It should be noted upfront that I am both a big fan of 3D fighting games and an unrepentant, inveterate button-masher. When I come at an opponent in a fighting game I will hit the same button over and over and over again until the opponent shows me that they can block it, at which point I become a little flummoxed and need some time to regroup. Usually I try to gain that time by pressing any and every possible combination of buttons until something cool happens.
That out of the way, let me tell you about Soulcalibur IV (the latest title in a franchise I haven't visited since the original Soulcalibur appeared on Dreamcast). As a 3D fighter, the game operates in the best traditions of the genre, pitting one character against another at a time (though some matches do allow for tagging in teammates). The graphics are beautifully smooth, and each character is given a distinctive fighting style.
Each and every level in the game is stunning, and the vast majority of them allow for opponents to be knocked out of the ring, but all are distinctive. Some are larger and some smaller, but not feels overly cramped or expansive.
In terms of gameplay itself, the game is a pretty standard 3D fighter, and anyone picking up the controls will be able to quickly learn how to perform high and low attacks, throws, and blocks. The game also features the addition of a "Soul Gauge" which is designed to prevent players from simply blocking attacks repeatedly. If a player performs too many blocks, the gauge will begin to flash and a player will go into "Soul Crush" mode which prevents further blocking and can lead to pretty spectacular finishing moves.
There are over 30 characters available in the game, though most of them need to be purchased with money earned during play or unlocked via gameplay. There are very few truly "new" characters here, and many of them I distinctly remembered from their appearance on the Dreamcast.
The most obvious addition in terms of characters on the Playstation 3 version of the game is Darth Vader and The Apprentice (from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed). In addition to regular skills, they also have some pretty good "Force" abilities, which tend to give them advantages in battle. The Xbox 360 version of the came swaps out Vader for Yoda (and one can only hope that sometime down the line Vader will be downloadable for the360 and Yoda for the PS3).
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