2008 Woodie Awards
With few flaws aside, soulcalibur IV delivers
Britton Peele
Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: La Vida
The original "Soul Calibur" was a critical and commercial success when it first hit the Sega Dreamcast in 1999. It also dominated what few arcades were left in an increasingly console-focused world. The 3D fighting game was one of the most popular titles on the Dreamcast system, and is one of the highest rated games of all time.
Now, almost a decade later, "Soulcalibur IV" has not only eliminated the space between the soul and the calibur (thus creating an even weirder fake word, as "calibur" itself wasn't enough), but has evolved for the new generation of game consoles and been released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
The game is still the same great fighting experience fans know and love, but the fourth version adds a number of additions that improve the experience. The most notable of these is online play, which is usually smooth and painless. It works about as well as can be expected for a game that is so dependent on carefully timed button presses, and should be a welcome addition for fighting game fans.
For the most part, the game's cast includes few surprises for people who have played the previous games in the series. Notable combatants like Ivy, Sophitia, Astaroth and Mitsurugi all make their return in a character list that exceeds 30 fighters. On top of this, players are given a wealth of options for creating their own custom characters to use in battle. Whether you want try your best to recreate the Hulk or Ronald McDonald to battle with or create a strong, custom warrior straight from your imagination, you have plenty of choices.
However, there are a few character additions that are rubbing a lot of people the wrong way. In the midst of this fantasy world of souls and swords, three Star Wars characters have clumsily found their way into the fray. Yoda appears in the Xbox 360 version of the game, Darth Vader appears in the PlayStation 3 version, and Darth Vader's "secret apprentice" (from the upcoming LucasArts game, "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed") appears in both versions.
Now, almost a decade later, "Soulcalibur IV" has not only eliminated the space between the soul and the calibur (thus creating an even weirder fake word, as "calibur" itself wasn't enough), but has evolved for the new generation of game consoles and been released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
The game is still the same great fighting experience fans know and love, but the fourth version adds a number of additions that improve the experience. The most notable of these is online play, which is usually smooth and painless. It works about as well as can be expected for a game that is so dependent on carefully timed button presses, and should be a welcome addition for fighting game fans.
For the most part, the game's cast includes few surprises for people who have played the previous games in the series. Notable combatants like Ivy, Sophitia, Astaroth and Mitsurugi all make their return in a character list that exceeds 30 fighters. On top of this, players are given a wealth of options for creating their own custom characters to use in battle. Whether you want try your best to recreate the Hulk or Ronald McDonald to battle with or create a strong, custom warrior straight from your imagination, you have plenty of choices.
However, there are a few character additions that are rubbing a lot of people the wrong way. In the midst of this fantasy world of souls and swords, three Star Wars characters have clumsily found their way into the fray. Yoda appears in the Xbox 360 version of the game, Darth Vader appears in the PlayStation 3 version, and Darth Vader's "secret apprentice" (from the upcoming LucasArts game, "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed") appears in both versions.
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