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Soulcalibur IV
All the buzz surrounding this fourth entry in the famed fighting franchise has been soaked up by Star Wars, so let’s address the Jedi-driven hype right from the jump: Yoda. Kicks. Ass. Yes, to our surprise (and relief), adding the diminutive Jedi master to the melee mix turned out to be more than just a Force-fueled marketing ploy. He controls like a dream, animates as acrobatically as his Attack of the Clones counterpart, and amuses when responding to the conceited cast with his backward-speak: “Once you start down the dark path, consume you it will.” Take that, Siegfried! Based on our experience pinballing him off and around Soulcalibur’s fighters, we’d even welcome a full-on Star Wars brawler (but please, not another stinker like Teras Kasi!).
Of course, this is still Soulcalibur, so it’s not all whirring lightsabers and blue lightning. Even if faithful fans can’t get behind the warrior from a galaxy far, far away, they’ll still find this the best entry yet. The refined fighting engine feels silky-smooth and is welcoming to both button-bashers and seasoned weapon-wielders. That said, the latter will be rewarded for their dedication, as new features encourage them to hone their craft. For example, only the strategy-minded will successfully master critical finishers, which allow them to unleash an effective and eye-pleasing insta-kill. Additionally, before achieving this death-dealing skill, brawlers need to literally destroy an enemy’s armor. This grants both a strategic advantage and a visual treat as helmets and breastplates shatter beneath blades — we haven’t been so stoked by such effects since Joanna Dark’s bullets sent Kevlar flying like confetti in Perfect Dark Zero.
The eye-melting presentation extends to the rest of Soulcalibur as well: character models and environments are stunning, and you’ll be hardpressed to find any collision issues despite the continuous clashing of weapons and limbs. We would’ve liked more destructible items, though. Sure, fighters tear up floors — wood, stone, whatever — like overcaffeinated carpenters, but other begging-to-be-broken items, like stainedglass windows, are immune. That’s nothing but a minor gripe in a game brimming with great content, including a deep character creator that allowed us to fashion a female fighter wearing only undergarments, a Viking helmet, and a monocle. Just don’t ask why.
This must-play package is punctuated by the ability to finally go online in versus battles, which performed quite smoothly aside from some minor lag in international matches. Count on playing the best fighter of the year for a very long time!
On Xbox 360
+ Best Soulcalibur yet rocks with a finely tuned engine, slick moves like destroying enemies’ armor, and tight online bouts.
+ Yoda is actually cool.
+ Crazy-deep character creator.
? Can a dedicated Star Wars fighter be far behind?
9.0
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jorid
August 03, 2008 at 7:26pm
great review, love the game and all that, but you guys forgot one thing. NO TEAM VS MODE!! It would have been awesome,especially with the new ability to switch characters mid-fight,but the game only allows you to play with teams against the computer. Whats up with that?
Mitch OXM
August 02, 2008 at 10:02am
Heck, I'm still with Casey. Yoda's awesome to play as (if you can wield 'em) but DAMN IT is he a major pain to play. He completely breaks the game!!
247pimpin
July 31, 2008 at 2:21pm
This addition the the Soul Calibur franchise looks like another bombshell. Congratulations to all the guys at Namco. Another Soul Calibur star is born.
Casey OXM
July 31, 2008 at 1:55am
Oh Axe, you're making me blush, I had no idea you're still such a fan of mine!
morazadarkheart
July 30, 2008 at 9:00pm
Hum, what about Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice? Yodas not the only one in this with a lightsaber. Did they even unlock him before they wrote this? I unlocked all the characters within my first 24 hours with the game.
Daze Of War
July 30, 2008 at 8:09pm
Great review. I picked this up yesterday but haven't had a chance to play it yet. I wanted to see what everybody had to say about it before I opened it and it sounds like it's worth keeping.
Derrall
July 30, 2008 at 10:53am
i find yoda both anoying to play against.... and as.... i cant stand him, but i agree with the score.... online matches are smooth, the new characters are nice and all the old charactere are back to beast them all, only thing i hate is that they nerfed the crap out of ivy, and i love her, and they made her ugly..... ugh.... much love though... i shall master her again..
Renchen
July 30, 2008 at 10:47am
I'm so glad this game didn't end up beind a dissapointment like so many other games... i mean if THIS game was bad.. i think i would lose all my faith in the gaming industry
wique
July 30, 2008 at 10:24am
yea this is the best one yet and i agree with the score. the difficulty is not unblanced to me you just have to learn how to play all over again which is a welcome challenge even characters like Yoshimitsu and Sophitia feel completely different. I still dont know how to perform a critical finish and probably never will, but i could care less lol.
Axe Argonian
July 30, 2008 at 8:57am
This is definitely the best fighting game ever! However, I would give this game an 8.5 for unbalanced difficulty. Later in the game, most players will check out the Tower of Souls mode. A 60 floor mini-survival mode of challenges, trials, and tribulations. However, later in the tower, things become unbalanced. You will end up fighting customized fighters with skills that are immune to almost anything. For example, later on, almost every fighter after floor 37 is a sudden master of blocking. If they don't have a grapple break skill attached, you will have to practically rely on cheap Ring Out tactics. Another issue is the Story Mode. The endings for some characters are well-developed and awesome-looking. Meanwhile, others are poorly-developed and cheesy. Other than that, this game is a home-run, summer hitter. Oh, and in your face Casey Lynch! (If anyone remembers the several previews of Soulcalibur IV by Casey Lynch, he basically said that Yoda was a lame character to be added to the Xbox 360 version. Well, ha.)
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