<s>
is	O
a	O
fighting	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
released	O
by	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
Games	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
in	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sixth	O
main	O
installment	O
in	O
Namco	O
's	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
series	O
of	O
fighting	O
games	O
,	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
V	I-Application
is	O
the	O
follow-up	O
to	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
IV	I-Application
and	O
retains	O
the	O
weapon-based	O
combat	O
that	O
characterizes	O
the	O
series	O
but	O
follows	O
a	O
new	O
character	O
,	O
Patroklos	O
,	O
who	O
aims	O
to	O
rid	O
his	O
sister	O
of	O
a	O
curse	O
brought	O
upon	O
her	O
by	O
an	O
ancient	O
weapon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
V	I-Application
is	O
a	O
weapon-based	O
fighting	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
its	O
predecessors	O
,	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
V	I-Application
also	O
sports	O
variety	O
of	O
multiplayer	O
modes	O
,	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
face	O
each	O
other	O
both	O
online	O
and	O
offline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
1607	O
,	O
17	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
IV	I-Application
,	O
and	O
centers	O
around	O
the	O
children	O
of	O
Soul	O
series	O
veteran	O
Sophitia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Her	O
son	O
,	O
Patrokolos	O
,	O
is	O
working	O
as	O
a	O
soldier	O
for	O
Graf	O
Dumas	O
,	O
the	O
Roman	O
Empire	O
's	O
appointed	O
ruler	O
of	O
Hungary	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
tasked	O
with	O
eliminating	O
the	O
"	O
malfested	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
curse	O
that	O
is	O
bestowed	O
upon	O
whoever	O
comes	O
into	O
contact	O
with	O
the	O
evil	O
weapon	O
Soul	B-Application
Edge	I-Application
,	O
in	O
exchange	O
for	O
his	O
help	O
in	O
locating	O
his	O
sister	O
Pyrrha	O
,	O
who	O
has	O
been	O
missing	O
since	O
he	O
was	O
a	O
kid	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Confronting	O
him	O
about	O
this	O
,	O
Patrokolos	O
learns	O
that	O
Dumas	O
is	O
actually	O
aligned	O
with	O
Soul	B-Application
Edge	I-Application
and	O
the	O
'	O
malfested	O
 '	O
he	O
had	O
been	O
order	O
to	O
kill	O
were	O
actually	O
innocent	O
people	O
he	O
needed	O
to	O
die	O
so	O
he	O
can	O
restore	O
the	O
blade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Siegfried	O
indoctrinates	O
him	O
into	O
the	O
group	O
and	O
informs	O
him	O
that	O
Pyrrha	O
is	O
being	O
held	O
captive	O
by	O
Soul	B-Application
Edge	I-Application
devotee	O
Tira	O
and	O
assigns	O
Z.W.E.I.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
upon	O
arriving	O
in	O
Greece	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
confronted	O
by	O
Dumas	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
actually	O
the	O
vessel	O
of	O
Soul	B-Application
Edge	I-Application
's	O
physical	O
form	O
,	O
Nightmare	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Returning	O
to	O
the	O
Schwarzwind	O
base	O
,	O
Siegfried	O
entrusts	O
Patrokolos	O
with	O
Soul	B-Application
Calibur	I-Application
,	O
the	O
only	O
weapon	O
with	O
the	O
power	O
to	O
save	O
his	O
sister	O
and	O
stop	O
Nightmare	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
changed	O
forms	O
and	O
had	O
become	O
severely	O
weakened	O
in	O
the	O
years	O
since	O
its	O
last	O
battle	O
with	O
Soul	B-Application
Edge	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
Nightmare	O
wages	O
war	O
on	O
Europe	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
strengthen	O
Soul	B-Application
Edge	I-Application
,	O
with	O
Schwarzwind	O
fighting	O
to	O
stop	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
manages	O
to	O
get	O
ahead	O
and	O
kill	O
the	O
still	O
weakened	O
Nightmare	O
,	O
but	O
is	O
quickly	O
disposed	O
of	O
by	O
Tira	O
and	O
Pyrrha	O
,	O
who	O
proceed	O
with	O
Tira	O
's	O
true	O
goal	O
:	O
though	O
still	O
loyal	O
to	O
Soul	B-Application
Edge	I-Application
,	O
Tira	O
found	O
that	O
Nightmare	O
no	O
longer	O
fit	O
the	O
mold	O
and	O
had	O
been	O
grooming	O
Pyrrha	O
to	O
take	O
his	O
place	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
as	O
soon	O
as	O
Pyrrha	O
picks	O
up	O
the	O
demonic	O
blade	O
,	O
Patrokolos	O
arrives	O
and	O
kills	O
her	O
with	O
Soul	B-Application
Calibur	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shell	O
shocked	O
by	O
what	O
he	O
did	O
,	O
Patrokolos	O
 '	O
mind	O
winds	O
up	O
in	O
Astral	O
Chaos	O
,	O
where	O
an	O
encounter	O
with	O
Edge	O
Master	O
convinces	O
him	O
to	O
travel	O
back	O
and	O
save	O
Pyrrha	O
by	O
removing	O
Soul	B-Application
Edge	I-Application
,	O
thereby	O
severing	O
its	O
control	O
over	O
her	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Pyrrha	O
comes	O
to	O
her	O
senses	O
,	O
her	O
desperate	O
attempt	O
to	O
have	O
Soul	B-Application
Edge	I-Application
save	O
her	O
brother	O
frees	O
his	O
mind	O
enough	O
to	O
allow	O
him	O
to	O
confront	O
his	O
'	O
mother	O
 '	O
who	O
reveals	O
herself	O
to	O
be	O
Elysium	O
,	O
the	O
spirit	O
of	O
Soul	B-Application
Calibur	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Patroklos	O
and	O
Pyrrha	O
sealed	O
the	O
two	O
swords	O
into	O
the	O
Astral	O
Chaos	O
,	O
Cassandra	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
missing	O
for	O
years	O
,	O
appears	O
in	O
the	O
new	B-Application
timeline	I-Application
where	O
she	O
tells	O
her	O
younger	O
self	O
about	O
the	O
grim	O
future	O
of	O
the	O
Alexandra	O
family	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
features	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
returning	O
