]Grâce à l'avant-première mondiale qui nous a été offerte mercredi dans le classieux QG de Namco Bandai Games, voici un premier contact avec le très attendu SoulCalibur IV. Un titre qui pourrait constituer l'une des surprises du Tokyo Game Show 2007 sur le point d'ouvrir ses portes.


Depuis qu'il a été annoncé sur console Next Gen, SoulCalibur IV n'en finit pas d'exciter les amateurs de prouesses techniques. Il faut dire que la série a toujours été du genre "plein les yeux" et ce, sur n'importe quel support que ce soit. C'est donc avec un plaisir non dissimulé que nous avons pu découvrir une version techniquement déjà assez avancée de la bête sur Xbox 360. Le tout en compagnie du directeur de projet Katsutoshi Sasaki et de son équipe au complet.

Nouvelle embrocheuse

SoulCalibur IV (X360)
Seul nouveau personnage officiellement annoncé (et dévoilé), la charmante Hilda toute de métal vêtue. Cette vierge de fer qui, une fois n'est pas coutume dans la série, ne montre d'autre partie charnue que sa bouche, se bat avec une épée courte et une hallebarde, bien longue. Se dirigeant de manière différente des autres personnages aux dires du staff présent, elle s'adressera aux joueurs confirmés qui pourront se permettre de combattre avec deux armes aux styles spécifiques en même temps. Pour le reste, nous avons pu apercevoir un Raphael plus goth que jamais, une Ivy toujours aussi laitière, un Astaroth assez rocailleux, un Voldo et une Taki fidèles à eux-mêmes, ainsi qu'un Siegfried à l'armure divine. Les stages visités là encore permettaient de voyager à travers le monde, entre des jardins suspendus que l'on devine babyloniens, un champ de bataille chinois traversé par des cavaliers furieux, un jardin grec classique, ou encore un marécage africain d'où sortent parfois des hippos bailleurs.

La keukla ?

Difficile de porter un jugement sur un jeu aussi peu avancé. Ne possédant aucun menu, aucune pose de victoire à la fin des matchs, ainsi que des effets de lumière absents sur les coups de lames, SC IV permettait cependant de se faire une idée des progrès effectués depuis la génération de machines précédente. Passage en HD oblige, les différentes textures des vêtements sont impressionnantes, et on sent que les graphistes se sont régalés à créer des tenues toujours plus loufoques et détaillées. Les cheveux, assez rudimentaires, se faisaient assez vite oublier face à des seins et des fesses aux mouvements toujours plus fluides terminant de donner à Ivy le statut de bimbo virtuelle ultime. Au niveau de l'animation générale des personnages, on retrouve un peu plus de mouvements intermédiaires qu'auparavant même si, de ce point de vue-là, on ne sent pas vraiment de différences par rapport à l'épisode précédent. Bien qu'il ne soit pas encore totalement avancé, on peut dire que ce SC IV s'annonce techniquement assez impressionnant tout comme peut l'être un Virtua Fighter 5 dans la richesse des textures utilisées ou les détails apportés à chaque personnage. Et bien que les combattants profitent toujours d'un character design riche, on regrettera certains choix artistiques, notamment la redoutable Tira désormais habillée comme un bouffon du roi du plus mauvais effet. Le problème pourra cependant être contourné puisqu'un dispositif de customization des personnages serait en gestation, du moins si l'on en croit une icône affichée dans cette préversion. Prévu pour une sortie en 2008, que l'on espère plus proche de mars que de septembre, ce titre dans lequel - selon les dires du directeur - "rien n'est définitif" se fera sans aucun doute une place de choix sur deux consoles où la concurrence du jeu de baston n'est pour l'instant pas vraiment rude. Et puisqu'on en parle, une passerelle PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 est à l'étude chez Namco Bandai, ce qui pourrait permettre de se fritter en ligne indépendamment du support sur lequel tourne le jeu. Une promesse qu'on espère voir honorée.

