You can finally plan your return trip to the stage of history, as Namco Bandai has officially laid claim on July 29 for Soul Calibur IV's long-awaited launch. We're still waiting to get our hands on a copy of the game that offers more than four selectable characters, but at least we finally had a chance to test drive SC4's version of Cassandra (as lightning-quick and supercutesy as always) and armor-clad newcomer Hilde (she's a bit like Siegfried, but with fewer stances and an even longer range) at a recent press event.
Considering the game is only three months away, we're a bit perplexed by all the unanswered questions still lingering around this project, so we took the opportunity to assault SC4 director Katsutoshi Sasaki with a barrage of queries...
1UP: In Japan, you recently revealed two guest characters, Scheherazade and Angol Fear, each designed by a famous manga artist. But those characters haven't been promoted in the U.S. and aren't in the playable demo here today...will they still be in the U.S. game?
Katsutoshi Sasaki: Yes, they will definitely both be in the U.S. version as well.
1UP: Will we see even more guest characters from other manga artists in the game?
KS: Yes, there are a few more characters from manga artists and other famous illustrators, too.
1UP: Will these guest characters have their own stages? The Star Wars guys have some pretty nifty arenas...
KS: No, there won't be a stage for each character. In the past we've always made a "home" stage for each fighter, but this time around we're not taking that approach.
1UP: So far, you've only revealed one all-new character who's actually part of the Soul Calibur world, Hilde. We have to wonder, are there any more real Calibur characters in this game?
KS: Yes, we do definitely have more...we still have many things to reveal, actually.
1UP: We also haven't seen anything about a new single-player mode like SC3's Chronicles of the Sword or SC2's Weapon Master Mode...will SC4 have something comparable?
KS: For SC4's single-player game, we're introducing a new mode called Active Matching Battle. This is a team battle mode where you have a pool of characters to choose from who must face a steady stream of opponents in one arena.
1UP: SC4 will also be the first game in the series to offer online play...how's that going? Is everything running OK so far?
KS: We're currently going through lots of trial and error getting the online up and running, and we're testing connectivity between Japan and the U.S. to make sure that everyone can play together with minimal stress or frustration. Another big component of this online experience that I need to mention is the Create-A-Soul mode. This time around, you can create a custom character and introduce it into the online versus mode. What's different is that this time you're not only changing your fighter's appearance, but also their attributes. For example, a certain piece of armor might raise your defense or give you special properties, and a new weapon may give you a stronger attack. It really adds a lot of depth to the online combat.
1UP: How will you acquire these special weapons? Will you unlock them in the game or will you have to purchase them as downloadable content?
KS: We have several different methods for acquiring these weapons and armor: Some will be unlocked by playing through the game, while others will only be available as downloads.
1UP: You announced that the special $80 Premium Edition will offer exclusive downloadable content -- might that stuff be armor and weapons?
KS: Yes, that is definitely a consideration.
1UP: Will the 360 and PS3 premium packs offer different downloadable content?
KS: For Soul Calibur IV, we're trying to make it so that there are no fundamental differences between the two versions. We do have Darth Vader in the PS3 game and Yoda on 360, but that's the only division between the two; the rest of the contents will be identical.
1UP: Are you worried about fan reaction to the addition of Critical Finish moves? People might equate them to Mortal Kombat's Fatalities...
KS: Critical Finishes are fatal attacks that defeat your opponent in one strike, but I'm not worried that fans won't like them because you can't really abuse them. In order to do a Critical Finish, specific criteria must be met -- only players who block frequently will allow their armor to be destroyed, opening them up to a finishing attack. In past games, when players would turtle it slowed the pace of the match down and made it less fun. Now, they're at a major disadvantage because their opponent will be able to punish them for blocking. We're hoping that it inspires players to play more aggressively, using Guard Impacts and Eight-way running to avoid succumbing to these Critical Finishes. Pulling one of these moves off really fills you with a sense of satisfaction...and even if you're a novice player who gets murdered by one, you'll hopefully be so inspired by how impressive the move looks that you'll be motivated to improve your skills.
1UP: Your team definitely appears to be having fun with these Critical Finish moves...we saw Cassandra's and it involves her planting her butt on your face amid an explosion of giant pink hearts. Will these moves go way beyond what we're used to seeing in Soul Calibur?
KS: They all look really cool, and we are designing these moves in a way that reflects each character's true personality and characteristics. And yes, Cassandra's is very cute and innocent...it's probably my favorite one in the game, actually!
1UP: Nearly every veteran character from past games returns here, yet we still haven't seen Setsuka or Rock. Will their fans be disappointed when they play the final game?
KS: Well, we always strive to satisfy all of our fans...and we wouldn't want to disappoint them.
1UP: Both Tekken 6 and Street Fighter IV feature hugely obese fighters...this obviously must be a hot new trend in fighting games, so will you be adding a forklift fatty to Soul Calibur to keep up with your competitors?
