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Combined with characters like the nun chuck-harnessing Elvis-impersonator Maxi, or the S&M-inspired Voldo, SC has a character that really makes it stand out from other fighters, and its charm goes a long way in its enjoyment. Like its predecessor, Soul Calibur 2 shines brightly, but in some ways, its strong resemblance to its forefather makes it less of the overwhelming spectacle, and experience, that the original was. Similar to past entries into the - now - franchise, SC2 starts off with bare-bones features, and has the player unlock the rest as they make their way through the Weapon Master and Arcade modes. The endings aren't too hot and the story was never very interesting to begin with, despite the snazzy intro, so the arcade mode really takes a backset to the master mode. This is the mode where the player gets to take their character on an adventure that spans the globe by having their character takes various paths to designated points on a world map, at these spots, they will meet other players in the game and fight them, either as a test of skill, a bet, or going room-to-room through mines/dungeons (which aren't very exciting; some are actually very annoying, and the player can hit dead-ends in these blasted things). Along the way, the player will gain experience and gold to help boost their characters' status; the gold can be used to purchase additional weapons for the player to use there or in the Extra Arcade mod (basically the arcade mode, but the new weapons for the characters can be used; I'm not entirely sure why it's separate from the regular arcade mode). Other goodies, like Team Battle mode and hidden characters, can also be unlocked here. How exciting and worthwhile all this is really depends on the player, because not everyone will necessarily care about using a new weapon since it doesn't really change the user's abilities other than they being stronger or weaker - no different styles or anything drastic - and it's close to a carbon copy of the one found in the original, while others just may eat up the chance to take their favorite fighter on another mini adventure. I found most of the adventuring to be enjoyable, but some of the missions did become annoying over time. The multiple paths don't always alleviate this problem, but it is a nice feature since it allows the player to get a sense of accomplishment (unlocking a mode or buying a new item) and doesn't require large investment of time since most can levels can be completed in under a half hour - although, I would've liked the option to have more than 1 player to be able to go through the mode. Accompanying the arcade modes, team battle and weapon master mode are vs., practice (not as robust as Evolution's, but it manages), time attack, and survival; a nice, healthy assortment. There are a few newcomers, although some are similar to others in the original, they all have their own feel so it works out in the end. There's also some characters found only in the U.S. version: Assassin, