Customer Reviews

Soul Calibur II

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Over the past few years, a myriad of fighting games have stormed onto the scene. They all had their own little niche, but none were ever as good as Soul Calibur for the ill-fated Dreamcast. A pity that the best fighting game ever landed on a system whose lifespan was less than a full year. Ever since, games like Tekken and Virtua fighter have tried, and while they were fun at first, they grew tedious and boring within a week. Dead or Alive 3 was nothing but an over-hyped T&A button mash, and Mortal Kombat was quite possibly the most disappointing of of them all, if only because it was so overhyped by the developers and fans. But Soul Calibur 2 has stormed onto the scene, and has essentially re-ignited the dying flame of the fighting game genre.

The graphics in the XBox version are outstanding, every bit as good, if not better than the original Soul Calibur. All the characters look realistic and life-like, though some have anime-inspired overly exaggerated facial features, and most of the women have unrealistically exaggerated anatomical features. The characters move and breathe and flex so vividly that its hard to beleive you're playing a video game and not watching a movie.

The gameplay is as good as ever. Some reviewers seem to think that the effort necessary to unlock extra fighters and gameplay modes makes this game bad...clearly these people have no idea what makes a good game and shouldn't be wasting other people's time with their nonsense ranting. There are tons of features to unlock in the game, which makes for TREMENDOUS replay value. Weapon Master Mode, a method of gameplay dating back to the first game, Soul Blade for the Playstation, has you take any character you choose through missions with certain criteria that must be met in order for you to advance. Winning these missions earns money and experience. From here, you can buy up to 10 extra weapons per character, including an ultimate weapon and a joke weapon, and you can also purchase new costumes, demonstrations, and gameplay modes. This mode will also allow you to unlock other fighters as you go along.

The story in the game is decent, but is not as detailed as the previous game. Character stories are short and lack detail, and endings are utterly pointless in most cases, barely even coinciding with the story of the character. Beating the game with a character opens up a gallery mode that allows you to view the fighter, their arena, their story and their voice acting.

Some modes that open up include variations of Time Attack, and Survival. Overall, the vast amount of gameplay modes will keep you playing for weeks, possibly months on end. The challenge of mastering a character alone takes weeks, since the moves and characters themselves are so complex.

Great features aside, there are some problems. For starters, some of the characters in this installment are very unlikable. Todd McFarlane characters Necrid and system-exclusive Spawn are so out of place that its almost embarassing to see them in the game. Necrid looks like he belongs in a game that takes place about a billion years in the future on another planet, and Spawn...he just doesn't fit in. Spawn brings cheap moves into the game, such as flying and fireballs. Those are best left to games like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighters, not a game like Soul Calibur. As much as I love Spawn, and despite the fact that I bought the X-Box version in favor of him over the other 2 character, he really does not belong in this game at all. Three U.S. exclusive characters are also included, but none are particularly interesting. Lizardman returns, and two series veterans(as well as personal favorites of mine), Hwang and Rock, have been replaced by generic, boring characters Assassin and Berzerker.

The music in this game is terrible. Compared to the first game, the music just feels uninspired and boring. I often shut the music off and put on my Soul Calibur 1 soundtrack cd instead. Alot of the arenas, although detailed, lack style. None of the arenas in this game can even compare to some of the ones in the previous game, such as the Venice arena, the Colloseum arena, and many others. The only thing that sets these arenas apart is a new feature in the game: some arenas have walls and many are uniquely structured, making for a challenge. Making use of Wall combos is a fun new strategy and is a whole new aspect to learn.

Some characters, such as newcomer Talim, are very frustrating characters. Talim is one of a few characters who are VERY unbalanced compared to others...she has an infinite combo string that, once connected, cannot be broken and will gaurantee a loss. Most other new characters are interesting however, though again have been rehashed from earlier characters.

Overall Soul Calibur 2 is a fantastic game. Where most fighting games get so boring they aren't even worth playing after a week, Soul Calibur 2 will keep you interested for a long, long time. It could have benefit from the ability to use the scenario situations from Weapon Master Mode in the 2 player games, but its ok, since the gmae is fun enough by itself. The sheer amount of unlockables and variety of one player modes will keep you entertained for weeks, and the fun of 2 player battles never ceases. I highly recommend this to any fighting game fan, since it is better than any of the games currently out there, and will be the best fighter for a long time to come.

