E3 2008: Soulcalibur IV strikes gold

Get ready for an onslaught of undead pirates and fleshy eyeball-equipped swords. Namco Bandai Games today announced that Soulcalibur IV has gone gold for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

While the game has garnered the most headlines for its inclusion of Star Wars characters (Darth Vader on the PS3, Yoda on the Xbox 360, and Force Unleashed's Secret Apprentice on both), Soulcalibur IV is notable for a few other reasons. In addition to being the first-ever version of the series playable online, Soulcalibur IV includes "critical finish" moves to end matches in a single hit, and secret characters designed by Japanese manga artists.

Namco Bandai isn't relying on those features alone to sell the game. The publisher today announced a North American advertising blitz to run through August. Soulcalibur IV will be promoted in 15- and 30-second commercials on cable TV channels in the US and Canada, in addition to the standard online and print advertising campaigns and promotional partnerships.

Soulcalibur IV will arrive in stores July 29, with a retail price of $59.99. Limited edition versions of the game will include exclusive content and swag for $79.99. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.