The latest installment of Namco's swords-and-souls fighting series has finally gone online, albeit not in the way gamers might have hoped for.

　　The official Web site for Soul Calibur III is up and running today, complete with everything a budding slave of the cursed blade needs to prepare for the game's release on October 25.

　　Beyond the expected overview of the game's convoluted backstory, wallpapers, and character profiles, the Soul Calibur III Web site also gives players a good look at the game's most interesting new features. There are sections and videos devoted to the self-explanatory character creation mode and the chronicles of the sword mode, which builds role-playing game advancement and real-time strategy elements around the core fighting system. There are even a few secrets hidden in the site, like a downloadable "trading card" of the new character Tira that features some more background information and in-fight footage of the bladed-hoop-wielding warrior.

　　For more on the new features in Soul Calibur III, check out GameSpot's preview, including an interview with producer and creator Hiroaki Yotoriyama.