Soulcalibur IV is the latest fighting game, fourth in the series, from Namco Bandai that hit the Xbox 360 earlier this week; it’s also available on the Playstation 3. This much-anticipated fighting game is built around weapon-based combat, the staple of the Soulcalibur franchise. We have been huge fans of the series ever since it was released years ago on the Sega Dreamcast, featuring unique 3D fighting, a great story, and innovative weapons for each of the insanely creative character. All you need to know about the single-player story is that it involves powerful forces and magical swords. Using this as a baseline the developers created an entire solo experience for the gamer to play through, something very unique to games of the fighting genre.
This single-player experience includes a story mode, the classic arcade mode, and a tower of lost souls. The story mode can be completed with any one of the 25+ characters to choose from, each with their own custom-designed plot to follow. While this mode is short in length it’s still nice to see some effort into giving the player some options. Arcade mode is exactly what it sounds like, take your favorite character through 8 levels (each one best 2 out of 3 fights) and destroy the final boss to complete it. Probably the most interesting aspect of the solo play is the “tower of lost souls” mode, basically a king of the hill type challenge where the difficulty is ramped up a lot after each floor is completed.
Once the tower is conquered the player can then choose to descend back to the bottom, fighting his way through a number (40+) of ridiculously hard differing challenges; adding to the overall longevity of the game. The character creator/customizor aspect of Soulcalibur IV is something that we can guarantee will greatly please fans and newcomers alike. Featuring upwards of 100 different variables such as clothing, armor, weapons, looks, and fighting techniques, this mode can keep gamers busy for hours attempting to build the perfect fighter. The custom characters can be used in most of the offline modes as well as the online ones that makes for some pretty exciting battles.
SCIV features all of the normal multiplayer modes that you see in most fighting games, both online and offline. Easily the most exciting bit of news for fans of the Star Wars saga was that Yoda and the Secret Apprentice (from the upcoming action game The Force Unleashed) would be making guest appearances in Soulcalibur IV. Darth Vadar, as of now, is only available in the Playstation 3 version but sources inside the industry have informed us that he will be moving to the 360 eventually. All of the classic moves and crazy combos from the past SC games are back in IV as well as a bunch of new upgrades and special moves seen here for the first time. We never would have thought that breasts could get even larger and more bouncy than earlier Soulcalibur or Dead or Alive games but this one takes the cake, and by cake we mean massively huge jiggling boobs.
Graphically Soulcalibur IV is one of the best looking fighting games ever made on any gaming system. The lighting effects will be envied for years to come and the character models themselves (the most important part of a fighting game) are at times unbelievable to look at, especially in high-definition. This is one of those games that you will be happy to show off to your friends, and with good reason; it looks damn good. There is no doubt in our minds that if you are a fan of fighting games Soulcalibur IV will push it’s way to the top of the next-gen list, and it can do a good job bringing new fans into the genre.
Final Recommendation: Buy