September 19, 2007 - The Soul Calibur franchise has provided a ton of fast paced action with its memorable characters, numerous plotlines and balanced weapon systems. At Namco's Pre-TGS press event, the latest Soul Calibur IV trailer taken direct from the game's engine was shown, which showcased new information on the upcoming title. Starting off at a giant tower, a number of familiar faces were shown, including Mitsurugi, Ivy and Taki. However, we also saw a brand new female character, covered head to toe in body armor, who admonished the characters by saying that it was their fault that calamity was being caused in the world.

This new character, Hilda, was a striking departure from the standard Soul Calibur female warriors because of the lack of skin showing in her character model. In fact, with the exception of her mouth and chin, she shows no skin whatsoever, which is a stark contrast to Ivy's busty and scanty outfits. Hilda also stands out from other characters because she wields a short sword and spear at the same time, making her adept at both long range strikes and short range combos. Of course, Cervantes has been another fighter that has dual wielded weapons before, but Hilda constantly balances her moves between distance and close quarter attacks. In fact, we noticed a number of preliminary strikes that she used to then set up quick slashes from her sword.

We found out that each weapon for Hilda is assigned to different buttons on the controller, and can be combined for different vertical and horizontal strikes, giving players a certain amount of flexibility as to how they play the character. It was still early, and many of her moves hadn't been completely included, but she seemed to be able to hold her own against many of the classic characters, who demonstrated many of their familiar attacks. Similarly, we were told that the lighting was still rather temporary and should be much more dynamic, but it still cast impressive shadows with the environmental objects and fighters. Since many of the environments will feature breakable objects like gigantic vases, it'll be interesting to see what the final elements will look like. This is especially true since many other stage details, such as rushing water in some stages, appeared to be complete.

While we were told that Hilda was the only character that the team was willing to announce at this time, there would be a number of other newcomers to the franchise, extending the battle significantly. When we asked about the possibility of exclusive characters for either the PS3 or 360, as the Soul Calibur team had done with Soul Calibur II, we were told that the team hadn't decided on doing such a move again, but that it was an interesting idea that they'd been considering. Finally, the trailer quickly came to an end after Nightmare appeared to project a massive fireball towards the screen. As the generally expected release date of sometime in 2008 came on screen, Nightmare could be overheard to growl, "The nightmare will not end."

Whether that's alluding to plans for a future title or a simple comment for his storyline wasn't clear, but it was rather apparent that with the inclusion of Hilda and other new characters, the completion of the tale of souls and swords should be rather deep. Combined with new game modes that the team wasn't willing to go into, 2008's release should provide another strong entry for the franchise. We'll have more on Soul Calibur IV as it's released.

Previews: Soul Calibur IV
Exclusive in-depth interview and impressive new screens!

We recently sat down with the Soul Calibur IV development team, had a chat about the game, and discovered that its main programmer has been with the team since the very first game, allaying any fears we may have had about whether the latest game in the series was in good hands. We spoke at length about how the new game will compare to the team's previous efforts such as Soul Calibur III -- which while popular, was generally received as an unbalanced effort -- and what players can look forward to as we learn more about IV leading up to its release next year. Bits of this interview appeared in EGM previously, but now you can enjoy the full transcript online.

1UP: Can you tell us about SCIV's play style? Is it more like Soul Calibur III's design, or back to the old-school, hardcore mechanics of SCII?

Katsutoshi Sasaki, director: We have returned to the design flow of SCII. SCII is the most popular and well-known, so we returned to that style here.

1UP: What's going on with SCIV's storyline now?

KS: Nightmare and Siegfried play a key role in the story this time. Both characters have absorbed the power of their blades, Soul Calibur and Soul Edge, so they're near their final forms. The spotlight is on these two characters.


1UP: How are you using the 360 and PS3's technology to enhance SCIV in ways you couldn't do before?

