Even though the SoulCalibur series is known for having one of the best stories in the fighting game genre, the titles are also known for their unique fighting system - and being one of the pioneers of 3D fighting. The franchise's reliance on weapons over hand-to-hand combat is rarely seen in fighting games - and the 8-Way Run system helped revolutionize the fighting genre.

So, while a number of information released about SoulCalibur V lately has been about the new characters and story - as featured in the SoulCalibur V E3 trailer - the game's director, Daishi Odashima, has decided to talk about some new additions to the gameplay for the new title.

While you can probably spot some new mechanics in the latest SoulCalibur trailer, Odashima detailed an especially interesting feature on his Twitter account - something new that has actually appeared in other fighting games many times already. It sounds like some sort of "super bar" will be included - much like those used in a Street Fighter or Marvel VS Capcom game - known as the "Critical Gauge." Using a bar of the Critical Gauge will allow the player to perform a "Critical Edge," which is supposed to be some sort of powerful attack, though he didn't really specify. He did say that the mechanic could be used in combos, and since players will have two bars, they could chain two Critical Edges together. He also mentioned something called "Brave Edge," which would use up a portion of a bar - to power up your normal attacks.

Odashima also took some time to talk about tweaks to defensive gameplay. He mentioned something called the "Quick Move," which worked a lot like Soul Calibur II's evasion system. It's essentially a faster version of the 8-Way Run and can even be used by beginner players. Odashima also mentioned the return of the Guard Impact from previous games, as well as something called "Just Guard," which apparently requires precise timing - and is recommended for highly skilled players only.

All these new additions to the system, the Critical Gauge in particular seems, to be pushing the game towards being more like other fighting titles. Time will tell if this is a good idea - as fans often praise the SoulCalibur series for standing out from the crowd.

What are your thoughts on the new additions? Is making SoulCalibur V more like other fighting games be a good idea?

SoulCalibur V is coming out next year for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Source: SiliconEra