While Soul Caliber II is great on all platforms, the special character and controller layout really make the XBox version the best of the bunch.

"Soul Caliber II", for the Gamecube, Xbox, and Playstation 2, is a weapon-based fighting game. It is the sequel to Soul Caliber for the Sega Dreamcast. It has beautiful graphics, a comprehensive storyline, and some great moves.

The basic story of the game is that there is this evil sword, called Soul Edge. Many want the sword for its great power. It is said to be, in fact, the most powerful sword in the world. However, most people don't know that it is evil, and so many pursue it. The current wielder of it is a mysterious black-armored knight named Nightmare. He was once a bandit, leader of a group called Der Schwarzwind (The Black Wind). He found Soul Edge, but gradually it took over his body. In the last game, Soul Edge was shattered by its opposite, the spirit sword Soul Caliber. However, the broken fragments of the sword have shown up in many places. Some seek to destroy the pieces to prevent the sword from regaining its evil power. Some want it to use to destroy their enemies. Some want it for the power it brings. However, everybody wants it, and most have no quarrel with destroying everyone in their way to get it.

There is a huge selection of characters, with six secret characters adding to the lineup. They vary from a Japanese swordsman to a village mystic to a female ninja demon hunter to a diabolical golem to an undead tomb guardian. There are also a great variety of stages, including a windmill in a mountainous village, an abandoned yet well-preserved Japanese castle, and a lakeside garden. Most of these places have at least one place where a fighter can be knocked out of the ring (except for the cage matches), so knocking someone out or tossing them out is a vital strategy for winning.

The modes of play that you can do include arcade mode, in which you fight several random enemies and one character-based enemy in order to accomplish your character's goal, Weapon Master Mode, in which you can earn gold to buy extra weapons, costumes, and artwork, to various time attack modes and "see how long you can survive" modes. Besides the normal modes, you can also get "Extra" modes, which allow you to use the weapons you buy in Weapon Master mode. The weapons can give that little boost needed for victory. Most weapons have a pro and a con, like a staff that has good offense and recovers health, but has poor defense. The higher the cost of the weapon, the better it is. Some weapons have no flaws, like the katana Masamune, which has good offense and defense, with no downside.

The in-combat gameplay is good. There are a number of actions, like Guard Impacts (which reverse or trip an enemy's attack), to prevent button mashing. This game is responsible for the most fulfilling fighting round in any fighting game I've ever played. My character was Mitsurugi, the Japanese swordsman, and my opponent was Raphael, the fencer. In most games, the victor would basically be whoever bashed most first. However, in this game, I actually had to think about it. There was thrusting, parrying, slashing, and basically everything that makes a game seem realistic and not just a "bash, mash, smash" game. The other moves that can be done range from ninja teleportation to awesome throws.

The main reason to buy certain console versions of this game is the "guest character" on each one: Link for the Gamecube, Spawn for the Xbox, and Tekken's Heihachi (who uses, well, gloves as his weapon). Also in the game is a character not seen in the video arcade games: Necrid, a special character designed by Spawn's owner, Todd McFarlane (which is why Spawn is the Xbox's guest character and why McFarlane toys manufactures the action figures).

As for being "kid-friendly", there is no blood, as hits make strange glowing/electrical red spots (but not cuts or slashes). There is some minor swearing (from characters that don't take losing well) and there is some "female character bounciness" and skimpy costumes, though each character has at least two costumes, and the alternate costumes on the skimpy characters are usually less bouncy and revealing.

This is a very good, fun, and attention-holding fighting game, with only a few clipping errors (objects accidentally going through other objects). It gets a 10/10.

