During Namco Bandai Games' Editor's Day 2008 event in San Francisco, the company was gracious enough to give us a hands-on test of its latest brawl-a-thon, Soul Calibur IV for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Although the "big draw" characters, Yoda and Darth Vader, weren't playable in this build, the four fighters supplied still did a sufficient amount of damage.

Soul Calibur IV plays similarly to previous games in the series, with the ability to perform two varying strike attacks (weak and strong), a kick attack, a block maneuver, throws (when up close) and Soul Charges. Soul Charges give you the power to store essence in your attacks, bringing you closer to victory. To be honest, we were so busy kicking butt the old fashioned way that we only tried this a couple of times. Still, it looks impressive. One noteworthy addition is a separate throw button assigned to the left bumper on either the 360 or PS3 pad. This makes slamming someone into the ground a lot easier than having to hit two buttons together at once.

The game as a whole has undergone an overhaul when it comes to visual beauty. The four female fighters in this build, including the ever-bouncy Taki and the gorgeous Cassandra, looked better than ever, with free-flowing hair and gleaming, sexy outfits. The backgrounds are superb as well, varying in degree and interactivity. One stage involves a rotating merry-go-round of sorts, with stationary animals and dancing statues moving about as you kick your opponent's ass. Another takes place on a pirate ship, offering a cool effect every time you slam an opponent into the ground. Lumber breaks free from the ship's floor, kicking up all over the place. Best of all, both versions look stupendous, with one not really having that much of an advantage over the other.

Also new to the game is Hilde, a strong female with not one but two weapons to her advantage -- a long spear, like the one Kilik carried in previous Soul Calibur games, and a sword. Together, they make a kinetic duo, as Hilde is fierce from both up close and at a distance. She's very impressive, and her alternative armor costume's pretty hot as well.

Kick your butt, I will.

Unfortunately, Namco didn't let us dig any further than Versus mode, but it did reveal a couple of great secrets. First off, the original Soul Calibur, which was a hit on the Dreamcast back in 1999, will make a comeback alongside Soul Calibur IV. It's slated for release on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation 3 later this year, complete with online play and other possible upgrades. As for IV itself, Namco did show off brief footage of Star Wars favorites Darth Vader and Yoda in action, using force attacks and light sabers to get their message across. Yoda seems rather effective when it comes to his jumping ability, while Vader lets the Dark Side flow through him. Sadly, these characters are divided amongst two separate platforms – Vader on the PS3 and Yoda on the 360.

Overall, our hands-on time with Soul Calibur IV was all too brief, but it did give us a hopeful glimpse of what's on tap when the game arrives on July 29. We'll be back with more updates and the full review in the weeks ahead, so keep it here to learn more about the power of the burning Soul.

Related Links

Soul Calibur IV Xbox 360 Game Guide

Soul Calibur IV PlayStation 3 Game Guide

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