 Review By: Grant McCallum |
Developer: | Project Soul |
| Publisher: | Namco Bandai | |
| Genre: | Fighting | |
| ESRB: | Teen | |
| # Of Players: | 1-2 | |
| Online Play: | Yes | |
| Accessories: | PlayStation Network (online play), HDTV 720p/1080i/1080p, In-game Dolby Digital | |
| Buy Now: |   |
Soulcalibur IV is in fact the fifth game in the long running Soul series of fighting games which started way back in 1996 with Soul Edge/Blade in the arcades and on the Sony PlayStation. Although the Soul series wasn’t the first fighting game to use weapons, Namco’s original installment proved how large a factor the varying range of attacks can play. Not only did this add to the challenge and overall essence of the games, but also added a higher level of diversity to characters and their respective playing styles.
Over the years, the Soul series hasn’t made many drastic changes in terms of gameplay, but don’t think this is a negative aspect of the game’s design. Soulcalibur IV takes those elements which worked best in previous Soul games and expands upon them, giving you a rich and enjoyable fighting experience which is almost certain to entertain both fans of the series and newcomers alike.
If you’ve ventured into the world of Soulcalibur before, chances are you will recognize a number of the fighters in its impressive 33 character roster, and it’s impossible to talk about Soulcalibur IV without mentioning this installment's console exclusive guest characters – Darth Vader and Yoda from the Star Wars franchise. Although at first fans were skeptical about the inclusion of these two seemingly out of place characters in the game, it has to be said that they do fit in fairly well and thankfully aren’t too imposing. Despite the fact that the two console exclusive characters were part of the main driving force of Soulcalibur IV’s marketing campaign, the degree of attention they receive in game is very equally measured compared to the rest of the characters. Unfortunately, for those of you who were hoping to pit Yoda against Vader in the ultimate Star Wars battle, it isn’t something which is possible just yet; however an elusive empty character slot in the character select menu next to the other Star Wars character may well indicate that these two characters will later be released as downloadable content from the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, depending on which version you pick up. Both the PS3 and 360 versions include The Apprentice from the upcoming Star Wars game, The Force Unleashed. Each of the guest fighters plays particularly well and none of them could really be considered unbalanced.
Aside from a few force moves, the PS3’s Vader plays exactly like any other Soulcalibur fighter you are likely to encounter. On the 360, Yoda and his shortfalls in the height department lead to an interesting style of play. Although Yoda is impossible to grab and is generally quite annoying (some attacks will simply sail over his head), he isn’t overpowered or unfair as such, just a little frustrating to fight. Darth Vader’s apprentice is somewhat different to his master. Attacking swiftly and using many, many force attacks often leads to him being called “cheap” however once you get the hang of fighting him, he is just as simple as your average opponent.
Thanks to the broad range of characters featured in the game you won’t find yourself struggling to find one you gel with. For the most part character designs are fantastic and on top of that, the combatants are well balanced in their abilities meaning there won’t be a certain character which destroys everyone else or another who is totally useless. Furthermore, in the current generation which allows patches to be released for games, any criminally unfair advantages (or disadvantages) such as unintentionally infinite combos or a lack of strength can soon be taken away.
Posted: 2008-09-08 17:42:51 PST