Soul Calibur IV Reviews

• What were they thinking?

  
  By A3U41ZL33SS92P on 2008-08-01
  Soul Calibur fans won't find too much new here, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
  
  Most of the original characters are available when you start the game (instead of having to unlock them later), the moves are more or less the same, and the graphics are great. The controls are quite responsive, and as in every previous iteration, it takes longer to watch the end credits than it does to beat the game in story mode.
  
  And... as in every previous iteration, there are unreasonably long "Now Loading" screens, though they've improved the speed in Arcade Mode.
  
  And now... a word about Star Wars...
  
  WHAT?
  
  Sure, I knew that Darth Vader was going to be in the PS3 version, and Yoda in the Xbox 360 version, and blah, blah, blah. I figured they were just unlockable characters that I was free to ignore.
  
  Not so, in Arcade Mode. Not only are you inexplicably transported to space after level 6, but the two Star Wars characters become ridiculously difficult to beat for no obvious reason. We're talking Shang Tsung or Motaro cheap from the Mortal Kombat series.
  
  It isn't that they're unbeatable. It's just that it makes no sense at all. I don't think I've ever seen a licensed product so obviously shoehorned in to a game. It totally kills the mood of the game, and the "spend 15 minutes, then make a sandwich" gameplay.
  
  Getting back to Story Mode, when you finish with a character, you don't really get any sort of story or closure as you did in previous versions of Soul Calibur. Instead, you get a three-second variant of "now I have it!", followed by a black screen with a sentence or two.
  
  If you haven't played any of the previous versions, you may enjoy this. Or, if you're really big in to Star Wars, I guess you'll get a kick out of playing as Darth Vader or The Apprentice. Otherwise, I think this is a pretty huge letdown for Soul Calibur fans out there.
  
  I really wish I had rented this, instead of pre-ordering it months ago.
  
  

• Put some clothes on!

  
  By A3P8ZDHC7XSKSE on 2008-08-14
  I'm not much of a video game reviewer, and I'm certainly not a "serious gamer" but I do enjoy blowing off an hour or two every once in a while playing games. Up until we rented this on gamefly I had never played a Soul Caliber game before. I enjoy fighting games provided there are some speedy characters involved. My Hubby and I enjoyed this game enough to pay the extra loot to "keep the game" so we are now the proud owners of Soul Caliber IV.
  
  What I liked:
  1) I didn't have to hit 40 sequential buttons to get the character to do something cool, in fact my inner button masher was quite happy with the moves that I was able to do right off just by smashing in patterns.
  
  2) The graphics are good, the surrounding areas are cool to look at and you can smash up your surroundings, which is always fun. The playable characters come in a wide variety and all look fairly good (some of the women are ridiculously proportioned but whatever). They have a variety of weapons that are quite fun and all look great.
  
  3) The characters level, meaning the more you play with one, the more options you get with them.
  
  4) The online option is interesting, but for some reason the pairing doesn't seem up to snuff, I mean why would the computer match up a level 1 with a level 41? It seems that it should be a bit more balanced as to who it sets up against who.
  
  5) The tower is a blast, and it's HARD! basically you have to fight different groups of baddies on each level of the tower to ascend to the next one... we're on level 20 or so now and it's no walk in the park! The good thing is that each level has a way for you to unlock another article of clothing to use in your character creation.
  
  6) Character creation, this can be quite fun, and I'm really bad at it. My hubby can spend over an hour tweeking his dude... I just slap some clothes on them and go.
  
  7) The other options are your standard Arcade mode and the story mode, both of which allow you to unlock different playable characters.
  
  What I don't care for:
  1) When you are either beating the tar out of someone or they are laying the smack down on you, armor can break... effectively leaving your character almost completely in the nude. Now I'm not sure who gets their jollies from video game semi-naked people, but I'm not one of them.
  
  2) It would be great if the female characters weren't trapsing about with their boobs hanging out wearing thongs... and the closeups of the boobs and booties gets to be rather tiresome... men wonder why more women don't play video games... this is one of the reasons.
  
  3) The commercial showed Darth Vader fighting Yoda... um... you only get Vader on the PS3 version, apparently Yoda is on the Xbox version. It would have been nice to have had both.
  
  4) The loading times from fight to fight get a bit tiresome, especially in the tower when you just got your derrier handed to you and you have to re-fight the same guy for the 15th time and there you are; waiting for 2 minutes or more to reload the battle.
  
  5) In the character creation I should be able to pick some better undergarments for my people just in case all of their clothes get busted off so that they aren't standing there in a bra and thong.
  
  Still, I love the game, it's an absolute blast and well worth a purchase (especially used)
  
  

• Ok... What happened to the game I loved?

  
  By A2QPEFDOFVEK8D on 2008-07-31
  Let me first off say, I love video games. I have since I've been 5 years old when I played my first video game for the Nintendo. I have played Soul Calibur with friends, family... Everyone. I went to the PX yesterday (Marince Corps store) and was going to pick up a game for the PS3 since it seems one of the best things to do on base (Without traveling 45 minutes) is to play video games. The clerk reminded me that Soul Calibur just came out so I nearly had a heart attack and ran to the stand and grabbed a copy. The cover art was awesome. Sweet.
  
  So I get up to the counter and am about to ring up the game, the clerk hits the enter key on the cash register and all the power goes out for the entire store. That should of been my sign not to buy this game, and most likely was. I did get it anyway though.
  
  I brought it home and went to a church event with one of my fellow Marines and after coming home later on that night I couldn't wait to play it. I opened up the case, took out the Bluray Disc and put it in the PS3. It booted up and then started saying "You can't play without a game save, click ok to make a game save." ... Ok, "Thats fine with me", *Click*
  
  Starts loading up, get's to the screen ... "SOUL CALIBUR 4!!!"
  
  Awesome.
  
  Get to the menu, "Woah, the menu is really simplistic... Strange." I headed off to the single player mode automatically and hit Story mode and proceeded to play with Raphael. it then proceeds with a very simplistic story of why Raphael is fighting... "Strange" I said. I use to remember when Soul Calibur was REALLY in depth. "Maybe this is just a one time thing, a Quick story." So the fights come up, it's one vs three. Though I'm all buffed out with made fighting power ups. I keep fighting... One, two, three, four matches down... One cut scene of us going over the water and hearing a wierd sound. Ok. "That doesn't make any sense at all." Finally Stage 5 comes up, and ... "what's this... Is this the Boss battle already? ... It can't be, this has to be a mini boss... something, the game cant BE THIS SHORT." I fight the boss, and all of a sudden it shows a about 2 minute ending clip (Which was kind of cool, I have to admit.)
  
  Then the screen goes black, and not to ruin the surprise for you but the game ends by leaving you 1 sentance to sum up exactly what happened after Raphael acquires the sword.
  
  1 SENTENCE.
  
  Credits roll, and I have beat the game using Raphael. In under 15 minutes.
  
  To top that off, the character creation sucks. There isn't enough customization in it to satisfy hardcore gamers or in my opinion fans of the series. The best way to describe this game is its like the first version of the game that came out on the dreamcast. With Better graphics, and less fun.
  
