The Soul still [just about] burns…

Your first impression upon playing SoulCalibur IV is that, it's Soul Calibur… again. Gaming's best weapon-based Beat 'em Up has changed little in nine years, and the formula is starting to show its age.

Not that SoulCalibur IV is a bad game. It's just that the overwhelming familiarity feels indicative of the genre's waning popularity.

Returning characters in SoulCalibur IV control largely the same as before, eight-way run is still a unique selling point and battles retain a fast-paced fluidity not found in other franchises. Arcade and Story modes are still a hefty portion of the singleplayer experience, and two-player same-screen multiplayer is guaranteed to provide longevity. And that's great… but we've seen it all before.

SoulCalibur IV's battles differ with one new feature. Eroding your opponent's Soul Gauge by making them block often leads to their armour being shattered, which opens them up for a spectacular one-hit-kill Critical Finisher. But while that sounds revolutionary, it happens on few occasions – you'll win or lose mostly by the usual energy bar depletion or ring outs.

Where SoulCalibur IV excels, however, is in providing fresh layers of depth in its supporting modes, which add new context for all the familiar-feeling fighting.

Top of them is reworked character creation. You can now edit the existing roster, AND create unique fighters from scratch – using one of the fighting styles of the pre-existing characters as a base, and applying items and skills for different properties.

This comes in especially handy for SoulCalibur IV's newest mode, the Tower of Lost Souls, which boasts two different gamestyles. Ascend it, and you’ll have to fight consecutive opponents kitted out with all manner of overpowered weapons and unfair abilities. Descend it, and you get a Team Survival type challenge, swapping between two fighters, with damage carrying over between bouts, and the unused character's health slowly regenerating. It's tactical, compelling, and the best way to earn new items for character creation.

In turn, getting the most from Tower mode means building new fighters in character creation, specialised for specific types of bout. Thus, the interplay between these two modes makes for much of SoulCalibur IV's most compelling gameplay – and indeed, the interplay between items, skills and repeated play across all modes is perhaps SoulCalibur IV's most rewarding aspect.

Using a character a lot in SoulCalibur IV not only provides new weapons, armour and accessories that govern the Skill Points you have to spend on new abilities, but increases that fighter's Style Level, which unlocks a wider selection of those abilities. So the more characters you master, the more character creation options become available, meaning SoulCalibur IV provides a very real sense of progression outside of simply increasing your own personal skill level.

And SoulCalibur IV's all-new online mode provides very real incentive to create new fighters. SoulCalibur IV's net play is limited to just 1v1 fights, and yet the smoothness of connection, the split between friendly and ranked matches, and of course the choice of playing with original or custom characters all sets this apart from the online fighting pack – even if a post-fight Rematch option is sadly lacking.

There are however three characters who can't be customised. Yoda (360), Darth Vader (PS3) and the unlockable Secret Apprentice (both versions) are stylistically at odds with SoulCalibur IV's historic setting, and yet feel like fully-fledged fighters, not novelty inclusions. The Apprentice is overpowered, using his Force powers overzealously, while the diminutive Yoda is hard to hit and impossible to throw, yet moves much slower than in the films, and uses the Force rarely. Vader proves the most balanced within the context of the game. The good news is that an empty box on the Character Select screen suggests downloadable content may yet bring Yoda vs Vader battles to both consoles.

So, SoulCalibur IV may not be the revolution that the seminal Dreamcast release was, but it's still a title fighting aficionados and casual post-pub players will get a ton of enjoyment from. It looks lush, boasts gameplay unparalleled in the genre, and despite the familiar feel does just about enough with online play and character customisation to lure long-term fans back for another stylish swashbuckling soiree.

GAME's Verdict

• Still the finest fighting game engine ever – now with new Soul Gauge system and added Star Wars characters!
  
• Character creation and Tower of Lost Souls add a whole new sense of singleplayer reward.
  
• Online play works a treat with ranked and unranked matches, and a choice of original or custom characters.

• The core fighting hasn't changed much in nearly nine years.
  
• Imbalanced Star Wars characters; The apprentice is overpowered, Yoda's size makes him tricky to fight, while Vader, if anything, doesn’t feel powerful enough.
• Online play is simple 1v1 fighting, with no other modes available.

Review by: Mark 'Soul Edge' Scott
Version Tested: PS3, Xbox 360
Review Published: 01.07.08