Soul Calibur 4. Why are you so awful?

[Aura Guardian]

Yesterday, caught my sister was playing Soul Calibur 4. I haven't played that game in such a long time and I told her why I stopped playing it. They added the Critical Finish when caught, you win the round not the match. Catching one of those is nearly impossible, felt extremely rushed, creature creation was a joke(Compared to SC3. Why do you add stats to it?),the story is a joke(Chronicle of the Sword was better but Weapon Master is the best granted any fighting game with a story will be bad),Tower of lost souls is beyond bullcrap and those hints they gave we more confusing,the destructible clothes was a novel idea but it sucked and the Rip-off DLC was the last straw). Right now, she's playing Soul Calibur 2 and damn! All the good times I remembered playing this game came back. The Speed,the weapons,the artwork in this game(SC4 artwork collection was good, but it barely had any),the Arcade Boss Inferno(Not those wannabe playable bosses), the Weapon Master mode, and No stats(SC4). What happened to Soul Calibur? You used to be cool and fun. Now you're just a joke. Am I the only one who hated SC4 with a passion?

 

[Julianking93]

Because everything that was good in SC3 was taken out, therefore it sucked.

 

[Simalacrum]

I've never played SC since the second one... but damn, I certainly liked it! Shame to hear that the series has gone downhill

 

[RheynbowDash]

Soul Calibur stopped being good after SC2, (I will F**KING own you with Link) and just went downhill from there.

 

[Altorin]

I like SC4.

I prefer SF4, or SF2HDR.

But SC4 has got a lot of playtime on my 360.

 

[SageRuffin]

Yes, you are the only one that hated SC4.

Well, besides Yahtzee, but he's a given (the one review I did not find funny at all).

 

[Aura Guardian]

Soul Calibur stopped being good after SC2, (I will F**KING own you with Link) and just went downhill from there.

Link was broken. But a good broken character. SC3 was good too.

Because everything that was good in SC3 was taken out, therefore it sucked.

I know. Let's mess up the awesome character creation system by adding stats to the clothes. And let's get rid of the sage,samurai,barbarian classes and let them make clones of already playable characters.

 

[Superfly CJ]

I also enjoyed SC4. In order for a franchise to progress, it has to tread new ground or risk becoming irrelevant.

I, for one, am glad that SC4 didn't just decide to retread the steps of it's predecessors. If I wanted to play SC2, i'd go play SC2. Each game has it's own plusses and minuses- it all comes down to personal preference in the end.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Agreed. It was a major disappointment.

And Soul Calibur 2 was the best in the series.

 

[DreamKing]

I think the blemishes started to become apparent around three. Two had minor balance problems and has a small single player re-playability (the last few extra missions in Weapon Master mode were annoying).

Three had big balance issues and the game had a rubber band AI. The Chronicles of the Sword was decent, but it felt half finished. Although, it did give players the option of playing as some of the NPCs and the character creation system felt way better than Soul Calibur 4.

Soul Calibur 4 felt rushed. The Jedi characters are out of place, they got rid of the cool profiles, the bonus characters are also out of place, Angol feels like he came out of nowhere, the stat mechanic does not work in the universe, the skills are poorly handled, and Amy, the only new character in Soul Calibur 4, is not developed enough.

 

[Julianking93]

Because everything that was good in SC3 was taken out, therefore it sucked.

I know. Let's mess up the awesome character creation system by adding stats to the clothes. And let's get rid of the sage,samurai,barbarian classes and let them make clones of already playable characters.

That was my main problem. The creation in SC4 was just to make your own face on whatever character already exists.

I ended up with about 4 Yoshimitsu's, 5 Nightmares, 3 Talims and about 2 Mitsorugis.

 

[ribonuge]

I loved Soul Caliber 2. The amount of time I put in as Misturugi in that game is inhumane. I remember Yoshimitsu (he was the special character in the PS2 version) did his helicopter sword thing and landed in the water out of the map. I've never laughed so much in a video game.

Thankfully I stopped at it and have nothing but fond memories. Fond memories indeed.

 

[D_987]

They added the Critical Finish when caught, you win the round not the match. Catching one of those is nearly impossible,

Um...what?

"Catching" a critical finish is relatively simple if you have any degree of hand-eye co-ordination, besides, having you win the entire match based on such a move would be incredibly over-powered and would cause far more harm than good.

creature creation was a joke(Compared to SC3. Why do you add stats to it?)