  You better have a friend to play you at this game, even then though its a huge let down.
  
  

• Same Soul Calibur, better graphics, smoother gameplay. What's not to like?

  
  By AMSCL0GGSFLL6 on 2008-08-02
  I'm well aware that hardcore Soul Calibur fans will read my title and say, "Huh? Nothing really compares to the original Soul Calibur!" But in all honesty, I feel the gameplay is smooth and balanced, easy for both advanced players and novices alike to enjoy.
  
  What will hit your eyes first are the excellent graphics and breathtaking detail. Character models are upgraded to add more facial expressions, a very welcome addition, considering how Soul Calibur III had almost none. There is a much higher level of detail in the characters' outfits, which are all quite good. You can actually see scars on Mitsurugi's skin. Of course, depending on your preferences, you may or may not appreciate the general increase in bust size and scanty clothing amongst the female characters.
  
  Each character has his/her own story, and you can play as them in the Story Mode, which starts off with a few paragraphs of that character's story before pitting you against five levels of fighting foes. There's a difficulty setting for this mode, so you can choose either "Normal" or "Hard." In both cases, each progressive level is increasingly hard, and at the end, there is a short ending scene. Here, the graphics are absolutely stunning. The only thing that could have been improved was the lip movement. It looks like the makers didn't feel like fitting the English words to the mouths, which were originally designed for Japanese words. The voice acting is so-so and can be switched to Japanese if you find English too painful to listen to. Yet compared to Soul Calibur III, the ending scenes have improved by far, although their is no "interaction" or opportunity for an alternate ending. However, the mode has become shorter since the last game, maybe a little too short.
  
  The next single-player mode is Tower of Lost Souls. You "ascend" the tower, fighting batches of levels at a time. You'll fight any number of levels in a batch (it varies), and while you're in that same "batch," you have to make sure you don't lose too much health, since it won't be replenished between levels. You get to choose a team of characters to use (the number of characters varies), or just one character, depending on the level. As you ascend the tower, the levels will get harder. You will also have the opportunity to unlock items for the Character Creation Mode. Tower of Lost Souls feels like a substitute for the traditional Survival Mode, which is no longer in the game. For some, that can be a sad thing, but I personally don't feel like it's much of a loss. Your own preferences decide whether or not it's bad, so I'll let you decide if it's a plus or minus.
  
  Now, one of the most interesting modes in the game is the Character Creation Mode. You can use the fighting style of any main Soul Calibur character, and once again, the level of detail is extremely impressive. You can change the character's physique (muscularity and size). You can't make any characters that are very fat. They're all pretty fit, no matter what size or muscularity level you choose. There are several voice options, and you can change the pitch to whichever way you see fit. The color options are very extensive as well (a full palette with nine degrees of brightness). With this mode, you can also create new outfits for the main characters (but that is all you can do.. no physique, skin, or eye color changes). There are fifty slots total for all creations, including those custom outfits for the main characters.
  
  There are also several extra features that give more depth to the gameplay. Different pieces of clothing on a created character or edited main character will change "attack," "defense," or "health" stats of that character. Skills can be attached to different weapons, depending on the amount of skill points a character has received (and that is done by playing more with that character's style). The Soul Gauge is also new. If you block your opponent too much and attack too little, the gauge will decrease until your health bar flashes red, giving your opponent a chance to perform a Critical Finish, which is a special, fancy attack that instantly ends the match. It doesn't happen too frequently while playing against friends or in single-player modes (besides training), so luckily, no one can abuse it.
  
  Another fun feature: your armor breaks! If you get hit enough (Hi, Mid, or Low), then pieces of your outfit will break off, making you more vulnerable to damage. It's fun to watch it happen. The only danger is that your created characters' pieces will be destroyed entirely. So, for example, if you have a character wearing pants, instead of simply ripping, the entire pair of pants will come off, leaving that character in just underwear (I guess that's not a danger for some).
  
  If the game falls anywhere, it's online play. There's some lag, so quick moves like guard impacts are more of a liability than an asset. And the downloadable content is just a way to squeeze more money out of your pockets. Get it if you like, but Namco Bandai could have easily spared you the trouble by leaving it on the game disk for free.
  
  Oh yeah.. and there are bonus characters. Darth Vader and the Apprentice are entertaining additions to the game. There's even a battle stage styled after Star Wars. I found the imbalance between the two characters shocking. The Apprentice is fast, has killer combos, and is quite.. cheap. Vader is slow, but powerful and more balanced. You can't give either of their weapons to created characters or change their outfits, so they remain as unique bonuses. The other bonus characters aren't worth mentioning. They're a useless addition.
  
  And lastly, the music is amazing. It's dramatic, well-suited to each battle stage, and gets you in the mood to fight.
  
  Just for the sake of it, here are my stats:
  Appearance: 10/10
  Sound: 8/10 (This includes voice acting)
  Gameplay: 10/10 (Everybody's balanced)
  Fun: 10/10 (Versus mode with friends and character creation are so good)
  Replay Value: 9/10
  
  If you're a hardcore Soul Calibur fan, you absolutely must buy this. If you skeptical about it because it may not satisfy you as much as the first Soul Calibur, rent it. Either way, this game deserves a look. I can't find many bad things to say about it. Any criticism is pretty small, and there are no ridiculously bad flaws.
  
  I have to say, in my own personal opinion, that this is the best fighting game I have ever played.
  
  
  

• Quite the letdown

  
  By A2HIOZN2OI3JOK on 2008-08-07
  Overall I'm quite disspointed with this game.
  
  Let's break it down though.
  
  Graphics 5/5: As far my opinion goes, this is the most graphically superior fighting game there is at the moment, the scenes are beautifully rendered and the characters are rich in detail.
  
  Controls 5/5: The controls never change and no exceptions here, the game is easy and can be jumped right into.
  
  Character Creation 1/5: What a HUGE step back here...SC:III had so many innovative things here a "profession" made it feel unique and special. Now it's just "What character do you want to rip off?!" Which is extremely lame and lazy in my opinion. The different combos of clothings/faces are alright not as extravagant was SC:III was.
  
  New Features 2/5: The "Tower" is quite bland and more like just a scenario mode nothing overly special about it.
  The online mode I will admit I haven't tried yet but...I imagine it's no different then having someone sitting aside of you playing. I most certainly miss the strategy mode as it gave a real personal feeling to the game.
  
  Main Guts of the Game 2/5: Let me start by saying the Star Wars characters compared to the rest of the group...are ridiculously overpowered. In Arcade mode you go from classic SC scenese to a...space ship? To fight "The Apprentice?" What the @#$@? The Apprentice is ridiculously over powered and if you're playing on medium expect hard diffuculty Hard expect Soul Edge...etc...The first time I went through I spent around 1 min. on each opponent and 9 min. on The Apprentice.
  
  The story mode is VERY dissaspointing as it starts with about a 4-5 paragraph introduction then just like...arcade mode until the last fight. About a 1 minute clip a sentence or two pops up on the screen...that's it. Not a whole lotta point to "Story Mode" if you don't actually make the character have a FREAKIN' STORY!
  
