Soul Calibur V Fight Stick for Xbox 360 Accessories

Soul Calibur V Fight Stick for Xbox 360 Product Details

Released on 10-Feb-2012

• Soul Calibur V - Preview

  Soul story

  After a break of almost four years on home consoles, Soul Calibur V brings the popular weapons-based historical fantasy fighting series up to date with a new story, returning and fresh characters, refined battle systems, improved visuals, plus expanded online and character creation modes.

  Kicking off 17 years after Soul Calibur IV, the story continues the tale of the two swords, the legendary blade of evil Soul Edge, and Soul Calibur, the holy blade later designed to create a balance. It follows the journey of Patroklos, the latest character to wield the cursed weapon, in what leads to an epic showdown between good and evil.

  With more emphasis on the single player story mode than in previous series entries, Soul Calibur V's campaign is longer than usual for a fighting game. Featuring plenty of characters and cinematic cutscenes between fights, which take place across 20 gorgeous backdrops, it does a really good job of introducing the game's characters and fighting styles by switching player control between a good chunk of the roster.

  Swordplay

  Soul Calibur V's action is as extravagant and over-the-top as fans would expect, but its fighting system has been reworked to offer quicker and smoother combat, removing the sluggish gaps found between moves in previous instalments, when the gameplay was arguably a bit too heavy, especially online, with players not feeling an instant reaction to their moves.

  There's plenty of care and imagination evident in the game's varied weaponry, which largely dictates the fighting style of each character, with spears used for jabbing from distance, nunchuks for getting in close and giant hammers that are awkward but brutally effective.

  Speed, lateral movement and carefully timed single blows, rather than long combos, are the key to success. The defensive game has evolved to introduce a quick side step move, while the basic guard button operates as it used to, with players needing to block incoming attacks at the correct height, and requiring precise timing to parry or counter moves.

  Masters of battle

  Soul Calibur V features a character levelling system which works across its various game modes, including training and arcade, to rank up your fighter while also unlocking customisation options and items, most of which are used in the character creation mode, which sees players select a basic fighting style or character template and fiddle with the presets to make their own combatant.

  In series tradition, Soul Calibur V also features a guest character from outside the franchise. Following in the footsteps of Star Wars' Yoda and Darth Vader, and most recently God of War's Kratos, is Assassin's Creed star Ezio. A rounded fighter who's powerful from far, mid and close-range, he has a number of tricks up his sleeve, including his trademark hidden blade, a crossbow and a Roman longsword.

  From our limited play time with Soul Calibur V, it's clear the game puts up a great fight. With quicker and smoother combat than ever before, and without losing any of its trademark style, it's also set to be a more immediate and accessible experience than its predecessors.
  

  Published: 17/01/2012

• Soulcalibur V - Preview

  Stage of History

  It's no big secret that fighting games have returned to the forefront in recent years. While it once seemed as though the genre was destined to remain a curio of a bygone era, the release of Street Fighter IV resulted in an inundation of outstanding new games like BlazBlue and Dissidia: Final Fantasy, as well as retro revivals like Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Mortal Kombat. But if all these fighting game characters were to feature in a massive battle royale - where Ryu could dragon-punch Sub-Zero in the face, and Paul Phoenix could compare hairstyling tips with Cloud - who would be left standing?

  For our money, it would be a character from Namco's long running Soulcalibur series, and while tiger uppercuts and torpedo dives do respectable damage, nothing says you're dead quite like being hit in the face with a demonic soul-rending claymore. This is the premise by which Soulcalibur has always lived, and while other fighting games prefer to go hand-to-hand with the odd fireball thrown in for good measure, the Calibur dress code states that "if you can carry it, then you can wield it". And for the imminent release of Soulcalibur V, a whole new generation is waiting to test their mettle.

  Soul Searching

  Upon entering the new select screen for the first time, Soulcalibur veterans will recognise the familiar faces of wandering samurai Mitsurugi, the ever buxom Ivy, and an "Elvis lookalike wielding a pair of nunchuks" in the form of Maxi. All of these characters retain their classic hack-and-slash moves in addition to some subtle changes. But while the allure of the familiar will be hard for some to resist, the more spontaneous among us will want to sample one of the new characters, such as Taki's ninja apprentice, Kilik's gluttonous successor, and Sophita's twin children Patroklos and Pyrrha who were separated at the age of three.

  Rather than two halves of a locket or a matching pair of rings, the twins inherited their mother's sword and shield collection - which they weave through the air in a similarly distinctive style. But in terms of characters that use a completely different fighting force Soulcalibur V introduces a fortune teller named Viola who fights with a combination of finger-blades and a hovering crystal ball, as well as the mystical Z.W.E.I. who can summon his wolf spirit E.I.N. while wielding his tri-handled sword. And for Assassin's Creed fans, there's even the opportunity to build some hidden blade combos with the cloaked Ezio Auditore.

