Soul Calibur II
Score: 98% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Namco Developer: Namco Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Fighting
Graphics & Sound: Saying that Soul Calibur is just another fighting game would be like saying Gary Coleman is just another little guy. Like my favorite short statured wash-up, Soul Calibur is one of those games that transcends the genre and gives players an experience beyond what is currently offered. Even if you look back over the history of the franchise, it's always been marked as something special. Soul Calibur was the game that sold the Dreamcast in its early days, and still manages to catch a rather healthy price at both stores and on E-bay. It should come as no surprise that Soul Calibur II became the most anticipated title of many gamers even before Namco announced it was in development. Now, after months of speculation concerning everything from system exclusivity rumors to cancellations, and every other pitfall that could possibly happen, Soul Calibur II is here and once again proves to be something special. >From the moment I fired up the game, I was completely blown away by how great it looks. One of my early concerns was that it might lose something in its translation from the arcades. Even though the game was developed specifically with the PS2 in mind (the arcade version runs on modified PS2 hardware); I was never convinced that it would be a perfect port. Well, not only is the port perfect, it actually manages to outshine its arcade counterpart in a few areas. Believe it or not, textures are much cleaner, lighting is improved, and arenas look incredible... I could really go on for pages, but as always I simply don't feel like writing it all. Character designs are also improved and seem to transition a little smoother and fluidly, however there is the occasional slowdown -- mostly during heated exchanges of blows. This is nothing to fret over since it happens infrequently and only for a second or two. Namco has really upped the ante in all aspects, making Soul Calibur II's graphical show a hard act to follow. Sound is just as good, but doesn't feature as many upgrades as the graphics. Everything you love to hear from the arcade is present and sounds great -- especially if you're running a surround sound system. Background music is beautifully orchestrated and veers away from the typical cheesy melodies and Euro-trash Techno most games in this genre feature. Voice work is also very well done and features both English and Japanese tracks. Even the announcer sounds great -- even if his before match sayings make about as much sense as a bad poet on an all-night bender.
Gameplay: The follow-up to Soul Blade on the PSX, and Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast, Soul Calibur II boasts over 15 warriors, both old and new to the series, each on a quest to gain control of the mythical Soul Edge. Most of the characters from the original Soul Calibur make a return, and are joined by newcomers Yunsung, a broadsword toting character similar to Hwang in the last game; Raphael, a quick French fencing master; and Cassandra, the younger sister to Soul Calibur's Sophitia (and my personal favorite character). As an added bonus, the PS2 version features Heihachi from the Tekken series as well as Necrid, a large, angry-looking character designed by Todd McFarlane (and who proves some artists should not be allowed to design fighting game characters). Contrary to current Internet chatter, Heihachi isn't as forgettable or 'sucky' a character as he seems. Sure he's not as cool as Spawn or Link, but you have to hand it to a guy who's willing to take on armed combatants with his fists. Soul Calibur II features a variety of gameplay modes, including Arcade, Versus and Practice. The only mode not making the jump from the arcade happens to be my personal favorite, Conquest. However, when you consider the nature of the mode, it would be rather hard to pull off since it requires a massive number of players. In order to make up for this loss, Namco has instead included the Weapon Master mode, which turns out to be an excellent replacement. The whole purpose of Weapon Master is to guide your character through numerous mission objectives in order to accumulate wealth. Some objectives are little more than standard one-on-one matches, while others will present special conditions, such as not allowing the wind to knock you over the edge of an arena, or landing a set number of hits in a given time frame. Admittedly, the story makes no sense at times and serves as a way to frame a bunch of random battles together, but it works. After amassing a small fortune, players will be able to use their spoils to purchase new upgrades for their characters, such as new weapons -- each with their own pros and cons. This mode alone should provide near limitless replay value, but just to make sure, an addictive Multi-player mode will help to ensure you never leave the game.
Difficulty: Interestingly, Soul Calibur II is one of those games that seems to conform just as much towards the player's style as the player conforms to its own. Even on the hardest difficulty level, button-mashers should have no problem completing the game or unlocking it's many secrets. However, those who show a sense of finesse in their playing styles will go beyond defeating the AI. Completing the game is something any player should be able to do in a matter of hours, but mastering the simple nuances will take weeks or even months. Some of the mission parameters in Weapon Master mode also add a bit of a puzzle element to the game. Trying to figure out a way to successfully land 20 blows in 30 seconds isn't as easy as it sounds.
Game Mechanics: Control was one of the factors that disappointed me in the game. It's not that Soul Calibur II controls particularly bad, since its amazingly tight and well-polished, but the button configuration doesn't feel playable when trying to perform some moves. The buttons are laid out in a fashion similar to the arcade -- High Attack, Low Attack, Kick and Guard. Using these buttons singularly or in combination is generally easy, but the layout makes pulling some off combos a bit tricky. The layout makes performing Soul Charges really hard since you have to figure out a way to hit the Square, Triangle and Circle buttons all at the same time. Other than that, using the Dual Shock 2 controller is nearly flawless and just as responsive as using an arcade stick (although I'd probably recommend that over the Dual Shock 2 if you can get your hands on one). The overall mechanics of the game are faithfully translated from the arcade version. Every combo, reversal and special move -- the cornerstones of any successful fighting game -- are all present, as are those nit-picky little timing issues that hardcore fighting fans know better than anything else. This is what I was talking about when I said button-mashers wouldn't be as successful as finesse players. Every move can be countered, which lends a certain strategy to the game, so choosing when to use a move is just as important as the move itself. Why are you reading this? If you haven't bought the game already, you should have been on your way to buying it after the first paragraph. Until now, Virtua Fighter 4 held the distinction as best fighting game on the PS2, but Akira, Wolf and the crew might want to watch their backs because their reign is coming to an end.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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