  Overall: I wish I would have rented this game instead of paying salty for it...It's just...not as good as any of it's previous bretheren. I'd be even willing to say a step BACK.
  
  
• Should be More Fleshed Out
  By A3V6Z4RCDGRC44 on 2008-10-21
  Soul Calibur, in its heyday, was one of the most respected fighting series. However, after Soul Calibur II, the series seems to have lost its way and lost focus. Soul Calibur IV is in many ways a victim of that lost focus.
  
  The core mechanics remain roughly the same. Each character has a different weapon, ranging from axes to swords to staves. Each character has different moves that are based on a combination of vertical and horizontal-based attacks. There's also a system of parrying and dodging, as well as traditional guarding. In previous games, the system was fun and balanced, allowing for fast-paced but highly technical fights. However, in Soul Calibur IV, while the basic system has been carried over, in a lot of places it feels much less technical and much more like "hit them with the same attacks that you know work". One specific example of this is Mitsurugi's standard one-two vertical combo, which hits fast enough that if you catch someone in it, they won't be able to counter with any move because it hits so fast that it interrupts any move they try. I have literally been part of a battle online that consisted of my opponent and me (both Mitsurugi) either attacking with that move or guarding against it and hoping for a lucky parry so that it would be our turn to attack with that move. It's also possible to get a "Ring Out" by knocking the enemy out of the arena, but in SC4 this option feels really cheap - what's supposed to be a detailed swordfight quickly becomes "who can throw the opponent out first" due to SC4's poorly handled physics. In one team match, I won consecutive battles by simply standing near the edge and using the same throw any time a new challenger appeared on screen.
  
  The major new game mechanic introduced for SC4 is the "Critical Finish" mode. Both fighters in a match have a "soul gauge" that increases when they hit their opponent and decreases when they guard against enemy attacks. When a character's soul gauge decreases enough, they go through a "soul crush", which is a short window for the other player to perform a Critical Finish. The Critical Finish is an instant-kill attack; however, the shortness of the life bars and the rarity of finding someone who guards enough to actually lose their soul gauge means that it's not an over-spammed attack that gets used all the time, but rather a way to finish off a long and difficult battle with a tide-turning attack. In most cases, it's usually easier to just kill an opponent than to try to hit them while they guard enough times to cause them to lose their soul gauge. In addition to the Critical Finish, the other new game mechanic is breakable armor. Each character has three "segments" - high, middle, and low. Repeated attacks to an area will break off the upper layer of armor on that area (leaving undergarments intact, of course) and make that area more vulnerable. It doesn't really add much to the game, and as a game mechanic feels kind of useless.
  
  There are a few new characters in the game. Hilde is the only real "new" Soul Calibur character; she's a female knight with a neat fighting style that uses both a sword and a spear, and she's fun to play as. Raphael's adopted daughter Amy returns from SC3, where she was a guest character; she uses a style similar to the Rapier style from SC3. There are also 2 guest characters from Star Wars in each game - both game modes have The Apprentice from the upcoming "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed", the PS3 version has Darth Vader, and the XBOX 360 version has Master Yoda. Vader and Yoda are both decent characters, but The Apprentice is ridiculously overpowered, possessing one of the highest speeds in the game as well as high damage and force powers. When encountered in arcade mode, he is far more difficult to defeat than any other character in the game, and it's even worse when someone picks him in online mode. Finally, there are five characters guest-designed by prominent Japanese artists. None of these have a unique style; each simply takes the style of an established character and uses their own unique weapons. These include a dual-sword Samurai woman, a club-wielding ogre girl, and a bizarre moon person. None of them are particularly well-designed, though, and they're not even that fun to play. They don't even have the unique styles of the Star Wars characters to make up for it. All in all, the new characters for this game, other than Hilde, feel like wastes of time and space.
  
  There are a couple different modes for single-player. The basic story mode consists of going through five fights against various opponents. The new mode used in most of SC4's single player game types is a tag-team mode, where if you have multiple characters on your team, you can swap them out in the middle of a battle and let the swapped-out character regenerate health. In story mode, you're usually fighting teams of 3 enemies, and depending on the character you play as, you may get allies of your own. The story mode is much shorter due to the fact that there are multiple enemies in each fight. In addition to story mode, there's also a more traditional arcade mode where you fight eight single enemies in a row; this more resembles the single-player mode of previous Soul Calibur games. The other new single-player mode is the Tower of Lost Souls. This is a mode where you go through floors of a tower, two or three at a time. Each set of floors has a different "gimmick" and a different boss; for example, one set of floors has a "clown" or "harlequin" gimmick, while another has a "knight" gimmick. There is a secret goal on each floor that is hinted at when you start the floor; completing this objective unlocks a new piece of clothing for use in creating characters.
  
  The multiplayer modes in this game took the largest hit. In previous SC games, there were a wide variety of match styles and gameplay styles that could be used for multiplayer. In SC4, the two styles are limited to a regular match, with or without bonuses provided by equipping different weapons and items. The team-based system used for single player does not get used for multiplayer, despite its prominence in the single-player mode. The new addition for multiplayer is online mode, which functions the same as regular versus mode in that it only has two modes. The online mechanics are, at least, smooth and relatively problem-free, if a bit simple. There are levels in online play, but unlike games like Halo 3 and Metal Gear Online, it's not an average of how good a player you are, but rather a tally of how many times you've won (like an RPG). It's possible to look for a player within your level range, but it doesn't really matter that much, since levels have nothing to do with ability. The game plays smoothly if your connection is four or five bars, but starts to lag insufferably at 3 bars and lower.
  
  Create-a-Character is in many ways the heart of this game's unlockable content. Creating a character has been simplified and improved in many ways. The unique Create-a-Character styles from SC3 have been removed, so every CaC now uses a regular fighter's style (however, you don't have to go unlocking styles like you did in SC3, either). Another addition in creating a character is physique customization. It's possible to determine how muscular a character is and how much physique they have. For men, a high physique means that they are bulky and wide-chested, while a low physique means they are thin and scrawny. For women, a high physique means that they are busty and curvy, and a low physique means that they are thin and flat. The difference between the extremes is clear and easy to see (something that's fairly rare for this type of "sliding bar adjustment"), and it's neat that they let you change it. There's a variety of faces and voices, but it seems like there's too many "extremes" (really young faces and voices, really old faces and voices) and not enough average stuff. There's 8 faces for males and 8 for females, but two of each are really young and two of each are really old, which really means there's 4 average faces for males and 4 average faces for females. The same goes for voices, as well, except that the personalities of each voice are also very different. The hairstyles, at least, are relatively diverse and cover a wide range of styles, short and long. Supposedly, there's an alignment system in SC4 that changes how good/evil your character is (or, at least, there's different endings in story mode where a custom character will either claim Soul Calibur, Soul Edge, or both, depending on his or her alignment), but unlike SC3 it's not visible, and the voices don't change either. I had a character who had a kindly voice and only said kind things, but who still claimed Soul Edge (the evil sword) in the end.
  
