Soulcalibur-Legends
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Fresh Soul Calibur Legends footage, screens
Namco Bandai laid down the law, proclaiming that we need post these two new trailers. Not only that, but they're forcing us to post these new screens. We don't want to, because we derive a sick pleasure in depriving you of things that may interest you, but sure enough Namco Bandai emerged from the darkness clad in white armor. So, consider yourself saved ... for now. For the new screens, hit up the gallery below. For the other trailer, head past the break. Oh, and sorry for the lack of sound in the above trailer, the file we snagged from them was without it. The trailer past the break has sound though, we assure you. %Gallery-3272%
Soul Calibur Legends goes gold
Namco Bandai hit us with a press release today, declaring that upcoming spin-off title Soul Calibur Legends has gone gold and is on schedule to release to retail on November 20th. With 10 different stages in Quest mode, as well as a variety of different characters, we're interested in seeing how this whole thing turns out. We still wake up late at night in a cold sweat screaming from nightmares of Death by Degrees, so let's hope this doesn't turn out the same way. %Gallery-3272% [Via press release]
Tales of Soul Calibur-ia
GamesRadar has posted a load of new Soul Calibur Legends screens, revealing the (probably) playable Lloyd much more clearly than those scans the other day. He's got a bunch of cool-looking moves, including ... some ... uh, thing with some, like, wings, and ... look, we didn't play Tales of Symphonia, okay? This is one particular bit of Namco cross-pollination that doesn't really affect us that much. As a new character, he looks pretty neat, but being generally clueless about the Tales RPGs, seeing Lloyd doesn't really set off any fanboyism for us. We're just lucky that he's a sword guy, and thus will probably be an interesting character even to non-Tales fans. Although, now that we think about it, we wouldn't mind the 'wacky' approach-- bring in all the Namco characters you can fit on the disc, guys! We'd love to play through an action game as Mr. Driller, or Pac-Man, or one of the Galaga ships.
Tales of Symphonia's Lloyd gets around
Now that we can see the Tales of Symphonia: Knights of Ratatoskr trailer without taking Dramamine first, we can clearly see Tales of Symphonia's protagonist Lloyd in the final shot there. So he'll be making a cameo appearance, at least, in the new game. Siliconera pointed out the cameo, using the skill of maybe having played Tales of Symphonia. But that's not the only Bandai Namco game Lloyd is wandering into. Via an appearance as what looks like a playable character in Soul Calibur Legends, Lloyd will instantly double the series' foppish dandy quotient (FDQ). But hey, having more Namco series characters in Soul Calibur Legends brings us one step closer to our dream of fighting as the Prince of All Cosmos.
4 minutes of Soul Calibur Legends gameplay footage
Even though this game might have the potential to be the next Death by Degrees, we're still interested in getting our hands on it. The graphics may look dated at times, but the action looks spot-on. And we still think each of the characters have had their fighting styles and moves transitioned into the new game well. What do you guys think? Does it have potential or is it just a pointless spin-off? %Gallery-3272%
A video of swords and souls, eternally replayed
We hunger for a real action game on our Wii, and we desperately hope that Soul Calibur Legends is it. We're putting all of our faith in the one positive preview and discounting all the negative ones, just because we really want to believe-- much like Siegfried believed that picking up a gigantic living sword with a freaking eye was somehow a good idea. We can be heartbroken later. While the graphics in this Famitsu video (which we could not embed) are still jarring compared to the amazing visual quality we're used to from Calibur, we're starting to think that the action is there. The moves look pretty entertaining-- seriously, when Siegfried picks up the guy with his sword, and sort of drags him around, that is awesome-- and the fighting looks appropriately hectic. As long as the controls aren't a mess, we could see ourselves taking some baby steps onto the stage of Wii history.
