Game Review - Soul Caliber IV (PS3)

Soul Caliber IV is pretty much what you would expect. The game retains the same fluid mechanics that allow for fun and fast-paced combat. Almost every available fighter from the previous roster returns with the vast majority of their moves unchanged.

Like the previous game in the series, it is multiplatform and offers different playable characters on each respective platform. Link, originally from the Legend of Zelda, ended up being the only one worth a damn in Soul Caliber III. Though, it is too bad the Gamecube controller was pure ass when it came to fighting games that weren't Super Smash Bros. It really all turned out to be nothing more then a gimmick.

It is no different this time around. Nearly a month away from the release of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, this new game in the series features characters from that well-known Star Wars universe. The PS3 version gets Darth Vader, the Xbox 360 has Yoda, while both versions have Darth Vader's secret apprentice from said Star Wars game. The force-powered fighters are really out of place and contrast the rest of the bunch.

Darth Vader is, disappointingly, the worst of the jedi selection. He moves just too slow for the amount of damage he causes, and his move selection is relativity weak. The Apprentice, on the other hand, is fast and powerful. His move selection contains quick combos and lots of crazy force powers, like force lightning. The Apprentice is nearly at the edge of having an unfair advantage, but he is fun to play nonetheless. He can only be unlocked by playing through the story mode with either Vader or Yoda.

Speaking of Yoda, I can't really say much about him at this moment, since I've only played the PS3 version. However, I hear that he's the most unbalanced fighter ever to grace the series.

The days of exclusivity for each character are numbered. Once you've unlocked every fighter, you'll notice that there is still a slot empty in between Vader and The Apprentice. Yoda and Vader are bound to show up on both respective consoles as a downloadable update. I've read that the coding for them is already on both versions, so I imagine we will all pay $2.99 or so for an update that was really unnecessary from the start. I hate how this current generation of consoles like to nickle and dime us to death, but that is an argument for another time.

The single player experience is pretty limited. There's a story mode, arcade mode and a new feature called Tower of Lost Souls. Basically, you ascend a series of floors against challenging opponents with 1 or more fighters of your choosing. The Tower is what you'll get the most play time out of. Each floor gives you a chance to unlock treasure towards character customization.

Speaking about that, the new Character Creator mode lets you change the gear of existing characters and create some all new fighters. Equipment can either be unlocked from the Tower of Lost Souls or the money you accumulate from winning matches. The brand new people you create can be customized aesthetically to your liking, but must use a pre-determined set of moves from one of the main fighters in the game. The equipment you choose can also impact stats and abilities. Normal arcade and versus matches won't make a difference, but everything else will. Your gear must be carefully selected to get the most out of your character and play style, even if he/she looks like a total mismatched idiot in the process.

The online play is another new welcome feature. Sessions can be created with up to 4 open player slots and a small amount of round options. Reserved slots can also be used for friend invitations. Ranked and unranked matches are available, along with standard and specialized fights. The specialized matches allow you to use stats and abilities used from the unlocked equipment. I've never tried the special matches and have no interest whatsoever. Including RPG-type elements in fighting games is something that I'm not very receptive to. I like my battles to be won by skill and not because of a cheap, god-like character. Lag can occasionally be an issue, and it is frustrating as hell when it happens. I still much prefer playing somebody in the same physical room as me.

There's really not much else to say. Every new game in the Soul Caliber series makes slight tweaks to the formula and updates the graphics. The combat is still fun. The story and the announcer still make no sense. The breasts on every female fighter are still ridiculous. Soul Caliber IV, in a nutshell, is what I expected.