
Namco Bandai Soul Calibur IV
Soul Calibur still burns!
Pros
- Truly splendid visuals with plenty of colour, Fast-paced fighting with tight controls
Cons
- The same game you've been playing for years, lacklustre online play and boring Story modes
Bottom Line
This is a good game, but not a great one. I hope that the next Soul Calibur truly reinvigorates the look, feel, and energy of this majestic series.
-
Price
$ 99.95 (AUD)
Soul Calibur IV is a strong fighter, but its edge is beginning to dull.
Soul Calibur IV hits the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 with gorgeous new graphics, more detailed create-a-character options, and the same sword-clashing fights featured in the last four games. Speaking as a moderate fan of the series, I was hoping that Soul Calibur IV would reignite my passion for this well-respected fighter. What I got was more of the same, only prettier and more polished. Soul Calibur IV is undeniably the best version of an already great fighter, but outside of the Star Wars guest characters, there's little here that will surprise and delight newcomers or veterans.
Souls and Swords
In this fighting game, two players clash with exotic medieval weapons. You can win by slashing your opponent to ribbons, or by knocking him out of the ring. The chief difference between Soul Calibur IV and fighters like Tekken 5 is the presence of a Guard button, which you must hold in order to fend off enemy attacks. By tapping away or forward while guarding, you can deflect your enemy's weapon and open them up for a rapid counterattack. During these moments, Soul Calibur IV is at its best: the matches are fast, fierce, and very enjoyable.
Outside of the core fighting experience, though, Soul Calibur IV brings little new to the table. Single-player types can play the new Tower of Lost Souls mode, which is a welcome way to extend the life of the single-player game. In this mode, you fight a series of increasingly difficult opponents as you climb the tower, unlocking gold (spent on character customisations) and new items as you progress. Character creation is another high point: you can imbue your fighters with magical garments, or create a completely original character using colour selection tools and a huge number of outfit options. Online, I encountered a player who had customised his fighter to look like The Joker from The Dark Knight. And YouTube videos are already demonstrating fan-made Supermen, Solid Snakes, and Links.
Win Some, Lose Some
Other additions don't fare as well, particularly Soul Calibur IV's disappointing new online play. You'll find a smattering of online versus modes, but the interface and features are miles behind even Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online, a mere downloadable game. It's a surprisingly barebones implementation, but I'm hopeful that Namco Bandai will enhance this no-frills matchmaking with future game updates.
Visually, the game is just spectacular. From the fluid fighting styles to the kaleidoscopic arenas, Soul Calibur IV is one of the most lavish-looking games on either the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3. Speaking of which, there aren't many differences between the two versions, though the PS3 version looks a bit crisper and benefits from the DualShock 3's superior directional pad.
Identity Crisis?
While writing this article, I looked back on my Soul Calibur III review and was alarmed by the similarities in both write-ups. This line grabbed me: "Namco can't continue to pile on more moves, game modes, and graphical enhancements; at some point, something's gotta give."
I'm sorry to report that Soul Calibur IV is inching dangerously close to that point of "something's gotta give." It's fundamentally the same game as Soul Calibur III, only with more fighters, an online mode, and more create-a-character customisations. It's remarkably well produced and visually sumptuous, but its appeal remains limited to hardcore fighting veterans and casual button-mashers.
Brand Post

Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Miofive 4K Dash Cam review: This friendly road watcher is ‘here for you!’
- 2 Dell U3223QE review: A winning debut for an IPS Black monitor
- 3 Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A review: This 4K monitor plays nice with consoles
- 4 Firewalla Gold review: Powerful home network security in a tiny box
- 5 Acer Aspire 5 review: An affordable laptop that’s enjoyable to use
Latest News Articles
- This real-life “aimbot” uses a physical mouse to cheat at shooting games
- Bethesda’s classic Elder Scrolls games arrive on Steam—for free
- We tested 22 different RPGs on the Steam Deck
- Steam Deck’s first major update adds a lock screen, Windows 11 support
- Sony is getting serious about bringing more PlayStation games to the PC
Resources
Business Centre
The latest business news, reviews, features and whitepapers

Videos
Watch our video news and reviews from around the world

Guides
Comprehensive buying guides, features, and step-by-step articles

PCW Evaluation Team
Pedro Peixoto
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Set up is effortless.
Cate Bacon
Aruba Instant On AP11D

The strength of the Aruba Instant On AP11D is that the design and feature set support the modern, flexible, and mobile way of working.
Dr Prabigya Shiwakoti
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Aruba backs the AP11D up with a two-year warranty and 24/7 phone support.
Tom Pope
Dynabook Portégé X30L-G

Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.
Tom Sellers
MSI P65

This smart laptop was enjoyable to use and great to work on – creating content was super simple.
Lolita Wang
MSI GT76

It really doesn’t get more “gaming laptop” than this.
Featured Content
- Top 10 best Android and Apple phones for under $600
- 25 Essential Party Games On PC And Console To Play With Family And Friends
- Mesh Wi-Fi vs Traditional Routers: Which is better?
- Which flagship TV is best? Sony 4K HDR Bravia 2016 versus LG 4K HDR OLED 2016
- 10 Blu-ray movies / Best looking Blu-ray movies