Either this fighting game will make you an extremely cheap fighter or a super talented fighter.
The weapons are appropriately well suited to each character's extremely unique fighting style. There is a nice variety of different looking and acting weapons, so character tweaking becomes unique to personal fighting style. The Alternate uniforms add a good sense of humor and variability to a fighting game. The backgrounds are amazingly well detailed with alot of very exciting animations that can and will distract attention from the fighting going on in the foreground. The camera makes the fighting experience alot better and always keeps both characters in the views of the whole screen.
Another added factor that adds to the overall experience of Soul Calibur 3. A sort of RTS (Real-Time Strategy) where created characters go through a series of 20 "chronicles" fighting through armies and generals to achieve peace through war (Kessen anyone?). A series of checkpoints are placed around a map where characters run from checkppoint to checkpoint defeating enemies in one-on-one battles to achieve victory. These chronicles are also the only way to unlock all of the weapons for the create-a-charaters.
The only thing that can be said in negativity about Soul Calibur 3 is the always present factor of hitting people on the ground is common place and actually encouraged. The ability to hit people on the ground is a cheap move and utilizing it to win battles reeks of button mashing and the under-ability to actually fight in games such as Soul Calibur 3.
If you haven't played either of the first two games, get them first then play Soul Calibur 3.