Soul Calibur IV

[Threash]

Schild - in the tower - what does "Strike with precision" refer to?

You have to beat the stage without missng any hits. 

[Big Gulp]

I rented it.  Glad I didn't buy it, that's all I can say.

This must be the summer of mediocre games that are worthy only of rental.  Guitar Hero: Aerosmith being exhibit A, SC4 being exhibit B.

[Ookii]

I'm sorry you hate fun.  Is there a pill for that?

[Morfiend]

I'm sorry you hate fun.  Is there a pill for that?

Extacy?

[MisterNoisy]

Seriously, there is a certain mindset that you need to bring to SC4 SP, particularly if you want to get past the 30s in the ToLS.  It's not pretty, and I haven't cursed at a game like that in quite some time.

[Big Gulp]

Seriously, there is a certain mindset that you need to bring to SC4 SP, particularly if you want to get past the 30s in the ToLS.  It's not pretty, and I haven't cursed at a game like that in quite some time.

Exactly.  I don't play games for the challenge.  Constant defeat doesn't motivate me, it makes me stop playing.

[Threash]

I gotta say "victory belongs to the last man standing" is right up there with "the team who scores the most points will win" as far as idiotic commentary goes.  I wish i could make my character look how i wanted without worrying about stats.

[schild]

I gotta say "victory belongs to the last man standing" is right up there with "the team who scores the most points will win" as far as idiotic commentary goes.  I wish i could make my character look how i wanted without worrying about stats.

You can, don't give him any abilities. Not like the abilities are necessary anyway.

[Riggswolfe]

I gotta say "victory belongs to the last man standing" is right up there with "the team who scores the most points will win" as far as idiotic commentary goes.  I wish i could make my character look how i wanted without worrying about stats.

You can, don't give him any abilities. Not like the abilities are necessary anyway.

Yes, but what you wear also affects attack, defense, and hitpoints, and nothing sucks worse than making a cool looking character who only has 50% hitpoints.

And I just realized last night that only premade characters can use special items, and a lot of those items rock.

[Threash]

Can i make a skeleton or lizard character?

[Khaldun]

It's pretty fun.

I think making a physics engine specifically for breast-jiggling is kind of excessive, though.

The story mode kind of bores me--too much repetition.

[Typhon]

Can i make a skeleton or lizard character?

Yes, you can buy a lizard model and modify it.  I bought the old pirate (because I can't figure out how to unlock him), and was customizing him.  When I did that, I noticed that there was a lizard slot that I could buy for 4000gp.

On an unrelated note - I am really rusty at these games, as yet I cannot win on hard.  Large difference between Normal and hard.

[HAMMER FRENZY]

You can make characters and have abilities associated to their equipment, but it only apples in the story, tower, "special" vs and special online modes. I specifically only play standard vs and ranked online. If anyone is up to playing we have a pretty good group going, we are playing this game pretty fucking heavily. I have 30 + hours on it already. The 360 version owns by the way. Online is freaking fun as hell, I have well over 200 ranked matches. Hilde  FTMFW.

GAMER TAG: NapkinSchematic

[HAMMER FRENZY]

I've never played any in the SC series.  I consider myself a fighting-game afficianado, but the truth is that I haven't liked any of them for a decade.  How does this compare to something like Dead or Alive?  Button mashing games only hold my interest for an hour, tops.

Well, first of all, DOA is practically button mashing. Second of all, this is better in every way. SC3 wasn't. This most certainly is a return to form for Project Soul.

Aye, but I'm getting the vibe that button mashing is a viable method for this game.  My reference to DOA was because I consider it total button mashing, so it collects dust on the shelf.  I am hoping to be convinced that this is different. 

Yeah there are some entry level characters that you can learn really easily and just slap buttons and win. (Kilik, Siegfried, Knighmare, Maxi etc.) But there are some really interesting characters as well. As far as balance and gameplay goes, it is one of the best Soul Calibur games. It is slower than SCIII, which was a nightmare of a game, it fixes the variable combo glitch, removes the throw parry BS and decreases the back-dashing speed/ranges, so that poke, back-dash punish is less of a viable tactic.
The game feels super fucking aggressive though. Like it feels everything have positive frames on block, and you are locked down a lot and you can't parry/repel out of block stun. (which in my opinion, if there was a "red parry" style option with a small window for execution, it would make the game funner. (at least for non natural combos)) I am kinda not feeling the throw range, I whiffed a lot of throws initially, thinking I was in range. I do a lot of dashing to get my throws to connect.

