Soul Caliber 3 was a major achievement in the fighter genre. It had many unlockables, as well countless hours of gameplay with a fluid control scheme that was accessible to anybody who picked up the controller. Soul Caliber has always been the type of game that when watched in action, it only made you want to play. Soul Caliber 4 is just as good as its predecessors, and it may be the best in the series.

A majority of the things in SC3 have returned and are better than ever. There are new characters to be unlocked, as well as some of the SC veteran favorites (mine being Kilik). There is nothing to worry about, as the characters handle just as well as before; but due to the incredible amount of work that has been put into an already excellent control scheme, they feel even BETTER than before.

The graphics in the game also another factor into the level of enjoyment while playing; every detail is beautiful, every character model well designed, and every level is a joy to play in. It is a pretty awesome feeling to fight in such exotic locations while unleashing some amazing moves on your opponent within a matter of seconds. There are an overwhelming amount of attacks to be learned, and this is a dream to the SC veteran. My only problem with a couple of the characters is that they are just a little bit too easy to unleash powerful moves. This is a small problem that occurred in SC3 as well, but like in SC3, it is not a huge problem. Like I said before, this pertains to only a select few of the characters. If you are experienced enough, you can easily overcome this maneuvering around them with your own arsenal of powerful attacks that are used with actual style. This will bring down any beginner in an instant.

There are a couple of new additions to the gameplay here. A new damage meter has been implemented into the battle system which prevents a player from blocking throughout the entire match. This is a thing of beauty. Everyone hates when a player’s only means of survival is to block every single move that is brought onto them. But now, if this problem occurs, pieces of armor will break off. If all of the armor is gone, the player is susceptible to what is called a Critical Finish. This is another thing of beauty. It’s basically a finishing move that is activated by pressing all of the attack buttons on the controller. A very slick cut scene is activated which shows your character bringing down your opponent in the most awesome of ways. Slow motion and an amazing sense of style are shown in these scenes, and for every character bring a completely different finisher. The only problem is that finishers are not always seen, as you sometimes don’t get a person that blocks throughout the entire battle.

Another new addition: Online gameplay! Fuck yes! It is about fucking time. This is what every fan has been dreaming of, and it has finally arrived in a fantastic way. Nothing is better than being able to get even better at beating someone’s ass than by battling people from all over the world. The system works perfectly and there is rarely ever any lag in the online battles. You get ranked and unranked matches, as well as the option to use the character you have customly created in the single player modes. Be prepared to spend many, many hours with this. It is truly addicting.

The music is amazing as always. It’s basically the same as what you would come to expect from any SC game. It’s pretty damn epic. Lots of orchestrated tunes with a choir to back up every intense battle are loaded onto the disc, and every score helps to make the game even better than it already is.

Soul Caliber 4 is the definitive addition to the series. It has only improved upon what has previously been presented to its players, and this is one fighter than can easily attract new gamers from how gorgeous everything is alone. There are lots of unlockables and great single player options to keep the time passing. Pay the 60 dollars; it is so worth it.