Soulcalibur: Lost Swords Goes Free-to-Play This Winter

[Michael Epstein]

Soulcalibur: Lost Swords Goes Free-to-Play This Winter

The next Soul Calibur is a single-player, free-to-play PS3-exclusive.

Publisher Namco Bandai unveiled the next Soulcalibur at the Tokyo Game Show today, but it's the not the game you'd expect. Soulcalibur Lost Swords is a single-player, free-to-play fighting game. Oh yeah, and it's a PS3 exclusive.

To complement the game's free-to-play format, Lost Swords adds an item "discovery and foraging" system, allowing players to pick up weapons and materials off of fallen foes. (Presumably there will be a crafting system, to go with it.) In addition to crafting new equipment, players can now imbue their weapons with elemental properties like fire and wind. Lost Swords also features the series' standard character customization options.

Soulcalibur Lost Swords will be available in Japan "soon," and will come to western PS3s "by winter 2013."

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[NightHawk21]

This seems weird. Where's the hook?

 

[sid]

Sp? Is it still a fighting game?

 

[The Apple BOOM]

As a tournament goer for SCV, I can't help but be a little disappointed that this isn't SC6.

 

[Cormyre]

Ugh, second beloved fighter to go F2P, third in my core line of games to go F2P, can we stop it now? (and second Namco Title)...
Pretty sure I don't want to run into the same characters over and over by people not devoted enough to pony up the cash for the game and have no clue what they're doing if they go the same route as Killer Instinct. If they give the full roster, what are they monetizing? since it seems that my first thought "weapons" seems to be off the table... unless you have to pay to be able to customize and forge stuff from the crap you find, or what other limit? Regardless I'll probably stay away from this... "what I can't buy your game outright? well then I guess I can't buy it"

 

[Dragoon]

So basically it's an rpg lite fighting game now instead of an actual fighting game? I guess you can't complain with it being F2P but it's still kinda weird to take out the main feature of a fighting game, the vs mode.

 

[Arawn]

Single player and free to play. An interesting combination. Online free to play would be what Killer Instinct is doing, but it seems that not what's going on here. Unlike most fighting games Soul Caliber has been known for some attempts at making unique single player modes. I still recall the RPG like sections and challenges in past games. Didn't SC have a brawler like game too? Might we see something like Dynasty Warriors? That being the case the possible crafting system makes sense and would blend well with the F2P "pay for perks/advantage" It is possible there would be some online vs mode later if it plays out well for them. Who wouldn't want to face off their custom fighters in their custom gears? Possible, but maybe they just wanted to bring out a complete single player affair. Still they'll have to have a big hook to keep people interested in playing such a thing for long, let alone throw down their money. Simple grind won't do, some sort of angle that will keep them going back to it. I truly wonder. Since it's "free" there's no harm in trying it. We shall see.

 

[Rad Party God]

Singleplayer, free to play and SoulCalibur... that's a combination of words I never expected to be on the same sentence.