The Soul Still Burns
Soulcalibur IV is coming. First details and an ultra-enthusiastic quote inside!
Published: June 13, 2007
When the Dreamcast launched on 9.9.99 (for $199!), it brought with it one of the greatest fighting games -- if not the best fighter -- home consoles had ever seen. The updated version of the arcade hit Soul Calibur (remember when they still spelled it with two words?) was nothing short of amazing. Sure, Namco had given home versions of their arcade brawlers a nice little touch up before; Tekken 3 on the original PlayStation was absolutely packed with extras, but Soul Calibur was meatier than any home port in history.
So it wasn't the least bit surprising that people freaked out when Namco announced they were working on three system-specific versions of the follow up for the PS2, Xbox and GameCube (all with their own extra characters; Heihachi Mishima from Tekken, Spawn from that horrid Spawn game, and Link from Zelda, with respects). The end result was at least comparable to the first Soul Calibur, even though some weren't too keen on the special characters.
By the time the third game rolled around, the series had lost a bit of it's luster, and Soulcalibur III didn't help matters any. The single player was busted as hell thanks to AI that basically read your controller inputs and reacted instantly. Luckily, Soulcalibur has always been about playing with buddies, and the two-player game was still an absolute blast.
Now, finally, Soulcalibur IV is coming. It's next gen, it's filled with huge boobies (if you don't know what we're talking about, make sure you check out the teaser trailer -- don't worry about the info, it's actually in HD), and it's due out for both the PS3 and the 360.
"Soulcalibur has been a cornerstone franchise for Namco Bandai Games and this latest edition will build upon its legacy of groundbreaking fighting experiences," proudly trumpeted Namco Bandai Games America EVP and COO Makoto Iwai."With Soulcalibur IV, long-time fans and newcomers to the franchise will be amazed by its visual beauty and intense, pulse pounding weapon combat."
So what is the sequel actually adding? We're not entirely sure yet. There's talk of "new gameplay modes, characters and enhanced features with unprecedented 3D modeling and animation" plus "realistic environments, interactive stages, enhanced AI, and a new battle system" (that last one is wonderfully nebulous), but what any of this means is still up in the air.
Hopefully we'll have a chance to take a peek at the game during E3 in a couple more weeks. If it makes an appearance, we'll be sure to update you.
So it wasn't the least bit surprising that people freaked out when Namco announced they were working on three system-specific versions of the follow up for the PS2, Xbox and GameCube (all with their own extra characters; Heihachi Mishima from Tekken, Spawn from that horrid Spawn game, and Link from Zelda, with respects). The end result was at least comparable to the first Soul Calibur, even though some weren't too keen on the special characters.
By the time the third game rolled around, the series had lost a bit of it's luster, and Soulcalibur III didn't help matters any. The single player was busted as hell thanks to AI that basically read your controller inputs and reacted instantly. Luckily, Soulcalibur has always been about playing with buddies, and the two-player game was still an absolute blast.
Now, finally, Soulcalibur IV is coming. It's next gen, it's filled with huge boobies (if you don't know what we're talking about, make sure you check out the teaser trailer -- don't worry about the info, it's actually in HD), and it's due out for both the PS3 and the 360.
"Soulcalibur has been a cornerstone franchise for Namco Bandai Games and this latest edition will build upon its legacy of groundbreaking fighting experiences," proudly trumpeted Namco Bandai Games America EVP and COO Makoto Iwai."With Soulcalibur IV, long-time fans and newcomers to the franchise will be amazed by its visual beauty and intense, pulse pounding weapon combat."
So what is the sequel actually adding? We're not entirely sure yet. There's talk of "new gameplay modes, characters and enhanced features with unprecedented 3D modeling and animation" plus "realistic environments, interactive stages, enhanced AI, and a new battle system" (that last one is wonderfully nebulous), but what any of this means is still up in the air.
Hopefully we'll have a chance to take a peek at the game during E3 in a couple more weeks. If it makes an appearance, we'll be sure to update you.