  The clothes for Create a Character deserve special mention. The only nice-looking clothes in the game is the armor, which is all intricately designed and looks really fantastic. However, a lot of basic clothes that would make sense in the game - for example, a set of tights that covers the whole body, so that the armor isn't just sitting on bare skin - aren't actually in the game. It seems like the costume creators spread themselves too thin; while there's only a few armor sets for female characters, there are at least four uniforms that are just there to be goofy - a maid uniform, a waitress uniform, a stewardess uniform, and a nurse uniform. None of these make sense in the game's context; they're just there so you can play dress-up. Furthermore, there are only two ways to unlock new clothes - either by going through the Tower of Souls (and unlocking only a single piece of clothing per floor) or by getting "honors", SCIV's version of achievements, which range from simple tasks like "beat story mode" to more complex ones like "land 10,000 total attacks on an opponent". In SC3, it was enough to go through the strategy-like sub-mode to unlock new clothes; in SC4, it feels a lot more limited, and since Create-a-Character is one of the most emphasized modes in the game, it feels really unusual.
  
  Customizing a character also adds stat bonuses and skills. For this reason, you can customize regular characters with Create-a-Character, too. You can either add items and change weapons for their default costumes (to give them stat increases) or you can give them their own costume made up from Create-a-Character parts, though for whatever reason you can't use their "normal" hairstyle and have to use their 2P hairstyle (or any of the other create-a-character hairstyles) if you want to customize them. Different clothes in the game provide different bonuses, either to stats (attack, defense, and health) or to skill points. Skill points are used to assign skills of various categories, ranging from things like "automatic guard impact" or "automatic unblockable attack" that will randomly aid you in battle, to "health drain" that sucks health out of enemies and gives it to you, to skills that increase your stats when fighting enemies of a certain gender or alignment. The skills and stats are kind of neat, but they also affect the character-creation process, when you feel like you have to buy stuff that gives good stats, instead of just getting stuff that looks neat. Thankfully, in versus mode (regular and online) there is an option to play the game without any stat modifiers or skills, which means that you can just have fights between characters without worrying about that stuff.
  
  The graphics in this game are really good - as mentioned, the armor in particular looks really nice. The costumes for the main characters have gotten a bit more ridiculous in most cases, but the new character, Hilde, has a really neat set of armor, and the create-a-character option allow for a lot of good armor choices as well. While the other clothes look okay, only the armor and the weapons really show off the game's graphics, with their reflective properties and intricate detailing. The game's backgrounds are pretty good, as well, but nothing particularly noteworthy or epic like some of the stages from SC2 and SC3. The audio is decent, but there's nothing really worth pointing out in terms of music or voicing.
  
  As a whole, Soul Calibur 4 is a disappointment that can be fun, but for the most part isn't. SC4 took all the complaints about SC3 and made them worse, and lost most of the things that made the series fun in SC1 and SC2. A lot of the systems and gameplay modes are really poorly handled. The only really fun thing in the game is messing with create-a-character, but despite the physique customization options, the incredibly limited number of faces, voices, and clothing sets kind of puts a damper on the whole experience. Really, it feels like SC4 is trying to do too many things at once, and isn't accomplishing any of them. If the game consisted wholly of a more fleshed-out character maker and a multiplayer game with some more game types, it might be better. As it is, though, Soul Calibur 4 only deserves a 7/10.
  
  
  
• An excellent fighting game.
  By A3I31ZWS4L9AF4 on 2008-08-01
  To start I have never played any of the Soul Calibur games, Ive really only played/play the 2D Mortal Kombats & MK: Deception. After getting Tekken 5 DR for PS3 I found I was missing out on a lot of great fighting games over the years. On to the review, I found this game to have a relatively deep combat system, a decent amount of unlocks/custom characters and a short story mode. First off the graphics are crisp & detailed, they did Darth Vader justice and this game is very addicting.
  
  Modes of play: Single Player Modes= Story: It is like the arcade but at the very end you get to see a short cut-scene of your chosen character gaining ultimate power. Tower Of Lost Souls: A series of levels ascending & descending the tower, when you ascend you fight overpowered fighters and unlock the next level & when you descend you fight lots of weaker enemies. There are treasure chests you can obtain by meeting specific conditions during each floor & if you get a treasure chest you unlock a item that can be used for the character creation mode. Arcade: just like the name implies, you fight through increasingly difficult opponents till you get to the final boss. After each match you will be graded on how well you did and after beating the final boss you get an overall grade & score. You can try to beat your time, score and grade by going through the mode again. Training: Just your usual practice mode to learn basic mechanics or learn harder combos.Versus Modes= Standard versus- Regular versus mode without equipment or effects(more on this later). Special Versus with equipment and effects.
  
  Now on to character creation where you can customize existing characters and create your own. You can equip new/special swords, armor and completely change the look of standard characters but there is a catch each item has different attributes and changes your stats. These different stats only apply in specific modes but when they are on your character has special abilities like auto grapple break and increased health. With the amount of abilities that are already there you can make countless versions of classic characters, with a limit of 50 custom characters this adds a lot of replay value. Some characters like Darth Vader limits this to changing the light saber and a gem for special powers, so don't get your hopes up of making a custom Vader. As I said before these stats and powers to apply to certain modes so you can still have your custom clothes on during the restricted modes, just with normal stats. I didn't dip too deep into created characters but as far as I can tell you can make only human characters and all the fighting styles to choose from are standard styles. So if I chose the Yoshimitsu fighting style my character would look different but be an exact clone, with the same special moves and everything. I am kind of disappointed by the create a character mode as I would rather use the actual Yoshimitsu instead of a clone but I take it as nice bonus to this game. Also for every character there is style level and as you fight and get better you level up the style unlocking new special powers in which you can add to that specific character.
  
  The combos in this seem like short bursts and you will have to "make" your own long combos. It is not like Tekken where everyone has a insanely devastating combo(although the final boss sure does). I didn't like the fact that almost every arena has a deathtrap that can end the round instantly or the fact that there is no mode where it is impossible for that to happen, it just feels cheap. Just about every character is balanced except for the final boss(obviously) and the apprentice who has extremely overpowered moves. There is a armor system, when you attack the same spot over and over that specific armor piece will fall off making hits to that area more devastating. Every character has a soul crush move that will instantly defeat the opponent in one move, it is nearly impossible to pull off though. Basically if the opponent blocks too much his/her health bar will start flashing red, when this happens you have two choices- do a unblockable move and land it or parry an incoming attack, when you do that the opponent will be dazed and you can press the finisher button to end the round with a slick finisher. As I said it is near impossible to pull of as you only have a couple of seconds to meet the requirements to pull it off and most characters' unblockable moves are very slow/easily avoidable. There is a Museum mode with concept art and ending but I'm not gonna get into that as its pretty self-explanatory. Overall this is a very good fighting game that is fun for beginners and truly rewards experienced players. I recommend this game to anyone who likes fighting games as it has tons of replay value and extremely fun gameplay. On a side note Banai Namco seem to love micro transactions as they already released a armor pack and music tracks today, they will probably continue to update the game for a fee as they did with Tekken 5 DR. Now I don't agree with their "charge for things that should have/probably are on the disc" business but this is a solid game to begin with so I am not faulting them for that.
  
