Who would have expected to find Yoda and Darth Vader in a 16th century European town? Namco shows just how close a galaxy far, far away can be as they usher in the latest in the Soul fighting series with Soulcalibur IV.

Soulcalibur IV continues the epic tale of the legendary “soul” swords and the fighting melee that determines their ultimate possessor. The swords are called Soul Calibur and Soul Edge, with one being good and one evil, respectively. Each fighter has his or her own reason for pursuing the powerful weapons.

The warriors of Soulcalibur IV are so diverse, in fact, that they include a couple of Star Wars characters who have traveled great distances to join in the battle.

In addition to the standard arcade and story modes, Soulcalibur IV includes a new mode for players called the Tower of Lost Souls. In this mode, players can obtain treasure chests with special weapons and character upgrades by defeating enemies as they climb a tower. The mode adds some single-player action to a game usually played by two or more.

Soulcalibur IV also includes an extra gameplay feature called the Soul Gauge. This gauge changes colors during battle if players simply block moves without ever actually battling. If it flashes red and a gamer continues passively defending, then the opponent will get a chance to do a one-hit super finish to win the battle.

Fans will be happy to see Soulcalibur IV finally brings online play to the Soulcalibur series. This long-awaited feature solidifies this game as a hit, as you now have the ability to prove yourself across the globe in one of the most vivid and dazzling fighting games around.

Plus, with online play there will likely be updates and downloads released for the game. So, if you find yourself unable to obtain the holy Soul Calibur, you can probably just download a smaller sword from a friend.

By Joe Legato

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