  High Calibur

  The improvements don't stop at the select screen either, and with a number of underlying system changes that are designed to make the game more balanced and competitive, this feels like the most refined Calibur yet. The most obvious addition is the new Critical Gauge that opens up a trio of advanced techniques as you both receive and deal damage. This includes Critical Edge super-moves that have Siegfried impaling his opponent on a row of jagged icicles, in addition to the flexible Brave Edge specials that dramatically expand your combo creation options.

  Defensive players also have access to a revised Guard Impact that now takes a fraction of your Critical Gauge to perform, but as a trade-off, it can be used as a catch-all for high and low attacks. These new manoeuvres are rounded off with a new Just Guard that works similarly to the parry system from Street Fighter III, and a new Quick Step that lets you dodge and counter any predictable strikes with relative ease. And while this mechanical analysis may fly over the heads of fighting game virgins, suffice to say that Soulcalibur remains one of the most accessible fighters out there.

  Ivy League

  This focus on accessibility even stretches to the available game modes, and while our preview time was mostly limited to Arcade and Versus, we did get to sample some of the other single-player features. This included a Story mode that stars Patroklos as he searches for his lost sister and the fabled swords, a Quick Battle mode that lets you fight against a huge list of AI opponents while collecting over 400 titles, a Legendary Souls mode that houses some very tough battles, and a deep character Creation mode that lets you alter the fabric of any item of clothing.

  But funky hats aside, our lasting impression of Soulcalibur V was that despite some welcome tweaks to the fighting formula and an expanded lineage of characters, it's still the same game we know and love. It's just now there's more layers of depth for those who want to put the hours into the training room and a more comprehensive mix of modes for casual players who just want a fun fighting game with impressive visuals. That's what we expect the full game to deliver, and that's why February 3rd can't come soon enough.

• SoulCalibur V launch DLC plans announced

  Gamers who pick up Namco Bandai's new fighting game SoulCalibur V when it hits stores this week can already look forward to several batches of downloadable content scheduled for release in February 2012.

  The developer has revealed that three DLC packs will arrive for the new Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 title during launch month, the first of which will be available from day one.

  Included in the first pack are character customisation items such as bikinis, wings and face paint, as well as extra music tracks taken from the original Soul Blade and SoulCalibur games.

  The second DLC batch hits on February 14th and includes breast plates, kimonos and animal heads plus music from the second and third SoulCalibur titles, while the third pack on February 28th features yet more new items and songs from SoulCalibur IV and SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny.

  SoulCalibur V is set to pack in more gameplay features, modes and characters than ever before, with a roster including special guest Ezio Auditore de Firenze, star of the Assassin's Creed videogames.

  It will be released in a special Collector's Edition that includes an art book and prints, a soundtrack CD, bonus customisation content and more.

  Published: 30/01/2012

• Graffiti art in London celebrates launch of SoulCalibur V

  Namco Bandai has marked the launch of its new fighting game SoulCalibur V by commissioning some stunning street art in London.

  The gamemaker teamed up with famous graffiti artist Jim Rockwell and his team of aerosol artisans at ENDoftheLINE to create a huge promotional mural on the 16-metre Great Eastern Street wall in Shoreditch.

  It depicts classic SoulCalibur villain Nightmare facing down newcomer and protagonist Patroklos, with guest character Ezio Auditore from Assassin's Creed also prominently featured.

  The impressive mural will help raise excitement levels for the release of the new Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 title this week, which promises to be the biggest and best SoulCalibur yet.

  Set 17 years after the previous instalment, SoulCalibur V introduces numerous brand new characters, modes and gameplay features, with including the innovative Critical Edge and Quick Move systems.

  A Collector's Edition will also be made available that includes in-game bonuses and collectible memorabilia, such as a soundtrack CD, art book and making-of videos.

  Published: 01/02/2012

• SoulCalibur V characters engraved into Swedish mountain

  Some of the stars of the new fighting game SoulCalibur V have been immortalised by being engraved into a mountain in Tanum, Sweden.

  To celebrate the launch of the eagerly-awaited Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 title, Namco Bandai called on master stone engraver Goran Andersson to create an amazing granite carving of samurai warrior Mitsurugi and the sword-wielding Pyrrha.

  Located close to a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with Bronze Age stone carvings, the engraving was described by Andersson as by far the most complex he has ever undertaken.