Because stats added a new, strategic level of play. It's also hilarious how so far you've only mentioned gimmicks that have nothing to do with the core gameplay - lets see how long this continues. There is nothing wrong with adding a light RPG element to the game.

,the story is a joke(Chronicle of the Sword was better but Weapon Master is the best granted any fighting game with a story will be bad)

I've never understood why fighting games need a storyline anyway, but you're right - Soul Caliburs is terrible - however that doesn't really make it a bad game as, as you've said, most fighting games have poor storylines. As for Weapon Master, it was a nice idea, but at the end of the day there's only so much mileage they can get out of such an idea. Story modes are not really needed in a fighting game anyway - especially with online play.

,Tower of lost souls is beyond bullcrap and those hints they gave we more confusing

Mind explaining why the Tower of Souls is "beyond bullcrap"? Maybe you're just bad at the game?

,the destructible clothes was a novel idea but it sucked and the Rip-off DLC was the last straw)

How did the destructible clothes suck? When playing in the "special" mode destructible clothes are a vital part of the gameplay. As for the DLC...well nobody is making you buy it.

Right now, she's playing Soul Calibur 2 and damn! All the good times I remembered playing this game came back. The Speed,the weapons,the artwork in this game(SC4 artwork collection was good, but it barely had any),the Arcade Boss Inferno(Not those wannabe playable bosses), the Weapon Master mode, and No stats(SC4).

So let me get this straight - you enjoyed SC2 but not SC4 because of all the little extras that have nothing to do with the core gameplay at all? Stats are important in the special mode of SC4 and have nothing to do with standard matches...not sure why you're complaining about it. As for the speed, I actually prefer SC4's "speed" - it's more tactical and less prone to button-bashing. Artwork is a ridiculous waste of disk-space, and arcade bosses mean little - it's about the gameplay.

What happened to Soul Calibur? You used to be cool and fun. Now you're just a joke. Am I the only one who hated SC4 with a passion?

What happened? Nothing, the game sold over a million rather quickly and is still going strong - to be honest this OP just appears to be you crying because SC4 isn't identical to SC2 - everything you've moaned about has little to do with the core gameplay at all...it's like moaning about the colour of guns in an FPS - who cares?

 

[The Austin]

Soul Calabur 3 was superb.

Soul Calabur 4 had Yoda.

You decide.

 

[Aura Guardian]

They added the Critical Finish when caught, you win the round not the match. Catching one of those is nearly impossible,

Um...what?

"Catching" a critical finish is relatively simple if you have any degree of hand-eye co-ordination, besides, having you win the entire match based on such a move would be incredibly over-powered and would cause far more harm than good.
While simple, the opponent must be blocking every attack you do. Plus, there's the guard repel which makes it harder.

creature creation was a joke(Compared to SC3. Why do you add stats to it?)

Because stats added a new, strategic level of play. It's also hilarious how so far you've only mentioned gimmicks that have nothing to do with the core gameplay - lets see how long this continues.
I can't argue the fact that it did add a new level of play, but let's say you love to create characters and use them for fun, you can still do that but your only limited to certain game types. But it all goes to waste because the destructible clothes feature isn't that good as your created character becomes naked and if your doing a mode where the stats count, then you gotta be careful. I didn't attack the core gameplay because it still can be fun.

,the story is a joke(Chronicle of the Sword was better but Weapon Master is the best granted any fighting game with a story will be bad)

I've never understood why fighting games need a storyline anyway, but you're right - Soul Caliburs is terrible - however that doesn't really make it a bad game as, as you've said, most fighting games have poor storylines. As for Weapon Master, it was a nice idea, but at the end of the day there's only so much mileage they can get out of such an idea.
No counter argument needed

,Tower of lost souls is beyond bullcrap and those hints they gave we more confusing

Mind explaining why the Tower of Souls is "beyond bullcrap"? Maybe you're just bad at the game?
I beat it. But the challenges were confusing and tough as the AI is one step ahead. I am almost done with getting all the challenges completed.

,the destructible clothes was a novel idea but it sucked and the Rip-off DLC was the last straw)

How did the destructible clothes suck? When playing in the "special" mode destructible clothes are a vital part of the gameplay.
As stated, I like to create characters for fun as well as using them. The destructible clothes work great for the default characters, but for the created ones they are stripped to their underwear. For the Special modes, I do have a few characters with good stats for online mode or TOLS. But maybe it's because I'm used to SC3 version too much you like you said.

