Well... a few years ago, I was playing Soulcalibur III and IV a lot.
For Soulcalibur III, I mostly play the story mode called "Chronicles of the Sword" and create my own characters.
I have never defeated the final boss in Chronicles of the Sword and often give up and start the game over.
For IV, I also often create my own characters.
But I also play the other parts of the game. (where I play as the characters that I didn't create)
I haven't played Soulcalibur V, but I have seen someone else playing it.