Games & Gadgets

The most you can ask for in a fighting game is for the combat to flow smoothly. "Soul Calibur" has always had great combat, and IV is no exception. Well-timed combinations and guard impacts will help you keep your opponent off balance as you execute your fight plan to perfection.

Even if you are new to the series, the controls are not hard to learn. You have high-, mid- and low-level attacks. You must have all of these attacks in your arsenal in order to be effective. The artificial intelligence will catch on if you don't mix up your attacks.

In previous versions, you could block most of the fight and pick your spots to attack. "SC IV" forces you to be more aggressive. You have head, body and lower body armor, all of which can be destroyed if they are attacked enough, even if you are blocking. If you continue to guard, your health gauge will start to flash red. Your opponent can then perform a soul crush, the ultimate finishing move. A cut scene ensues and you are automatically knocked out.

Yoda (Xbox 360), Darth Vader (PS3) and Darth Vader's secret apprentice (both) are added to "SC IV," all of whom are able to use their Force abilities to give them an upper hand. If you are familiar with the series, all of the classic characters return, many of them with their old combinations available for you to mix in with new grabs and finishing moves.

The game looks great. The characters and their weapons are detailed, taking full advantage of the Xbox 360's power. The stages look nice also, but there's not anything special about them.

Story mode allows you to play through a unique storyline, consisting of about four to six stages, with each character. You can unlock weapons, armor and even bonus characters by completing the story. A new mode called "Tower of Lost Souls" lets you ascend or descend a 60-floor tower, fighting at each level. The farther you get, the more equipment you unlock. The game also includes arcade, training and versus modes.

"Character creation" mode is back with more options to customize your fighter. You can choose everything from your fighting style to your voice. Once you have created your character, you can use him in all modes.

The bottom line is this is a good game. Unfortunately, it's basically "Soul Calibur II" on a newer system. The first go-round on this generation console is a success because it looks good and plays as you expect it to. It'll probably be at least a few years before "SC V," but there definitely have to be some changes. Successful fighting franchises rarely make drastic changes, but I think one thing they should do is eliminate the "ring out" possibility. Yoda has to jump to attack and he is constantly getting knocked out of the ring. If you are playing a friend who is a large character that can push you back, it can be frustrating, because you can't always get around them. If you like fighting games, check this one out, but don't expect anything revolutionary. "Soul Calibur IV" gets 4 out of 5 buttons.

Anthony Cochran is a senior at Munford High School.