One word seems to come up more often than any other when I ask anyone I know (most incredibly avid video gamers) what they thought of SCIV. Rushed. I haven't taken the time to research if this was an actually rushed project, but the game reeks of it. If it wasn't rushed, it sure as hell feels like it. If you're looking for a button masher with a nice hair-do, then I highly encourage getting this one from a bargain bin. But here's the low-down on why this game, for me and my friends, gets a 4/10. Reason 1: Character Creation - First name, it's a misnomer. Want to make an original move set? Sorry, you can't, you have to copy-paste from another character (I can't even make a male Tira -or even use her move set- without it waving it's hips about and behaving quite femininely). And so, OK, maybe I can't make original moves but how about a unique-looking character limited only by my creativity? Sorry, you can't, because the items you choose play a part in deciding your abilities, strengths, and weaknesses then you have to choose what the developers had in mind or risk a glaring hole in your defenses and/or abilities. Bottom line, there's no true character creation here. Reason 2: While most fighting games lack an appealing storyline, this one goes one step further. It keeps dragging you along with the small hope of SOMETHING meaningful being tied to your character (I mean, I did just fight a lot of people for SOMETHING) but yet, when that last screen comes, you get a lame "And they did some sort of cool stuff that you don't know about" message in white text on a black screen... I believe we've all screamed at that screen if we've played the game. At least once. A good example: Playing the apprentice, you get to the finale, and it looks like you're about to fight Darth Vader (I mean, he is a playable character so they could easily have made it the last fight). But NOPE. You never do. Black screen, message that some stuff happened (never very exciting or meaningful) and then wham, end credits. Reason 3: The adventure mode (which was fun for story, tutorial, and unlocking items) was removed and replaced with an excessively frustrating and repetitive Tower mode with ridiculous requirements for successful completion that not only frustrates even the most stalwart defenders/veterans of the series but also virtually demands access to a FAQ. And in this critics opinion anything in a game that demands "cheating" shouldn't be part of the game.
But hey, I'm one voice among thousands, so maybe this helped you avoid a bad game (my opinion) or maybe you just like digitized scantly-clad women, few in-game options, and ripping your hair out in frustration. If so, here's a cookie for you.
