Soulcalibur IV

Ever since it debuted in arcades a decade ago, the original SoulCalibur has been widely revered as one of the greatest fighting games of all time. Now, NAMCO Bandai is releasing the fourth entry to the beloved fighting franchise (fifth if you count Soul Blade), SoulCalibur IV on next-gen systems. While the gameplay isn’t far removed from the previous entries in the series, SoulCalibur IV does add some great new elements, like a more fleshed out Character Creation mode and online play. Unfortunately, there are a couple of issues with the game, namely a short and lackluster story mode and a few elements that aren’t as fleshed out as they could be. This is not likely to deter most fighting fans, however, as the basic mechanics and stellar fighting that has garnered the series millions of fans are still here, making it worth a look for hardcore fighting game fans.

SoulCalibur IV features a huge roster, with 30+ characters both new and series regulars. You’ll be able to play as a good chunk of familiar favorites from SoulCaliburs past, as well as various newcomers. The most highly publicized new additions to the character lineup are Darth Vader and The Apprentice from the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game. Although The Apprentice is a bit of a cheap character, Vader feels quite balanced with the rest of the characters in the game. Additionally, the robust character creation mode from SoulCalibur III makes a return, with a few added features to make the specific character you want.

SoulCalibur IV adds some pretty big changes to the overall formula. New to this entry are armor upgrades, which will allow for some RPG-like customization for the game’s characters. While you can use the armor to beef up your created character’s stats, you can also add special skills and new weapons to improve characters within the game’s roster (unfortunately you cannot make very many aesthetic changes to Darth Vader or The Apprentice aside from a few stat boosting items). These give you a variety of added boosts, like faster charges and nullifications (like Ring Out), and allow you to foster your character to your given play style.

Still, while the classic gameplay that made the series so great is largely unchanged, there are a few problems overall. The story mode is very underdeveloped, giving you some text to read and then a series of battles, with very little difference between it and the standard Arcade mode. While there is also a “Tower of Lost Souls” mode that has you fighting a series of endurance battles in order to unlock special items in the character creation mode, even this feels a bit shallow and empty compared to single-player modes in previous SoulCalibur games.

Also, there are some balancing issues when it comes to special equipment. There are ways to unlock or create special armor combos that will enable you to effectively dominate with very little or no issue. This not only kills the game’s challenge after a point, but sullies the fun a bit.

Online play in SoulCalibur IV is very solid, making for extremely smooth multiplayer matches with very little lag. Unfortunately, as of this review, the servers are bit inundated with players, and it can be a pretty trying experience to find a match, but once you do, the results are a blast.

Graphically, the game looks great. The animations are better than ever, and the attention to detail on the breakable armor looks fantastic. The game moves very smoothly, clocking in at 60 frames per second with no noticeable slowdown at all.

Soundwise, SoulCalibur IV has the expected epic soundtrack (including Duel of the Fates of Star Wars fame) and some decent, but not great, voice acting. Luckily, if the English voice work isn’t to your fancy, the game allows you to switch to Japanese VO, as in previous entries to the franchise.

SoulCalibur IV has a few problems, but what the game does right, it does fantastically. The action is the same fast and furious SoulCalibur gameplay that we’ve all come to love, and the addition of online play is necessary and solidly implemented. Online fighting fans shouldn’t be disappointed.

Review Scoring Details for SoulCalibur IV

Gameplay: 8.0
Fast-paced and easily accessible, SoulCalibur IV has a solid fighting engine that appeals to hardcore fans without alienating newcomers. However, the single-player elements leave something to be desired and feel shallow compared to previous entries in the series.

Graphics: 9.5
Gorgeous character models and luscious environments coupled with smooth framerates make this a fantastic looking game.

Sound: 8.5
The soundtrack is up to par with previous SC games, but the English voice acting could use a little work.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.0
The new single-player modes are shallow and a bit disappointing, and the storylines in the story mode are nothing to get excited about.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Matches run smoothly with very little lag.

Overall: 8.5
SoulCalibur IV doesn’t stir up the pot too much, offering mostly the same gameplay as previous entries. Fortunately, the franchise has it down to a science, and the addition of online play further sweetens the deal.