Soulcalibur IV[lower-alpha 2] is a 2008 fighting video game developed by Project Soul and published by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. As the fifth main entry in the Soulcalibur series, it marks a significant evolution in gameplay with enhanced graphics and new features compared to its predecessor Soulcalibur III (2005), including the introduction of three guest characters from the Star Wars franchise: Darth Vader, Yoda, and the Apprentice.
The game introduces a variety of modes, such as Story, Arcade, and the innovative Tower of Lost Souls, where players face challenges for rewards. It also includes an extensive Character Creation mode, allowing for detailed customization of fighters, and a new online multiplayer feature that enables players to compete in both Standard and Special VS modes. Notably, the Critical Finish system and the unique Force Meter mechanics for guest characters add depth and strategy to combat. This installment is recognized for its contribution to the franchise, paving the way for future developments. The game received mainly positive reviews; it was followed by a handheld title, Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny (2009), and later a full sequel, Soulcalibur V (2012).
Gameplay
Soulcalibur IV features Story, Arcade, Training, and Museum modes. A new mode, Tower of Lost Souls, requires players to win battles to gain rewards.[3] The game runs in HD resolution with 5.1 channel surround sound on both platforms.
The Character Creation mode from Soulcalibur III returns in Soulcalibur IV. However, instead of including original weapon styles for use with certain classes of fighters, Soulcalibur IV allows players to choose which character from the series they would like their created character to mimic. This differs from Soulcalibur III, which featured many unique styles such as "Grieve Edge". The styles of Algol, the bonus characters, and the Star Wars guest characters cannot be used by player-created characters. A wide array of new equipment pieces are available for use in Soulcalibur IV's Character Creation mode, and new options include a broader range of character voices and the ability to adjust their pitch. Players may also modify a character's general physique and muscularity.
Additionally, equipped items now affect a character's statistics. Armor, weapons, and accessories may increase health, attack, or defense; they may also grant skill points that allow the character to equip special traits affecting playstyle.[4] These traits may include automatically triggered guard impacts, the ability to inflict damage on a blocking opponent, or even a statistic increase based on parameters such as an opponent's alignment or gender. Standard characters can also be modified in this manner, albeit only modestly, allowing custom costumes and skill sets to be used in Special VS. mode. Custom characters may still be utilized in Standard VS. mode but without any special abilities gained through equipment or weapon choice. One profile is permitted for Offline VS. mode, meaning that only one profile's created characters can be loaded at any given time.
Multi-fighter battles in Soulcalibur IV employ a different structure from its predecessors, known as Active Matching Battle (AMB). Similar to the tag system of games such as The King of Fighters 2003, the AMB system allows players to switch to other members of their fighter party mid-battle. Instead of starting a new round for each defeated opponent, new opponents enter the battle immediately after a K.O., with the exception of certain combatants. Matches utilizing the AMB system only appear in the Story and Tower of Lost Souls modes.
Soulcalibur IV introduces an all-new Critical Finish system. Next to a player's health meter is a colored gem known as the Soul Gauge. The gem changes color when the player blocks an attack or has their own attack blocked by a Guard Impact. The color transitions from blue to green, then to red, and eventually flashes red. The player's Soul Gauge regenerates if they successfully hit the opponent with an attack, guard, or otherwise. If a character manages to deplete the opponent's Soul Gauge, the enemy suffers a piece of armor destruction (characters now display permanent visual damage, such as broken and torn clothing) and experiences a brief stun during which the character can execute a powerful Critical Finish move by pressing all four face buttons simultaneously. Each character has a unique Critical Finish move. Namco developed the Soul Gauge to mitigate the advantages of constant guarding, thus enhancing the game's tempo and making matches more offensive.[5]
The Star Wars guest characters, Darth Vader, Yoda, and the Apprentice, utilize unique attacks powered by the Force. Darth Vader can employ Force-based blasts, punches, and chokes; Yoda can use the Force to propel himself into the air for intricate aerial attacks; and finally, the Apprentice is capable of wielding Force lightning and other dark-side abilities. These moves consume a special Force Meter, which gradually recharges when not in use. If the Force Meter is depleted, the player momentarily loses control of the character.