New and improved Soul Calibur Legends
1UP recently got a chance to go hands-on with the latest build of Soul Calibur Legends, and things are looking up after the title's E3 showing. Not only do they report improved framerate and textures, but they make the gameplay sound like something worth waiting for as well. The folks at 1UP got to try out one of our favorite characters, Taki, and though apparently her damage output is still being adjusted, her famous speed continues to be a strong asset. It's good to hear that each characters' individual style of play -- one of the things we've always enjoyed about the franchise -- has a real bearing on how you approach challenges, and the "team of two" aspect that allows you to keep two fighters in your party at all times for different situations really sounds like it could be a lot of fun. 1UP has gotten us excited about Soul Calibur again, and we can only hope that Legends lives up to the franchise name. %Gallery-3272%
Wii Warm Up: Soul Calibur Legends
Since its announcement, opinions of and feelings toward Soul Calibur Legends have been volatile, to say the least. At first, the game inspired almost universal excitement among series fans, and it's (mostly) been downhill since then. But what's the real situation here? Are you you already deciding to avoid this one like the plague after seeing some early impressions, or are you willing to wait and see if the gameplay improves? How do you feel about the screens you've seen so far? We've updated our gallery with some new shots if you'd like to take a peek. As a rabid fan of the series, this blogger is planning to give it a try unless final reviews mention eyeball-melting atrocity. Nothing short of that will stop high action beatdowns! %Gallery-3272%
Soul Calibur Legends gets a new character
A tale of swords and souls, eternally remade as an adventure game for Wii. GAME Watch welcomes us back to the stage of history with some new information about Soul Calibur Legends, including a new character, Isuka. Isuka is apparently a guardian of the Holy Roman Emperor who encounters Siegfried and offers him information about the Soul Edge. He also deals with Taki as she meets with the emperor about a fragment of the Edge. For those of you not familiar with the Soul Calibur storyline, the Soul Edge is a really bad sword that people are constantly getting into one-on-one fights in circular arenas over. It seems unlikely that Isuka will be joining the fight, unless the fight is against a paper bag. And not some evil, sentient Soul Bag either-- just a regular paper one. He'll probably show up from time to time to direct you to your next stage of history.
Hands-on: Soul Calibur Legends
Soul Calibur Legends is an affront to the games industry. The horrendous gameplay and horrible graphics not only shame the Wii as a platform, but lower the reputation of a remarkable franchise. Wii fans should be appalled at Namco's clear lack of concern with the title, and should expect more. Graphically speaking, Legends is nothing short of unacceptable. If the game could look even remotely like Soul Calibur 2 on Gamecube, we'd be, at the very least, satiated. Instead, what we saw were blocky recreations of our Soul Calibur favorites trapped in boring, poorly textured environments that make the Dreamcast original look like a modern technical achievement. There is absolutely nothing to praise about the visuals in Legends: the art is generic, and the characters are stiff and lifeless. The screenshots that have been released are poor representations on how this game really looks. The gameplay doesn't fare any better. Legends is a mindless hack and slash with poor controls. Enemies stand around, dumbfounded, as you hack away at them by shaking the Wiimote. The combat is imprecise, and simply not fun. We did appreciate the dodge: shaking the Nunchuck will allow players to make a quick dash. There was no challenge or depth to the battles. Ultimately, each encounter was reduced to wild waggle sessions. Wii owners deserve a lot better than this -- Namco, we'd point to Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess as an example on how to properly implement sword attacks in an adventure game (and please learn how to create a proper lock-on!) If we had to give an award for most underwhelming disappointment of the show, Soul Calibur Legends is an easy candidate. Unless this game undergoes a serious redesign, don't expect the first Soul Calibur game on Wii to be anything more than a complete disaster. %Gallery-3272%
Joystiq impressions: Soul Calibur Legends (Wii)
Soul Calibur Legends is an affront to the games industry. The horrendous gameplay and horrible graphics not only shame the Wii as a platform, but lowers the reputation of a remarkable franchise. Wii fans should be appalled at Namco's clear lack of concern with the title, and should expect more. Graphically speaking, Legends is nothing short of unacceptable. If the game could even remotely look like Soul Calibur 2 on Gamecube, we'd be, at the very least, satiated. Instead, what we saw were blocky recreations of our Soul Calibur favorites trapped in boring, poorly textured environments that make the Dreamcast original look like a modern technical achievement. There is absolutely nothing to praise about the visuals in Legends: the art is generic, and the characters are stiff and lifeless. The screenshots that have been released are poor representations on how this game really looks. The gameplay doesn't fare any better. Legends is a mindless hack and slash with poor controls. Enemies stand around, dumbfounded, as you hack away at them by shaking the Wiimote. The combat is imprecise, and simply not fun. We did appreciate the dodge: shaking the Nunchuck will allow players to make a quick dash. There was no challenge, nor depth to the battles. Ultimately, each encounter was reduced to wild waggle sessions. Wii owners deserve a lot better than this -- Namco, we'd point to Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess as an example on how to properly implement sword attacks in an adventure game (and please learn how to create a proper lock-on!). If we had to give an award for most underwhelming disappointment of the show, Soul Calibur Legends is an easy candidate. Unless this game goes under a serious redesign, don't expect the first Soul Calibur game on Wii to be anything more than a complete disaster. [Update: A Namco representative was right to ask us to point out that this is, in fact, an early build of the title which isn't due until later this year (note these were our impressions, not our review). While many of the shortcomings appear to be design-oriented, she said the team was looking to make changes based on the feedback gathered from E3 players. We're certainly hopeful they can clean Soul Calibur Legends up before its release in Q4 '07. For other impressions of the E3 demo, check out Wired, 1UP, and Gamespot.] %Gallery-4983%
Soul Calibur to have one-to-one gesture measurement?