  Lee Kirton, marketing director at Namco Bandai, said: "Everyone knows the SoulCalibur characters are among the hardest fighters in gaming - so we've decided to immortalise them in granite for thousands of years."

  Namco also recently teamed up with graffiti artist Jim Rockwell to create a giant SoulCalibur V mural in London's Shoreditch area, depicting Patroklos, Nightmare and guest star Ezio Auditore in battle.

  It will help to ramp up anticipation for the latest entry in the series, which features a host of fresh characters, new special moves and a diverse array of modes.

  Published: 02/02/2012

• Namco announces big money SoulCalibur tournament

  Fancy a grand? Reckon you're the business when it comes to fighting games? Pick up the awesome SoulCalibur V, out today for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and you could earn yourself a thousand notes and the respect of gamers everywhere by taking part in SoulCalibur Impact 2012.

  The tournament, set up by SoulCalibur publisher Namco Bandai, runs across Europe and culminates in a grand final on March 17th. That's also the date for the UK qualifying heat, with winners plunging straight into the grand final at the same venue, against winners from across Europe. The champion goes home with a pocket full of money and a life-sized replica Soul Edge trophy.

  St Stephen's, Rosslyn Hill in London is the place to be, at 12pm. Even if you don't fancy registering to compete, Namco Bandai is promising lots of other entertainment including free play sessions on previous SoulCalibur titles, a DJ, live performances and free refreshments. There'll be contests and giveaways throughout the day as well.

  By our reckoning that means you've got just over a month and a half to pick up SoulCalibur V and get practicing. So what are you waiting for?

• Soul Calibur V - Review

  The stage of history

  Originally released in 1997, Namco's Soul Blade was the first game to bring a knife to a fist-fight. At a time when Street Fighter was throwing down in 2D side-on brawls, and Tekken players were side-stepping their way to becoming the Kings of Iron First, Namco decided to take a punt on something a little different: a fully 3D, arena-based fighting game in which each character wielded a deadly weapon.

  After an incredible boom fighting games fell by the wayside, but Namco soldiered on, pumping out a new SoulCalibur every few years - but the lack of changes to the formula bogged the series down. Fast forward to 2008 and Street Fighter IV revitalised the genre, and now Namco is stepping back into the arena with SoulCalibur V on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. And thanks to a few smart tweaks to the series' traditional gameplay, it's arguably the best Calibur to date.

  

  Get the edge

  The most obvious addition is the introduction of a comeback mechanic similar to Street Fighter's Super and Ultra Combo moves. SoulCalibur's version is called the 'Critical Edge' and is represented on screen by a bar that slowly fills every time your fighter lands an attack or takes a hit. Once the bar is filled you can input the appropriate commands and watch as your character unleashes a highly-damaging, flashy move.

  The most interesting part of SoulCalibur's new mechanic is that it also allows players to spend their meter when it's only half full. This 'Brave Edge' attack delivers a less-powerful but still damaging blow that modifies the properties of the regular move that preceded it, usually by making it safer to use or giving it an extra-sting. This is particularly exciting for players who love putting combos together, who'll almost certainly find it in their interest to spend time in the game's fully-featured training mode figuring out which strings of attacks are most rewarding in terms of damage.

  The second major tweak comes in the way blocking is implemented in SoulCalibur V. In the previous game, relying too much on blocking was punished by the 'Soul Crush', which meant weapons would break after a certain amount of damage had been blocked. In this game, each character has been given a single move that can break through the enemy's guard in an instant, forcing cautious fighters to step out of their comfort zone. SoulCalibur V is also a faster paced game than its predecessors too, requiring players to make full use of side-stepping to evade attacks and often to exploit openings.

  Fresh faces

  A new SoulCalibur also brings with it a handful of fresh characters to play with. These include Lexia, a young Chinese girl very capable of pulling off juggle combos and creating high-low mix-ups, Z.W.E.I., who's able to summon a white werewolf; Viola, a crystal ball-wielding witch and Ezio Auditore Da Firenze, star of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, who fills in the traditional guest character slot.

  With always impeccable visuals, an epic soundtrack, full online play and a deep character creation mode, Namco Bandai's latest feature-rich SoulCalibur returns in fine form. Fans of the series will enjoy sinking hours into mastering the title, while newcomers and those who prefer a lighter fighting game experience will find their needs more than catered for. SoulCalibur V isn't one you should miss.

  GAME's Verdict

  The Good

  • Fast and furious battles.
    
  • Beautiful visuals.
    
  • Excellent cast of fighters.
    

  The Not-So-Good

  • Cheesy story mode.
    
  • Very cheesy voice acting.

  Published: 07/02/2012

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