Some of the easier to use characters really make the game less fun in my opinion. Even early on all I see online is Seigfried and Kilik. All fucking day. I swear to god I play like 1 of 3 Hilde's online. It sucks cause Hilde has a hard fight in Kilik. That piece of shit stuffs a lot of my moves and has high/mid invincibility on A LOT of his moves. Same with Sig and Kightmare. (which makes me think that this is a silly way of namco making these characters noob friendly, as intermediate - semi-advanced players are spamming mids to mix up lows/throws. and gettign stuffed by these characters moves.)

Last. DOA 4 is a nightmare of a fighting game. Just my opinion, but really, it's awful... It is alright if you don't want to take it seriously, but trash if you plan on getting any good at it. It is awful at intermediate-advanced play...

[Cyrrex]

Thanks for the extra info.  I actually rented it for a spell.  Better than DOA for certain.  I could see people getting into this, but I'm not sure it's for me.  It turns out I may be broken, because I'm having trouble finding the joy for fighting games any more.  I'll probably re-rent at some point.

[HAMMER FRENZY]

Yeah, you need people to play with to like fighting games. You need others..

[Cyrrex]

Ah, I think you've located my problem.  I haven't any friends 

[HAMMER FRENZY]

I'm really hoping that there will be a worthwhile update at some point. I would like to see some sort of online implementation of the offline 2 v2/1v2/1v3/3v3 match types, sans the switching, (unless they can fix the infinite combos and bs) and idealy some sort of online team play, the lobby's hold four, so a 2 vs 2/ 1 v 3 option where the players form teams with one another would just be awesome.

[K9]

This alone makes me interested in this game --> Soul Calibur 4 Fans Create Famous Characters (sorry if this has already been linked and I missed it)

He-Man


Dr.Doom


Ronald McDonald


Auron from FFX


Sagat


Sephiroth


more HERE

[Moaner]

Those are pretty impressive. 

I just traded a bunch of shit in yesterday and picked up SC4 and the Hori PS3 stick.  After a year+ with VF4 it feels like a total button masher.  The gameplay is SO different that I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get into it.  Plus, practice mode sucks and the story mode fails completely when compared to VF4s virtual arcades.

I'm going to take it and my stick to a buddies house Friday and throw down all day.  I'm really hoping I can get the hang of it as I'm really itching for a new fighter.

[Oz]

yeah making characters is fun.  So far i've made Ichigo (Bleach), Drizzt Do'Urden, and Kratos.  I've also made my own sexy librarian weilding a big fucking sword.  men want to do her and women want to be her.

[HAMMER FRENZY]

Those are pretty impressive. 

I just traded a bunch of shit in yesterday and picked up SC4 and the Hori PS3 stick.  After a year+ with VF4 it feels like a total button masher.  The gameplay is SO different that I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get into it.  Plus, practice mode sucks and the story mode fails completely when compared to VF4s virtual arcades.

I'm going to take it and my stick to a buddies house Friday and throw down all day.  I'm really hoping I can get the hang of it as I'm really itching for a new fighter.

I can agree that the game is not as technical as VF, but at least it has a healthy playerbase. I was playing VF5 on the 30 like crazy and the playerbase was way too small and consisted of a lot of scrubs. SC4 might have it's share of silliness but I have to admit that it's huge playerbase makes me play it a lot more often than I though I would.

In it's defense it is way better than I thought it would be, better than 3 and better balanced so far than previous entries. It has it's scrubby characters and share of BS, but it is fun, good looking and holding up well at high level play at this point. I am always really impressed by how effectively the fighting system  entices new players. I brought it to work and that same night 2 more people I know got it and are playing regularly. I love to see that shit.

[HAMMER FRENZY]

Apparently there will be some DLC coming pretty soon for SC4. I am all for more character creator items. Hopefully we will get some balance fixes at some point here too. Ivy already has an infinite, that although not too practical, shouldn't be there. (and if they took out Hilde's 2a+b->2a+k combo in the last update they better fix that shit...)