The game's director, Jin Okubo, has been flapping his gums recently, talking about the spin-off title set to grace the Wii. In regards to how in-game characters will react to the player's gestures with the Wiimote, the in-game characters will apparently follow the player's exact movements. Jin states that by "swinging the Wii Remote as players please, in-game characters will perform the exact sword actions that players are thinking of." If you're wondering exactly what we're talking about, think about how the baseball bat moves in Wii Sports. Jin also elaborated on how the nunchuk attachment will be used in-game, explaining that the "Nunchuk is mainly used for body movement, but by shaking the Nunchuk it's also possible to block incoming attacks, evade dangerous situations, and to perform other unique moves. And there are various moves that can only be pulled off by combining Nunchuk and Wii Remote actions." %Gallery-3272%
Welcome back to the screens of history
The latest batch of Soul Calibur Legends screenshots isn't entirely new, but we think it's worth sharing. Famitsu posted the screens online that we previously featured in magazine scans, and the digital versions are much cleaner-looking. They're also no longer obscured by effusive Japanese blurbs. It looks pretty good, especially for a Wii game. But why are the enemies so shrimpy? Mitsurugi can totally take on normal-sized people (and unnaturally beefy dudes like Astaroth up there), so why have we only seen him surrounded by pencil-necked mummies?
Fresh Soul Calibur Legends scans
JeuxFrance has posted some scans from the latest issue of Famitsu, showing off images from Namco Bandai's upcoming spin-off title Soul Calibur Legends. The title is already confirmed to include Taki, as well as a franchise newcomer, but what we didn't know was that the game is 40% finished. That's a lot further along than we would've guessed. Soul Calibur Legends is currently slated for a winter release in Japan. %Gallery-3272%
Some nice concept art for Soul Calibur Legends
1UP has got a pair of different pieces of concept art for the recently announced title from Namco Bandai in Soul Calibur Legends. Revealing that the game will revolve around Seigfried, it's also made known to us that the game will include many of the franchise's characters, as well as introduce a few new ones. Nothing else is really known about the game, other than the controls will include both the Wiimote and nunchuk. Head on past the post break for the concept art.
Soul Calibur Legends adventures onto Wii
Soul Calibur Legends, an action-adventure spin-off of the Namco Bandai fighting series, has been confirmed by Famitsu. First hinted at by IGN earlier this week, 1UP explains that Legends will be a Wii-exclusive "diversion," perhaps occupying the idle time between its release and the next 'real' Soul Calibur sequel. Legends will apparently focus on Siegfried, taking it back to the 16th century, but expect many of the franchise faces to pop up and compete for playing time. Namco Bandai has little else to reveal at this stage in development, aside from vague confirmation that the control scheme will use both the Wiimote and Nunchuk -- so be careful not to get tangled while swingin' your "Snake Sword." Will Legends successfully spin off from its fighting roots as Shaolin Monks managed to do? Or might it eventually be tucked inside the closet next to Death by Degrees? Too early to call. At least we won't be playing dress-up at a beach resort. [Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
Confirmed: Soul Calibur Legends coming
You can stop holding your breath. The rumor is true! The latest issue of Famitsu proves that Soul Calibur Legends is heading to the Wii, bringing everyone here at Wii Fanboy Manor down to their knees as tears of joy erupt from our face with the force of a bursting dam. Obviously, the game will not be the spitting image of the franchise's 3D fighter norm, offering up fans of the universe a taste of something different. Let's hope it doesn't turn into another Death by Degrees though.