KS: We'd definitely consider adding a character like that if people really want it, but it seems that he'd be at a big disadvantage, getting hit from every angle because he's so big.
Considering the game is only three months away, we're a bit perplexed by all the unanswered questions still lingering around this project, so we took the opportunity to assault SC4 director Katsutoshi Sasaki with a barrage of queries...
1UP: In Japan, you recently revealed two guest characters, Scheherazade and Angol Fear, each designed by a famous manga artist. But those characters haven't been promoted in the U.S. and aren't in the playable demo here today...will they still be in the U.S. game?
Katsutoshi Sasaki: Yes, they will definitely both be in the U.S. version as well.
1UP: Will we see even more guest characters from other manga artists in the game?
KS: Yes, there are a few more characters from manga artists and other famous illustrators, too.
1UP: Will these guest characters have their own stages? The Star Wars guys have some pretty nifty arenas...
KS: No, there won't be a stage for each character. In the past we've always made a "home" stage for each fighter, but this time around we're not taking that approach.
1UP: So far, you've only revealed one all-new character who's actually part of the Soul Calibur world, Hilde. We have to wonder, are there any more real Calibur characters in this game?
KS: Yes, we do definitely have more...we still have many things to reveal, actually.
1UP: We also haven't seen anything about a new single-player mode like SC3's Chronicles of the Sword or SC2's Weapon Master Mode...will SC4 have something comparable?
KS: For SC4's single-player game, we're introducing a new mode called Active Matching Battle. This is a team battle mode where you have a pool of characters to choose from who must face a steady stream of opponents in one arena.
1UP: SC4 will also be the first game in the series to offer online play...how's that going? Is everything running OK so far?
KS: We're currently going through lots of trial and error getting the online up and running, and we're testing connectivity between Japan and the U.S. to make sure that everyone can play together with minimal stress or frustration. Another big component of this online experience that I need to mention is the Create-A-Soul mode. This time around, you can create a custom character and introduce it into the online versus mode. What's different is that this time you're not only changing your fighter's appearance, but also their attributes. For example, a certain piece of armor might raise your defense or give you special properties, and a new weapon may give you a stronger attack. It really adds a lot of depth to the online combat.
1UP: How will you acquire these special weapons? Will you unlock them in the game or will you have to purchase them as downloadable content?
KS: We have several different methods for acquiring these weapons and armor: Some will be unlocked by playing through the game, while others will only be available as downloads.
1UP: You announced that the special $80 Premium Edition will offer exclusive downloadable content -- might that stuff be armor and weapons?
KS: Yes, that is definitely a consideration.
1UP: Will the 360 and PS3 premium packs offer different downloadable content?
KS: For Soul Calibur IV, we're trying to make it so that there are no fundamental differences between the two versions. We do have Darth Vader in the PS3 game and Yoda on 360, but that's the only division between the two; the rest of the contents will be identical.
1UP: Are you worried about fan reaction to the addition of Critical Finish moves? People might equate them to Mortal Kombat's Fatalities...
KS: Critical Finishes are fatal attacks that defeat your opponent in one strike, but I'm not worried that fans won't like them because you can't really abuse them. In order to do a Critical Finish, specific criteria must be met -- only players who block frequently will allow their armor to be destroyed, opening them up to a finishing attack. In past games, when players would turtle it slowed the pace of the match down and made it less fun. Now, they're at a major disadvantage because their opponent will be able to punish them for blocking. We're hoping that it inspires players to play more aggressively, using Guard Impacts and Eight-way running to avoid succumbing to these Critical Finishes. Pulling one of these moves off really fills you with a sense of satisfaction...and even if you're a novice player who gets murdered by one, you'll hopefully be so inspired by how impressive the move looks that you'll be motivated to improve your skills.
1UP: Your team definitely appears to be having fun with these Critical Finish moves...we saw Cassandra's and it involves her planting her butt on your face amid an explosion of giant pink hearts. Will these moves go way beyond what we're used to seeing in Soul Calibur?
KS: They all look really cool, and we are designing these moves in a way that reflects each character's true personality and characteristics. And yes, Cassandra's is very cute and innocent...it's probably my favorite one in the game, actually!
1UP: Nearly every veteran character from past games returns here, yet we still haven't seen Setsuka or Rock. Will their fans be disappointed when they play the final game?
KS: Well, we always strive to satisfy all of our fans...and we wouldn't want to disappoint them.
1UP: Both Tekken 6 and Street Fighter IV feature hugely obese fighters...this obviously must be a hot new trend in fighting games, so will you be adding a forklift fatty to Soul Calibur to keep up with your competitors?
KS: We'd definitely consider adding a character like that if people really want it, but it seems that he'd be at a big disadvantage, getting hit from every angle because he's so big.