characters	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Siegfried	O
,	O
Voldo	O
,	O
Ivy	O
,	O
Tira	O
,	O
Algol	O
,	O
Aeon	O
(	O
Lizardman	O
)	O
,	O
Hilde	O
,	O
Kilik	O
,	O
Maxi	O
,	O
Mitsurugi	O
,	O
Raphael	O
,	O
Yoshimitsu	O
,	O
Cervantes	O
,	O
Nightmare	O
,	O
Dampierre	O
(	O
who	O
first	O
appeared	O
in	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
:	I-Application
Broken	I-Application
Destiny	I-Application
)	O
,	O
and	O
Ezio	O
Auditore	O
da	O
Firenze	O
from	O
the	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
petition	O
for	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
V	I-Application
posted	O
on	O
Facebook	B-Application
caught	O
the	O
attention	O
of	O
Katsuhiro	O
Harada	O
,	O
producer	O
of	O
Namco	O
's	O
Tekken	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
accepted	O
suggestions	O
and	O
promised	O
to	O
lobby	O
on	O
behalf	O
of	O
fans	O
for	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
teased	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
2010	O
,	O
when	O
game	O
director	O
Daishi	O
Odashima	O
tweeted	B-Application
"	O
SC	O
is	O
back	O
!	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
April	O
2011	O
,	O
Odashima	O
tweeted	B-Application
again	O
saying	O
"	O
Hopefully	O
I	O
will	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
announce	O
something	O
mid	O
May.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Soulcalibur	B-Application
V	I-Application
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
by	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
on	O
May	O
11	O
,	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
story	O
mode	O
was	O
outsourced	O
to	O
CyberConnect2	O
,	O
developers	O
of	O
the	O
Capcom	O
game	O
Asura	B-Application
's	I-Application
Wrath	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pre-order	O
bonuses	O
included	O
the	O
playable	O
character	O
Dampierre	O
from	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
:	I-Application
Broken	I-Application
Destiny	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
collector	O
's	O
edition	O
of	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
V	I-Application
was	O
released	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
standard	O
edition	O
in	O
a	O
book-like	O
package	O
containing	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
CD	O
game	O
music	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
The	O
Art	O
of	O
SoulCalibur	B-Application
V	I-Application
book	O
,	O
the	O
making-of	O
DVD	O
,	O
and	O
exclusive	O
White	O
and	O
Dark	O
Knight	O
character	O
creation	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Namco	O
has	O
released	O
additional	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
for	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
"	O
Launch	O
Day	O
"	O
pack	O
includes	O
a	O
set	O
of	O
character	O
customization	O
items	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
exotic	O
"	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
music	O
from	O
Soul	B-Application
Edge	I-Application
and	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Valentine	O
's	O
Day	O
February	O
14	O
pack	O
includes	O
customization	O
items	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
fearsome	O
"	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
music	O
from	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
February	O
28	O
pack	O
includes	O
more	O
customization	O
items	O
and	O
music	O
from	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
IV	I-Application
and	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
:	I-Application
Broken	I-Application
Destiny	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
DLC	B-Protocol
packs	O
were	O
announced	O
and	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
once	O
a	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critical	O
reception	O
of	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
V	I-Application
was	O
generally	O
positive	O
with	O
average	O
Metacritic	O
scores	O
of	O
77	O
(	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
)	O
and	O
81	O
(	O
PS3	B-Operating_System
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Adam	O
Biessener	O
of	O
Game	O
Informer	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
best	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
ever.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
IGN	O
Steven	O
Lambrechts	O
wrote	O
that	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
V	I-Application
"	O
feels	O
like	O
more	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
"	O
and	O
was	O
disappointed	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
especially	O
criticizing	O
its	O
main	O
story	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jordan	O
Mallory	O
of	O
Joystiq	O
claims	O
that	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
V	I-Application
"	O
is	O
simultaneously	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
Soul	B-Application
Calibur	I-Application
games	O
ever	O
made	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
worst	O
Soul	B-Application
Calibur	I-Application
game	O
ever	O
made.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Soulcalibur	B-Application
V	I-Application
got	O
to	O
number	O
4	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
PS3	B-Operating_System
sales	O
charts	O
,	O
and	O
number	O
3	O
on	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
eight	O
months	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
sold	O
1.38	O
million	O
units	O
worldwide	O
,	O
somewhat	O
less	O
than	O
the	O
2.3	O
million	O
copies	O
of	O
Soulcalibur	B-Application
IV	I-Application
that	O
were	O
sold	O
during	O
its	O
first	O
eight	O
months	O
.	O
</s>
