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Soul Calibur II |
by Chad
9/4/2003 |
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Soul Calibur II brings the storied Soul Calibur franchise to the Xbox for the first time. What started out as an innovative weapons-based fighter on the Dreamcast has grown a following that rivals that of Mortal Kombat. Soul Calibur has won critical acclaim for the seamless integration of weapons into smooth gameplay, and although the title was released ages ago on a system that no longer exists, it is still considered be many to be the best console fighter of all time. That is a lot of history and hype to live up to for Soul Calibur II. Luckily, in the gaming industry (unlike the film industry) sequels tend to outshine their predecessors. Soul Calibur II is no exception.
The easiest way to explain Soul Calibur II is to say that it completes what was started in the first game, but this time they have the horsepower of the Xbox to make the graphical experience rival the revolutionary gameplay. The impressive lineup of characters, arenas, costumes and weapons have realized their potential on the Xbox and created an extremely impressive world that begs to be explored. With over 15 combatants, both new and old, over 200 collectible weapons, countless arenas and profiles for all of the characters, the depth of the game will keep you coming back for more and more. Unlocking all of the hidden characters and collecting all of the items (weapons, etc.) will keep you butt glued to the couch for hours.
The collection of characters in Soul Calibur II is enhanced by the addition of three fighters that debuted as non-playable characters in the Japanese version. Assassin, Berserker and Lizardman are all playable in the U.S. and European versions of the game. I wouldn’t necessarily pick these people to play your buddies with, but they are available for those that would.
 
In addition to these exclusive characters, the Xbox version of Soul Calibur features Spawn. For those that don’t know, Spawn is a bas-ass comic book character created by Todd McFarlane of Image comics. Spawn is a reluctant servant of Satan (Malebolgia), having traded his soul for the life of his wife (Wanda). He is wrought with agony and attempts to free his soul from the grasp of Hell at every opportunity. The reason I’m telling you this is because there are several references to the Spawn storyline when you choose Spawn as your character. If you don’t know who Wanda and Malebolgia are, the lame-ass dialog will mean absolutely nothing to you. Another great thing about Spawn is the fact that he is pissed off at everything for the entire game. You will be peppered with lines such as “You’re pissing me off” and “That really pisses me off” when Spawn is involved in your battle. The completely original and thought provoking dialog (that’s sarcasm, folks!) that defines Soul Calibur is still present in this version of the game. Thank god Namco still hasn’t hired a professional writer, otherwise we would miss such treats as “Now you will die!”. I half-expected to see George Lucas credited as the script writer.
The depth of the game has been expanded to include many elements that were not present in the original Soul Calibur. Game Modes available include:- Arcade Battle
- VS Battle
- Extra VS Battle
- Team Battle
- Extra Team Battle
- VS Team Battle
- Extra VS Team Battle
- Weapons Master Mode
- Time Attack
- Survival
- Practice
- Extra Practice
Each mode presents its own self-explanatory challenges that must be completed. When challenges are completed, extras are unlocked. These extras include arenas, costumes, characters and more. New to Soul Calibur is the Weapon Master Mode. In this mode the user is presented with a series of challenges. When these challenges are successfully completed, weapons are unlocked. There are over 200 weapons that can be unlocked in Weapon Master Mode. Each weapon possesses unique attributes that will enable additional strategy and depth in your battles.
The strength of Soul Calibur is obviously the VS Battle. Soul Calibur is easy enough for button-mashers to pick up and play (and feel good about themselves in the process). But if you take the time to master combos, learn the strengths and weaknesses of the different weapons, and learn the strengths and weaknesses of the characters, you can you’re yourself unbeatable. Nothing beats opening up a can of whoop-ass on your best buddy while mercilessly taunting him into tears. After victory number 25 in a row, you earn every right to insult every element of his manhood (or womanhood) while reducing him to tears. There is no greater joy than the “tossed-controller, silently stomp out of the room” walk of shame that your loser friends will endure after discovering your hidden talents in Soul Calibur II.
 
The major complaint I have about Soul Calibur II is the exclusion of Xbox Live support. The game is perfect for online play, and it is a shame that Namco chose not to include the one feature that could exploit the addictive nature of the VS Battles. Xbox Live would also open the door to downloadable maps, characters, weapons, etc. This game was built for this type of service, and hopefully future version will fully exploit all of the features that Xbox Live brings to the table.
Graphics - 8
The graphics are not revolutionary or groundbreaking by any means, but they certainly are nice. The graphics are smooth and fluid, adding value to the gameplay and enhancing the Soul Calibur experience. The graphics definitely look superior on the Xbox, and they are a far cry from Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast.