  08/18/08 Update- Well after playing this game non-stop for two weeks I decided to play the online matches. It is very basic: ranked & player matches, in the player matches you can play your friends and take turns fighting with up to four people. The ranked matches allow you to raise rank, unlock more items and fight random people. I must say ranked matches are pretty much broken and unfair. First ive had many people quit before the match ends taking away my victory in a very cheap fashion. People have found infinite moves that loop over until the round ends, once caught in one of these your character has no time to respond and your opponent will repeat until the match is over. Its funny because all of the people I played who used this technique were at a very very high rank, its obvious how they got that high. This game clearly favors cheap players and button mashers, nothing angers me more than getting beat by a complete noob because of lag/ring out or rock paper scissor button mashing. I have had my PS3 for a long time and not once did I feel the need to block anybody, that is until I played this game. All I can suggest, if you play someone who is cheap/quits just go into the XMB right after the match and go into Players Met and add the top person to the Block List immediately. The ranking system is very flawed: if I have 98/100 points till rank up I have to win two matches in a row to rank up because it will cap at 100/100 first match then carry over next match. So if I lose then all my extra points are lost, thus I have to win two matches in a row effectively level capping me at whatever rank I'm at. Then the characters, the only way I can describe it is that its like rock paper scissors: Kilik(rock) VS Sigfried(paper)(this is not a *true* example) Kilik is at a disposition to the point that Sigfried can press square the whole match and Kilik would have absolutely no opportunity to fight back. Lag, anyone who's ever played online knows what lag is and universally despises it. When there is lag consider the match lost period, I cannot stress this enough YOU WILL LOSE not to a skilled player no you will lose to lag. Lag is the worst in fighting games and its quite frequent in this game, you press a button a whole second later it registers. The match making system is worthless too, it often sends you to a full/empty match. You are better off hosting a match and waiting for a opponent- DO NOT play with anyone that has less than 3 signal strength, as I learned the hard way. I completely hate the fact that there is a CHUNK of unlocks you can only get playing online as it alienates people without internet connection. I also didn't like the fact that Namco locked the save so I cant use my custom characters over a buddy's house. So at this point I am only playing ranked matches to get unlocks and playing friends in player match, even though I absolutely hate ranked matches.
  
  
• Give it some time
  By A3LSUTDDTJXOP7 on 2008-08-04
  I had Soul Calibur on Dreamcast and SC2 on Gamecube (never played SC3) but now I bought this one on PS3 as I liked the first 2. I played it for an hour or so and quit it in disgust for what they had done to my beloved franchise. As others have said the story mode is ridiculously short and repetitive between characters (I miss the original SC story mode with different parameters in battle). On top of that they had modified the way my usual character (Siegfried) played with missing combos and different attacks. Even the interface was not as clean and polished as I was used to with the menu options being placed on these ugly swords and the character selection screen having super tiny portraits and "trading card" like blow ups instead of fully rendered characters when you moved over them. To top it off the game only runs in 720p (this is the case for both xbox and ps3 versions despite what some people claim).
  
  I kept forcing myself to return to the game hoping I would find something I liked and I have to say that over time it has started to get better. Yes the menus and the single player are not as good as the first one, and I do miss the stories and detailed endings (as cheesy as they were I still liked watching them), but that was usually the stuff that got me into the first to games not what kept me playing. I later figured out that they split up siegfried's moveset into 2 with nightmare (formerly they were just clones but don't know if that changed in 3). In fact none of the characters are quite as clone-ish as they were in previous iterations even if they do have 'similar' movesets. After time I've been able to find other characters who haven't changed as much as Siegfried like Cervantes (who I was happy to see got his armor costume from SC back so you don't have to be the cheesy pirate like in SC2).
  
  As far as the create a character goes, when you unlock and purchase a lot of the equipment it is quite versatile to make a character you like but there are restrictions as far as I can tell. The gear gives you different attributes so it seems like you can choose to make a character whose appearance you like with otherwise worthless stats, or to max out your stats with a goofy or dull looking character. Would have been nice to make the 2 independent of each other. Maybe there is a way to do this but I have not figured it out yet.
  
  All I can say is if you were horrified like me when you first try the game, give it some time and at least the multiplayer can keep you entertained. Still sad though that it doesn't have the polish or sense of completeness I got with the first two games.
  
  
• Equal parts homage & upgrade
  By ATMQ311QH86HN on 2008-08-08
  When the mechanics of a game franchise are fundamental to its success it is best not to tinker too much with how it controls and feels overall. The newest SC suffers from this slightly as it does feel like the same old game, but that is also its strength. There isn't anything new that takes away from the core enjoyment of this supreme fighter because other than the new SW characters everything is meshed together for a smooth experience. The new critical finish comes into play so little as to non existent. There is alot under what appears a shallow surface, however. The character creation only gets fun once you master it and unlock the cool equipment and weapons. Ideally the game wants you to take everyone through its 5 chapter story mode offering but the hardcore restart elements of mission mode (my favorite part of the old game(s) are redone in the somehow less fufilling TOWER mode(it is lacking the storyline text& map that made the original missions more fun.) Survival mode is redone as a backward crawl into the dungeon of the tower. The unlockables come easier but it feels right as this is a more challenging SC as well. Changes like these and the customizable skill and equipment set make SCIV VERY replayable. I know this my thumbs still burn especially after taking the unwieldy DARTH VADER through arcade mode which took me longer than I care to admit. Darth V. is tough to control as he should be with his mechanical legs, his forces powers and throws are tougher to use but with practice he can be worth the effort. The story text for each character is enjoyable, and the incredibly deep moves list for each fighter is accessible from the pause menu as always. SCIV is frustratingly hard at the right moments, and addictive in all the right places with an abundance of strategy and configurability, that plus its satisfying catalogue of fighters will have this disc running hot in my PS3 for awhile. BTW The install feature to hard drive doesn't shave as much off the load times as I was hoping for but I like having the option.
  
  
• Another incredibly good installment of a great series
  By AJKWF4W7QD4NS on 2008-08-09
  For as much as Namco's Soul Calibur series has stayed the same, the more fun the weapons-based fighter has become. Soul Calibur IV is no different, offering up a plethora of fighters that bear familiar faces to fans of the series, as well as even offering Darth Vader (yes, Darth Vader) as a bonus fighter for the Playstation 3 version of the game (while XBox 360 gamers get Yoda), and stands as the best fighter to hit the PS3 yet. Like previous installments in the series, the fighting engine is surprisingly deep yet even more surprisingly accessible for those new to the series, and is rewarding as well. It should also be noted that Soul Calibur IV looks magnificent (especially on the PS3) and fully displays some brilliantly animated graphics that are vibrant and nicely detailed. Even better is the game's online play which is smooth, lag-free, and tons of fun. The only real downside to Soul Calibur IV is that the game's single player mode isn't hard to get through at all, and there's no team battle mode either, which is really disappointing. Despite that though, Soul Calibur IV is a wonderful and incredibly good installment of a great fighting series that deserves your attention, whether or not you're a veteran or newcomer to the Soul Calibur universe.
  
