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 I thought that the summers were supposed to be dry in terms of the console game releases? I would say that this summer has been anything but with some great titles flowing onto the shelves steadily throughout the season. This week's big release, Namco's next generation installment of the Soul Calibur fighting series, is arguably the biggest title yet this season... and rightfully so...
Namco has created a true classic...
Let me just say that from the start; I am completely and totally in love with this game. Just about everything that you are about to read is going to praise and worship this title. I spent about 3 hours playing the game last night and this morning and have been completely impressed thus far. Namco has gone above and beyond with their newest iteration of the classic weapons-fighter. I don't even know where to begin with my verbal blushing in regards to this game so I am just going to run down a list of bullet pointed topics:
 Characters
One of the things that I have always admired about the SC series is the variety that they have in their playable character lineups and this version is no different. There are over 30 unique characters available on the character selection screen from the start. Granted, you will have to "purchase" a few of them as you play in order to use them (more on that later) but they can all be obtained within the first 15-20 minutes of playing. The characters are almost all great and their is a wide variety of styles available to suit all player's wants and needs.
 As I am sure that you know by now, Yoda is the 360 exclusive character for SC4. I know, I know... sigh, sigh, sigh. Yoda may be the most unbalanced player that I have ever played; he is so short and quick that playing as him is a blast while fighting against him is a nightmare. In order to land an attack on this little Jedi, you are going to have to throw only low attacks because all high and most mid attacks go right over his little head. The character himself though is well implemented; his animations and playability is great and they truly did the character justice.
The variety of characters in Soul Calibur 4 is where the game truly shines; Namco has put good use to their character creation system as a majority of the characters that you will face off against in the story mode of the game are randomly generated and named. You won't be fighting the same people over and over; you will see new variations on various fighting styles and characters that will keep the game fresh for a long, long time. This is a very refreshing feature of the game because you never really feel as though you are fighting the same characters that you may have grown tired of... Speaking of the story mode...
 Story Mode(s)
I hope that you didn't get too attached to the console specific mission mode that had become the staple of the series because it is long gone. The story mode in SC4 is very simple and straight forward; the new version is simply 5-6 matches against various opponents. As I mentioned previously , a majority of the opponents that you will face in this mode are randomly generated. You will see some of the staples throughout the mode, especially in terms of the boss of the game and the major characters that are pivotal in the story of the series (Siegfried and Astaroth).
In exchange for removing the Mission mode, Namco has added the Tower of Souls mode which is similar and will provide you with the same sort of gameplay as the Mission Mode once did. You will battle up and down through "floors" (levels) of a twoer and complete various requirements to gain access to special unlockables and additions for the character creation portion of the game. I can imagine that people will be spending quite a bit of time in this mode as some of the requirements to unlock the treasures aren't exactly straight forward and you may be replaying things multiple times to figure exactly what they what you to do.
 Create a Character / Customization
This is the heart and sole of Soul Calibur 4. Namco has taken the groundwork that they laid in SC3 and brought it to the next generation. SC4 allows you to fully customize the appearance of your character(s) and use those creations both online and off. You can make and save alterations to the series staples that can be saved as extra costume variations to be used when playing as them or construct your own original creations using templates base on the characters of the game. For example, perhaps I like Lizard Man's fighting style but just don't like him as a character. I can select to build a character based on his fighting style, who will use the same weapons and moves as Lizard Man, but create a character that physically resembles a court jester with an afro in a bikini. You imagination it the only limit in this mode as they allow you to either serious or comedic in your creations. I cannot wait to go online and see some of the creations other people are coming up with.
Graphics and Sound
This game is GORGEOUS... and I do mean G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S. The amount of detail and variation in the games visuals absolutely amazes me. Namco has gone to great lengths to ensure that not only does each of the games characters look incredibly detailed and life like (or as like like as people like Lizard Man can be) but they have given the same opportunity for players to do the same in the create a character mode(s). In this game, you have the ability to create truly original, detailed characters who will really come across as much, MUCh more than generic pallette swaps as many other games have done. The sound is also the usual high quality that Namco is known for with this series.
 In conclusion...
I don't know what else to say right now because I just want to get back to playing the game. If you like fighting games, particularly the Soul series, this game is a must have in my opinion. Hopefully other members of the MG community will be jumping on the bandwagon of SC4 soon and perhaps we can look towards creating a community tournament or something... If you own a PS3 or a 360, do yourself a favor and CHECK THIS GAME OUT.
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