Soulcalibur turns 20 this year, and Bandai Namco is celebrating with a trailer helping fans reminisce.
The Soulcalibur franchise started life with a 3D arcade fighting game in 1995 known as Soul Edge; in 1996, the game was ported to the PlayStation under the name Soul Blade. The franchise sets itself apart from other fighting games, including Namco’s other 3D fighting game Tekken, by focusing on weapon combat. The franchise has since received acclaim from numerous fans and critics. Now, 20 years later, Bandai Namco is celebrating its hit franchise’s anniversary with a special trailer.
The trailer is fast-paced and flashy. Most of the footage is from cutscenes from the Soulcalibur franchise, including the original Soul Edge/Blade and the spin-off titles Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny and Soulcalibur: Lost Swords. The visuals are tied to the music, the iconic song “Brave Sword, Braver Soul“, and perfectly match the beat.
Almost every character from the franchise is featured in the trailer. However, a lot of the run time is devoted to fan favorites Ivy, Cervantes, Voldo, and the mascots of the franchise, Siegfied and Nightmare. Sadly, characters such as Algol, Viola, Charade, and Aeon Calcos do not appear in the trailer and neither do any of the guest characters. Furthermore, the spin-off Soulcalibur: Legends is not featured in the trailer.
While there is no word on whether a new game is being made, fans can still visit the official Japanese website.