Soulcalibur IV flawed but fun

Marking the first next-generation entry in the popular weapon-based fighting game franchise from Namco Bandai, Soulcalibur IV features numerous refinements to the core gameplay of the series. Addressing the flaws that hindered Soulcalibur III on the PS2, there’s now a greater emphasis on multiplayer aspects than the single-player experience, resulting in a game that more successfully appeals to casual and hardcore players alike.

Focusing on the 16th century setting established by the previous games,
the story once again focuses on multiple fighters from around the world as they seek the legendary swords known as Soul Edge and Soul Calibur, each for their own reasons. More surprising, however, is the inclusion of guest characters from Star Wars, with the PS3 version receiving Darth Vader and Yoda appearing on the Xbox 360, the lead character The Apprentice from the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game appearing on both platforms.

The plot itself is told through the game’s story mode, utilizing both text-based exposition as well as cut-scenes rendered with the in-game engine.

As with the other games in the series, combat in SC IV is handled with four buttons, one set aside for horizontal slashes, one for vertical slashes, as well as a kick button and a guard button. One of the new additions to the game is the armor break function, in which portions of the opponent’s attire are gradually worn away by attacks, causing them to take slightly more damage.

More significant is the new Critical Finish system. As an enemy continues to block attacks, this takes its toll on the Soul Gauge, eventually causing his or her guard to break. Following this guard break, known as a Soul Crush, the other player is given the opportunity to use a powerful attack which instantly ends the round. Though usually rare to achieve as a result of the effort necessary to wear down the enemy’s guard, it causes battles to focus more on offense compared to the more defensive nature of the previous games.

In terms of presentation, the detail of the character models is commendable, although though the menu design doesn’t stand out much. The cast itself features a diverse array of characters, with clothing textures that are both distinctive and ornate. There’s also a decent amount of variety in the backgrounds, ranging from a raft floating downriver to
a marsh at sunset with dodos wandering about. Of lesser note is the game’s introduction sequence, which is fairly underwhelming even without accounting for the better executed intros of the other installments.

In regards to sound, while the soundtrack is competently orchestrated,
few songs seem to stand out compared to earlier games in the series, not accounting for the Star Wars themes licensed for the game (which play on stages modeled after the films). Additionally, the game’s voice acting is generally a mixed bag, sometimes a result of the voices used, and other times because of the dialogue. The option to switch between English and Japanese language is present, yet the speech of the characters is synced better with the latter.

Other complaints which come to mind include the stability of online play,
wherein lag and dropped connections are not unheard of, even at the strongest signals. The returning Create-a-Soul feature introduced in SC III feels every bit as superfluous as it was before, making one wonder what the point is in creating characters that are merely copies of existing cast members. By extension, the five bonus characters contributed by Japanese comic artists also lack a point. As a result of their move sets also being copies of existing characters, their endings are the only ones told through stills rather than using the in-game engine. And though at least two of them are interesting and manage to fit in from a design standpoint, by not giving them moves of their own simply amounts to wasted potential.

In spite of the issues that remain, SC IV is quite possibly the most
solid in the series since the first Soulcalibur. Some casual players may complain about the lack of things to do as part of the single-player experience when compared with SCIII, yet shifting away from this has been better for the game itself. Fun regardless of one’s level of skill, it should do well to keep players occupied.