  
• Slightly Disappointing
  By A3DIWURHGEKKBL on 2008-08-19
  The first Soul Calibur game I played was Soul Calibur 2. I didn't get to play Soul Calibur 3, so I'm not a total SC fan, but I enjoy the series more than other fighting games due to it's simple fighting system.
  
  The Good:
  
  The graphics are incredible. The character models look fantastic; Darth Vader never looked this good, and each character is incredibly detailed. Even Starkiller looks better in this game than he does in The Force Unleashed. And, as always the cutscenes look great.
  
  The sound design is as good as you'll find in a fighting game, with nostalgic sounds of metal bashing against metal. The lightsaber effects are great as well. The dialogue and voice acting is cheesy, but that's become a staple in the series and it's pretty entertaining. Some characters have better voices than others.
  
  Fighting is as fluid and simple as always. Casual players will find it accessible enough to button mash and get by, while hardcore players will find some depth with it and get rewarded for mastering it. It's well balanced. New features have been added, such as armor breaking and the critical finish. There's a large chance that you will never use critical finishes due to the requirements you need to pull one off, and most of them aren't worth the trouble.
  
  The Bad:
  
  Single player is absolutely pathetic compared to the previous installments, with only three modes, not counting training mode. The story mode is terrible and short, with re-used cutscenes and only FIVE stages. Tower of Lost Souls is too hard for the casual players, and only appeals to the hardcore players who can handle plenty of punishment, or players who want to collect every item in the game. Arcade mode is fairly lengthy and is the only enjoyable part of the single player. But even that can't save it.
  
  Character customization provides a few hours of fun, but it loses it's excitement after a while. You can choose the gender, alignment (Good, Evil, Neutral), hair style, voice and voice pitch, facial features, armor, weapon skills, etc. And while there's tons of equipment to unlock and equip, and plenty of weapon skills, much of it seems like it's more for style than usefulness.
  
  Finally, the online play is a welcomed addition, but is very laggy. Lag can be anywhere from a nuisance to controller smashing frustration. Cheap shots and hit-and-run techniques are much more useful than trying to pull off more advanced combos, if you are even able to pull them off with the lag.
  
  
• Sweet *ss kicking
  By A3EL7451FUXKDF on 2008-08-03
  Namco has given gamers an excellent fighting experience with Soul Calibur IV. It is both visually stunning and entertaining to say the least.
  
  PROS:
  The developers of this game have put alot of effort in visual effect and game play. The characters move fluidly from one move to another without appearing choppy and plastic. One move K.O.'s are no longer an annoyance (I.E. sliding attacks.. one button B attacks). Combos seem much more technical; moreover, this is really isn't bad as it really weeds out button mashers. BTW.. The finishing moves for each individual characters are very, very swt.
  
  The character creation feature in this game is alot of fun. Lots of room for individuality.
  
  Cons:
  There is plenty of trophy's and prizes along the way that would keep gamers thoroughly engrossed in the game; however, I believe that the biggest flaw for this game and it's fans is the non existent story- line that I thought made Soul Calibur.. Soul Calibur.
  
  Oh and don't get too exited about Darth for the PS3 console.. he's quite lame. The slow bastard. I'm pretty sure Lucasarts wanted to keep Namco from allowing any modifications in the character creations for the Star Wars characters, but I was still pretty disappointed when I couldn't make a pretty in pink lady Darth Vader LOLZ.
  
  
• Enigmatic...
  By AF0G67MITCN65 on 2008-08-04
  Well here we are again, the forth edition to the amazing legacy of The Soul Calibur series. I have to admit, this is the reason I have a Playstation 3 lying at home on my computer table, having heard the makers, Namco, wanted to format it to the PS3, I knew it was a matter of time before I would need to purchase the console for the sole benefit of playing this game. Result? Sheer brilliance, excellent graphics, the gameplay still has the nostalgic feeling of the former 3 games and totally new fresh feel and look to it. The Characters are their usually amazing selves with some of the best moves put to game. We get an addition to all the returning characters, the choice of Darth Vader on PS3 or Yoda on X-Box, which as follows the PS2 and X-Box version of Soul Calibur 2; with selective characters designated to game format.
  
  Verdict:
  
  All in all, a great game. This is as close to perfect fantasy-fighting as we can get 10/10.
  
  Indyman33/funkin_deadly88 - PS3 ID
  
  
• Great
  By A31HKMDB4M0Y4X on 2008-08-04
  My husband loves this game. I think he spends more time making characters than playing the game. Some parts can be a little hard, but he just makes a stronger character.
  
  
• The best looking fighting game on the planet has arrived
  By A1TW9ZGRDQQZ2Y on 2008-08-01
  Just looking at these character models and backgrounds in Soul Calibur IV is enough to make your mouth drop open. I'm not usually into this kind of game, but I have loved the Soul Calibur series since I got the first one on Sega Dreamcast. The story and tower modes are fun, but they really don't last as long as they should for the price of $59.99. If you play online you will get much more out of your purchase, otherwise, renting would be your best option. These kind of games do get a little boring after awhile, so don't sit around and play it all day when you first get it.
  
  Where else can you play as Darth Vader, choking and slicing your way through your opponents? Adding the Star Wars stage (with authentic music) and Vader makes this game truly epic. I heard that the XBOX 360's Yoda might be available as a download in the future for the PS3. If that happens it doesn't take a genius to know which matchup will be the most popular online and offline.
  
  
• Hm. I don't suppose it's too bad..
  By A1SVMDEO8UY6SG on 2008-08-05
  Well, all in all it took me about 22 hours to get 30 honors and unlock every bonus character, which, as far as I know, equates to unlocking everything there is to unlock.. So it's a very short game..
  
  And as for the character creation, there are some new items, but a vast majority is re-used from SC3, and I think there are actually fewer items total. And as other reviews say, it usually comes down to a choice between useful stats or bearable appearance. I love the new skin tone coloring options, I can get my ideal shades. Also, the option to sculpt body type is a definate bonus.
  
  The graphics are wonderful, as good as you'd expect from this series. I've never been an expert of the game's physics engine, so I can't tell you how the intricasies compare, but in my opinion it's a little easier for me to be successful in this game. In SC3, I occasionally struggled on Easy, but in 4 I can do respectable (sometimes ^_^;) against even Edge Master.
  
  I miss the extra modes, like Battle Theatre and Weapon Demonstrations..
  
  It's got improvements in graphical quality, while a decrease in content leads me to write this game off, overall, as eye candy with low replay value.
  
  
• I likes.
  By A27TO1YTYEA9E2 on 2008-08-05
  Fighter graphics have improved, yet can't say the same thing about stages and background. They look and feel dull.
  
  Vader certainly makes his presence felt. Nice addition to the line up.
  
  I don't care for single player modes, I just use them to make gold to unlock stuff. Didn't enjoy it in other games, not enjoying it here. If I wanted to watch CGI, I would have bought MGS4.
  
  Multiplayer is another story. With these graphics and fighters the game has no equal. Especially if you master Vader. I usually play offline with my friends. They love it, I love it, end of story.
  
  If you liked it before, you will like it again. You can always try it before you buy it. Recommended, highly.
  
