Game: Soul Calibur IV
Genre: Fighting
Platforms: PS3/Xbox 360 (Reviewed On Xbox 360)
Score: 9 out of 10
If you\'ve grown up, or were a gamer in the late nineties and know what the Sega Dreamcast is, you probably know about an extraordinary fighting game called Soul Calibur. For its time, this particular game was the fastest, prettiest, fighting game that I had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on. To my astonishment It made games like Mortal Kombat 2, Virtual Fighter, and Killer Instinct 2 look like a joke. Believe me, it was a little hard to admit that some of my favorite fighting games of my teenage years had been taken out by one fowl swoop of the Soul Edge\'s blade. But they were, and Soul Calibur took its rightful place as the king of the fighters on a brisk day in September of 1999. Over the years the series as gone on to become one of the mostly widely recognized fighting franchises around. With three Soul Calibur releases under Namco\'s belt the company hoped that the new Soul Calibur IV would give something for gamers to talk about for the next couple of years to come.
I must admit I have taken a break from most fighting games. I briefly played DOA, and now that I think of it, the last Soul Calibur game I actually played was number two on the PlayStation 2. So its been awhile, and I\'m a little rusty when it comes to the precise button smashing techniques used in modern fighters. So after some extensive hand stretching and finger tip push ups I felt I was ready for anything Soul Calibur was going to throw at me.
As usual I picked my main man Mitsurugi as the character I would tackle the story mode with. With his deadly sword strokes, and powerful attacks, I always felt comfortable that he could get the job done. So I confidently made my selection of Mitsurugi and awaited for the story to load. After a short synopsis about Mitsurugi\'s past, and a whole other spiel on why he was involved in tracking down the Soul Edge, I set fourth on my adventure. Like the first, second, and I\'m assuming the third game, the story mode is basically a series of fights between you and other characters who stand in your way. Each encounter pits you against a new character and a short introduction to why that character is challenging you. After battling through numerous warriors, each with their own fighting styles and weapons, you reached your final encounter, and your chance to claim the Soul Blade for yourself.
Another way to experience the goodness of Soul Calibur is the Arcade Mode. In this mode there isn\'t a story to closely follow, it was just fight this guy, then fight that one, till you ultimately reached your final fight. These fights consisted of two gut wrenching rounds of play, where you had to be mindful of every opening you left for your opponent. Playing through this mode isn\'t required to beat the game, but if you want gold, new weapons, or a few Achievement Points for completing the game type with 450,000 points, it is in your best interest to do so.
The third and final mode of the game is called The Tower Of Lost Souls, and in my mind was one of the toughest aspects of the game. With no ability to adjust the difficulty level of this mode, it was just you and your limited amount of health as you took on one to three enemies. In a few cases though, you could automatically unlock a character you defeated in combat that would help aid you in your future battles. And an extra set of hands is always welcome in my book. So when I was down and out on the battlefield I could simply press the RB and summon my companion via the Active Battle Matching System, or ABM for short. This system, simply put, is just like something you would see at any WWE Tag Team Match, just implemented in a videogame. This was a gamer\'s savior when trying to fend off one fast moving reptilian warrior after another. Regretfully I only made it through twenty levels in the Ascension Mode of The Tower Of Lost Souls, so I never reached the top floors, or tried the Decension Mode with the short time I played the game. But in short, this mode is the most challenging out of all three of the game types, and is definitely worth checking out.
Aside from all the beautiful graphics, stellar combat, and jiggling boobies, Soul Calibur is still one of the best fighting game franchises out there. The ability to create your own custom characters to your liking, buy more powerful weapons, crush your opponents with a single move, and upgrade your abilities, all adds to the game\'s replay factor. And if you like the character models or just love art, working to unlock the artwork of the game in the museum is another quest that will further bind you to this title.
In the end Soul Calibur is a much welcomed addition to any gamer\'s library of games. The graphics are awe-inspiring, and won\'t disappoint any gamer who is picky about the way a game looks. The fighting is fast and furious with little room for error, especially when playing online. The story and how they threw Yoda and his story into the 360 version is the only thing that left me scratching my head . But as a whole the game was the furthest thing from a disappointment that I can think of. This is why I suggest you grab a copy of the game, if you haven\'t already. You won\'t be sorry.
Genre: Fighting
Platforms: PS3/Xbox 360 (Reviewed On Xbox 360)
Score: 9 out of 10
If you\'ve grown up, or were a gamer in the late nineties and know what the Sega Dreamcast is, you probably know about an extraordinary fighting game called Soul Calibur. For its time, this particular game was the fastest, prettiest, fighting game that I had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on. To my astonishment It made games like Mortal Kombat 2, Virtual Fighter, and Killer Instinct 2 look like a joke. Believe me, it was a little hard to admit that some of my favorite fighting games of my teenage years had been taken out by one fowl swoop of the Soul Edge\'s blade. But they were, and Soul Calibur took its rightful place as the king of the fighters on a brisk day in September of 1999. Over the years the series as gone on to become one of the mostly widely recognized fighting franchises around. With three Soul Calibur releases under Namco\'s belt the company hoped that the new Soul Calibur IV would give something for gamers to talk about for the next couple of years to come.
I must admit I have taken a break from most fighting games. I briefly played DOA, and now that I think of it, the last Soul Calibur game I actually played was number two on the PlayStation 2. So its been awhile, and I\'m a little rusty when it comes to the precise button smashing techniques used in modern fighters. So after some extensive hand stretching and finger tip push ups I felt I was ready for anything Soul Calibur was going to throw at me.
As usual I picked my main man Mitsurugi as the character I would tackle the story mode with. With his deadly sword strokes, and powerful attacks, I always felt comfortable that he could get the job done. So I confidently made my selection of Mitsurugi and awaited for the story to load. After a short synopsis about Mitsurugi\'s past, and a whole other spiel on why he was involved in tracking down the Soul Edge, I set fourth on my adventure. Like the first, second, and I\'m assuming the third game, the story mode is basically a series of fights between you and other characters who stand in your way. Each encounter pits you against a new character and a short introduction to why that character is challenging you. After battling through numerous warriors, each with their own fighting styles and weapons, you reached your final encounter, and your chance to claim the Soul Blade for yourself.
Another way to experience the goodness of Soul Calibur is the Arcade Mode. In this mode there isn\'t a story to closely follow, it was just fight this guy, then fight that one, till you ultimately reached your final fight. These fights consisted of two gut wrenching rounds of play, where you had to be mindful of every opening you left for your opponent. Playing through this mode isn\'t required to beat the game, but if you want gold, new weapons, or a few Achievement Points for completing the game type with 450,000 points, it is in your best interest to do so.
The third and final mode of the game is called The Tower Of Lost Souls, and in my mind was one of the toughest aspects of the game. With no ability to adjust the difficulty level of this mode, it was just you and your limited amount of health as you took on one to three enemies. In a few cases though, you could automatically unlock a character you defeated in combat that would help aid you in your future battles. And an extra set of hands is always welcome in my book. So when I was down and out on the battlefield I could simply press the RB and summon my companion via the Active Battle Matching System, or ABM for short. This system, simply put, is just like something you would see at any WWE Tag Team Match, just implemented in a videogame. This was a gamer\'s savior when trying to fend off one fast moving reptilian warrior after another. Regretfully I only made it through twenty levels in the Ascension Mode of The Tower Of Lost Souls, so I never reached the top floors, or tried the Decension Mode with the short time I played the game. But in short, this mode is the most challenging out of all three of the game types, and is definitely worth checking out.
Aside from all the beautiful graphics, stellar combat, and jiggling boobies, Soul Calibur is still one of the best fighting game franchises out there. The ability to create your own custom characters to your liking, buy more powerful weapons, crush your opponents with a single move, and upgrade your abilities, all adds to the game\'s replay factor. And if you like the character models or just love art, working to unlock the artwork of the game in the museum is another quest that will further bind you to this title.
In the end Soul Calibur is a much welcomed addition to any gamer\'s library of games. The graphics are awe-inspiring, and won\'t disappoint any gamer who is picky about the way a game looks. The fighting is fast and furious with little room for error, especially when playing online. The story and how they threw Yoda and his story into the 360 version is the only thing that left me scratching my head . But as a whole the game was the furthest thing from a disappointment that I can think of. This is why I suggest you grab a copy of the game, if you haven\'t already. You won\'t be sorry.
