SoulCalibur II

Several years ago, the Dreamcast was released upon the world, and even though it had a lot of great games, the system died at an early age. When it was in its prime, a game was released that is hailed as “one of the best fighting games ever”. That game had tight controls, looked exquisite, and was a blast to play. The name of that game is Soul Caliber. I can still remember my friends and me staying up all night playing that game. It was one of the best weapon fighters we had ever seen! Namco decided that since this game was such a hit that they would release a sequel, but is it as revolutionary and astounding as the first one? Read on to find out.

Unlike most fighting games, Soul Caliber II has a coherent plot. Each of the characters has personal reasons for wanting the soul edge, either to rule the world or save it. It is a nice break from other fighting games where they just gather ten or more contestants just to fight to win a tournament. There are a few generic modes to play in that are in every fighting game such as: arcade, time attack, survival, and different teams based fighting modes.

The real meat of the game is in the Weapon Master mode. Players will choose a character and take them all over the map collecting experience, gold, and different weapons, for all the characters that are playable in the game. Each of the weapons that the players collect not only looks differently but they have different effects on the characters, such as slightly healing them, or having a higher offensive or defensive power. Another good thing about collecting all of the weapons is the ability for players to use them while playing in verse mode.

Weapon Master is a great mode to start off in, as it will slowly introduce the basis of the game, and the difficulty ramps up after each set of missions. Another thing this mode is, at times players will fight in “dungeon missions”. It is basically the same as the other missions, but there is a series of fighting to get from room to room until players reach the “boss” of that dungeon. Players will also unlock a variety of different characters, game modes, and other various bonuses while playing in this mode. Another thing that makes this mode hard is that some levels will have special requirements to beat, such as you can only do a ring out, throws do more damage, and other interesting ideas.

Soul Caliber II is a game for new players and veterans alike. Beginners will find that button mashing will bring about splendid results, but for the more experienced players they will be able to string together combos, and do other moves that will make beginning players want to master the game so they can do those spectacular moves as well. Another thing that is of interest is the game features full 3D (or eight directional) movement. At times it will be in your better interest if you move out of the way of an attack, instead of blocking, than you can start off with your own devastating combo.

Soul Caliber II received a special specific character for each console it was made on. In my opinion Link was the best out of the three. He meshes right in with the other combatants really well. He has a nice set of moves that are taken from almost every Zelda game he has appeared in, such as a boomerang, spin attack, bombs, and other moves he is famous for. Namco even went an extra step and provided the classic Zelda music and his very own level.

Soul Caliber II is rated T for Teen for violence and suggestive themes. It requires four blocks on your memory card to save.

Gameplay: 9.3
I don’t have an X-arcade stick or a converter to use a PS2 controller for this game, I had to use the GameCube controller. Surprising the controller was really easily to use in this game, and not a hamper like in other fighting games. I am not big on using the analog control stick for fighting games, but Namco did a great job because every move performed worked flawlessly! Namco deserves a special round of applause for getting the GameCube controller to work really well with Soul Caliber II.

The game is just a blast to play, no matter what mode you are in. The enemies pose a challenge, but it never feels like they are cheating. The different modes will provide hours upon hours of endless entertainment, and it is all wrapped up into a nice little package!

Graphics: 9.6
Soul Caliber II supports progressive scan 480p resolution if you’re TV can produce that. The character models are highly detailed and have a high polygonal count. The animations of each character are varied, from Voldo’s seemly lack of a spinal cord, to others lightening fast reflexes. The arenas that are fought in are nicely done, some have a very creepy atmosphere and others are fought in the open. The best part of this game is there is no dip in frame rate, which is crucial in any fighting game!

Sound: 9.0
Soul Caliber II has a very impressive soundtrack. Each of the scores has an orchestral theme to it, and makes this fighting game a whole lot better! Most fighting games around have a rock-n-roll theme going on, and it is nice to hear something different in a fighting game. Soul Caliber II also supports Dolby Digital Pro Logic II and it sounds exceptionally nice if you have a system that supports it!

Difficulty: Medium
The controller issue is the only potential downfall here. The GameCube’s controller is just not cut out for fighting games, but Namco did a great job for those who do not have the money to purchase an X arcade stick or a converter. The AI in this game is not too hard, but it will prove to be a challenge at times.

Concept: 9.0
The weapon mode in Soul Caliber II is really good. There is a lot of customization that can be done with all of the characters and it really helps give this game more replay value! Also including an extra system specific character is an awesome idea! Great job Namco!

Multiplayer: 9.5
A fighting game always has to have a great two player mode, and this game doesn’t fail in this area. The only thing that could make this better is online multiplayer mode! (hint hint)

Overall: 9.5
Soul Caliber II was the best fighting game around a few years ago, and Soul Caliber II continues its legacy. For any game system, you will want to own this game. The inclusion of an extra character, and with Link for the GameCube version, it is too good of a deal to pass up!