KS: [Pointing to a TV monitor] As you can see from this stage, you have an open terrace, and you can see the shadows from above cast on the stage and characters as they fight. We will have HDR and flare lighting, as well as tone mapping, so the overall look of the stage will be quite different as the game nears completion. Another thing that's changed from SCIII is that game the stages were more closed, but now we've opened up the stages a bit.

1UP: Ivy seems...uh...healthier than before. Who super-sized her Happy Meal?

KS: Of course, Ivy stands out. A lot of attention has been paid to the character designs. We've done a lot of stuff with the high specs of the next-gen platforms. For example, with Ivy you can see how her clothing presses against her skin, which really shows off the details.

1UP: Which of the original characters return? It's not like you guys to remove characters, so can we assume everyone comes back?

KS: The most popular characters like Ivy, Seigfried, Nightmare, and Mitsurugi return, but we can't say much about the rest of the characters yet... We don't want to let anyone down, though. We want to include as many as possible.

1UP: Tira was a surprising character addition, considering that she looked like she got jumped in an alley, what with her costume being all torn up. Have you changed her for SCIV?

Daishi Odashima, game director: Regarding Tira, before she had that green-based costume in SCIII, Now, she sports a red costume, and this reflects her split personality. This time, she's a bit more evil, and that really comes out in her character.


1UP: Are you adding any interactive, destructible elements to the game?

DO: There may have been a similar stage in SCIII, but this time there are carousel figures moving around the edge. If you character bumps into one of these, it will be destroyed, but you'll bounce back into the stage.

1UP: The lighting seems much more dramatic now -- a lot more high-contrast than before.

DO: We're focusing on light and darkness in the stages, trying to use that more effectively. The game's less than half done, so expect it to look far more spectacular when it's finished.

1UP: Will you totally tweak everyone's move lists, like you did with the eventual arcade release of Soul Calibur III, which benefited from the balancing you did on the console versions? Some people thought Sophitia was too powerful in the PS2 version, for example.

DO: At this point, we can't say much about if we'll drastically change any character's move sets.

1UP: Is developing for two platforms simultaneously hampering your abilities to maximize the performance of the game in any way, or are you able to squeeze everything you need out of them?

KS: In developing for the PS3 and 360, they're both very powerful platforms. And the time and effort required to develop the graphics requires a lot more time, money, and energy. The Calibur team always tries to put out something that's better than the last project, so we're always trying to improve our next game. These new consoles have so many abilities, so it's hard to scale back our ambitions and get it done in time.

Masaaki Hoshino, lead programmer: Also, since this game engine is multiplatform, we've actually had experience with that 'problem' working on SCII for GC, XB, and PS2. But it's still a challenge to develop resources that can easily be ported between these two consoles and have the same level of quality.

1UP: Soul Calibur III was the first game in the series to be developed directly for console, without an arcade release to precede it. As a result, the PS2 version didn't benefit from the usual beta period games get with an arcade release, and the chance to balance it beforehand. Basically, a lot of the game was broken from a balance standpoint. How will you avoid that with SCIV? Will it come out in arcades first, or will you be able to balance things with updates and patches?

DO: For III, you are correct, we had the home version and then the arcade, so we did a lot to improve the game when it moved to arcade. SCIV is also starting on the home console, like III. We did a lot to improve SCIII as it progressed, so we have that arcade balance as a base that we can improve and expand upon. We're confident that we can produce a game that everyone is happy with.

KS: Of course, it's technically possible to patch it at a later date, but since we're selling a packaged game at retail, we don't intend to make a game that needs to be patched at a later date.

1UP: Are you changing any of the defensive techniques in the game -- bringing back the weapon break, or anything like that?

KS: We're going to greatly improve many elements in the existing gameplay. We have some specific changes in mind for the Guard Break mechanic.

DO: We also plan to change the health gauge. Normally, if you deplete your opponent's health you win the match. Now, there's a new gameplay element that will let you win that doesn't involve the health gauge.

1UP: We really liked the create-a-character mode... Will you enhance this for SC4?

KS: This is another element that we've put a lot of effort into. This mode reappears in SCIV, and we have a lot of new options and it's been greatly enhanced. For example, you can now change the character's voice. We're including many more appearance options, and the different parts you choose will have actual meaning and affect gameplay.



1UP: What ever happened to Mitsurugi's classic showdown with Tanegashima from Soul Edge/Blade? In the secret ending you could either win or lose. Will Tanegashima be a playable character at any point [in SCIV]?

Masaaki Hoshino, lead programmer: It's interesting that you bring that up, actually. We can't say anything yet, but you may be on to something.


1UP: Will you be able to trade your characters online?

KS: We are thinking of what we can do using the network for the customization mode -- whether or not you'll be able to trade characters with friends hasn't been decided yet.

1UP: What's your goal in creating the new characters?

DO: When creating characters, I first think about it from a gameplay aspect -- what kind of character is fun to play? Then we go from there, approaching the visual aspect -- what kind of character looks cool.

1UP: Is that how you came up with Tira?

KS: There is an overall design for the characters, and Tira has a split personality, so her two different costumes reflect the two sides -- light and energetic, then dark and depressed.

1UP: Everyone's costumes have become more elaborate. Any chance of bringing back the original costumes from Soul Edge/Blade?

KS: Yes, we'd like to bring back some classic costumes.

1UP: Will you add online play to the game?

KS: Yes, the game will have online play. What's changed this time around is that the next-gen platforms have network infrastructure already in place, so it's much easier to develop an online component for SCIV. We've heard from fans that they really want SC to be online, and we truly wanted to deliver that, so we figured that with the current environment we couldn't make SCIV without online play.

1UP: What about SCIV makes it next-gen in ways [the series] wasn't before?

MH: With SC, we focus on creating a game that's visually appealing, on such a level that other games can't really compete. One point where that was very evident was with the DC version of SC -- we were really able to polish that one. Other advancements in the hardware have made it possible to take the game to 60fps, and we've been able to keep that without having to lower our standards. Whenever new hardware arrives, the team is always in a bind to catch up and figure out how to maximize it, but at the same time, we're quite pleased because previous ideas that we had but were unable to implement due to hardware constraints are now possible.

1UP: Will you bring back the Chronicles of the Sword mode, or a similar quest-type mode?

KS: The Chronicles of the Sword mode will not be returning. We feel that it was finished in SCIII and we were happy with the results, but we want to try something new for SCIV. Of course, going back to Chronicles, our impetus for this mode was to give players the feeling of being in a world with many other characters in the same environment. It gave us a base to build on for the new mode that we're going to implement in SCIV. However, we don't plan to take Chronicles and just beef it up.

1UP: Will you add any dreaded motion control features using the PS3's Sixaxis?

KS: Sixaxis control is something that we're considering, but we'll have to come up with some good ideas for it first. Feel free to send us your ideas!

1UP: Will the stages become larger now, and will they have more walls or fewer walls? Dan Hsu loves to ring people out.

DO: The stages are more open, but they have walls in places, too. Perhaps there will be slightly fewer ring outs because of this.

KS: One way that it's changed is that unlike before, there aren't as many chances to fall out anymore...it's more focused on specific areas in the stages where you can fall out.

1UP: Is there any danger of adding console-specific characters like Link or Spawn to the Soul Calibur series?

DO: When we create characters for the home version, we worry more about if it's interesting, fun, unique, and different. Since that is the main focus, the team decided that it's OK if all the characters are strengthened. Since it's a home game and not arcade, you don't lose 100 yen ($1) every time you play. So we felt that it was more important to make them fun... so perhaps Sophitia and Xianghua benefited a little more than the others...


1UP: Every Soul Calibur has a freakier-looking Yoshimitsu, and he was crazy looking last time. What are you planning to do to him this time?

KS: Look forward to a completely different Yoshimitsu... If Voldo were to be in SCIV we're sure that he would continue his path.

