The majority of the characters on Soul Calibur IV will also be familiar if you're a fan of the series, though only around half of the 30-plus combatants are available at the outset, including Yoda on the Xbox 360 and Darth Vader on the PlayStation 3. Others are unlocked by defeating them in the single-player Story and Arcade modes, and by purchasing them with the gold that you're awarded for winning fights. There's more than enough variety on the roster to ensure that you can enjoy playing as at least a handful of different characters, and a robust customization system gives you the freedom both to edit their appearances and to create your own fighters from scratch.
The goal in Soul Calibur IV, of course, is to defeat your opponent by depleting his or her health bar. Alternately, you can win by knocking your opponent out of the "ring," which is possible in almost all of the game's beautifully realized arenas.
Online play is where Soul Calibur IV really shines. The action is fast-paced and free of lag for the most part, though if you have a slow Internet connection, you might find that your character takes a split-second longer to respond to your inputs than you're used to, which can prove fatal against a skilled opponent. You can choose to play ranked battles online against random opponents or join up to three other players in an unranked lobby, in which the winner of each round gets to stay in the fight as spectators get their turn in the ring. Both Arcade and Special modes of play are available online, the difference being that in Special mode all of the characters' move lists are augmented by special skills bestowed on them in part by weapon and clothing choices. Disappointingly absent from Soul Calibur IV, both online and offline, is an option to pit teams of fighters against one another. Team battles have appeared in the series previously, and given that the tagging mechanic is present in the single-player Tower of Lost Souls mode, its omission is baffling.
Only time will tell whether people will accept Soul Calibur IV into the pantheon of timeless, classic fighting games, but it looks great, plays extremely well, and has countermeasures for nearly any perceived exploit you may stumble across (like unlockable final boss Algol's slow-moving ranged attacks). The create-a-character mode is amazingly deep, allowing you to assemble your own bionic man, while the new manga-designed fighters add plenty of fun new looks and personalities to play. The Tower of Lost Souls mode is a much better attraction than Soul Calibur 3's Chronicles of the Sword, as it ditches that game's real-time-strategy-lite load-a-thon with more straightforward combat challenges (and rewards). Ironically, as complete a package as Soul Calibur IV is, the recent release of the original Soul Calibur on Xbox Live actually feels faster and more nimble than its newer brother; that doesn't make it a better game, but it's an interesting observation.
Game Features
- Unleash the Force: Iconic Star Wars characters, Sith Lord Darth Vader and Jedi Master Yoda challenge the Soul Calibur fighters for the future of the powerful swords. Experience the legendary Soul Calibur level of graphics now in 720p HD resolution for the fi
- Take the Fight Online: For the first time ever, fight opponents around the world online in multiple versus modes.
- The Ultimate Roster: Battle with classic Soul Calibur character, exciting newcomers or customize your own unique fighter.
- New Fighting System Elements: Exciting new fighting game elements including the Active Matching Battle System and the ability to execute devastating critical strikes.
- Multiple Gameplay Modes: Experience Soul Calibur with Story, Arcade, Tower of Reminiscence, Training Practice, Character Creation, and Museum View modes.
>>Archives>> |
QUICK LINKS
