It isn't all the time that a game created in Japan gets released in America first, but this will be the case for Soul Calibur V. The game will hit Japanese store shelves on February 2nd, just two days after its American release date. Furthermore, the Japanese box art is now available for your gawking pleasure. I hate it when they put guest characters like Ezio on the freaking cover, but I suppose it's cool if you're into that kind of thing.
Last but definitely not least are the first print bonuses which are two pieces of DLC. The first is the character Dampierre, who made his debut in Soul Calibur's PSP outing. The second bit of DLC adds two new suits of armor to the character creation mode: Black Knight and White Knight. I wonder if these freebies will be offered as an incentive for American players. Behind the break you'll find screens of Dampierre and the armor sets. Look for Soul Calibur V on HD consoles on January 31st.