For the first time in the series, Soulcalibur IV includes an online multiplayer option. The versus modes available in online battles are Standard VS (for classic matches) and Special VS (for customized characters).[3] Created characters are playable in the online multiplayer mode.[6] A player's wins and losses are recorded and used to establish a ranking level that reflects their online skill.[3]
Soulcalibur IV features a roster of 34 fighters. Many characters from the Soul series return, along with two newcomers and three guest characters from the Star Wars franchise: Darth Vader, Yoda, and The Apprentice. Initially, Darth Vader was exclusive to the PlayStation 3, while Yoda was available on the Xbox 360 as part of a full game download; Namco later made both characters available as downloadable content on the opposite platform for a fee. The Apprentice, the main protagonist of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, is playable on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions.
Revenant,[7] Frederick Schtauffen[8][9] and several other minor characters from the Soul series make an appearance in battle, and most can be created in Character Creation mode. Several bonus characters designed by manga artists (Angol Fear, Ashlotte, Kamikirimusi, Scheherazade, and Shura) are also playable in the game, utilizing the fighting styles of returning characters. They are designed by Mine Yoshizaki, Ito Ōgure, Hirokazu Hisayuki, Yutaka Izubuchi, and Hiroya Oku, respectively.
The story of Soulcalibur IV, conveyed through in-game written profiles and cutscenes, centers around the ancient king Algol, his tower, and his connection to the origin of the spirit sword known as Soulcalibur. Each character's motivations and relationships with others are explored in a mode called Chain of Souls. As is customary, none of the individual endings from the previous game are considered canonical events, and most characters' motivations from that game remain unresolved. However, a small number of characters experienced significant events related to the universal events of Soulcalibur III. Siegfried has died and been resurrected by the Soulcalibur sword. Sophitia's daughter Pyrrha has been kidnapped by Tira and malfested by Soul Edge, leaving Sophitia to fight for the side of evil in defense of her now-corrupted daughter. Tira is also suffering from a split personality disorder. Most characters are still driven by a desire to either obtain, destroy, or defend one or both of the legendary swords now wielded by Siegfried and Nightmare, with most facing Algol as the final boss of Story mode. All characters feature animated ending cutscenes.
Release
The Premium Edition of Soulcalibur IV included a 48-page softcover art/comic book illustrated in full color, an XL 100% cotton T-shirt, and a tournament chart that allowed fans the opportunity to document battles among friends. The reverse side of the chart served as a poster. It was packaged in a metal case and released on the same date as the regular edition, along with exclusive access to additional customization content for this version.[10] This extra content included the automatic unlocking of the most powerful weapons and joke weapons for each character, as well as clothing items to create a schoolboy or schoolgirl character. In New Zealand, Australia, and Europe, a steelbook case edition was released instead, which included a bonus DVD containing four trailers in HD, four wallpapers, exclusive concept art, and an exclusive booklet with character biographies.
Shortly after the initial release, various pieces of paid downloadable content became available, including music tracks from the original Soulcalibur, customization equipment,[11] and weapon packs. On October 23, 2008, the options to play as Yoda in the PS3 version of the game and Darth Vader in the Xbox 360 version became available via paid downloadable content.[12][13] However, both pieces of DLC were later removed from PSN and XBL due to licensing issues following the purchase of Star Wars by Disney. [citation needed]
Soulcalibur IV received mostly positive reviews from media outlets. In 2014, six years after its initial release, it held an average Metacritic score of 85 for both its PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions.[23] The game was praised for its polished graphics, deep Character Creation mode, and long-awaited online play capability. Reviewers noted that the gameplay was accessible for newcomers and beginners while still offering plenty of depth and technicality for veterans and experienced players, including an abundance of single-player challenges in Tower of Lost Souls mode.[24][25] The music was also praised,[21] and Gaming Revolution summarized the game as "some of the best weapons-based fighting action in town".[18]
Certain criticisms were directed towards the guest characters from the Star Wars franchise, with several critics maintaining that their presence felt unnatural and that Yoda and The Apprentice, in particular, were "broken" (a reference to a perceived imbalance in fighting games that gives some characters a vastly unfair advantage over others) and "absurd", respectively. Yoda's smaller size (and thus his immunity to grab attacks) was mentioned as one design issue.[26] At the same time, Yoda's short range and low damage output were deemed problematic, making him both overpowered and underpowered simultaneously.
