Fighting game characters have long been accompanied by their own personal arenas, and that's proving true for the Star Wars combatants appearing in Soul Calibur IV. The game was on display at the recent Anime Expo 2008, where attendees got a first glimpse at a fighting ground from a galaxy far, far away.
In this particular case, it's Darth Vader's stomping (and lightsaber-ing) ground: the docking bay of an Imperial Star Destroyer. No sign of Yoda's yet, but we're hoping for Degobah, the Jedi Council chambers, or Frank Oz's dressing room.
And based on the button icons on the character select screen, it's the PS3 version! Glad to see they have enough confidence in the PS3 build to show it off in public now, especially after IGN talked about a bad PS3 frame rate a few months back.
That guy in the background who kept on trying to be some video game coach reminded me of the days of the arcade where the the guy who sucks kept on telling others how to do it right. Those who can do, those that can't try to teach.
That's awful. It's a shame they've got such little confidence in their product they had to jam it with Star Wars characters. Namco-Bandai knows this isn't Smash Bros, right? I suppose I'd be interested in the game still if there was a way to lock out all the Star Wars shit.
A completely agree with you. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and even I think this was unnecessary.
At this point though its done and over with. They're in the game and that's that. I'll still buy the game because the game has all the makings of a truly epic fighter.
Hopefully it will be great despite the whole jumping the shark stuff...
I don't think that Namco-Bandai has little confidence in their product. The Soulcalibur series has always been a popular and enjoyable fighting series, and there was considerable hype for the game before the Star Wars content was announced. As I see it, Soulcalibur isn't losing anything by having an extra map and three extra Star Wars universe characters.
Besides, characters like Yoshimitsu harken back to other series (Tekken, in this case). So it's not like Soulcalibur is its own contained universe. I had a lot of fun playing with/as Spawn on my XBox.
Arturo, if you'd ever played a fighting game, you'd know it doesn't quite work like that.
And yeah, PC, I'm not gonna be getting the game this time around, and I'm a long time fan, since Soul Edge II. "Jumping the shark"is the perfect way of putting it. If I wanted a Star Wars fighting game, well, I guess my copy of Teras Kasi will work on PS3... OHHHH BAD MEMORIES!! WHY DO I OWN THAT!!!
I suppose it's all just a matter of suspension of disbelief. I can take the historical mishmash, the mystical artifacts, the fact that a horizontal sword slash hurts a dudes health bar and doesn't split him in two. But when you start throwing Death Stars and other planets and especially light sabres into Soul Calibur, you lose me. That same part of me that will believe the unrealistic damage and magic and whatnot expects a lightsabre to cut through anything. If a sword and a lightsabre meet in battle, every geek knows what happens.
Might as well throw away every Mario game I own, too.
Hell, while I'm at it, lemme go prune every single game I own that isn't within the realm of possibility from my collection! I can't wait to play Call of Duty 2 over and over and over...
'Suspension of disbelief' is what video games are about, or at least it is to those of us who refer to it not as 'suspension of disbelief', but as 'having an imagination'. You wouldn't have an enjoyable fighting game if you had to block EVERY incoming move for fear that if your opponent got a single hit on you, you'd be split in two, and I'm sure there'll be some explanation as to why lightsabers don't do shit.
Honestly, I don't see your problem with the Star Wars characters. Yeah, its a little out of place, but they're not much more farfetched than the rest of the cast of characters in the series, and with a little explanation or a few matches with Darth Vader, I'm sure most of us'll be able to get over their inclusion and even begin to like the fact that they're in (I already do).
Haven't you heard? Soul Calibur is supposed to be a serious fighting game about magical evil swords. No wacky characters allowed because the game has to make sense, remember?
From what the video shows, the four arenas shown (in order) are titled Imperial Garden, Pavilion, Throne Room, and Star Destroyer Docking Bay.
I can't make out the first word or two of some of the titles (like the garden is called Thesmophoros' Imperial Garden or something like that), but Dagobah is definitely not in that video.
When Yoda is first shown with the word "Hope" across the screen, it looks as though he is in a tropical setting. However, when he stands up and pulls out his light saber he is in a very Dagobah-like swamp. As the vid progresses, you see fighting in the Docking Bay (complete with Shuttle) and more fighting in the Dagobahish swamp. From a video that came out months ago. I'm just saying this newer "Docking Bay" video shouldn't be news to anyone who has been keeping up with SCIV news.
lol @ sonic rift. relax. i enjoy many a fighting series, from tekken, to mk, to street fighter, soul calibur, samurai shodown, etc.
i know it doesn't quite work like that durr. it just makes me laugh that people can be so enraged by the inclusion of 2 star wars characters and some stages.
lightsabers would split people open surely, but it's not like the game is ruined for me. it's a bit unfortunate, but easily ignored
This game is shaping up to be one of the best games of the year. I am not talking just fighting game either. This looks light years better than the mockery that is Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe.
Dear god, did people throw this kind of tantrum when SC2 added Link, Heihachi and Spawn? Or when Marvel VS. Capcom came out? Or is it just Star Wars? Is Star Wars so holy, that to tack it on to something else is blasphemy?
It's because the guy playing Mitsurugi doesn't know how to play Mitsurugi. The guy playing Siegfried isn't that great either, but he's better than the guy playing Mitsurugi...
It's because the guy playing Mitsurugi doesn't know how to play Mitsurugi. The guy playing Siegfried isn't that great either, but he's better than the guy playing Mitsurugi...
I honestly don't understand the complaints here. "OMG lightsabers should cut through anything!" But Seigfried's eight foot sword is fine, when it makes direct content and blinding speed into an opponents head? Or even against something like a Rapier, you don't think it would smash it to pieces? And when we have a game about magic, giant Lizard men, legendary swords and other magic, I don't really how people can feel Star Wars is out of place.
Were Link and Spawn any worse with SCII? They're just included for fun. If they announce MORE Star Wars characters, then yes, I agree they need to tone things done and announce some more real SC characters, but as it is we only have the two in each version, and the inclusion of the Secret Apprentice was probably more due to Lucas than Namco wanting him there.
"You can use Vader and Yoda, if...." Free hype for the Force Unleashed anyone?
This looks horrible. They haven't progressed a single freggin thing about this game in 10 years. It's still choppy and bland which was ok when the original came out for the dreamcast. My standards have risen since then.
And this whole "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" phrase is nice when you're talking about something with clear functions like a vacuum cleaner or airplane, but this is a video game. They should always be stepping it up, rediscovering itself, treading new ground on ALL levels for every gen.