Sound - 8
The audio for the fighting and the background noise is top-notch. The dialog, on the other hand, is not. The original, cheesy voice from Soul Calibur past returns to torture us with his ominous presence. The character voices are adequate, but I could have just as easily done without any of them. I found myself hitting the start button as fast as humanly possible between rounds.
Gameplay - 10
The strength of the game lies here. Soul Calibur II is just as fun as the original, and then some. The weapons-based fighting system is unmatched by anyone in the industry. Many have tried to copy it, but none come close to the fluid, addictive play offered in Soul Calibur II.
Overall - 9
Soul Calibur II is defends the crown of “Ultimate Fighting Game”. The awards are already piling up, beginning with the E3 “Best Fighting Game”. Soul Calibur II has taken a storied franchise and the best fighting game of all time and made it better. There are more character, more depth and improved visuals. But, after playing this game I am left wondering where else the fighting genre has to go. What will be the next step in innovation and originality to keep the genre alive? We have seen fighters progress from 2-D to 3-D, and platforms push the current consoles to the limits of their hardware, but it is all an extension of the same idea. I hope the folks at Namco are already contemplating their next step, and I hope it is as revolutionary at the original Soul Calibur was to the genre.
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First
Heckler
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It´s been a long time since i made a post. so i´ll make it short an sweet. get Soul Cal II you won´t regret it. unless your the only person who´ll play it,
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daren
Heckler
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i think this is my favorite fighting game ever! well worth 50 bucks! if i was to review this game, id give it 10 out of 10´s accross the board! graphics are a lot better than i expected, although we all know xbox is capable of better. but still, its very colorful, crisp sharp graphics, smooth as silk animation, so on. sound is awesome. gameplay is awesome. really, its a must buy!!!
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Eto
Heckler
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I bought this game the day it came out, with absolutely no regrets. I loved the f1rst one (what little I played).. and Finally I own it myself. The Weapon Master mode kicks ass... intruiging story line, and some very interesting challenges.
I would have just LOVED to have XBL support, but it is still definately worth the money.
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Mr. Big Black Box
X365 Member
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Nice game, not as good as DOA3. I played the OXM demo disc and rented the game from Block Buster.
I felt no real need to run out and buy this game. I will wait to find it on sale or a used copy.
It REALLY needed to be LIVE compatible. More replay value.
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doa3
Heckler
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doa3 all the way.
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doa3
Heckler
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oh for got to say doa3 is LIVE and kicking. thanks tecmo and msft for making this game LIVE.
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Ceaseless
X365 Member
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For people making comments about renting @!*% definately haven´t played the @!*% one, or has no friends! It gets no better than SCII. I love DOA3 to death and can´t wait til DOA4, but even when I sold my Dreamcast once, I still kept SC. It was just that damn perfect! It´s the best in the 3D catagory and every direction pushed has a move to it! I thought I´d never see SC again! SCII: so many weapons, so many evades and counters, unblockable soulcharges, music fits, it´s all there! @!*% time players WILL NOT get the right play off of a demo, which is just 3% of the full version. No matter what critics say, I´m definately getting DOA4 because there´s no other game like it (all it need is custom soundtracks [picture playing "Never Scared" while whooping sass with Bass wearing blue bandanna on the street level] to complete). There also will never be a Soul Calibur Quality topper! Hats off to Namco!
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Ceaseless
X365 Member
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By the way, somethings wrong- when I post, the word f1rst comes up as a cussword. ?
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*Grampa Game*
X365 Member
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I disagree with you there Ceaseless,... while SC is an excellent fighter, I´d have to say that Doa3 edges it out because of the smooth gameplay,plus the fact that it fully uses the xbox potential(not a "port"). and I have to deduct a point from SC for not updating the music in 6 years,.. (the "loony toons" Orchestra music is pretty nerve-racking). The gameplay was always good so even though its basically the same game its still extremely playable after all these years. I bought it,.. But once Doa4 online is released, I´ll probably never play it again.
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doa3
Heckler
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we need more topics on doa3 bring it on.
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xboxzilla
X365 Member
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Hey, he´s not here:( !AHEM! the last bandicoot says: "this good on ps2, bad on xbox. me no like xbox. me like things old like my jokes and PisS2? I pee too. me like you. pee on me, I belong to you. Ugh Grunt!"
