by Jason Dobson on November 3, 2008

Ridiculous crossovers are the vehicle of choice for fighting games struggling to find their niche. While Soulcalibur IV doesn’t exactly need to sucker punch Superman to get attention, Namco Bandai’s decision to cross-pollinate its fighter with Star Wars is no less bizarre. However, for veterans left cold by Soulcalibur’s manic third installment on the PS2, the weapon-based fighter’s return to its slower, more tactical roots this time around is more than enough reason to step back into the ring.

The fourth chapter in the series brings Soulcalibur to current gen consoles alongside a number of features and enhancements, including a blocking gauge and round-ending Critical Finishes that, while on the surface might seem like a cheap addition, are an effective means of discouraging turtling players from sinking back into their shells. Also new is the Tower of Lost Souls mode, which replaces Soulcalibur III’s Chronicles of the Sword, pitting stock or custom fighters against waves of increasingly difficult enemies for cash and prizes. Unlockables and an involved character creator add to an already astonishingly deep experience, giving fans plenty of excuses to keep this disc spinning in their consoles for months to come.

The key to any fighter is the breadth of its roster, and here is no different. Soulcalibur IV offers a welcome mix of old favorites and new faces, as well as Darth Vader (or Yoda, for those playing on the Xbox 360) and the protagonist from LucasArts’ The Force Unleashed, additions that I can only imagine owe their life to some dark wellspring of marketing juju. Still, the important consideration here is balance, and while some fighters err on the cheaper end of the scale, annoyances never rise to the point of being game-breaking.

Soulcalibur IV also takes its soul burning escapades online for the first time, though it does so with mixed results thanks to lag that hamstrings competitive play, a problem only highlighted by the inability to sort players by their connection speed. This is, however, a minor gripe, as the latency will likely go unnoticed by all casual and even most mainstream players anyway. However, in a game where a fraction of a second often spells the difference between success and falling on my face, the last thing I want to have to worry about is my competitor’s ISP.

While not perfect, Soulcalibur has nonetheless remained a formidable name among console-based 3D fighters since its groundbreaking debut for the Dreamcast some ten years ago. And while the series has floundered since, Soulcalibur IV rights the ship and sharpens the franchise to a razor’s edge, turning out the best looking and playing game the franchise has seen to date. And it didn’t even need the Force to do it.

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