 Review By: Grant McCallum |
Developer: | Project Soul |
| Publisher: | Namco Bandai | |
| Genre: | Fighting | |
| ESRB: | Teen | |
| # Of Players: | 1-2 | |
| Online Play: | Yes | |
| Accessories: | Xbox Live (online play), HDTV 720p/1080i/1080p, In-game Dolby Digital |
One of the popular additions to Soulcalibur III was the option to create your own fighter, or “Create a Soul”. This feature returns once more in the latest Soul game, with many different options for you to design whichever fighters you like. Thanks to the broad range of clothing, hairstyles and weapons available it’s possible to create fighters resembling almost any character you fancy, so for those of you who have been itching to see your favorite characters in action, look no further. How you customize your fighters will depend on how exactly you wish to use them. The standard Arcade mode operates so that no armor pieces will have an effect on your character’s attributes, however in other modes you’ll need to consider the statistical advantages of each piece of equipment used by your character – different headpieces will offer different bonuses for example, and its up to you to choose which ones will most likely benefit your combatant. Although this may sometimes result in your character appearing as though he should be starring in a 16th Century fashion disasters video, you should find that you can keep your fighters both looking the part and having statistical advantages.
Leveling your character through combat also unlocks different skills which you may utilize (such as giving you slight health absorption or nullifying the possibility of ring out) and although it would be nice to start at the level cap of nine, it doesn’t take long at all to obtain this level. These different skills, stats and levels add a new dimension of tactical thinking to combat, however it has to be said the main contributing factor is simply talent in the ring as oppose to preparations made beforehand.
The different combat modes in Soulcalibur IV aren’t what you would call innovative, but they work well enough. The story mode is, unfortunately, a disappointment and pales in comparison to the previous installment’s impressive mode in the same style. Whereas previously cutscenes told the tale of the character’s adventure, this time around things are very text-heavy and fairly unexplained. In contrast to the underachieving story mode, the new “Tower of Lost Souls” is an excellent single player challenge which pits you against many foes over 60 stages or “floors”, each one made more challenging than the last by different parameters such as opponents with maximum defense or even invisible enemies. Not only does this present an entertaining feat in itself, but the Tower is full of rewards in the form of new items for the character creation mode. Arcade mode really does what you would expect – you play through a number of battles, having to win two rounds against each opponent to advance to the next stage until finally, you win. Even though we’ve seen it all before in terms of Arcade mode’s mechanics, the actual gameplay, tight controls and presentation of the game means you will be quite happy to play through it again and again. An online scoreboard will also satisfy those old-school gamers who like nothing more to see their name at the top.
Control is excellent in Soulcalibur IV. Button commands are recognized instantly almost 100% of the time and although some combos require split second timing, it is not as punishing as other similar games such as Virtua Fighter which require your command inputs to be dead on time. Soulcalibur IV is one of those rare few games which is easy for new players to enjoy, but can also be mastered and become very complex for those of you hardcore gamers who love to challenge the top ranking players or take on the computer at the highest difficulty setting.
An interesting new aspect of gameplay is the addition of “Soul Crush”. It’s quite difficult to explain and even harder to master at first, but when you get the hang of this technique it can be incredibly useful. Soul Crush works through the depletion of a colored orb whenever attacks are blocked. Each time you block an attack, the orb changes color slowly – all the way from green until it is flashing red. This gives the opponent the opportunity to completely demolish you with an awesome looking and wonderfully cinematic one-hit kill known as a Critical Finish. Soul Crush is an interesting concept which prevents players from blocking constantly to prevent losing; however some players who favor the “turtle” style may consider this to be destroying their technique. Then again, Soulcalibur IV is all about fast paced and over the top action, so “turtling” is something best avoided with this particular title.
Posted: 2008-09-08 17:42:51 PST