Fighting game franchise Soul receives a dose of 'the force' as major characters from the Star Wars universe join the action in its latest instalment, SoulCalibur IV.
Published by Namco Bandai and created by its internal development unit, Project Soul, the new game features Jedi Master Yoda in the Xbox 360 console version and the Sith Lord Darth Vader in the PlayStation 3. Vader's apprentice, Starkiller, appears on both gaming platforms.
SoulCalibur IV brings back Talim, Rock and Yoshimitsu, who must fight against warriors from across the galaxy in their quest for the legendary Soul Calibur and Soul Edge swords. New characters - including Hilde, an armour-clad warrior - designed by famous Japanese manga artists, bring fresh conflict and intrigue to the game.
The retooled gameplay offers an expanded customisation mode for players' characters. The new battle system allows players to bash and hack opponents into submission with all sorts of weapons, including a lightsaber. Players can perform so-called 'critical finish' moves to take out an enemy with one spectacular hit. Gameplay is fairly easy to pick up, so players might be tempted to do some button-mashing. Still, first-time players will quickly be able to pull off impressive, timing-sensitive attack combinations.
The series' familiar story, arcade, training and museum modes are intact. But a new mode, called the Tower of Lost Souls, has players fighting all the way up a 60-storey edifice to unlock new content or win special rewards such as combat gear.
New to the series is the ability to compete online, using favourite SoulCalibur or customised characters. Thanks to the processing power of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles, SoulCalibur IV flexes its muscles in the 3D graphics animation arena and fighting game genre, showing off visually realistic environments, detailed characters, rich and interactive content and enhanced artificial intelligence.