Soulcalibur IV topped the UK sales charts for several weeks on both the PS3[27] and Xbox 360.[28] As of March 31, 2009, the game had sold 2.3 million copies worldwide.[29]
Project Soul (the development team of the Soul series) had always suggested that Soulcalibur IV would be their final installment, as there were rumors that the team had disbanded. However, Katsuhiro Harada (producer of the Tekken series) indicated that he would seriously consider a sequel if there was sufficient interest. He informed fans that he was open to opinions and requests via Twitter, asking that messages be short and simple due to his limited English skills. While the possibility of a sequel appeared stronger than ever, Namco had not made any statements to confirm their commitment to the project. Fans were encouraged to continue showing support and interest to help secure the development of Soulcalibur V.[36] On May 11, 2011, Namco Bandai officially announced the new game, which was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on January 31, 2012.[37]
Soulcalibur is a 1998 fighting game developed by Project Soul and produced by Namco. It is the second game in the Soulcalibur series, preceded by Soul Edge. Originally released in arcades on July 30, 1998, it ran on the Namco System 12 hardware, and was ported to the Dreamcast console in 1999 with new features and improved graphics.
Soulcalibur II is a 2002 arcade fighting video game developed by Project Soul and published by Namco. It is the third installment in the Soulcalibur series of weapon-based fighting games as the sequel to Soulcalibur (1998). Originally intended to be released on Sega's NAOMI arcade board, the game was built on the Namco System 246 board before being ported to the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox home consoles in 2003.
Tekken 6 is a 2007 fighting game developed and published by Bandai Namco Games. It is the sixth main and seventh overall installment in the Tekken franchise. It was released on arcades in November 2007 as the first game running on the PlayStation 3-based System 357 arcade board. A year later, the game received an update, subtitled Bloodline Rebellion; both versions also saw a limited release in North America. A home version based on the update was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in October 2009; this was the first time a main installment was produced for another console. A port to PlayStation Portable was also released shortly after.
Soulcalibur III is a 2005 fighting video game produced by Namco as a sequel to Soulcalibur II (2002) and the fourth installment in the Soulcalibur series. It was originally released for the PlayStation 2 and was followed by an improved arcade version, subtitled Arcade Edition, in 2006. It was the last Soulcalibur game to receive an arcade version and was also the last to be released by Namco as an independent company. Soulcalibur III received a mainly positive reception, and it was followed by a sequel under Namco Bandai Games, Soulcalibur IV (2008).
Isabella Valentine, commonly called Ivy, is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division, she first appeared in the original Soulcalibur and its subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise related to the series. She was voiced in Japanese by Yumi Tōma between Soulcalibur and Soulcalibur III, Kanako Tōjō between Soulcalibur Legends and Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, and Miyuki Sawashiro in Soulcalibur V, and Soulcalibur VI; in English, she was voiced by Renee Hewitt in Soulcalibur II and Lani Minella for the remainder of the series.
Necrid is a character in the Soulcalibur series of weapon-based fighting games. Designed by comic book artist and toy designer Todd McFarlane through a collaboration with Namco, the character appeared in console ports of Soulcalibur II and later as part of an action figure set created by McFarlane Productions. Necrid's concept and physical build were outlined by Namco, who aimed to target North American audiences with the character, while McFarlane provided the character's design and name.
Soulcalibur is a weapon-based fighting game franchise developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
Beautiful Katamari, released in Japan as Beautiful Katamari Damacy, is a video game by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360. Beautiful Katamari is the fourth game in the Katamari series of games following Katamari Damacy, We Love Katamari, and Me & My Katamari.
Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is a fighting video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 based on the anime Dragon Ball Z. The game was developed by Dimps and published in North America and Australia by Atari, and in Japan and Europe by Namco Bandai under the Bandai label. It was released in Japan on June 5, 2008, in Europe on June 6, 2008, North America on June 10, 2008, and in Australia on July 3, 2008.
