Soulcalibur IV serves up more of the same good weapon-based fighting entertainment.

Many skeptics out there doubted that the addition of Yoda or Darth Vader for the respective PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Soulcalibur IV would amount to anything more than a quick cash-in. And after the reported 2 million units shipped, it’s apparent that the Star Wars characters helped Soulcalibur IV fly off store shelves in a hurry.

But with sales figures aside, the Star Wars characters (including the Apprentice) don’t mesh well with the rest of the Soulcalibur universe – and it’s what ultimately holds back Soulcalibur IV from being an overall excellent game.

Beginning with what worked, Soulcalibur IV continues where Soulcalibur III started and allows for players to customize and create their own characters. The system allows for players to edit any of the 30 plus characters already in the game or create their own. While the editor isn’t as in-depth as say any of the sports titles nowadays, it’s still an attracting feature for players who aren’t intrigued by any of the current assortment of fighters.

The addition of online play should excite long-time fans of the series. Being lag free for the most part, the online an all-around enjoyable experience. Players can play through ranked matches or join an unranked lobby with up to three other players where each player takes turns fighting with the winner sticking around to await the next opponent.

Soulcalibur IV’s gameplay remains practically unchanged and that, by all means, is a good thing. Players can still win a variety of ways including the famous "ring out" option where the player knocks the player out of the ring. Sure it’s frustrating to get knocked out, but players must be aware at all times of their position within the ring. Perhaps the biggest change for the gameplay is the new soul-gauge system that permits players enter into a state where they can perform a one-hit-kill move called the critical-finish maneuver. Personally only seeing the critical-finish maneuver pulled off a few times online and offline, it’s not a huge addition, but at least it’s there to take advantage of.