Character creation aside, Soul Calibur 3 was the series' sole misstep, looking slightly dated on the PS2 and featuring a raft of overpowered characters. Balance is high on the agenda for IV: SC3 was updated and "fixed" in the later arcade version and it's that game SCIV uses as its base. New consoles mean the addition of online combat, and SCIV runs at 60 frames per second with all kinds of graphical trickery. Costumes sway and stretch, and Ivy's bondage gear includes leather straps that leave real-time indentations on her thighs.
Even more exciting than real-time chafing, there are new ways to defeat opponents besides depleting their energy bar or scoring a ring-out. Stages have more interactive objects, including ones that obstruct ejection from the arena until they're destroyed, likely by kicking your foe's head through it.
While Virtua Fighter 5 presents a terrifying prospect to newbies, Soulcalibur IV welcomes you in with a cuddle. It's a long way off, but SCIV could be the ideal jumping-on point for everyone who's missed out on 3D scrappers.
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