  
• Three words: fix online mode.
  By on 2008-08-17
  I am a long-time player of the Soul Calibur series, and while the newest title in the franchise has much-improved graphics and new modes to play, it boasts little else in the way of interest. The combat moves are the same (with just a few differences), but for the most part, I felt like I was playing SC2 all over again. The character creation mode is fun, but adds nothing new to the game itself. My biggest complaint, actually, is the "disconnect bug" for the online play mode, and the amazing amount of lag that comes with it.
  
  If you manage to actually stay connected for twenty minutes or more, consider yourself lucky. Online play features random disconnects every few matches, forcing you to reboot your entire PS3 to fix it. For the very few rounds you DO get to play, expect massive lag as your opponent beats on you mercilessly and you can do nothing but stand there and take it. I play World of Warcraft and have NEVER had issues with my internet connection, so it seems interesting to me that I'm having problems now.
  
  All in all, if Namco/Bandai manages to fix the online play, I would be willing to give my review another star. But as it stands, the game offers nothing new in the franchise, and is overall a huge disappointment.
  
  
• Good, but something is missing
  By A1EKSETIBS9ETQ on 2008-07-30
  Soul Calibur IV is the best looking PS3 game right now. I got to say it is a tad different in term of the game-play. Lot of the moves is the same with existing characters, but the buttons combinations are a little different/charged. There is a new feature that if you guard too much your character weapon will get weaker or break, which was similar to the original soul blade game. Your weapons are the same, only the characters will level up. Game mode is altered a little with online play. The usual story line, verse, arcade modes are back. The storyline matches are a little different. You face 2-3 enemies per round with one life bar, sound hard, but it is actually easy in normal mode. There are only 5 rounds. The ending clips aren't that great either.
  
  The extra and characters creation is also tweaked a little. You can't really randomly create really odd characters like before, more like modifying existing one. I am not sure if all the ending movies can be viewed like before in a theater mode, I didn't find it. The character bio is really lame this time. You get like an artwork with the written description, gone is the 3d model that you can rotate and zoom in Soul Caliber III. Those weird odd mini game and quests are gone from SC3. There is a tower game, but that is just like a regular arcade version. No more buying weapons for your character development. Why are half the scenes from SC3, with better detail? A lot more female characters are a great plus, Ivy and some of the ladies are quite Taki-ness.
  
  The team spent a lot of time on the animation, design and rendering of the characters, and kind of chopped skipped on the extra features that were found in SC3. Basically I liked SC3 a bit better. SC4 is basically a visual upgrade of SC3 similar to VF5 for the PS3.
  
  
  
• It was worth the wait
  By AXX8RB4NJG0MH on 2008-07-30
  I was really anticipating Soul Calibur 4 and expecting it to be better than 3,2, and 1 - and I was right!! Not only does this game have awesome graphics, but the gameplay in general is great! There are more characters, more action, and a really cool soul gauge display. The creator of SC 4 created a new technique for every character called the Critical Finish - in order to execute this move, the opponent's soul gauge has to be flashing red, and the green bars below have to be black (this means that you've already knocked the opponent's armor off); from there you hit all four analog buttons and you will see your character's Critical Finish. The one thing I don't like about this is that it's very time consuming and you will probably defeat your opponent before you're able to execute the Critical Finish; other than that, the game is great! There are different types of modes such as Story, Arcade, Towers of Lost Souls, and Versus play. In Character Creation mode, you are able to customize an existing character or a character that you can create. You are also able to buy locked characters such as Sophitia, Yun-Seoung, Talim, and the list goes on. In general, if you are a SC fan, you will be a fan of this game. As much as I like SC 4, it will of be no comparison when Tekken 6 comes out!
  
  
• SC4, where's Tekken6
  By A1S8CU05SB0KXG on 2008-07-30
  Being an avid Tekken fan, other fighting games pale in comparison. I maybe wrong. SC4 is the best I have played in a long time. Me and the people I know have worn out joystick controllers playing Tekken but this is the best fighting game for the PS3(now). The graphics, gameplay, customizable options, even the load times are fast (if you loaded the game to your hard drive). Yeah, you got the female fighters with the big b00bz, but that does not take away from the game at all. You play the game to fight and win, you can win ugly or lose pretty, it your choice.
  Vader and his apprentice were cool it reminded me of other Tekken characters crossing over to SB/SC. I like this game more than GTA4, MGS4 and NCAA 2009.
  
  
  
• An awesome game!
  By A1TG903LLEH1N0 on 2008-07-31
  I must say that in all honesty that this game may be why I bought a PS3. I remember hearing about 6 months ago hearing about how the new soulcalibur would have Darth Vader(the ps3 version anyway) I was convinced I had to get a PS3 from that moment on. It was a difficult hunt since supplies were limited (not as limited as the Wii thankfully) but I got my hands on a PS3. Then I played the waiting game. I got several cool PS3 games but all the while I was waiting for the big day to come. Well, now it has arrived.
  
  Getting to the actual game, I think it was quite worth the wait. The core gameplay really hasn't changed too much but I enjoy the tweaks like armor damage where you can shred your opponents gear until they are standing in nothing but their skivvies. A major new element is the inclusion of skills, abilities that make your character stronger. But the real heart of the game lies in the customization. Being able to tweak the abilities and appearance of the main characters is quite fun. You can develop different builds. For instance you can make a Power Mitsurugi or an Impact Mitsurugi etc. etc. Probably the only thing I didn't like was that there was no rpg type mode in this game like 3 had. That might have been my favorite part of that game.
  
  All in all I think this is a great game and it kicks butt.
  
  P.S. Darth Vader kicks butt, too.
  
  
• Bring on the Souls
  By AO5B7TLBAHMK6 on 2008-07-31
  Soul Calibur continues it's reign over the fighting with weapons game genre. With the latest installment, some things that you enjoyed about previous titles remain while new features have been added.
  In addition, Soul Calibur III's misplaced create-a-character strategy game is gone. For some reason a lot of people thought that SC III wasn't quite the same, or up to par. But it did introduce some new characters, and they -- among some other new/special characters-- return for the 4th Soul Calibur.
  
  When first heard that Star Wars was going to make an appearance, it was met with considerable skepticism. But, in the PS3 version Darth Vader and his apprentice are welcome characters. They are integrated by an added "Force Bar" which allows them to use the force until it runs out or is replenished.
  
  __Gameplay__
  The characters feel solid in this one. You can perform some amazing moves with each of the characters, in addition to the new feature of performing a "critical" on your opponent. Criticals are performed by first knocking off a piece of armor, and then attacking the vulnerable spot. When the opponent's Soul Gauge is depleted you can perform the Critical, no matter what their health status is.
  Instead of just gaining "levels" to show what kind of fighter you are, the levels actually correspond to abilities of that character. All characters in the game and even those that you create have the ability to become better / stronger. Take Taki for instance. After using her for a bit she gains a couple of levels and in the Create-A-Character customization, you can give her a different weapon and change her skills to give her bonuses or abilities during battle. Some are passive, but some can be activated using power from the Soul Gauge. One of Taki's abilities is to become invisible for a period of time (Repeatedly press default [R2]). Some other abilities that could be added were the ability to drain the opponents Gauge with impacts, or to steal some of their HP. The "Appeal" ability works on gaining an advantage over opponents of the opposite sex, but hurts the character when fighting against the same sex.
  
  Another feature is the Tower of Souls. The idea is that as you work you way up the Tower, the enemies become harder. After you work you way to the top, you've given the option of descending below the Tower, into its depths, for more challenges.
  
  Of course, Gold is the currency of the game, and it's how you unlock weapons, some of the initial characters, clothing/items for customization, and the extra features such as special animations, illustrations, etc.
  
  
  _Online_
  Another new feature, this one is going to take some getting used to. As it stands now, the feature does need some work. Nice idea, but poor execution. Hopefully a patch will update the problems with the online. (For example: when losing in a match you can quit to avoid being beaten without a penalty for quitting, and the would-be winner gains nothing)
  
  _Overall_
  All in all this is a great title, and a lot of fun to play. The Story and Arcade modes may be short, but have interesting stories and are easily played over and over to gain experience and gold. I'm also intrigued as to what DLC (downloadable content) will be released.
  
  
• Feels Unfinished
  By A2CK5W41BZJXXU on 2008-07-31
  This latest iteration of Soul Calibur presents a visually appealing and generally fun gaming experience. There isn't a huge change from previous iterations (never played Soul Calibur 3 myself) so fans familiar with the series will be pleasantly surprised.
  
  The biggest new feature of note is the custom character creation. The custom character creation section allows players to modify existing (aside from a handful) characters and also create an all newish character. The custom custom character has the standard fare present - pick gender, pick fighting style, adjust costumes, adjust coloration, adjust abilities, pick voice, etc.
  
  Unfortunately a few audio and rare visual glitches (sort of) do emerge. The first audio glitch folks will notice is that the character banter sometimes butts right up against the announcer's dialog and occasionally even occurs over the announcer's dialog. The sort of visual glitch emerges when two players are fighting next to a wall. The wall simply disappears and leaves a less than immersive view on the action. However, the visual seems more of a decision to keep the camera from going all wonky when players fight next to walls.
  
  Pros:
  
  The controls feel responsive during fights.
  Good looking.
  Custom characters/custom configurable characters.
  Slightly addictive.
  Multi-player (not sure if it does split screen)
  Vader rocks.
  Every character has a different story.
  
  Cons:
  
  Audio glitches
  Doesn't spoil users with "things to do" - story mode is about 6 bouts.
  Could have been delayed 1-2 months and been worth the wait - game feels unfinished in areas.
  Vader feels so out of place, but is still fun.
  No next gen story telling (no cut scenes/variation of cut scenes.)
  Some stories seem more of an after though while some are quite funny.
  Story mode could have been a lot more.
  Custom matches not present.
  
  
• Great Cross-Platform Fighter
  By AHBTYLE8WN2GX on 2008-07-31
  I'm not familiar with any of the preceding Soul Calibur titles but I am impressed by this release. The controls are very intuitive without getting too complicated (ie. Tekken). The graphics are incredible and the animation is very impressive. Overall this is a great fighter and I would easily reccomen this to anyone looking for a next-gen fighter.
  
  
• Enjoyable game but could have more depth
  By A301GXBSCU943I on 2008-08-01
  I rented it the day it came out and although I've never enjoyed fighting games that much this one is enjoyable. The storyline on normal is pretty short and not too hard and I'm pretty bad at fighting games. Its only 5 stages and the endings are cool depending on who you play with. There are a lot more characters in this one and Vader and the Apprentice are fun to play with. My favorite part is the character creation. There is a good portion of armor from head to toe. You can choose the hair color muscle tone and physic, the hair style and choose from over 10 different faces. You choose your weapon based on a character from the game and you can upgrade the weapons. I'd give the game a 8/10, I just think the storyline could be longer.
  
  
• More of the same with better graphics
  By A29CY2MTKGC2FN on 2008-08-01
  If you have ever played any of the SoulCalibur games you will notice not much has changed aside for the better graphics. I haven't played through the game using all the characters, but the ones I did, gameplay didn't change. You can buy charcters as well as weapons with the money you earn through storymode as well as arcade mode. If you could do that in the 3rd one, I never really noticed because I didn't care for the last one that much. You can also tweak your characters attributes which is also nice. I enjoyed using Vader though some people would diagree and say he is no good as a fighter. It's true Vader is not a fast character in the game and sometimes I had to throw the computer players in order to beat them with him. On the otherhand he is very good with his lightsaber and it is fun using him while fighting with other characters that use swords(the Samurai Mitsurugi comes to mind.) Is this game worth buying? In my opinion, no. I played through Vader's storyline as well as the arcade mode and made enough money to unlock other characters. But if you are a hard core SoulCalibur fan or fan of fighting games then by all means spend away. My review is based on when I rented it.
  
  
• The Best Soul Calibur Yet
  By A3MX9D1WKK6R1J on 2008-08-02
  Pros:
  - Over 30 playable characters
  - Deep character customization feature
  - Decent online multiplayer mode
  - Very solid and fluid combat system that is accessible to everyone
  - Star Wars characters(ie. Darth Vader exclusively on PS3, The Apprentice and Yoda exclusively on the 360)
  - Extremely fun game to play with friends
  - Robust character creation mode
  - Tower of Lost Souls mode
  - There is an incentive to complete story mode with every character
  - Ability to customize controls
  
  Cons:
  - Online multiplayer mode can have lag at times
  - Darth Vader is the only balanced Star Wars character
  - Can not make a Jedi in character creation
  - You can unlock all the characters in one day, though the Apprentice is extremely hard to unlock
  - Story and Arcade mode are on the short side
  - Some characters have revealing clothing, however most of them have alternate costumes that are not as revealing
  - Default control scheme makes some combos almost impossible to do
  
  
  Overall this game is extremely fun and should be picked up by anyone who is a fan of the fighting genre or is looking for the right game to introduce them to it.
  
  
• Fun fast fighting action
  By ASMIOKQXI5G1T on 2008-08-02
  Great fighting game. Lots of characters that take a long time to master and yet are fun to use right away. The graphics are nice but kind of hard to notice considering how fast the fighting is.
  
  
• IT'S GREAT GAME!!!
  By A2WE94927YC3KI on 2008-08-02
  THIS GAME IS GREAT AND EXCITING. THIS GAME FEATURES ARE EXCELLENT. ESPECIALLY NEW CHARACTER "DARTH VADER" IS LOOKING GREAT. ALSO THE COMPUTER EFFECT WAS NICE. I ENJOY THE GAME. THIS GAME WILL HIT. I RECOMMANDED IT.
  
  

• SOULCALIBUR IV Signature Series Fighter's Guide (Bradygames Signature) (Bradygames Signature)
• SOULCALIBUR IV Limited Edition Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames))
• Playstation 3 Soul Calibur IV Arcade Stick

• PlayStation 3 Dualshock 3 Wireless Controller
• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Iron Man (Single-Disc Edition)
• Grand Theft Auto IV