When it comes to guest characters in fighting games, developers have to be very careful. You can’t just shoehorn someone into a formula that’s worked for years and hope for the best. You have to modify things and make sure they feel right at home. Just look at Link in Soul Calibur II; Geese Howard in Tekken 7; or any of the extra faces in the Smash Bros. series.
Fortunately, it seems like Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher series is an ideal fit for the forthcoming Soul Calibur VI. His swordplay seems perfect for up-close combat; and his supernatural techniques give him a slight advantage against even the strongest of warriors.
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While speaking with Gamereactor, producer Motohiro Okubo explained why he feels that the warrior is a great addition to the series, joining the ranks of a few others that have proven their worth in a tale of swords and souls, eternally retold.
“I think in Soul Calibur the fans have come to expect a guest character as kind of a legacy of the franchise, so in Soul Calibur VI we really went to great lengths to create this very immersive world and setting, so when we were looking for a guest character we wanted a character who, when we dropped into the world, would just fit right in, and of all the characters Geralt stood out and we approached CD Projekt and they were very supportive of it. There’s been a very positive response, and it’s been an interesting working relationship with CD Projekt. […] There were a lot of feedback cycles that went into making sure that was in line with the character, and we went to even greater lengths to really nail the character. We brought the mocap actor to our studio in Japan and recorded him for the motion of Geralt, so I think if you’ve played The Witcher and you’re playing this game, you’re really going to see Geralt come alive in Soul Calibur VI.”
From what we’ve seen thus far, Geralt definitely looks to be a favorite. But could we be seeing other guest faces join the picture? And will they have a weapon as sharp as Geralt’s blade? Hmmmm.
Soul Calibur VI releases on October 19 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.