Soul Calibur IV represents many things, some good, some bad, and which is which will largely depend on your perspective. I’ll back it up before I get all introspective on the nature of fighting games. The short of it is that Soul Calibur IV is a fighting game, so if you already know definitively that games of this genre are not your bag, then put it back on the shelf and turn away. The hallmark fundamentals of fighting games are still present core in spite of its innovation, and while there’s plenty of shine visually, it certainly doesn’t do enough to transcend its genre, so don’t expect this title to be the rule-breaking exception.

Soul Calibur has always been defined by its tripartite (this isn’t me kicking out fancy words, it’s straight from every Soul Calibur manual I’ve seen) relationship between the 8way run system, and the horizontal and vertical strike options. The other paper-scissors-rock games are there too, block vs. guard vs. throw, and high vs. mid vs. low attacks and other such situations players must balance in between, so mechanically it’s all there on paper. In practice I’m not 100% convinced that it all jives together perfectly, but I’ll get to that.

Visually SC4 looks as good as I’ve come to expect in fighting games, which is that it looks really really nice. The scope of the playfield is about as constricted as it gets when you compare it to other genres though, so if a modern fighting game doesn’t bring some flash to the pan, then there’s a problem in either the level of ambition or the skill of the developers. Swords fly about with the coloured trails now signature to the series, and the gathering of lightning bolts and/or flames before a guard break or unblockable move looks better than ever, and Seigfried’s armour of ice looks as believable if not more than his standard steel. What’s unbelievable on the other hand, is Ivy’s boobs, which have both been unbelievable throughout the series, however they now look on the absurd side – I like shots of underboob as much as the next guy, but good lord – it’s just asking too much for me to suspend my disbelief that they can stay in there like that. Unfortunately I did notice the framerate hitch up a bit on the PS3 version when the camera was pointed out across a bay and my opponent snake-word wielder was hitting the wooden deck too often was sending up wooden splinters everywhere – the same situation on the 360 had no such ill effects.

While I’m talking about Ivy, I may as well segue into the issues I have with the mechanics, since anyone who’s interested in SC4 has probably already seen the infamous Ivy infinite combo using one move. I know the defence. It’s online, they can patch it. It’s not the first fighting game to have an infinite combo. Etcetera. The truth is that I’m not holding that against it much, but it certainly can’t be sold as something in its favour, especially when I noticed that the Apprentice’s 3B strike whiffs over Yoda half the time (while he’s standing stock still) for no good reason – if I can find such an incongruous situation after a cursory for-review-purposes quick look, it certainly seems concerning that their might be other oddities lying in wait. But that could just be the inclusion of Yoda as a playable character, which I’m not too thrilled about in mere theory. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be more than interested enough to play a decent fighting game in which people (perhaps Jedi, even Sith) wave lightsabers around and hurt each other, and Darth Vader is cool, it’s just that I treasure the Soul Calibur franchise more than I treasure Star Wars, and above them both I treasured that they weren’t in any way joined. As stated, Darth Vader is cool, and only on the PS3, and the Apprentice from the upcoming Force Unleashed game is available on both, and in the slightest way seems to mimic the dark lords style and is unlockable on both systems, while Yoda is the 360 exclusive. I say exclusive now, but between the system-exclusive character and The Apprentice, there’s a suspicious space in the character selection roster which adds fuel to the fire of the rumours suggesting that Yoda and Vader will be purchasable later, along with the fact that Namco Bandai certainly has no qualms about monetising their souls, if the content selection on the Xbox Live Marketplace is anything to go by. Getting back to Yoda for a second though, he seems like a really bad fit. As stated earlier, the Apprentice’s 3B whiffs half the time, which would make sense if it were a high strike, as Yoda’s too short to be hit by (most) highs while idle, but he can be hit by some high strikes depending on the range – so whatever’s going on there is beyond me. Also, he can’t be thrown. It strikes me as rather dubious that one character is allowed to violate the very fundamental underpinnings, but I won’t trash him for it any further. To make up for it perhaps, Yodas 8-way run is extremely slow, and while I haven’t tested it, it seems probable that vertical strikes are likely to hit him even while sidestepping. He can do a quick jump by double tapping in a direction, allowing the player to gain a little extra mobility when needed.

Beyond the base mechanics (which it might have sounded like I was ripping on,) there’s been a couple of major additions which are pretty cool. First up is the destructible equipment. Taking too many hits (or even blocking them) in one of the three levels – high, mid, or low – will cause something on that fighter (usually a piece of armour) to be destroyed, and the player will then take more damage from that hit location for the remainder of the match. The second is the Critical Finish – both players have a “soul gem” right next to their life meters, which glow blue at maximum, and red when it’s depleted. Blocking attacks will cause your gem to go toward the red, and if you keep blocking, your guard will be crushed and you’ll be vulnerable for a considerable length of time. More than that though, all your opponent has to do during that second of soul crush is to press A+B+K+G and his character will execute a critical fish, winning the round. Both these additions seem geared toward either punishing turtles, or increasing the reward for players who rely more on evasive play and guard impacts (which when performed will reduce your opponents soul gauge as well as giving you the initiative.) Neither of these additions are unwelcome as this game would have far to same-y without them. The destructible equipment, coupled with the character creation system, means you can actually clothe your character in an item that covers their body, which will only be destroyed during the battle, leaving you with the bracing sensation of a cool breeze on your nether regions, but possibly disarming your opponent as they collapse in fits of laughter. As for the critical finishes, it’s cool to have something (this goes for the equipment too) that persists through all round of the match, it adds another layer to the play and gives players more reason to use guard impacts and 8-way run. The animations of the critical finishes themselves on the other hand, are hit and miss, and even the “hit” part are that they’re cool the first time you see it, and then if you ever see it again, you just want it to hurry up so you can continue the match. The main problem here is that they’re essentially non interactive cut-scenes embedded into an experience which is, if you’re playing it correctly, demanding your attention and focus like none other, so it’s a bit like playing CoD4, having a gun battle and managing to trap an enemy in with a grenade, and then being taken out into third person to watch for three seconds while “you” point and laugh while your enemy cries and dies. Personally I think the system would be better served by a quick, clean, killing move that’s over in a second or a half, since the real show is in the setup.

Now, it wouldn’t be a Soul Calibur game if it didn’t have some sort of one player mode with some interesting variety in the scenarios you get put it. Project Soul has obviously taken to heart the criticism of Soul Calibur 3s strange real-time strategy game, which is great, because that was stupid. Instead, we have the Tower Of Lost Souls mode, where you go through floors of enemies, and try to complete some obscure riddle whilst battling your foes. I must say I miss the old adventure modes (Edge Master mode if you will) of SC1 and SC2, but this isn’t bad either. Completing the objectives during the fights earns you various objects for you to play dress up with your characters, which is the next thing I should talk about. The character creation functionality is back, as well as the ability to custom-fit your favourite characters so that they look a certain way, or get the benefits of the various stats the various items grant for equipping. Unfortunately you can’t just do both, which is a real pitfall. tying your characters stats and abilities to the clothing they wear means that if you want to customise your character just the way you like, you’re going to have to go trial and error with a lot of bits of clothing, and you’ll end up looking like a hobo who raided several drastically different trashcans for his wardrobe.

Closing comments: It’s a fighting game, and as such, your interest in this title should live or die by your interest in its genre. Soul Calibur 4 is good, and even great for fans of the series, but if you haven’t tried DOA or VF, then SC should take a backseat until then.

Tags: Games, Microsoft, Sony

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