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CG rating |
The Bad
- The graphics and animations
- The diversity and complexity of the fighters
- Character customization
- Accessible gameplay
- Good multiplayer
- Short and weak Story Mode
- Lack of balance between fighters
- Few innovations brought to the fighting system
Review
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Along with the gamer’s needs and the evolution of technology, game producers have tried to release titles meant to keep up the pace. In the XXI century, laser mice allow us to lead soldiers on the battlefield, we fly fighter jets with the help of high-tech joysticks or drive powerful cars with hundreds of horsepower under the hood using wheels and pedals which are as real as they come.
I like that things evolve and that we enjoy a lot of variety in this domain, but I will remain close to a classic type of games that has remained unchanged throughout the years: the fighting games, or beat’em’ups. An interesting thing regarding this genre is that, without any doubts, the arcade halls still offer the best experience, above anything a next-gen console can give. Some time ago, those halls where full of dedicated kids, wanting to prove their fighting qualities in King of Fighters, Street Fighter 2 or Mortal Kombat. And I’m happy that there still are passionate people that prefer them in favor or other, more recent titles.
In 1993, SEGA launched the first ever-3D fighter known as Virtua Fighter, that basically started the trend for this type of game. Another Japanese producer, Namco, went even further with a three-dimensional graphic and delighted the fans with two very popular titles, Tekken and Soul Edge. Soul Edge’s sequel was named Soul Calibur, and the next games of the series kept this name.
Soul Calibur IV treats the same theme as its predecessors: the eternal war between good and evil, represented here by two mystical swords, Soul Edge and Soul Calibur. The list from which you can choose includes over thirty fighters, and along the already consecrated ones there are a few new entries. Hilde, a fighter armed with a spear, specialized in ranged attacks and Algol, one of the adversaries you will have to confront at the end of the game. Namco, by signing a contract with Lucas Arts, also included the most loved Star Wars characters: Yoda, for the Xbox 360 version, and Darth Vader for the PlayStation 3. However, Darth Vader later became accessible on Microsoft’s platform too, taking the form of DLC (downloadable content) that can be bought from Xbox Live. Even though it can be used after you finish the Arcade mode with Yoda or Darth Vader, another interesting entry on both consoles is that of Starkiller, none other than the hero from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, to be released in Europe on September 19.
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As a fan of fighting games, I was skeptical about the producers’ statements that the game will be accessible both to newcomers, and to veterans and professionals that take part in tournaments. I found it hard to believe that a compromise can be made in this direction, my biggest problem being the characters’ balance, something that I wished for since I was playing the third part.
The game uses the classical D-pad together with four buttons: horizontal attack, vertical attack, kick and guard. Those familiarized with the Tekken and Street Fighter series will need some time to get used to the special guard button, the latter ones using the “Back” arrow to block hits. And even though the PlayStation 3 controller is decent, an arcade stick is recommended for better control over hits and movement of the character used in the arena.
In the single-player mode, the fourth chapter of the series has a lot to offer. Along with the classic Arcade Mode, you can go through the story of every fighter in Story Mode. Even though the starting cut-scenes are very well made, I was unpleasantly surprised by the duration of the Story. There are only five rounds, and in the end you are shown a little ending story, followed by a terribly short movie. Personally, I am not very interested in the single-player, but the short duration of the cinematics and the reduced number of rounds is a drawback compared to its closest predecessor.
The “Chronicles of Sword” from Soul Calibur III has become the “Tower of Souls”, in which you can Ascend the tower and face strong enemies that defend it, or Descend, where you will have to survive as long as possible against hordes of different creatures from different levels of the tower. Each level has a secret objective and, depending if it’s accomplished or not, weapons and equipment are unlocked to modify characters in the Character Creation Mode, a very complex editor.
Here, besides changing weapons and haircuts, you can create a new character, although the fighting style must be taken from one of the already existent ones. RPG fans will be very familiar with this, as the freedom of customization is almost unlimited. Each weapon or equipment has different stats, so the character can be specialized in attack, defense or hit points. The characters created by the user can only be utilized in the Special Versus mode (online or on the same console), but most will prefer to duel as equals using the preset options (Standard Versus). However, nothing stands in your way to customize the look of a character from scratch and to use it in Standard Versus, but his abilities must remain unmodified.
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Total: 1666 votes
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