Soul Edge, released on the Playstation a couple years back, was a pretty decent fighting game. It wasn’t anything revolutionary, but then again it was very enjoyable. It took the basic mechanics of a fighting game and added the element of weapons. Depending on the character you played, you would possess a completely different fighting style. This added a lot more depth to a game that could have simply been passed off as a Tekken or Virtua Fighter clone. A couple years later, Soul Calibur was released onto the Sega Dreamcast console. It received rave reviews and was a highly innovative fighter that paved the way for next generation fighting games. Unfortunately, the game never reached a wide audience due to the neglected platform it was placed on. Originally conceived as a lost cause, Namco decided to create a sequel to rejuvenate the series that had “sales bomb” written all over it. Most companies give up after a game fails to pull in the same sales figures of their original product (Soul Edge recently over sold its sequel). Soul Calibur 2 has been a crowd favorite at E3 for two years in a row and it has never ceased to impress critics and gamers alike. The game promised to improve upon the original Soul Calibur’s already excellent formula. Namco decided to take no risks this time as it has released Soul Calibur 2 on all three major next generation consoles. They have also provided significant incentive for purchase. They have received the rights to borrow characters from other companies and game series’. The Nintendo GameCube received the best special character out of all three. The Legend of Zelda’s Link has been added to an already cramped roster along with numerous others. This review will cover the gameplay as well as the visual and audio aspects of the most anticipated game of 2003 and you will not be disappointed. Is it the best fighting game ever? You don’t think I would actually tell you now did you?

    A fighting game is all about gameplay, and Soul Calibur 2 delivers on every level. From the hundreds of insane combos to the excellent weapon master mode, this game does not disappoint. Soul Calibur 2 is a very faithful arcade port, which can turn some people off. Namco has added many new features to the game, but if you don’t intend on simply fighting most the time, then you aren’t in it for the right reasons. Everything else that was added, was purely an attempt to add icing onto the cake. From the character back stories to the character specific battlegrounds, this game was tailored for the diehard fans. You first start out by selecting one of the various modes including arcade, time attack, survival, team attack and weapon master. Several other variations of these modes will become available later as “extra” modes that will allow you to use the weapons you purchased or earned in the weapons master mode. Arcade mode is the basic section found in all fighting games and it is essentially the heart of the arcade editions of the game. You select a character and basically work your way up a ladder of opponents of increasing difficulty. When you reach the last level you will combat a boss that will assume the fighting styles of various characters. Beating him will require sufficient knowledge of past opponents style of play. Completing this mode will give you character profiles that give you detailed information about your combatant. The next mode would be the time attack, in which you make your way up the arcade ladder while attempting to speed past all the opponents in order to beat your own completion time. Survival mode is the most challenging of them all by requiring you to beat an onslaught of opponents with a limited set of health. The game also includes a team attack mode in which you select a team of various characters and fight against another team. Whoever wipes out the other’s team first wins. Soul Calibur 2 also includes the most famous versus mode. This is where many people will be spending their time. Defeating a friend is the best feeling a diehard gamer can get and it can spawn numerous weekend parties. The most touted mode of the game would be the weapons master mode. You choose a character and go through a series of different missions. Each of the levels has a different condition for winning whether it be constant health depletion or defeating numerous enemies with only one health bar. Its nothing innovative but it is a nice addition to the game to make it more console friendly. The best aspect of this mode would be the ability to purchase new weapons for your character. Each of these weapons will either increase, decrease or alter the stats of the character, either making them stronger or weaker. Choosing the right weapon is the key to success. After all is said and done though, the weapon master mode can be completed in a week or two and aside from being able to unlock special goodies, there isn’t much incentive to play the mode over again. The game also includes a very basic practice mode. It is nowhere near as deep as the practice mode included in Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution but it gets the job done and will let a newer player get into the game with relative ease.

