As for the Force, well, Yoda does have some minor power applications here. He can perform Force pushes, which can aid in ring outs or (more often) to give some spacing. This is balanced by a special energy meter that drains when Yoda uses the Force.
And then there is the height. Yoda is short -- there's no way around it. And that means that if he is standing on the ground, he won't be hit by high attacks. Don't worry though -- Yoda doesn't stay on the ground for long. There are plenty of opportunities to land high attacks when Yoda is airborne. Though he's quick, those who play defensively and with patience will find their opportunities to strike.
Though there are some limitations to the power of his lightsaber and use of the Force, Yoda is still very much the bad ass we witnessed in Episode Two. He moves with incredible speed and has numerous combos that launch him into the air. One move has the wizened Jedi somersaulting and then planting his foot into the opponent's face repeatedly without needing to touch the ground. He's nimble, quick, and a small target.
Yoda is the kind of character that, if played with some expertise, will give your opponents fits. Nothing could be more humiliating then to have Yoda beckon you forward with a taunt only to then have him launch into the air and unleash a fury of lightsaber attacks. If you don't use defense, battles with Yoda come to a quick end.
It isn't all biscuits and gravy with Yoda. He does have some weaknesses to help balance him out. That short stature may cancel out high attacks from enemies, but it also makes Yoda's reach the worst in Soulcal IV. He has no choice but to get up close and personal. Against someone like Kilik, who can extend his range with the bo staff, Yoda can be in for some trouble.
Though he is an exclusive character, Yoda is not an unlockable. He's ready to go from the moment you pop the disc into your 360. And he is subject to all of the same gameplay rules as the other characters. That means the new armor destruction feature is in effect. We were too busy beating the snot out of the AI to see what it might look like when Yoda has armor destroyed, but we're sure it won't happen too often anyway.
Along with Yoda, there is a bonus stage added to the mix. Yoda gets to do battle in an Imperial shuttle bay. Set on a raised walkway, the arena is long, but narrow. To make it just a touch more interesting, there are energy fields that move up and down the path during battle, expanding and retracting the fighting area throughout the contest. To top it off, you get some classic Star Wars theme music playing in the background of this stage.
Yoda may be an odd fit for the Soulcalibur universe, but he's a cool addition nonetheless. He might not be the character you default to for each match, but he's certainly going to be worth mastering over the long haul. This is authentic Yoda. He looks like him, fights like him and even talks like him. We only wish Vader also appeared on 360 so we could stage an epic Jedi battle. Who knows, maybe this will spawn a Soulcalibur vs. the Star Wars universe title in the future.
Be sure to check IGN PS3 on Tuesday for hands-on impressions with the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, Darth Vader.
