Soulcalibur IV

   Imagine that $60 dollars was all it took to buy yourself a super model. She’d be available whenever you want and all you have to do is turn on your Xbox 360. That’s about what you get when you buy Soul Calibur IV: something that looks and plays great, but is about as deep as the disc is thick.

   The nuts and bolts of Soul Calibur IV haven’t really changed; you pit two over-elaborately designed fighters together on a 2D field with the capability to maneuver around the third dimension as a means of dodging and parrying. Your standard array of 2D fighter combos still exist; rotate stick press some buttons and watch your special move go for broke. In the end, if you’re looking for a totally revamped game from the previous Caliburs, you’re mostly out of luck. Like most fighting game sequels, you’re here because the game has new fighters, tweaked balance (hopefully for the better), an online mode, and because it looks infinitely better than it’s already great-looking predecessors.

   I’d like to pretend that you could come back to this game for it’s continuation of the deep Soul Calibur lore but we all know that’s a damned lie. This game makes absolutely no sense and the writing is just awful. Moving on…

   There are a couple new fighters to the series. Hilde makes her Soul Calibur IV debut while a few side characters from Soul Calibur Legends make special appearances. Also joining the stage of destiny, in a very confusing maneuver, is Darth Vader (originally for PS3 but who can now be downloaded for 5 bucks), Yoda and Starkiller (Vader’s Apprentice). I’m a little unsure what brought about this move, but whatever, Starkiller is fun enough. Yoda is damned broken, however; he reaks of Oddjob.

   The online mode is surprisingly fluid. There’s no new modes, just your basic set of matching and fighting. It works like a charm, so long as both parties have at least a decent connection. It’s clear the fighting-game curse of online is no longer an issue.

   This is by far one of the most gorgeous titles I’ve played. A good combination of style and substance has made this a vibrant world for incredibly sexy characters to fight in. Sure, some characters (*cough*Ivy*cough*) are trying too hard to be sexy, but other characters, like Setsuka are pulling it off just right.

   If nobody on the original roster is sexy enough for you (and how could Rock’s giant, burly self not be sexy enough?), create-a-fighter returns from Soul Calibur III and with much greater detail. Unfortunately there are no original fighting styles to choose from; you have to pick one from an existing character. However, there are plenty of more options in terms of designing your character. From tons of unlockable costume pieces, to the ability to alter the pitch of your characters voice, and even detail their body size, there’s not much to hate here. I imagine once you get into this system, the original stable of characters will be moot, as you’ve created Captain Planet to wield Astaroth’s axe. (Thank you, online mode, for showing me the depths of everyone else’s insanity).

   In short, Soul Calibur IV is a super model: it looks damn good, but there's not quite as much working on its inside as you would like. The dialogue is absolutely nonsensical and dismal, but it has enough physical features to keep you around. After a few weeks, though ,you'll want to move on to something with a little more substance. However, it will always be fun to come back to now and again, especially during those dry spells. With all of that in mind, It's definitely the best title in the series and well worth the purchase for anybody who loves fighting games.

   -Make it a Good One,

   Randy "Dr. Randle" Marr