A lot of Soul...but slightly Soulless
| Platform | OVERALL |
|---|---|
| PlayStation Portable | 8.50 |
| Overall | 8.50 |
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Let's just say that SC Broken Destiny looks amazing on the PSP. I can't believe how good it looks. It also plays incredibly well with no slowdowns whatsoever. Namco-Bandai and Project Soul did an awesome job porting SCIV to the small screen. And Kratos plays amazingly well of course! But not everything is good. Well, this is just my own opinion but SC Broken Destiny is made for two groups of people: A) For newbies. And B) For serious competitors who wants to duke it out with their buddies. In other words, if you're looking for a deep single player SC portable game, this is not it. I guess in that sense, I'm slightly disappointed. I'm stoked and bummed out at the same time because this is an amazing SC game on a handheld, but it doesn't have certain single player features for individual play. Like what, you may ask? For instance there is no story mode and there is no arcade mode either. Which is strange because every SC game has at least an arcade mode. Instead, it has a virtual online type of thing going on where battles take place almost like a online lobby. Opponents are cpu controlled and their skills vary. You get to pick and choose who to play that fits your skill level. This isn't bad, but I was hoping for some kind of narrative. I would have liked to see a little story on Kratos and how he came across these characters from the SC universe. But I guess Namco-Bandai decided to strip out these things. Like I said, it's not so bad because the single player features in SCIV wasn't so hot either. After breezing through the so-so story about Algol with every character, including Yoda and Darth Vader, I saw myself playing only online or the arcade mode anyway. So I guess SC Broken Destiny is just to meet the need for competitive play on the go...with a little training on the side. Still, an arcade mode would've been nice, but oh well. The game is still darn amazing to behold...literally, in the palm of your hands! Wow, this game looks damn fine, and I'm not talking about Sophitia or Taki either! As I mentioned earlier, this game is designed with newbies in mind. I guess I forgot that, since Namco-Bandai did say something in this sort. For example, it has a semi-single player mode which sort of plays out more like a personal trainer teaching you how to play. But instead of just giving you buttons commands and objectives to accomplish, the mode throws in a light-hearted silly story that is completely unrelated to the SC universe. It even says so when you start the mode. I haven't played too much of it, but if you're new to SoulCalibur or suck at it (like myself), this may be a great mode to hone your skills. I guess that ain't so bad. I stinketh online in SCIV, so maybe this portable version is a great way to train myself for the real thing! Other minor gripes...well, there is no options that allow you to mess around with the game's layout. For one thing, you can't set how many rounds you prefer to play. It's already set for you, which is the first to three wins. This is also a gripe because battles sometimes last far too long especially when you want to get it over with quickly, which is ironic since one mode is called Quick Match. Other than that, everything sounds and belches quite nicely. This is literally SoulCalibur IV in the palm of your hands. I'm still amazed at how great it looks and plays. Still amazed! A little bit more tidbits about the game: Character creation is just as robust as the console big brother, except you can't make yourself fat or tall. And all the items are unlocked for you, so all you have to do is just edit away! There is a data install feature kind of like in Monster Hunter Freedom Unite which decreases loading times. I haven't done it so I don't know the size of it yet. I guess I can Google it, but just saying that it's a nice feature. Well, I'll conclude with the usual mumbo-jumbo: if you love SoulCalibur, get it! If you don't, don't, even though I highly recommend it. It really is one of the best PSP games and it's quite a treat to own. Because of the lack of those single player features, I'd say Tekken DR is still the better game. But it's still SoulCalibur "almost" perfected on a portable. Oh yeah, and if you have buddies who also love SC, than all the more power to you. Ad-Hoc play is near flawless with virtually no slowdowns, that comes with all the awesome butt-kicking and trash-talking action! Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny Screenshot And finally, should you still pick it up if you have SoulCalibur IV, even if SCIV is now $20 at most stores and Broken Destiny cost twice as much? Yes and no, I guess. Yes for me, since I can't get enough of SoulCalibur. But no if you're a cheapskate or if you're satisfied with SCIV...or if you're a Star Wars nerd, LOL! But during those long plane rides or hours on the road, what better way to pass the time than beating the crap out of your friends (or getting beaten) with a portable version of one of the best handheld fighting games ever made!? That alone, to me, makes it worth it! And oh yeah, all the characters look just as good on the PSP, even Ivy's...um, nevermind! |
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Posted by ASK_Story Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:38:39
Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:40:22
There is an online mode in Broken Destiny, right?
Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:40:50
Nope. Just Ad-Hoc party play.
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