.
.
.
.
....
Profile
General: The latest installment to the Soul series is everything it was hyped up to be, and then some. As a fan and loyal player since the beginning, I can honestly say that Soul Calibur 4 is truly the next-gen Soul Calibur that fans of the series have been waiting for; in my case, since Soul Calibur 2. Nearly everything about the game engine has been refined and polished; but the important thing is that the core gameplay and feel of the game hasn't changed much, and what was changed was done in balance and was executed quite well.
.
.
.
.
First of all,
let's talk about the new HD graphics because they simply must be
talked about. Soul Calibur 4 is surely one of the prettiest 3D fighters
we've ever seen. The character models and background detail really make
a statement. It brings back memories of the graphical statement that Soul
Calibur made when it launched with Sega Dreamcast in 1999. The new
graphics engine makes everything incredibly sharp and intricately detailed,
from the moody backgrounds, to the shiny armor (that reflects the actual
backgrounds), down to the bare bone character models themselves; which
are indeed some of the most seamless models I've
ever seen... There's
hardly a trace of any actual "polygons" anywhere. Darth Vader's helmet
and Ivy's ass, for example, are both amazingly round... 
It's scary! Skin and muscular detail has simply never been done quite so
well. Next-gen lighting/shadowing effects, background blurring effects,
and sparking hit effects add an extra touch to the visuals and really put
the icing on the cake. Each of the new stages show off some sort of impressive
graphical element as well, and each are brilliantly designed from
every angle.
.
.
.
.
Soul
Calibur 4 has the traditional Story, Arcade, and Training modes; and
also features the new Tower mode where you'll square off against multiple
opponents one after another. In tower mode (and story mode), you're allowed
a partner at certain times; AKA Tag team style. Instead of your current
character actually "tagging out," your partner simply takes the place of
your current character in a "flash of blue light"... Teleportation if you
will. 
The tag system looks
a bit strange in a way, but it is fun and effective in it's own right.
Tower mode offers a variety of single player challenges (some on the difficult
side), and is also the path to unlocking some of the games most rare goodies.
.
.
.
.
The Story mode this time around is a short 5 rounds, and really leaves much to be desired. The character endings, done with the real-time graphics, are also on the short side; and honestly fail to impress in most cases (although I haven't seen them all yet). There is however some cool dialogue between related characters which is worth a few points. One of the only other cool things about story mode is that if you create a costume for the character you beat the game with, that character will be wearing that costume during the ending. The computer AI also does a good job at representing the gameplay... And I was actually quite impressed with stage 1 of Siegfried's story where he fights his father, as his father just sat back waited for me to attack first. I just kind of circled him and practiced my stance transitions for about 2 minutes... It was pretty epic.
.
.
.
.
The graphical polish and detail that SC4 shows off is accompanied by possibly the best fighting animation ever seen in a video game, hands down. The Soul series has always been known for it's smooth animation and accurate depiction of authentic & unique martial arts fighting styles; and SCIV takes it a notch further. A handful of classic moves and hit effects have been re-touched, making them appear even more fluid and/or more brutal than ever. Even classic stance and walking animations have been touched up... It actually takes a keen eye, or someone who's been playing this series for a long time, to notice some of small details about the animation that was tweaked. Namco always did an outstanding job with animation in their fighting games, and once again prove to be the king of the hill in the animation category for 3D fighting games... By far.
.
.
.
.
Of course, the characters of Soul Calibur are why many of us love the series so much. The diverse selection of fighting styles and personalities is what Soul Calibur has always been about, and now with over 30 characters; the series has seen it's best roster and variety yet. The first new character to join the SC roster is a female knight by the name of Hilde, who has a unique fighting style fighting with both a short sword and a spear. Like in the home versions of Soul Calibur 2, Namco has widened their roster yet again by bringing in some recognizable guest characters into their franchise. With Namco obtaining the rights to LucasArts, Darth Vader and Yoda have made awesome bonus characters for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions respectively. Darth Vader is a slow, yet powerful opponent... Seeing him in action is always epic; and his accurate (badass) depiction in SCIV is brilliantly done. On the flipside, the cuddly green teddy bear thing known as Yoda has some cool moves for a small guy, and is immune to throws and certain high attacks. Fighting him is kind of annoying, yet quite humorous at times. The Apprentice AKA Starkiller, from the yet to be release Star Wars game, The Force: Unleashed, also appears as an unlockable bonus character; and has quite a badass and unique light saber fighting style!
.
.
.
.
Aside from bonus Star Wars characters, several other new faces, designed by "guest manga artists," also be made their fighting game debust in SCIV... For example: Scheherazade, designed by renowned anime illustrator Yutaka Izubuchi (Patlabor, RahXephon); Angol Fia, designed by renowned manga artist, Mine Yoshizak, and Shura, designed by Hiroya Oku of Gantz fame. These bonus manga inspired characters unfortunately don't have their own unique fighting style, but rather borrow the fighting styles of some of the classic Soul Calibur veterans. While somewhat disappointing that they don't bring a new fighting style to the series, it is cool to have "alternatives" to use for a certain fighting style; besides creating your own fighter, of course. These bonus characters (all female) do have their own voice actresses and unique intros at least, but overall they leave something to be desired.
.
.
.
.
.
Along with
tweaking classic gameplay elements like guard impacting, the wall game,
and ring outs; Namco added several brand new elements that really make
SCIV feel like a "new game" and not a re-hash. "Critical Finishing Moves"
have made their debut in Soul Calibur IV and will KO your opponent if
they overuse blocking. Critical Finishers aren't a huge part of the
gameplay, but are quite cool to do against players (or the computer AI) who
block a lot AKA turtle. Unfortunately, each character only has one critical
finish; and some of them aren't much to write home about. During most critical
finishers, the background "fades out" followed by an array of flashy
lights; and then someone's seriously getting their ass kicked.
I wish most of the critical finishers didn't completely "take you out of
the game;" because the ones that still show the background are the better
looking ones. Overall, some of them do appear "cheap" as in an
afterthought, but others are done well and do satisfy. I also do
appreciate the special win post if the critical finish is done on the third
round... Overkill!
.
.
.
.
Namco also
incorporating different levels of "armor breaks" into SCIV. Players who block frequently,
especially against guard crushing attacks, will allow their armor to be destroyed
(in either a high, mid, or low area). This will result in an armor break, and their character
taking extra damage if that specific area is hit. This new gameplay element
isn't only cool on paper, but it makes for a truly unique and rather cool
visual presentation. Helmets, masks, and various pieces of armor will break,
fly off, and even stay on the ground during the fight, sometimes getting
kicked around. Clothing also gets ripped to shreds, exposing the true detail
of the awesome character models. In many cases, characters can become quite
revealing, down to their underwear sometimes; especially those created
characters... 
Yes, even your
created characters can lose their threads and accessories!
.
.
.
.
.
As far as gameplay goes, this is Soul Calibur, so what do you expect? The game engine of this series has always been at the top of it's class, but the big changes from SC2 to SC3 did leave many hardcore fans a bit disappointed (me included). Well, I'm pleased to tell you that Soul Calibur IV's gameplay is a huge improvement over Soul Calibur 3's, but is still a far shot from my beloved SC2. The 8 way run and overall movement is smooth, but still noticeably "slower" than the likes of SC1 and 2. Characters look bigger than ever, and feel heavier to move around; which isn't really a bad thing, but it does take some time getting used to the new pace. Many characters have been toned down, some with moves that have been slowed down; others that are still missing their classic cancels and alternate stances. Therefore, there is a bit of a learning curve to mastering any character in SCIV, even if you've been a hardcore Soul Calibur player since day one.
.
.
.
.
As expected,
Namco gave returning characters some interesting and generous updates to
their movelists. Unlike returning characters in other fighting game sequels,
the characters of Soul Calibur IV have become "subject to change," likely
because Namco is going for balance and wants to make characters more accessible
to new players. Even though the characters don't play quite like they used
to, there are tons of great new moves, guaranteed hits, and strategies
to be discovered and mastered... And by the way, the character movelists
in the game don't show all of the moves in the game (as usual). 
Don't get me wrong, a lot of characters still have a handful of their classic
moves and can be used similar to how they were used in past games,
but a lot sure has changed since SC2... (No I won't stop talking about
SC2).
.
.
.
.
Soul Calibur
IV doesn't appear to be "packed" with extras like some of the prequels,
for example, character "katas" are nowhere to be found! 