Right now, she's playing Soul Calibur 2 and damn! All the good times I remembered playing this game came back. The Speed,the weapons,the artwork in this game(SC4 artwork collection was good, but it barely had any),the Arcade Boss Inferno(Not those wannabe playable bosses), the Weapon Master mode, and No stats(SC4).

So let me get this straight - you enjoyed SC2 but not SC4 because of all the little extras that have nothing to do with the core gameplay at all?
The core gameplay is fun but the extras make the already good game much more enjoyable

Stats are important in the special mode of SC4 and have nothing to do with standard matches...not sure why you're complaining about it. As for the speed, I actually prefer SC4's "speed" - it's more tactical and less prone to button-bashing. Artwork is a ridiculous waste of disk-space, and arcade bosses mean little - it's about the gameplay.
SC2 felt like an arcade game. SC4 felt slow but still fluid. Maybe it's because last gen games were more about fun then realism which is why I prefer SC2 and SC3 over SC4.

What happened to Soul Calibur? You used to be cool and fun. Now you're just a joke. Am I the only one who hated SC4 with a passion?

What happened? Nothing, the game sold over a million rather quickly and is still going strong - to be honest this OP just appears to be you crying because SC4 isn't identical to SC2 - everything you've moaned about has little to do with the core gameplay at all...it's like moaning about the colour of guns in an FPS - who cares?
"As of 8 May 2009, the game has sold 2.3 million worldwide" That's great. I didn't attack the core gameplay because it didn't affect me. However "Fans were also disappointed at the lack of a Team Versus Mode, which allows two players to fight with up to eight characters each. The mode had been a feature in previous installments of the series yet it is conspicuously absent in Soulcalibur III and Soulcalibur IV. Critics have described its omission as "baffling" and "disappointing"." things like that get to me because it worked before. That's from the Wiki page

I've seen you a lot on the forums and you usually have the best counter arguments and you still do. Kinda feel honored about it.

 

[D_987]

While simple, the opponent must be blocking every attack you do. Plus, there's the guard repel which makes it harder.

True, but at the same time the system was put in place simply to stop constant blockers and allow aggressive players an advantage. It was never designed as some magically "win" feature, rather a gimmick that would allow the player to win a round after attacking for a good while. Just because it's difficult to pull off within a context doesn't mean it should be made over-powered - the system serves its function.

I can't argue the fact that it did add a new level of play, but let's say you love to create characters and use them for fun, you can still do that but your only limited to certain game types. But it all goes to waste because the destructible clothes feature isn't that good as your created character becomes naked and if your doing a mode where the stats count, then you gotta be careful. I didn't attack the core gameplay because it still can be fun.

I don't quite understand this argument...

If you love to create characters there are still a large array of options there, with 300+ different accessories to be earnt throughout the game alone, not to mention the DLC you insulted earlier. I don't know which modes you're referring to, but I'm sure you can use your created character in all modes (bar story?). As for the "It all goes to waste", how so? Surly the fact the clothes are destructible is meant to display where you are constantly getting hit? Not to mention the fact that at the end of the day, your character returns, fully clothed, next match - I don't see the issue with character customization in this game - it's not all that limited.

You also maintain the core gameplay can be fun, yet you previously went on about how terrible the game is. Surly the core gameplay is all that you should be looking at, when deciding if a game is "awful" or not?

I beat it. But the challenges were confusing and tough as the AI is one step ahead. I am almost done with getting all the challenges completed.

Compared to most fighters the AI in Soul Calibur 4 is quite fair - see the final bosses of Tekken 6 and Street Fighter 4. I do agree the challenges could have been clearer, but then aain they were there to add replay value to the mode.

As stated, I like to create characters for fun as well as using them. The destructible clothes work great for the default characters, but for the created ones they are stripped to their underwear. For the Special modes, I do have a few characters with good stats for online mode or TOLS. But maybe it's because I'm used to SC3 version too much you like you said.

I see your point, but I don't believe this means the customization is a "joke".

The core gameplay is fun but the extras make the already good game much more enjoyable

As previously stated, when decided if a game is "awful" or not, surly the core gameplay should only be evaluated. I would have understood if you'd claimed the game was "poor", but the over-dramatized OP lead me to believe you were making a large deal out of something insignificant.