1UP: Ha! We were able to confirm at least 1.5 more characters for SCIV. Like they wouldn't have returned... [Laughs] Have you ever seen any Voldo cosplay? Every time someone cosplays as Voldo, God kills a kitten.

KS: They're quite disturbed.



1UP: Something that we liked about Soul Calibur in the past was the real-time intro for the Dreamcast version. Will you bring that back, because now real-time graphics look so good, so why bother with CG? It was fun to swap out female characters with male characters too, since it made characters like Astaroth look hysterical doing Sophitia's poses.

MH: I actually did that back in the day for Dreamcast. I'm flattered you remember that. Since we were bringing the game from arcade hardware to Dreamcast, we didn't have time to make a new CG opening, so they asked me to come up with something cool, and the real-time editable intro is what I designed. I'm glad you like it. For Soul Calibur IV, we plan to do something in that vein, although you'll have to wait and see if you like what we've come up with.

1UP: Where does Voldo shop for his clothes? He's always got new outfits.

DO: We're not sure where he shops, but since he can't see, he probably thinks that he dresses normally.

KS: Since he's mysterious, we don't really even know!

1UP: Have you considered adding tag team play in SCIV? How come you've never added it before, when Tekken's been doing it for years?

KS: We have considered tag play in the past, but we do have something new planned for SCIV that players will be very pleased with.

1UP: Which are your favorite characters?

KS: Recently, I've taken a liking to Lizardman...he has a great low sweep kick. I also love Taki. I love the move where she grabs an opponent and jumps up in the air.

DO: I like Tira, Amy, and Yoshimitsu. They're all very new. Yoshimitsu is always being radically redesigned, Tira is fresh and fun to play as, and Amy...I like weaker characters.

MH: I like Astaroth, because he's so powerful there's always a chance to make a comeback.

1UP: Soul Calibur's roster hails from all over the world, like when you added Filipino characters, which I think was a first. Does that mean SCIV's new characters will come from new nations?

KS: That's another aspect of SC. It's set in the 16th century with characters from all over the world...it's very international. One aspect that would be a good hint would be to consider the country of origin for possible new characters. The character creation aspect was something that we felt was very well received in SCIII, so we really wanted to power that up in SCIV. And the idea for holding contests to see who could create the best version of a specific character is something that we're currently considering.

1UP: Any thought to making a created character's strength change depending on what he's wearing?

KS: Yes, according to what items your character has, their actual abilities will change.

1UP: One thing that drove us nuts about Virtua Fighter 5 was the fact that you'd invest all this time into developing a character, but you couldn't bring it to a friend's house on a memory card. Will you have the same problem with SCIV?

MH: Since Sony guidelines are frequently updated, it's possible that the save-game rules have changed. We hope to allow players to save their customized characters and bring them over to their friends' houses. In the event that we wouldn't be able to do that, you'd still be able to take your characters online and fight!

Ouais tu es nul quoi, une vraie burne ! :D

Boulet ! ;)

J'ai une question qui me semble importante ... lequel est le plus tactique ... Virtua fighter ou Soul Calibur car j'hesite vraiment ...

Je vois déjà une vague d'excitation chez les amateurs de jeux de baston... Mais hélas, si vous ne faites pas parti des rares privilégiés invités au salon Consumer Electronics Show 2008, il faudra attendre un peu plus longtemps avant de vous essayer à Soul Calibur 4 !

Nous venons effectivement d'apprendre qu'une version jouable du soft de Namco-Bandai sera au rendez-vous au CES de Las Vegas qui se tiendra du 7 au 10 janvier 2008.
Un rendez-vous qui ne devra être manqué sous aucun prétexte, que l'on soit parmi les heureux élus envoyés à LA, ou simplement devant son PC comme vous l'êtes actuellement. Car cette démonstration très privée donnera lieu à la présentation d'un tout nouveau personnage, comme le laisse deviner le carton d'invitation du CES, que vous trouverez ci-dessous...

Soul Calibur 4 sortira conjointement sur Xbox 360 et PlayStation 3 en 2008.