summon his wolf spirit E.I.N.
The unusually titled Z.W.E.I., meanwhile, wears a ripped jacket and leather trousers combination that makes him look like a camp urban wizard who could have been the main villain of an eighties cartoon show. She can use these finger blades up close for a basic offence, but by setting her crystal ball mid-air and then recalling it to bash the opponent mid-combo, she has the potential to string together more hits than any other character. The more technical of the two is Viola, a grey-haired fortune teller who looks suspiciously like Amy - but instead of a rapier, she wields a crystal ball and a set of Freddy Krueger shears. Some of them also look more advanced in years, with Mitsurugi keeping it classy with his Just For Men mane and Lizardman - who now goes by his human name of Aeon Calcos - rocking an angelic set of wings that give his techniques an aerial edge.Īs intriguing as this revamped roll-call is, however, the main draw of our hands-on test was a pair of entirely new characters that can mix swordplay with conjuration. While Sophitia has passed on her shield duties to her twin children, Patroklos and Pyrrha, the rest of the roster is made up of Calibur classics like the nunchaku-twirling Maki, the axe-swinging Astaroth and the double-cheque-cashing Yoshimitsu.
In a similar fashion to Street Fighter 4, SoulCalibur 5 will feature over 400 online titles including 'Nervous As Hell' and 'No Talking'. Although his move set has been subtly tweaked, you can still achieve a ring-out by jamming your pole between your opponent's legs and tossing them over your shoulder. This passing of torches is also inherent in their fighting styles, as with bō-staff in hand, Xiba (whose named is pronounced the same as a popular brand of cat food) fights in a way that closely resembles his less goofy predecessor.
#A tale of swords and souls eternally retold series#
However, nobody told Project Soul director Daishi Odashima, as by taking the series 17 years into the future and retiring certain members of the cast, he finally gives us a SoulCalibur that shows tangible progression since its days on the Dreamcast.Ī quick trip to the select screen reveals that Taki, Xianghua and Kilik have been replaced by Natsu, Leixia and Xiba - respectively an apprentice, daughter and successor. It all began 15 years ago, with a lofty voice that proclaimed: "Transcending history and the world, a tale of soul and swords eternally retold!" But after the progressively stifled SoulCalibur 4 - a game whose unique selling point was the clashing of katanas and lightsabers in a Star Destroyer docking bay, with its cameos from Darth Vader and Yoda - it seemed like the curtain had finally fallen on the Stage of History.
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