Soul Calibur II, is an excellent fighting game. The attack moves are great and the combo attack system is awesome. Similar to [edited], the character designs are beautiful and have fluid animation. The sound effects are excellent and they used clasical music which fits well into the game. There is a major emphasize on the weapons, like swords, daggers, nunchukkus or staff. They added nice little touches in the animations, you'll see characters playing with their weapons before and during the fights. Like the character with the Nunchukus, with moves that would make, Bruce Lee, proud if he were alive today. Other characters swing their swords or daggers like pros in their hands. You'll also notice that all the weapons have nice looking light streaks when they are swung. My Favorite Character has a sword that morphs into a chain on command. It's truly a pleasure to her whipping at rivals with the chain, then slashing with the sword. Great sound effect of swords clashing. To top it off the game has excellent controls, different game modes, finishing move replay and lots of characters with unique fighting styles. You can win the fight and still continue beating on your rival for a few seconds. You can also knock people out of the arenas!
Pros:
+beautiful character designs
+fluid animation
+excellent combo attacks
+responsive controls
+different game modes
+good music and sound fx
+lots of characters
+different weapons
+good voice acting
+ring out
+torture your opponents
+alternative costumes
+different game modes
Cons:
-no blood
-stupid story
-uninteresting backgrounds
Soul Calibur is as good as [edited] for the
XBOX. The main difference in gameplay is that in DOA 3
is all hand-to hand combat, while in Soul Calibur II is
mostly melee weapons combat. It depends what you prefer
in your fighting game.

I was a huge fan of the origional Soul Calibur for Dreamcast, and that love passed on to Soul Calibur 2. I first played it at the arcade, and was blown away. Graphics, gameplay- everything was top-notch. To give you an idea of what I mean by "huge fan", I beat the duration of Soul Calibur 2's Arcade mode in my very first attempt, using no Continues (character: Nightmare). What this means is that fans of the series can expect all the old gameplay elements to return- no worries about how your favorite character having undergone too much change. Everything that was good in the first game has only been enhanced in the sequel, and everything that is new lives up to the rest.

Those who are new to the series can also benefit from this continuity. Soul Calibur singlehandedly pumped life back into the arcade industry when it was released, and the home port managed to improve on that perfection. Having played Soul Calibur 2 in arcades and playing some of the home version (on both GC and Xbox) I can say that this tradition continues. The console-specific characters, much talked about, do include Spawn(Xbox), Link(GameCube), and Heihachi(PS2). To my knowledge, these characters are perfectly "fleshed-out" and well-balanced with the rest of the characters.

Anyone who enjoys fighting games at all needs this masterpiece in their collection. The Soul Calibur games may truly be the greatest fighting games of all time- especially for fans of arcade-style action.

The original Soul Calibur was the best game made for the Dreamcast, and since that platform's demise, fans have waited four years for a follow up. It was well worth the wait. The game is premiering on all three major game systems at once, and although each version is essentially the same, each game has one distinct quality: They feature different lead characters. For the Playstation, it's Heihachi. For the Gamecube, it's Link. For the XBox, it's Spawn. They're joined by many of the classic characters from the original game, plus some great new ones. The biggest question, however, is this: What prevents this from just being another run-of-the-mill fighting game, another Kakuto Chojin or another Mortal Kombat clone? One needn't worry.

Although similar in style to other combat games, this one rises above them with extraordinary gameplay, first-rate graphics (esp. on the Cube and XBox) and surprisingly easy controls and fighting techniques. The attacks are pretty straightforward: kick, horizontal weapon, and vertical weapon. But there are some good combination moves available, as well. Like all other combat games, this requires button/control combinations and some well-timed maneuvering. Unfortunately, the XBox's Controller S is not well-suited for these moves; the buttons aren't aligned very well for some of the trickier attacks. (My thumbs still ache from playing Kakuto Chojin on the Controller S; of the 3 systems, only the PS2's basic controller was the most user-friendly. A possible solution: Try the Mad Catz MicroCon controller for the XBox). However, the XBox has other advantages that may offset the sometimes difficult controller. The XBox's excellent graphics engine (by far the best of the three systems) make this game a sumptuous visual treat; the player is surrounded by beautifully detailed scenery and environments. Gameplay on the XBox--thanks to its superior hardware--is smooth and load times are not a problem. There's really just one problem with the game: no story, plot or goals. Basically, you just fight. If you don't mind a straightforward fighting game, then this is your cup of tea. Truthfully, it's not that much different from the first version. But if it ain't broke... For those who never played the original, here's a chance to enjoy one of the best combat games ever devised. For those who loved (and miss) the original, it's just like experiencing this fabulous title all over again.

