Soul survivor

by ERIK LEIJON

This week’s review is better suited for dissemination from a psychiatrist’s couch, because playing Soulcalibur IV (PS3, X360/Namco Bandai, Project Soul) involved confronting almost every fear I have pertaining to online gaming, next-gen innovation and the fighting genre in general. Seeing as I haven’t descended into a state of drunken madness, one can assume most of my fears were assuaged.

Although I devoted more hours to the original Dreamcast Soulcalibur than any other game, the last two respectable sequels failed to capture the technical wizardry and overall wonderment of the first.

Soulcalibur is a standard one-on-one fighting game à la Street Fighter, except Soulcalibur perfected up-close, weapons-based combat. Even though some characters haul around massive swords and some mere claws, the balance was so perfect any fighter could emerge victorious if used properly.

SOPHITIA’S SISTER CASSANDRA VS. DARTH VADER: Soulcalibur IVo

Soulcalibur IV recaptures that spirit, largely because the character list is rooted in the game’s lineage (except for the underdeveloped Star Wars-based fighters, ugh) and therefore doesn’t mess with the continuity. This would come in handy because Soulcalibur IV introduces online fighting to the series, and even one excessively powerful move could remove the need to strategize and train obsessively.

Online mode isn’t perfect: there are lag hiccups that will mess with the sensitive timing, and sore losers don’t get punished for quitting in mid-battle. Fighting games have effectively become a niche genre, largely because of the difficulties of making an acceptable online fighter. Like a music fan who swears by vinyl, fighting game fans still prefer the antiquated arcade environment to the home theatre.

I still play Street Fighter III locally, and the feeling of going toe-to-toe with some stranger sitting in the adjacent stool will never be replaced by a high-speed connection and a microphone. While playing Soulcalibur IV one might be subjected to immature name calling, but arcade enthusiasts listening to the call of Kali Yuga likely won’t have the stones to call out bloody spammer in person. Actually, I never speak to or look at whomever I’m playing against, so adding communication to online play was a needless annoyance.

Introduced in the third instalment, rabid fans can also customize their character or create a new one. Unfortunately all the good equipment looks ridiculous, so you’ll likely end up toggling off the improvements when playing online to ensure a cool looking fighter. The female characters are as comically busty as ever, and customizing Nordic warrior goddess Sophitia to fight in an armour-plated bikini was an option too irresistible to pass up.

Soulcalibur IV is a great fighting game in a time where great brawlers are going the way of the honeybee. It’s also one of the better looking and sounding games of 2008—every sword swipe is a gorgeous pyrotechnical display, and the beautiful red tint in the final boss level will rekindle the fighting game fire that burns within.

Swinging gardens

PixelJunk Eden (PSN/SCEA, Q-Games) is a stunning visual display, worth checking out even if the gameplay suffers. Your mission is to swing from abstract-looking plants, picking up items called spectra. Although beautiful to look at, the physics involving the main character is tricky to master, and too often you’ll inadvertently misgauge your plant hopping and be forced to start again. Despite the pretty graphics and chill-out soundtrack, it’s unbearably tough at times.

Kokoromi’s GAMMA 3D has an amazing theme this year: games in red/blue stereoscopy. If you think you have what it takes to develop a short game that uses 3D technology from the ’50s, then visit kokoromi.org/gamma3d for details on how to enter your B-masterpiece.