Battle it out with Yoda or Bourne in two modern fighting games.
"Soulcalibur IV"
"Soulcalibur IV" may not be the quintessential one-on-one fighting game, but it's certainly the quintessential "Soulcalibur."
It features the most various lineup, the most extensive character-building options and by far the best art of whatsoever recent combat game.
Plus, Yoda is in the Xbox 360 version, and Darth Vader is playable for those with the PS3 edition. Another "Star Wars" character makes an visual aspect in both versions as well: Vader's secret learner from the upcoming "Force Unleashed" game. They all play well � Yoda dips and spins, Vader employs crushing blows and Force attacks and the Apprentice is quick and powerful with unpredictable strikes.
The game play is what one expects from a fighting-game sequel: familiar simply with tweaks. Fighters cause new moves, and some old moves have been replaced or require different motions to carry out.
Fighters now experience three pieces of protective equipment that can be shattered during battle, and a type that blocks too much can expression an instant-kill attack.
The story mode cuts out a lot of the extraneous map piloting and early annoyances of previous "Soulcaliburs." The downside is that the narrative is all but lost.
Character creation is where the game very shines. "Soulcalibur III" introduced the concept, but it's refined here. Players can create characters using earned items and any of the main cast's scrap styles and weapons.
The options are sparse, but "Soulcalibur IV" allows for on-line play, victimization a well-done queue system for players waiting for a match.
System: Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3
Price: $59.99
Age rating: Teen
"The Bourne Conspiracy"
"The Bourne Conspiracy" serves as the banner model of how to construct a good game based on a movie.
It offers something beyond the events of the movie, and the game play is strong enough to stand on its own.
Though Matt Damon's alikeness is nowhere to be found, the character models and voices are well-done. Each mission is either based on an action sequence from the start movie or takes position as a flashback mission covering events not seen in the movies.
Though he'll occasionally take to the streets for a car chase, amnesiac assassin Bourne spends to the highest degree of his time taking out enemies with a selection of guns or bruising hand-to-hand combat. This is where the secret plan rocks.
After a few rounds of punches and kicks with a foe, Bourne's adrenaline metre gains a level so he stern pull off powerful takedown moves. If he has more than one adrenaline level, he can dispatch multiple foes.
Takedowns are perchance too unproblematic to manipulation, but they're fun to watch and surprisingly varied � "Bourne" will use different maneuvers, depending on his position relative to his opposer and whatsoever objects ar nearby.
System: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
Price: $59.99
Age rating: Teen
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