Im a huge soul edge(caliber) fan. Bought this friday at 10 am, and just stopped playing. And boy my xbox is tired.

The good points first: DOA3esq graffix and character animation. Still the best fighting game Of All Time. Controlls are 10 times better than doa3. Namco didn't screw with it. Spawn, and the first good game he's been in. Lots of new moves. And Lots to do in new modes.

The bad points: Ivy, Cervantes, and Raphael are just plain cheap! Ivy was WAY out of wack in caliber 1, and should have been toned down a little, instead she's supped up and a little beefier. In ultra imposible mode the computer just blocks everything and since weapons don't break i call that poor designer cheating. There are no atmosphearic effects at all. The story line has desintegrated into streetfighter nothingness.

The curious: Why is voldo a centeral character to the whole story not in the opening sequence? And lastly there are a bunch of strange moves that YOU can't actually do, but the computer throws them in for effect.

If you like fighting games, this is a must have. If you own an xbox this a must have. If you are breathing this is a must have.

Before you judge the criticisms I have of this game, I must make it clear that I am a true veteran of the first "Soul Calibur". I am able to beat the game on ultra hard in under three minutes, I can unlock everything in the game in just a few hours, and I've created lines at arcades of people trying and failing to beat me.

Now that that's out of the way, let me tell you why "Soul Calibur 2" falls short of meeting or raising the bar that the first "Calibur" set.

First of all, I find the difficulty level of this game to be really, truly insane. After finally clearing 'Weapon Master Mode', struggling with annoying mission objectives like 'Defeat the enemy under unknown conditions', and repeatedly having my [butt] kicked by little girls in short-shorts and samurais wearing Hammer pants, I was about ready to destroy my "SC2" disc. You have to be a really hardcore 'soul' in order to stick with this game, and even then, there's no doubt that you'll be shouting expletives at the screen and punching the walls late into the night.

Secondly, the A.I. which was just about right in "Soul Calibur" is now incredibly evil. They'll hit you while you're down and while you're in the air, guard impact constantly, and 8-way run around everything you do... as if the voice overs weren't bad enough already.

Still, "Soul Calibur 2" is able to deliver on many fronts. The controls are responsive, the graphics are gorgeous (on the Xbox version), and Spawn is great as an exclusive character. Unfortunately, the difficulty and the lack of updates will ruin this experience for many people, making "SC2" fall short of 'masterpiece' quality.

Soul Calibur 2 is the best fighting game ever in this reviewer's opinion. Great graphics, interesting characters, awesome gameplay. It doesn't get any better than this. The weapons-focused combat is also an absolute plus for me.

Pros:
-Some of the best graphics out there.
-Sound is unparralelled. Necrid especially can realy rumble the subwoofers if you have any decent surround sound setup.
-Controls are easy enough that new players and button-mashers can latch on instatly, while still offering tons of depth for experienced players.
-Tons of unlockables reward you for playing the singleplayer mode, which is fun and worthwhile in itself. Yes, you "buy" most every unlockable in the game- but trust me, the system works.
-Lots of stages and unlockable costumes/items/stages/etc make multiplayer an absolute blast.
-XBox gets a unique custom character, Todd McFarlane's spawn. With an axe, fireballs, and levitation moves, spawn brings a new twist to Soul Calibur (while remaining a surprisingly balanced characer)
-Everything has a counter. The game featues tons of options for sidestepping or blocking or counter-attacking. There is no "one attack" that can win a game. But, every character does have a core set of good moves- meaning everything is balanced and both offensive and defensive tactics are perfectly valid in this game.

Cons:
-The controls are a little too forgiving for beginners. Some players wind up claiming you can get through the whole game just mashing buttons. And you can, but see my note at the end.
-Only one "unique" character per system. XBox got Spawn, and Spawn rules, but if you want Link or Heihachi you'll have to check out another version.
-Fans of hand-to-hand combat and "Tag" style multiplayer need not apply. Soul Calibur has tons of modes, just not these modes.

