"Soulcalibur IV" may not be the quintessential one-on-one fighting game, but it's certainly the quintessential "Soulcalibur."
That's a good thing, unless one dislikes "Soulcalibur." This game won't change anyone's mind. It features the most diverse lineup, the most extensive character-building options and by far the best graphics of any recent fighting game.
Plus, Yoda is in the Xbox 360 version, and Darth Vader is playable for those with the PS3 edition. Another "Star Wars" character makes an appearance in both versions as well: Vader's secret apprentice from the upcoming "Force Unleashed" game. They all play well – Yoda dips and spins as in the movies, Vader employs crushing blows and Force attacks, and the Apprentice is quick and powerful with an odd behind-the-back lightsaber stance that leads to unpredictable strikes.
"Star Wars" characters may seem like an odd fit, but they work just as well here as Spawn, Link and Heihachi did in "Soulcalibur II." The series' makers always manage to find some excuse for their guest characters' existence in this universe.
The game play is what one expects from a fighting game sequel: familiar but with tweaks. Thus, fighters have had new moves added and their move sets reworked and rebalanced, with some familiar moves replaced or requiring different motions to carry out.
Fighters now have three pieces of protective equipment that can be shattered during battle, and a character that blocks too much is left open to an instant-kill attack.
The roster is considerable. Aside from the "Star Wars" guys, there are a couple of other new characters and several bonus characters that copy a fighting style from another character but have their own looks.
The standard arcade mode is as straightforward as they come – just a battery of fights, then the end boss. The Tower of Lost Souls is more interesting, as players must ascend or descend the massive structure and win battles at each level to move on to the next. Items and gold won in this and other modes can be used in character customization (more on that later).
The story mode cuts out a lot of the extraneous map navigation and other annoyances of previous "Soulcaliburs." The downside is that the narrative is all but lost. This time around each one gets a setup and an ending, and that's it. Nearly no narration or context is provided for the fights between those points.
Character creation is where the game really shines. "Soulcalibur III" introduced the concept, but it's refined here. With equipment earned through battle and by exploring the Tower, players can create characters using those items and any of the main cast's fighting styles and weapons.
The options are sparse, but "Soulcalibur IV" allows for online play, using a well-done queue system for players waiting for a match.
SOULCALIBUR IV
PUBLISHER: Namco
SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3
PRICE: $59.99
AGE RATING: Teen
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