You know, the best part
of the Videogame Awards isn't the actual awards part (although I like
that Samus Returns won
something), it's the various announcements that take place there.
This year saw two announcements that are of particular interest to
me; Soul Calibur VI from
Bandai-Namco, and Shadows Die Twice
by From Software. Which is why I'm about some time writing about
them.
So,
without further ado, let's get to it.
First
up is Soul Calibur V,
which has been a long time coming. The last game was released in
January 2012, and some speculated that it might have killed the
franchise, given the rather large backlash against it. But it lives
yet! And with a shiny, new trailer too. Featuring Sophitia and
Mitsurugi.
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| Copyright © Bandai-Namco. |
The
first thing to note is that both Sophitia and Mitsurugi are a lot
younger than the last time we saw them, leading some to speculate
that this is a reboot of the franchise. It may be possible that
Namco is looking to start over, after the previous game in the series
was met with so much hostility. Indeed, according to an article in
Gematsu (link below), Sophitia has not yet married Rothion, mean her children
don't yet exist either.
Yet,
if this is a reboot, why does it carry the number VI? After all,
this came would be restarting the series, rather than carrying it on.
The
other option is, that the series is going to tread the same path as
Mortal Kombat; and
that do to the characters' actions, or some outside force, we are
going to see an altered history. This would seem to be supported by
the phrase “history hides away more than one truth”, which is
spoken in the trailer. This would seem to suggest that there are
some aspects of the story we don't know about, or that the truth as
we know it is going to change.
 |
| Copyright © Bandai-Namco |
Then
there is the fact that during the trailer, Sophitia seems to receive
a vision of events from the later games in the franchise. This could
be an indicator that the plot will involve time-space shenanigan in
some way; possibly with her attempting to prevent whatever ominous
things she saw. Namco have apparently promised us an “epic story”
after all.
However,
if this game is going back to the time of the original Soul
Calibur then there is no telling
where that leaves some old favourites. Some characters were not
around at that time, but an altered timeline means they could come to
participate in events earlier than they originally did. Not to
mention that time-space shenanigans could even lead to characters
from Soul Calibur V
being presented.
Personally,
I am hoping that Cassandra makes the cut, especially if the story
will focus on the Alexandra family.
Whatever
the case, it's good to see this franchise getting another chance.
Next
we move on to the trailer by From Software, which is very long, and
doesn't show very much. Yet there may still be some interesting
things to glean from it.
 |
| Copyright © From Software |
Naturally,
some are already speculating (or hoping) that a new Soulsbourne game
is in the works, but I am of a different opinion. Both Dark Souls
and Bloodbourne lean heavily on a western aesthetic for their visual
design, being based on medieval Europe, and Victorian England
respectively. Whereas Shadows Die Twice appears
to show what looks like Japanese writing in the background, meaning
that this game will probably have a more Japanese aesthetic.
Moreover,
the very title “Shadows Die Twice”,
could itself be a clue, as that was a phrase that was uttered in the
Tenchu series. A
stealth-based series about ninja, but which still included the
supernatural. So it's possible that we might be seeing the return of
Rikimaru and Ayame, and the revitalisation of another dormant series.
I
hope that's the case. Not only would I like to see the Tenchu
series again, but I would hate
to see From Software get pigeon-holed, and forced to make Soulsbourne
games for the rest of their existence.
So,
there we have it. The possibility of two dormant franchises
returning to life. Be sure to tell me in the comments what you think
about Soul Calibur's return,
and what you think Shadows Die Twice
might be.
Until
next time,
PhoenixAct.
Links:
https://gematsu.com/2017/12/soulcalibur-vi-first-details-screenshots#rPvQDY2sg3GGOIKp.99
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