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The Soul Calibur franchise is considered, by many, to offer the quintessential fighting experience, so topping previous entries within the series 11-year history is no small order. But Namco Bandai's latest entry into the world of weapon-based combat easily proves itself as the dominant fighting game of the series, and will undoubtedly outshine most other challengers in the fighting genre for quite some time.

Soul Calibur 4 brings to the table 32 fighters, most of which can be unlocked within the first hour or two of play. This robust roster contains fighters from all the past Calibur entries from the deadly Ivy to the impeccably quick Taki. With so many characters at its disposal the issue of balanced gameplay takes on a noticeable role. The previous entry in the series, SC3, struggled with some of its balancing issues, so with so many characters in SC4 there were understandable reasons for concern. But, rest assured the gameplay is phenomenal.

Soul Calibur 4 is a game which we will all be playing for months to come.

Many of the characters moves remain the same and the responsiveness and relative ease at which even the most elaborate of moves can be executed is impressive. And while gameplay sticks relatively close to the formula that has garnered the series so much success, SC4 manages to bring with it some interesting new tactics. Most notable of the new additions are the match-ending, critical finish moves. These moves, when executed, bring the fight to a cinematic end, with each character delivering his or her own brand of justice in their own personal way. But while it may sound like an anti-climactic way to end the match, critical finishes are a new tactic used as counter measures against those who spend most of the match with the guard button held down.

The create-a-character system is as robust as ever, and we will all be undoubtedly watching Youtube videos on how to make our favorite gaming icons in the following months to come. Namco Bandai has already provided the first add-on set of clothing to help expand your wardrobe and hopefully more DLC is on the way. (Kratos anyone?)

A highly anticipated online mode finally makes its long overdue debut and adds an immeasurable amount of replay value to an already fantastic package. Vary rarely did I encounter lag, and there is little to match the feeling of creating your own custom warrior and bringing it online to dominate the masses.

While the game isn't prefect, there are just too many positives in SC4 to not consider it as possibly the greatest fighting game ever made. While Darth Vader may not be as cool as we all hoped, and it would be nice to see expanded create-a-character features such as face manipulation (a la Tiger Woods), they are just minute bumps in a road that undoubtedly leads to greatness. And with its long overdue inclusion on an online mode, SC4 is a game which we will all be playing for months to come.

And in the era of pick up and play gaming, it's comforting to see such longevity offered within a fighting game.