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Xbox360 and PS3 in my future (sorry Nintendo)
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CL46903
Heckler
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Not as if DOA3´s musical score is any better. And I like both SC2 and DOA3 but I still think that SC2 is better because it has unlockable things in it, and not just one character... but more! And weapons too! It´s incredible.
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Varcas
X365 Member
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SC on DreamCast was excellant. But has there been much development since the @!*% game? A few extra poligons on the character models arn´t enough for me. But for those who haven´t played the DreamCast version - there are fighting games and then there is SC. It´s in a league of it´s own. Actually I still might get it now I think about it.
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Varcas
X365 Member
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Huh "f i r s t" is a swear word?
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ChrisRay
Heckler
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It still can´t touch the Last Blade series on the Neo Geo
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Box Fan
Heckler
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Just got So Cal 2 over the weekend and I´m lovin´ it. Sure it´s not as groundbreaking as the @!*% one--it can´t be ´cuz we already know what the game is like (just as DOA3 wasn´t that far removed from DOA2).
Regardless, SC2 is one heck of a fun game, and isn´t that what it´s all about?
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burning soul
Heckler
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Can you guys tell me where to get a FREE illegal copy of the SOUL CALIBUR 2 soundtrack?
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Viclo
Heckler
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I´ve put many hours in SCII...and I still don´t think of it as anything legendary...The gameplay is almost annoying at times, and many characters are so cheap it sucks the fun from the game (such as link and his 3 differen weapons of cheapness -_-). I still play DOA3 and enjoy it so much more...on every level...I never was a big fan of SC...and I´ve seen quite a bit of slowdown in SCII, especially when spawn continuously shakes the screen. It seems like it doestn´t take near the amount of skill or practice to become decent at...and "one-buttoning" can easily get you a win most of the time...I don´t see anything TOO special about it...other than its a decent fighting game.
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*Grampa Game*
X365 Member
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tell the truth and shame the devil viclo.
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Xero
X365 Member
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MOST OF YOU PEOPLE RANTING ABOUT DOA3 BEING SUCH A SUPERIOR GAME TO SC2 OBVIOUSLY HAVE SOME SERIOUS FANBOY ISSUES WITH THE DOA CHICKS, OR HAVE NO CONCEPT OF WHY SC2 IS SUCH GREAT GAME OTHER THAN YOUR REASONING OF " IT LOOKS GOOD AND IT HAS WEAPONS". NOW, WHAT MAKES SC2 A GREAT GAME IS THE LEVEL OF SKILL REQUIRED TO BE PROFICIENT AT USING THE CHARACTERS, AND ANY TRUE GAMER WOULD LEARN HOW TO USE ALL OF THEM MASTERFULLY. WEAPON MASTER MODE ALSO PRESENTS A CHALLENGE AND PLENTY OF FUN OPPORTUNITIES. CERTAIN MISSIONS ON WEAPON MASTER CAN ONLY BE COMPLETED BY RINGING OUT AN OPPONENET. THE SKILL IT REQUIRES TO POSITION AN ENEMY FROM THE CENTER OF THE RING TO THE EDGE IS QUITE HIGH. WEAPON MASTER MODE IS ALMOST LIKE A PERSONAL TRAINER HELPING YOU DEVELOP NECESSARY SKILLS TO DEMOLISH YOUR OPPONENTS. IN ALL ASPECTS SC2 IS INSIGNIFICANTLY INFERIOR, IF NOT SOMEWHAT SUPERIOR IN SOME ASPECTS, TO DOA3. HOWEVER LIVE CAPABILITIES WOULD HAVE GIVEN SC2 A MAJOR ADVANTAGE OVER DOA3. THAT´S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ON THAT SUBJECT. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GIVE ME YOUR CRITISISMS.
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Ryder
Heckler
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Whats the matter with you people? Soul Caliber 2 is by far one of the best if not the best weapon based fighters of all time. I did not get to play the @!*% (@!*%) one, but im sure it wasnt as good..........plus Spawn is the best character of all time.......
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Abe
Heckler
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To me Soul Calibur 2 is nothing more than a rehash of the original.
It should be called Soul Calibur 1.1 cause it is no way a true sequal.
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GamerB
Heckler
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SCII has great graphics (see Taki costume 2 nipple detail) ....is it me or did nobody notice Taki´s "Camel Toe" in costume 1!? Nice give us the puss and boob!
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JSCoch
Heckler
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Clearly DOA3 has to stay in the spotlight, it was and is the XBOX version of a fighter. SC2 is ported for XBOX because it is that good.
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damaged
X365 Member
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ported or not, this game is fantastic. Besides the graphics are crisper and better on the X load times are better as well.
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