Previewing a fighting game can be a bit of a nightmare at an expo. For one, their inherent social focus combined with large crowds means that they invariably prove to be one of the most popular attractions at a public event, so getting near them can be next to impossible. They can also be one of the most impenetrable and complex genres, their multitude of moves and nuanced mechanics often hard to master in just a few short play sessions. SoulCalibur, however, has always been a more accessible experience compared to the eye-melting action of games like BlazBlue or the strict combo timing of Street Fighter IV. At this year’s October MCM Expo in London we managed to brave the crowds and get some quality time with Namco’s latest instalment in the tale of swords and souls eternally retold; SoulCalibur V.

Apart from a brief outing on PSP, not much has happened with the franchise since SoulCalibur IVin 2008, arguably the low point of the series. Not that this is saying much; ever since the original Soul game was released in 1996 the series has had an excellent track record as one of the the best 3D fighters out there. But with a lack of overall content, the questionable inclusion of some Star Warscharacters and a strange fight-ending fatality-esque mechanic, SoulCalibur IV showed that the series was struggling to stay relevant. But despite word that Project Soul was disbanding, it seems that Namco is giving the franchise another shot.

With Street Fighter IVand BlazBlue having been released in the interim, SoulCaliburhas had to adapt to survive, but the changes are not immediately visible upon first sight. The same bright, warm graphical style remains – albeit with a new lick of paint; the defining eight-way-run system is still in place and the fighters we have come to love and loathe over the years all seem present.

Well, sort of. You see, SoulCalibur V takes place seventeen years after its predecessor – the largest time-gap yet between two games in the franchise. Thus Namco have created slightly tweaked alternatives to the familiar characters; primarily in the form of their children. For example, Pyrrha, Sophitia’s daughter, is almost identical to her mother, right down to her constant apologising during matches, while her brother, Patrokolos fills a similar role to Cassandra. Natsu, on the other hand, is a disciple of Taki, and adopts a similar playstyle, albeit with the ability to teleport.

Entirely new faces were few and far between in the build we played, with the oddly-named spirit wolf-summoning Z.W.E.I serving as the only completely unfamiliar presence. But while the characters may be familiar, the mechanical changes strike you as soon as your first match begins. The first noticeable change is how fast the game is; everything has been sped up to keep it in line with more recent, flashy fighters. Dashing now results in characters charging towards each other at Marvel vs. Capcom-esque speeds. It’s initially quite jarring if you’re accustomed to the somewhat slower pace of the previous games, and it takes a while to adjust once the colourful weapon-streams start flowing. Things look more flashy overall, as the plumes of fire associated with unblockable attacks have been turned into mini infernos, giving better warning to those on the receiving end, but also throwing you off guard by virtue of sheer spectacle.

Beyond this, most of the attacks – horizontal, vertical, kick, guard – all remain intact, but it quickly becomes apparent that one move seems to be missing – Guard Impact. For those unfamiliar with the system, this defensive move involved pressing a direction and the block button just as an opponent was about to strike, throwing them off balance and allowing you to recover from a flurry of attacks. However, the system hasn’t been removed entirely; it has now been assigned to the Critical Gauge. This meter – located next to each player’s health bar – fills gradually when performing attacks or receiving blows, eventually turning red once it reaches 200%.

This mechanic is a clear answer to the multitude of gauges that most fighters feature these days - something SoulCalibur has usually shied away from. The Critical Gauge allows you to power up standard moves at the expense of 50% of the gauge (called a ‘Brave Edge’) or activate the aforementioned Guard Impact, using 25% of the gauge. Using an entire Critical Gauge, on the other hand, activates a ‘Critical Edge’. These dramatic character-specific moves (provided they hit) grab control of the camera, giving you the best view as your character unleashes a series of damaging blows against their opponent. In the case of Ivy’s Critical Edge, for example, she kicks her opponent into the air before engulfing them in a brightly glowing cloud of blows from her razor-edged whip.

Whether such additions are enough to keep the series relevant remains to be seen, however. With the character design and jiggle physics becoming ever more outrageous in each instalment, and with the recent announcement that Assassin’s Creed’s Ezio will be fulfilling the guest character quota, we find ourselves longing for the comparative restraint shown by 1999’s Dreamcast title. If, however, Project Soul can dispel some of the button mashing tendencies associated with the series while keeping the mechanics accessible, and re-introduce the wealth and depth of content the series is known for, they may prove that the soul does indeed still burn.