However, Namco could easily release the katas, as well as other extras,
as downloadable bonus content... Or at least I hope they do! The
extras that SCIV does feature revolve around SCIV's awesome Create-a-character
mode, which is pretty much the best customization mode in any fighting
game to date. Not only can you create your own character from scratch,
using a countless amount of coloring options and pieces of various clothing
and armor; but you can even edit the default Soul Calibur character's costumes
from the ground up. After you create a new color scheme or outfit for one
of your favorite characters, there's actually an icon that gets created
for that costume which accurately depicts the outfit you created, along
with the weapon you chose for that outfit... Pretty damn impressive if
you ask me. I've been waiting for a fighting game to do something like
that for I don't know how long. Your created character can use any of the
main character styles featured in the game (minus the Star Wars characters),
and I'm glad that they left out those ridiculous create-a-character fighting
styles from
SCIII, good call Namco!
.
.
.
.
With the release
SCIV, the Soul series has finally gone online. The online
modes are pretty basic and straight forward; either play a ranked match
against a completely random opponent, or a non-ranked match against any
of your online friends. There is also the option to fight with weapon/created
character effects on or off (serious players will prefer off, of course).
One of the coolest things about SCIV Online is the fact that you can take
your customized character or edited Soul Calibur character into battle...
It's quite entertaining to see what other players have come up with as
well. Online
gameplay runs pretty smooth for the most part, although that impolite lag
still pops up occasionally; which for a game like Soul Calibur,
can be pretty tough and annoying to deal with. Thankfully, before you engage
in a match with another player, you can view the quality of their connection
before you battle... Oddly though, it doesn't show your connection
speed. Alas, the majority of matches I've had online had little to no lag
(I'm sure my high speed Verizon FIOS helps)!
.
.
.
.
Overall, the
online experience is pretty decent; as there is always some great
competition to be found (as well as some not so great competition), however,
I do have a few gripes. First and foremost, there doesn't seem to be a
strict enough penalty (or penalty at all) for bailing out of a match early,
as I have run into quite a few "sore losers," who purposely disconnected
while I was, well, destroying them... 
Funny, because I noticed they're the ones that suck at the game the most.
I hope those "droppers" realize nobody will want to play them again if
they drop during a match. Also, the ranking system overall seems a bit
flawed. It's relatively easy to get high up in rank just by beating novice
players to level up, granted you have some sort of skill... And beating
high ranks sometimes just doesn't pay out like it should. Also, the ranks
don't have cool names like in Tekken 5:
DR Online, and simply don't look as cool either. As with T5:DR
Online, the ranking system shouldn't be taken seriously... It's just for
fun and to show "how much you play online."Of course, it doesn't actually
reflect "how good you are at Soul Calibur IV," you have to prove that to
your opponents in other ways.
.
.
.
.
Soul Calibur
IV, as good as it is, does have it's fair share of quirks. Firstly, the
intro wasn't nearly as impressive as SC2's or SC3's. I was a bit
disappointed that they used a mere 6 characters in the intro...
It seriously should have been longer and more drawn out, especially considering
the fact that they used real-time graphics for the intro. 
Next, clothing and armor sometimes "goes through" characters body parts,
hair, and even faces from time to time; especially on created characters.
I understand, however, that this is a tough thing to eliminate from
a 3D fighting game completely. There are a ton of "dynamic poses" in this
game, a plethora of animation; and on top of that comes the amazing character
detail that Namco's artists imagined. Therefore, the glitching of the clothing
through certain character models is almost unavoidable. The good news is
that it's really only noticeable on the close ups of certain characters,
and mostly created ones at that. Other small nags I have are the fact that
you can't "taunt" before the match at the VS screen... Yeah, those pre-match
one liners and grunts were always silly and unnecessary, but now that their
gone, I kinda miss em'. I also
miss the wall jumps from Soul Calibur 2... Why haven't those been put back
in the game? They weren't cheap or anything, and they were fun to do. Ohh,
and what's up with replays only for the last round? And NO replays online?
*sigh*
.
.
.
.
On the flipside,
there are even more "details" that I like about SCIV. Firstly, I
love the new slo-mo/gray scale effect during the KO! I also thoroughly
enjoy the new "splash" sound (and effect). When a character gets knocked
out of the ring into water, they hit the water hard. 
There are a ton of other awesome new sound effects; all of which are intense
and satisfying. Some character's intro taunts and win quotes are still
funny and strangely awkward at times, but others are actually quite badass.
The voice acting in both Japanese and English are done well for
the most part and are possibly the best of the series overall. There are
also a few special intros between related characters; always a nice touch
for a fighting game. The soundtrack of the game, probably overlooked by
many, is also deeply inspiring and simply put, epic... Gotta love those
Star Wars tracks! Namco also released classic Soul Calibur 1 tracks for
download, those of which you can use as BGM's for stages of your choice!