Note on button-mashing: Although you can certainly do fairly well, I can personally attest to the fact that someone who masters the controls really has an authorative edge. When my button-mashing fiancee (who could beat quite a few of her friends) told me I wasn't allowed to take it easy on her, I beat her something like 20-0, and did it "playing fair" and choosing random characters. So yes, button-mashers can fair well but they can't hold a candle to someone who bothers to really learn the control system.

If you're looking for "that one fighting game" you can play, this is it. The graphics, the gameplay... it's just good. Did I mention there's a decent story line behind it all? SC2 is worth what you pay and tons more- I can't reccomend it enough.

I enjoyed Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast, even with that mongoloid controller they made you use (I did like the VMU's, though, that showed an image of your fighter twirling his/her weapon). It was different, fun, weapons-based - and the first game I had ever seen that just COMPLETELY blew away it's arcade counterpart in every way, particularly in the graphics area.

That being said, Soul Calibur II, almost 4 full years later, doesn't really offer anything brand new. It still features one of the better fighting engines available. Sadly, something just seems lacking in this version.

Having not played the game since 2000, I put it in, set the A.I. on it's most difficult setting (as is my ritual for fighting and sports titles)... ...and proceeded to beat the game in less than an hour, only once losing to Nightmare. To be fair, I DID play the original continuously for a good little while back then, and knew the game backwards and forwards. Hopefully someone picking up the game for the first time will find it to be more challenging. The ending sequences are a joke, which still irks me since that was my only gripe from the original game. Still images and subtexts shouldn't be included on a game this beautiful.

There are several hidden features and "unlockables" to keep you entertained for awhile. From what I've gathered you're rewarded with new costumes, variations of weapons, and secret characters the more you win, and if you can play this game in spurts of about 4-6 hours at a time. I choose to focus mainly on the 'meat' of the game - namely the fighting itself. The button layout is simple enough, while more complex combinations and moves require a bit more practice and timing. Button-mashing won't get you very far on the harder settings - by your third match your opponents will be slapping you around like you owe them money.

Graphically, as I've said before, this game is phenomenal. It could arguably be a toss-up between Dead of Alive 3 and Soul Calibur II for the title "Most Beautiful Fighting Game"... Thankfully, Namco didn't go with recent trends to just make a game with a lot of cleavage and legs all over the place, though there's enough in here to keep even those pause-the-game-when-the-girls-kicks-really-high gamers out there (you know who you are) happy.

Overall, I give this game 4 stars, or 8/10. I would easily recommend this game to those who may be new to the Soul Edge/Soul Calibur franchise due to it's intuitive control scheme and overall fun factor. It can be extremely addictive after awhile, so be careful. Fans of the series, especially owners of the original, may find it a little too familiar, with not enough new changes. Fortunately, Soul Calibur was far ahead of it's time enough that a breath of fresh air isn't particularly necessary at this point for this title series. I'll be looking out for Soul Calibur 3...

Soul Calibur II is definately worth picking up - a pretty solid addition to anyone's library. It's almost a must-have for fighting game fanatics.

Soul Calibur II is awesome. It is the best next gen fighting game to date. Yes, its even better than Dead or Alive 3. The fighting system is very fun and it is also pretty deep. There are good combos. You can also do well with button mashing though... Their is a great amout of cool charectors, and there are also many awesome weapons. My favorite part of the game is the 'Weapon master' mode where you do goals. I have completed that. It was very addictive even though that mode could get a little repetetive at times. Soul Calibur II is also a great multiplayer game. You can probably play it for a few hours if you want to on multiplayer. This is also a pretty good looking game, and athough not the best looking Xbox game ever, its pretty darn good. The sound affects are good and so is the music. Go on and purchase this excellent game. There is tons of replay value too! Oh and it is the best version of Soul Calibur II out of the three console versions. The Xbox version has the best graphics, sound, control(the PS2 control is also very good too but I prefer the Xbox controller) and there is also a exclusive Xbox charector (Spawn).