REVIEW: Soul Calibur IV



£19.99

£29.99

Last week we saw the release of Soul Calibur IV, Ubisoft’s latest instalment of their fighter.  Admittedly, I didn’t know what to expect.  It’s a fighter, and to be honest with you, fighters are one of those games that you just pick up and play for a duration that never exceeds 20 minutes.  There has to be something spectacular for you to warrant playing it for more time than that.  So when I decided to stop playing SCIV four hours after I’d started I knew that something hooked me.  My job now was to find out what it was, and what made the game so appealing, and so addictive.

Having just moved house I am yet to get those goons at BT to sort out an internet connection, so if you’re looking for information on the online aspect, you’d best go somewhere else.  This game was enough of a handful for me without having to take on the SCIV hardcore that prowl online, preying on the weak and not so committed players.  I do know however, speaking to colleagues and friends of mine, that the online play is actually something that has been done extremely well and that, if you’re into that kind of thing, there are loads of options for multiplayer brawls, challenges and the rest.

So what has SCIV got to offer that its predecessors didn’t?  Well, we finally have a tag-team option, a feature that fans now doubt will be glad to see.   You’ll also see Critical Finishes, which are character specific.  These allow characters to power up and completely rip you a whole new backside.  They are hard to pull off  and you have to refrain from blocking if you want to execute the moves, as they require perfect timing as well as a good amount of juice in your Soul Gauge meter.

Where SCIV does stand out though is with the character creation mode.  This is an extremely addictive way to play.  You can custom build a player, and all the while you’re playing the main game and the more you use your character, you’re unlocking items for your custom made character.  It sounds a little snide, I’ll give you that, but in reality it’s a fantastic way to make a bog standard fighter personal to you.  All attributes, weapons, upgrades and armour are assigned completely at your discretion, as well as clothing.  Fashion gurus beware; there are some pretty abysmal outfits on there, so spend your cash wisely.

I could go on about the different game modes, but it’s all pretty straight forward.  You have a story mode which allows you to unlock and upgrade the character you are using, as well as a brawl mode called the Tower of Lost Souls.  This is certainly the more interesting of the two and a hell of a lot more challenging.

The game plays and looks beautiful and to be honest with you, there isn’t much to fault.  The game finally feels complete, and returning characters from the previous instalments still play the same. Characters still retain their personalities, but have been lovingly tweaked.  Obviously, the new characters (and playing the 360 version only, I had Yoda) are many, but the Star Wars additions are welcome.

There are no major changes to the fighting system, it just feels cleaner and easier to use.
If I had to be anal and highlight a negative, it would have to be the voice acting and the soundtrack.  It hovers somewhere between cheesy and annoying, and the amount of dialogue is limited.  It’s a shame that not more went into composing better dialogue.  But like I said, I am being exceptionally picky, and really all you want to do in these kinds of games is kick seven shades of faeces out of your opponent. 

So if you have a few notes kicking around, and you fancy something to add to your gaming collection, then this might be the one for you.  It’s fun, it’s full and it’s got lots of things to do.  Online you’ll have a host of new offerings, and offline you’ll have fun either by yourself or with your friends.  It’s still a button basher, but there is something there too for the more committed, with a host of special moves and list of combo’s to conquer, you’ll  find a fun and involving fighter.