Gets tiresome after a while
Well, this battle can get tiresome if you don't have online nor someone to play the game with. So be warned before you go out and purchase this game. It also helps if you have good timing because there are a few just frame moves and you have a fighting game stick.
Soul Calibur IV does not have the robust single player mode as its predecessor did. Tower Of Souls is nice in some aspect, as it does gets you a little more familiarized with the system. However, the keys to obtaining an item for that specific level are not explained at all. Even after you beat the level once, the keys are not explained, rather the game just spout some random message like you're supposed to know the meaning.
Tower Of Souls might last you some times, but it's definitely not as robust as the Chronicles Of The Sword mode in Soul Calibur 3. It's unfortunate that this game took a step back.
The arcade portion is fine if you're aggressive, otherwise you can end up having a tough time with the game. This game is definitely catered toward the offensive minded. Critical finish is a big reason why that you shouldn't be blocking too much. Basically it is when your soul gauge is empty that your opponent can do a critical finish on you and you end up losing the match.
So for all the turtler who likes to camp out, blocks and does counter hits all day, this might not be the best game for you.
Some of the characters in the game have some weird variations of the same commands, Namco should've changed the input for those commands. Or maybe it's because I'm using a controller and not a stick.
Overall, Soul Calibur IV is a good fighting game. However, the game needs some improvement before it aspires to compete with my favorite fighting game: Tekken 6.