Information on Soul Calibur V has been slowly trickling out on the web, and now we know how many characters we’ll be able to fight with when the game releases.
Soul Calibur has gathered an incredible following over the years, thanks to its fluid combat and 8 way run system, which allows players to take full advantage of side stepping moves while stringing together their own combinations of fighting moves. Each entry in the series has built upon the previous with new characters, fighting mechanics, challenges, and customization options. Of course, Soul Calibur V will be no different, and we already know about one new character joining the ranks, Sophitia’s son Patroklos, who will likely be playing a central role in the story line.
Thanks to consistent, but sometimes vague tweets from Hisaharu Tago, the game’s producer, we now know that the team is shooting for at least 26 characters in Soul Calibur V’s roster. He has also mentioned that there will be some guest characters, but was mute on who is up for consideration. 2008’s Soul Calibur IV featured a roster of 34 playable characters, once all three Star Wars guest characters were included. Unfortunately the three guest characters were not well received, especially in the case of Yoda, who was so short he was immune to grab moves, and was seen as an imbalanced and game breaking addition. Hopefully a better decision is made this time around regarding guest characters, making them an asset to the franchise rather than a set back.
Soul Calibur V is currently planned for a 2012 release, so it may be quite a while before the full roster is revealed. However, if Hisaharu Tago keeps on tweeting, we may learn some more details soon. He recently informed us that they intend to make the game easier to play than its predecessors, which is a bit confusing considering they were already fairly easy to learn. Hopefully the depth of strategy remains intact, continuing the trend that makes this franchise so fun and popular. PlayStation LifeStyle will be keeping an eye out for more info, so until then, let us know who you’d like to see as guest characters in Soul Calibur V.
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