It's easy enough to jump into Soulcaliber IV, whale away on the buttons, and make things happen. You'll mostly win. At first. But then you'll start losing. Particularly if you try to make any progress in the Tower of Lost Souls. And especially if you go online. At that point, you might think to yourself, 'Hey, I should figure out what's going on here'.

Don't expect much help from the actual game, and certainly not from the manual. Soulcalibur IV is made for people who already know how to play. If you're not one of those people, IGN has posted a helpful basic guide.

In addition to explaining the fundamentals, which you'd have no way of figuring out yourself, there are good tips for a few specific characters. Be sure to check out the entries on Vader and the Apprentice to figure out their Force powers, which were previously shrouded in mystery (i.e. undocumented). The guide is a work in progress, so Yoda should be along shortly. A shriveled up little green man with mystical powers and poor grammar arrives precisely when he means to.

Thanks Brian Rucker!