Awesome! I also appreciate the calm music in the online battle lobby while
you wait for a challenger.
.
.
.
.
No, I'm not
done promoting this game... Did I tell you that I actually work for Namco?
Other positive details I want to point out? Hmm. I love the selection screen
this time around, and I was enthralled to see that they used actual 2D
character art for the character slots... They look amazingly sharp on my
HD screen. I also love how reflective armor looks different on each stage
because it truly reflects the colors and light of the stage. And
if you look even closer (in edit mode), you can actually see the background
details reflected on certain armor (check out the 'close helm' and you'll
see what I mean)! 
The shine effect that they used for hair also catches the eye, and hair
animation during movements is also done well. I also love the new character
"tracking" animations. Not only will the stagnant character turn their
head while watching their circling opponent, but they will now twist their
entire upper torso as well, which alters their stance animation... Maxi's
is a must see. It's
a really cool effect, and SCIV is the first game to do it. Details like
the ones I just mentioned really make SCIV stand above the crowd, and lead
the way for the next generation of 3D fighting games. Congratulations Namco!!!
.
.
.
.
Manufacturer: Namco
Bandai
Platforms: PS3,
Xbox 360
Release: July 29,
2008
Characters:
Mitsurugi,
Taki,
Ivy,
Hilde,
Kilik,
Xianghua,
Maxi,
Cervantes,
Yunsung,
Seong
Mina,
Siegfried,
Tira,
Setsuka,
Lizard
Man,
Nightmare,
Sophitia,
Cassandra,
Raphael,
Astaroth,
Rock,
Talim,
Voldo,
Yoshimitsu,
Zasalamel,
Amy,
Darth
Vader, Yoda, Starkiller,
Angol
Fia, Scheherazade,
Ashlotte,
Shura,
Kamikirimusi,
Algol
Related Games:
Soul
Edge, Soul Calibur, Soul
Calibur 2, Soul Calibur 3, Soul
Calibur 3: Arcade Edition
Review is for PS3 version of Soul Calibur IV
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Closing Comment:
Not only should Soul Calibur 4 please most fans of the series, it
might even turn the heads of many gamers back in the direction of fighting
games... Possibly away from those repetitive first person shooters? (yeah
right) The Soul
series has become one of the more well known and mainstream fighting game
franchises out there, and it's easy to see why. There's a lot to love about
this game and the deep characters, but I understand Soul Calibur isn't
for everybody. Maybe that's why Namco changed up the characters so much,
to give both expert players and casual/novice players alike, the chance
to somewhat start over and re-learn the characters. Characters do seem
easier to use, thus more accessible to "new(b)" players this time around,
which isn't really a bad thing... Namco wants to widen their audience
of course. The good news is, due to the solid and dynamic gameplay, veteran
players of the series should still be able to dominate novices,
and those dreaded button mashers with ease; with a little practice of course.
Don't let anyone tell you different... *cough* IGN
*cough*...
Soul Calibur IV is NOT button masher friendly, not by a long shot...
Seriously, if you lose to button mashers, you suck. ...It's
not the game.
Soul Calibur
IV offers a lot to hardcore players, but also has enough going for it to
give casual players a reason to play and keep coming back... I'm
sure a handful of Star Wars nerds picked up SCIV just to play as Darth
Vader and/or Yoda. I'm not the "biggest" Star Wars fan, but I must say,
Vader is badass... He surprisingly fits into the game and has a brutal
fighting style. On the flip side, I never really liked Yoda, but he does
have an interesting fighting style which stays true to his movie fight
scenes. Like in any quality fighting game, the experience of SCIV is much
more impressive when watching two skilled players go at it. When button
mashers try to play, yeah, the game still looks pretty good since Namco
made a lot of moves easier to pull off; but for me, it's actually quite
painful to watch. Like any quality fighting game, the game looks it's best,
and much more natural when it's controlled by two players that actually
know what they're doing.
In closing,
SCIV seems very balanced thus far, and hopefully no game-breaking issues
will pop up; but if they do, Namco can easily release a downloadable patch
to remedy the problem! As you might have figured out by now, I'm really
happy with Soul Calibur IV... I found a new favorite game to spend hours
upon hours mastering. I'll be hibernating in practice mode and VS mode
for quite some time, but soon enough I will make my presence known online...
And I will be taking names. 
Heh heh... See you online soon, if you have the PS3 version that is. ~F.Yagami,
Webmaster
of TFG
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.