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, known in Japan as Naruto: Narutimate Storm is a 2008 fighting video game developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Namco Bandai Games originally for the PlayStation 3. It is based on the popular manga and anime series Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto, and the first installment of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series, followed up by Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 (2010). The game has since been remastered and released as part of the series Trilogy on newer platforms in 2017, as well as a mobile version in 2024.
Voldo is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division, he first appeared in Soul Edge, and later in all games of the Soulcalibur series with the exception of Soulcalibur Legends. Servant to a long-dead weapons merchant, Voldo guards his treasure vault, attacking intruders while occasionally wandering out in search of a cursed sword named Soul Edge. Designed by Aya Takemura and Takuji Kawano around his dual hand katars, Voldo went through several designs, and in the early design phases was called "Psycho Murder". Having no spoken dialogue and instead strictly moaning or hissing deeply while fighting an opponent, his high mobility and flexibility influenced his outfits throughout the series, with several designed to take advantage of his unique traits.
The following is a comprehensive list of characters from the Soulcalibur series of video games, beginning with Soul Edge in 1995.
Taki is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by designers Aya Takemura and Takuji Kawano of Namco's Project Soul division, she was introduced in Soul Edge, and later appeared in almost every subsequent sequel. Taki is a Japanese demon-hunting kunoichi and the greatest warrior of the Fu-Ma ninja clan. She is traveling the world on a quest to destroy the cursed sword Soul Edge. Taki has been featured as a player character in every main entry in the series up until 2012's Soulcalibur V, when her place was taken by her own young disciple named Natsu, but she returned in 2018's Soulcalibur VI. She has further appeared in all of Soulcalibur spin-off games, as well as in some other titles such as Namco × Capcom, The King of Fighters All Star, and Queen's Gate. She has been voiced in Japanese by Fujiko Takimoto until Soulcalibur III, and then by Sachiko Kojima and Nanako Mori in later games, while her English voice actors include Desirée Goyette and Cynthia Holloway.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny is a 2009 fighting video game in the Soulcalibur series, developed by Project Soul and published by Namco Bandai Games, for the PlayStation Portable. The game uses many of the features of Soulcalibur IV, including its character customization mode. One of the goals of the game is "to target beginners and novice players with Soulcalibur IV's content". It introduces two new characters to the series: Kratos from the God of War series and Dampierre, a new original character. In December 2023, the game was released digitally on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast is a video game based on the manga and anime franchise Dragon Ball. It was developed by Spike and published by Namco Bandai for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game consoles in North America; internationally it was published under the Bandai label. It was released in Japan, North America, Europe, and Australia during the second week of November 2009. In Europe, a limited edition pack of the game was also released that included bonus collector material.
Soulcalibur is a weapon-based fighting game series by Namco Bandai Games. The series revolves around a sword that, after years of bloodshed and hatred, gained a soul of its own, the Soul Edge, and the sword forged to counter it, Soulcalibur. The discography of the Soulcalibur series consists of two soundtrack albums for the first game in the series, Soul Edge, and one soundtrack album each for Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur II, III, IV, V and VI. None of the other games in the series have received a soundtrack release.
Soulcalibur V is a 2012 fighting video game produced by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. As the sixth main installment in Namco's Soulcalibur series, Soulcalibur V serves as a follow-up to Soulcalibur IV (2008). It retains the weapon-based combat that characterizes the series while introducing a new protagonist, Patroklos, who aims to free his sister from a curse inflicted upon her by an ancient weapon. This installment marks the conclusion of the original Soul series timeline.
Soulcalibur: Lost Swords was a free-to-play fighting game distributed through PlayStation Network. Released in 2014, the game is based on Soulcalibur V and is strictly single-player. It uses the same weapon-based fighting system from previous games; however, several of the gameplay mechanics were changed, simplified or otherwise removed.
Soulcalibur VI is a 2018 fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Dimps, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. As the seventh main installment and reboot of the Soulcalibur series, it was released for the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on October 19, 2018. The game revisits events from the first installment, set in the 16th century, with the aim of "uncovering hidden truths." Players engage in combat as they select from a diverse roster of characters, including both returning favorites and new additions.
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