Finally, a worthy fighting game within Microsoft's lacking arsenal!
Character creation is back, and although fighting styles are based on existing characters, and not based on the selection of weapons like in Soul Calibur III, this is made up for with a system of RPG like stats, which is based on Attack, Defense, And HP. These attributes rise and fall depending on what armors and wear you apply to your character. Also available are skill sets, which are certain abilities you can call upon in the midst of battle that may increase your HP, or cleave damage through your opponents blocks, or even go so far as to make your character temporarily invisible.
Another thing I like is the ability to shatter armor, successive hits to certain points of your characters body will break away their steel and iron platings, leaving them to die an embarrassing naked death. The additional Soul Crush is also amazing. As your opponent or you relies strictly on nonstop blocks a soul meter will start to slowly change color until your life bar starts to blink red. Any further hits after this will lead to a soul crush, to which you can then release your characters critical finish, which ends the match with a devastating finale.
Soul Calibur IV ditched a lot of it's addicting single player modes, with the exception of the Tower of Lost souls (or so I think it is called) here is were most players will spend their time in single player trying to ascend and then descend the tower, all the while meeting certain requirements to unlock hidden chests that contain more armor and wear for character creation mode. Though it was disappointing to see that team tag was not available online, and it was furthermore saddening to see so many things disappear from what was available on previous games, I could see why it was necessary. Soul Calibur is a dynamic and complicated game, more so than I think some people are taking credit for. To achieve this level of innovation in a game like this is enough to give the developers praise for trying to bring the best to the series finale. This is a game that must be tried, especially if your a fighting gamer. 9.5 for SCIV just caz I'm a fan, though I understand Game Informers choice as well.