    Soul Calibur 2 is all about skill. To become sufficiently good at the game, you will need to put in a lot of practice against tough CPU opponents. The game can be played as a button masher, but gamers will realize that they wont get very far against the tougher opponents. Learning and expressing your characters various strengths and weaknesses is the key to success in this game along with knowing the right moves and combos to pull off. A character like Voldo is insanely difficult to stop once he begins a combo, but has difficulty countering the faster combos and special moves from his opponents. Necrid is good at utilizing the soul powers of other opponents but his move choices are so erratic that his defense is appalling. Every single character has a pro and con, some are more bad than good but every character can be mastered to some degree. Maxi is an incredible character to use once mastered, as he is almost impossible to defend against and uses kicks just as much as he uses his weapon. The weakest character is in fact the strongest. Astaroth is a hulking machine of muscle and brawn. His attacks do serious damage, but he is so slow that he would often be dead before he could even unleash a combo. Different characters work for different people and finding which one works for you is key. Some characters have more moves, combos and throws than others and this can be a problem for some, so picking a character with the moves your good at performing is another important aspect of becoming good at the game. Along with the numerous characters you start off with, there are a few others that will come along including Sophitia, Beserker, Assasin and Yoshimitzu. All of these characters (aside from Sophitia who is from previous SC games) seem to be molded around other characters. From their fighting style to the weapons themselves. Luckily their moves are varied enough that some gamers will find enjoyment out of them. Unfortunately the secret characters are nowhere near as balanced as the main ones. Link from the Legend of Zelda is here (courtesy of Nintendo), and is the main reason why this version of the game will sell very well. He should not be the reason everyone is buying the game because it has much more to offer than just him. Even though he is a great character to play, he can be a bit unfair. He has a lot more moves than most of the characters and can call upon three extra weapons that can turn the tide of a battle instantly. His bombs do a great amount of damage and make the opponent very vulnerable to vertical attacks. His boomerang can prove to be annoying for the opponent as some unskilled players simply like to throw it at a constant rate over and over again. Finally, Link’s bow and arrow is by far the most unbalanced weapon in the game, as it will constantly knock opponents down. So if you want a character that is pretty easy to use and has very deep and powerful attacks, then Link is the guy for you. More experienced players on the other hand, may simply look at Link as a token character for show. This games replay value is virtually endless as the game never gets dull or boring. Playing against a friend is always entertaining and will prove to be the ultimate attraction of the game as the years go by.

    In terms of Soul Calibur 2’s visuals, the game is absolutely stunning. It hands down dethrones VF4:Evo as the most beautiful fighting game ever. Everything from the flowing hair on the characters to the crisp textures in the environments will make fans of graphics drool in delight. The game is just about arcade perfect, and it shows. The environments are highly detailed and are always moving along with the action. Pillars will fall in the background and water will flow down rivers. It’s a sight that must be seen to be believed. The character models are by far some of the most detailed ever presented in a video game. The bodies flow with the fighting engine and never seem stiff or unreal. The way the characters move in the game will make most people believe that half of these moves can actually be performed. Link is finally shown the way most fans wanted to see him. A very high polygon count and an ultra realistic look make him a Zelda geek’s dream. Overall the visuals are top notch and once again raises the bar of how a video game should look.

    The sound is quite impressive for a fighting game. The music often fits the scenery and makes the fights more dramatic. There is an excellent track that demonstrates this, as it had Mexican instruments playing to give the arena a classic feel. Along with the Legend of Zelda theme, there are many different tracks to listen to and some of them are character specific. The music never stays as fresh as the environments, but it gets the job done, and that’s what matters. Voice acting is iffy, but it is up to standard fighting game quality. The lip-synching is quite nice and only a few lines seem over enthusiastic or out of place and this aspect of the sound also achieves its goal. The sound effects are perfectly timed and fit the game extremely well. Nothing ever sounds too dramatic or goofy and it flows together perfectly with the fighting. For a fighting game, this is a top notch presentation that can only become better in the future.

    In closing, Soul Calibur 2 is an extraordinary game that achieves everything it set out to do. It isn’t too tailored to the mainstream and it doesn’t turn them away either. This is a hardcore fan’s fighting game and it shows in every facet of the presentation. So now we come to the question again. Is Soul Calibur 2 the best fighting game ever made? Well yes and no. Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution has SC2 beat in several areas. VF4 has a deeper practice mode and quest. You can spend months with Virtua Fighter 4’s quest mode and keep unlocking things night after night. In terms of longevity, VF4 has Soul Calibur 2 beat. Luckily, the only thing that really matters in a video game is if its any fun, and that’s where Soul Calibur 2 takes the crown. SC2 is the most enjoyable fighting game ever and that’s all Namco seemed to set out for anyway. It’s a tie and if I were you, id get both games because VF4 and SC2 are games that should be in any casual gamers library. Without them, your collection simply wont be complete.