SoulCalibur IV

Critic reviews

• VGVideo Gamer

  Wesley Yin-Poole · Aug 07, 2008

  8.0

  In reality, this is a reserved effort from Namco Bandai, and feels almost as if Project Soul has merely dipped its toe in the next-gen water for fear of causing too big a splash. It's gorgeous, and an essential purchase for any fighting game fan who likes aggressive counters and weapon clashes, but it's no fighting game revolution. Looks like we'll have to wait till SoulCalibur V comes out for that.

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• GBGiant Bomb

  Jeff Gerstmann · Aug 07, 2008

  6.0

  Overall, it's sort of hard to recommend Soulcalibur IV to anyone who isn't already a big fan of the series. It felt like everything I liked about the game (the actual fighting) was countered by something else (the meaningless story mode, equipment stats, Ivy's creepy-looking boobs) that made me want to take the disc out and put it away forever.

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• GGameSpot

  Justin Calvert · Jul 30, 2008

  8.5

  Style is something that Soulcalibur IV certainly has no shortage of. The nicely detailed character models look even better when the flamboyant animation kicks in, and the sheer variety that's on show in the arena locales can't fail to impress. The orchestral soundtrack ends up feeling a little too epic for its own good in places, but that's largely because it's paired with cheesy character dialog and an announcer who delivers his melodramatic lines without even a hint of irony.

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• IIGN

  Ryan Clements · Jul 29, 2008

  8.7

  Soulcalibur IV is a lot of fun and I highly recommend it, especially -- as I said before -- to fans of the series. The game runs well, looks beautiful, sports great music and obviously has enjoyable combat. The PS3 and 360 versions are just about identical (barring the differing guest characters), though I felt that the optional install on the PS3 made things feel even quicker and more polished. In the end, both are worthy members of a long-standing series and you won't be disappointed with the purchase.

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• TXTotal Xbox

  Total Xbox · Aug 01, 2008

  7.0

  Accessible, but a little ditzy and lightweight
• EGEuro Gamer

  Richard Leadbetter · Jul 30, 2008

  8.0

  But for all the game's technical excellence, sumptuous graphics and epic soundtrack, Soulcalibur IV also serves to remind us just how bereft of basic innovation the one-on-one fight genre has become. Were it not for the customisation and online options, this would essentially be an HD rendition of previous games.

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