TGS 2011: Soulcalibur V screenshots and trailer pit familiar faces against new fighters

Namco isn't skimping on fresh glimpses of Soul Calibur V. Gloss over the brief, mandatory “in days of yore” business to get to a non-stop barrage of character intros delivered via the welcome medium of fast-paced gameplay footage, which should serve to ease veterans back into the fold even while enticing newcomers (unless you don't like swords and randomly-yelled wisecracks, in which case you're SOL). There's also a glut of new screens and concept art, focusing on vampy newcomer Viola and returning Big Bad Astaroth.

Here's the trailer, which should give you a fair idea of which fighter you might like to pick first when the game launches early next year. Producer Hisaharu Tago promises the game will offer a “faster, lighter, and more elegant” addition to the series.

New fighter Viola is apparently a calculated attempt to offset the series' rep for gratuitous skin. She's also probably the closest you'll ever get to seeing what Ezio Auditore would look like as a sexy female Freddy Krueger.

Returning antagonist Astaroth may be another angle on the same “see, we're well aware half-nude doesn't always equal sexy” message – though doubtless some of you get off on that sort of thing.

Here's a gallery of new screens showing Viola, Astaroth and some more of the SCV crew in action.

Sep 15, 2011