Will Tuttle, Editor in Chief: I may not be a huge fighting game aficionado, but I love me some Soulcalibur. You, on the other hand, have some serious fighting game chops. What do fans need to know about what we saw of the new game?
Ryan Scott, Executive Editor: Well, a lot of what the developers at Namco Bandai talked about was the story. A good sword and an evil sword do a thing, and some people fight about it, just like in every Soulcalibur. Oh, and one of the characters (Sophitia) has some kids. They're playable characters. Beyond that, I mean, it sure looked like Soulcalibur. I just hope they don't compromise it the way they did the last couple of games.
Will Tuttle: Wait, did Sophitia have kids with Voldo? Please say no. Dammit, too late, I've already got that horrible mental image stuck in my head! Seriously though, what's the deal with her kids? Are they playable? What's the story this time out?
Ryan Scott: I don't want to hear about your nasty Soulcalibur fanfic, Will. Sophitia's got a son and a daughter -- Patroklos and Pyrrha, respectively -- and this game fast-forwards the Soulcalibur timeline 17 years so they can join in the epic fight over some swords. Pyrrha basically looks and fights just like Sophitia, and I would have assumed she was Sophitia if I hadn't been told otherwise. That, plus the revelation that they're shooting for a roster of 20-30 fighters, with half of the characters being new, makes me wonder if Sophitia (and a lot of other characters) will even be in the game. The only other warriors we glimpsed were old war horses Siegfried and Mitsurugi. Are you heartbroken at the lack of your favorite infuriating newbie silencer Kilik?
Will Tuttle: Make no mistake, Kilik will return if the folks at Project Soul know what's good for them. And when he does, Ryan, he's going to shove that rod of his where the sun don't shine. So, any idea what's in store for the uber-competitive Soulcalibur fans out there? Anything we should know about changes to the actual gameplay?
Ryan Scott: One of the biggest issues with this series -- and one that makes me really sad, because I love Soulcalibur -- is that it's become something of a joke in the competitive fighting game scene. Soulcalibur III got kicked out the door with no support and bugs aplenty, and Soulcalibur IV had some truly offensive game-destroying bugs that basically ended the competitive scene (*cough* Hilde *cough*), and Namco never bothered to fix any of it. I'm really hoping that they support Soulcalibur V long-term in the way that NetherRealm Studios has vowed to support Mortal Kombat, with constant patches where it's necessary for the game's overall health. I really want this to be a game that people take seriously again.
Will Tuttle: The Soulcalibur series has been known in recent years for its surprising (and occasionally out-of-left-field) guest appearances by stars from other video game franchises. Do you think we'll see any guest stars this time? Think we'll see Maxi vs. Ms. Pac-Man? Or perhaps Hwang facing off against Gary the F-16 Jet from Ace Combat? Also, any characters that you particularly think should absolutely, positively be on the roster?
Ryan Scott: I was hoping for Ridge Racer from Ridge Racer, or perhaps the great Katamari Damacy himself. In all seriousness, I will be heartbroken if series mainstays Yoshimitsu and Cervantes aren't around. Bonus points if Li Long makes it in -- he's the cool nunchuck guy, not a dumb poser like Maxi. Oh, and bonus points if they decide to bring back Soulcalibur IV's Ashlotte, who's one of my favorite character designs in anything ever. Anyway, I suspect the trimmed roster will result in a clone-culling; no need for both Kilik and Seong Mi-na, Sophitia and Lizardman, Rock and Astaroth, Siegfried and Nightmare. At the very least, I hope Soulcalibur V's guest character (the devs confirmed to be that the roster will include one) is a step up from Star Wars dudes or bad Todd McFarlane designs. That street trash drives me nuts.