SC2 felt like an arcade game. SC4 felt slow but still fluid. Maybe it's because last gen games were more about fun then realism which is why I prefer SC2 and SC3 over SC4.

Subjective Opinion.

"As of 8 May 2009, the game has sold 2.3 million worldwide" That's great. I didn't attack the core gameplay because it didn't affect me. However "Fans were also disappointed at the lack of a Team Versus Mode, which allows two players to fight with up to eight characters each. The mode had been a feature in previous installments of the series yet it is conspicuously absent in Soulcalibur III and Soulcalibur IV. Critics have described its omission as "baffling" and "disappointing"." things like that get to me because it worked before. That's from the Wiki page

A fair point, but again who knows what occurred during the development process? I'm just throwing ideas around, but whatever the case these are the sorts of extras that, in my opinion, matter - more than say final bosses or destructible armour - hence my hostile approach to you in the first place.

 

[Aura Guardian]

I can't argue the fact that it did add a new level of play, but let's say you love to create characters and use them for fun, you can still do that but your only limited to certain game types. But it all goes to waste because the destructible clothes feature isn't that good as your created character becomes naked and if your doing a mode where the stats count, then you gotta be careful. I didn't attack the core gameplay because it still can be fun.

I don't quite understand this argument...

If you love to create characters there are still a large array of options there, with 300+ different accessories to be earnt throughout the game alone, not to mention the DLC you insulted earlier. I don't know which modes you're referring to, but I'm sure you can use your created character in all modes (bar story?). As for the "It all goes to waste", how so? Surly the fact the clothes are destructible is meant to display where you are constantly getting hit? Not to mention the fact that at the end of the day, your character returns, fully clothed, next match - I don't see the issue with character customization in this game - it's not all that limited.
Actually if you lost a piece of your clothing, it carries on into the next round. After the match. If you select rematch, your back to how were.

You also maintain the core gameplay can be fun, yet you previously went on about how terrible the game is. Surly the core gameplay is all that you should be looking at, when deciding if a game is "awful" or not?
I should be looking at the gameplay if I'm complaining about it? While true, sometimes the extras help the game out. And in my case, it didn't.

I beat it. But the challenges were confusing and tough as the AI is one step ahead. I am almost done with getting all the challenges completed.

Compared to most fighters the AI in Soul Calibur 4 is quite fair - see the final bosses of Tekken 6 and Street Fighter 4. I do agree the challenges could have been clearer, but then aain they were there to add replay value to the mode.
I don't play Tekken but SF4's final boss was a pain. The TOLS Ai was cheap but beatable in 1-4 tries depending on who you use or if you're trying to complete the challenge.

The core gameplay is fun but the extras make the already good game much more enjoyable

As previously stated, when decided if a game is "awful" or not, surly the core gameplay should only be evaluated. I would have understood if you'd claimed the game was "poor", but the over-dramatized OP lead me to believe you were making a large deal out of something insignificant.
Maybe its because I'm one of those gamers who like to have fun in games(not assuming you're not the competitive type)SC4 seems more for the competitive side than the fun side. Odd since its a fighting game.


A fair point, but again who knows what occurred during the development process?
Something a lot of fans would love.

I'm just throwing ideas around, but whatever the case these are the sorts of extras that, in my opinion, matter - more than say final bosses or destructible armour - hence my hostile approach to you in the first place.
Likewise. Some extras matter to me. And You weren't hostile.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I wouldn't know, I've only played a single round of SC4. Considering how disappointed I was with SC3, though, I'm not holding out hope.

I do still like 2 the best, and if there were some way to add Amy and Zasalamel to that game, I'd be ecstatic.

They added the Critical Finish when caught, you win the round not the match. Catching one of those is nearly impossible,

Um...what?

"Catching" a critical finish is relatively simple if you have any degree of hand-eye co-ordination, besides, having you win the entire match based on such a move would be incredibly over-powered and would cause far more harm than good.

For evidence, the original Guilty Gear. The original Instant Kills were broken, before they changed them to simple round-winning attacks (and made them much riskier to pull off).

 

[Snotnarok]

Soul Calibur stopped being good after SC2, (I will F**KING own you with Link) and just went downhill from there.

Of course you would, he was the cheapest bastard along with the other exclusive characters from what I remember haha.

Soul Calibur 3 was my favorite I think, it was fun and the characters were nicer looking.

 

[Korten12]

Stilled liked SC4 though now that I remember SC3 was better. Now where is SC5 to make up for it!