Soulcalibur IV received mostly positive reviews from media outlets. In 2014, six years after its initial release, it held an average Metacritic score of 85 for both its PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions. The game was praised for its graphics, Character Creation mode, and its long-awaited online play capability. Reviewers also noted that the gameplay was accessible for newcomers and beginners but still had plenty of depth and technicality for veterans and experienced players, including an abundance of single player challenges in Tower of Lost Souls mode.\r
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The story of Soulcalibur IV, told via in-game written profiles and movies, centers around the appearance of the ancient king Algol, his tower, and his connection to the origin of the spirit sword named Soulcalibur. Every characters motivation and relationship to the other characters is diagrammed in a mode called Chain of Souls. As usual, none of the individual endings from the previous game are considered canonical events, and most of the characters motivations from that game remain unresolved. However, a small number of characters did experience important events associated with universal Soulcalibur İ events. Siegfried has died and been resurrected by the Soulcalibur sword. Sophitias daughter Pyrrha has been kidnapped by Tira and malfested by Soul Edge, leaving Sophitia to fight for the side of evil in defense of her now-corrupted daughter. Tira is now suffering from a split-personality disorder. Most characters are still motivated by a desire to either obtain, destroy, or defend one or both of the legendary swords now carried by Siegfried and Nightmare, and most characters face Algol as the final boss of Story mode. All characters feature animated ending movies.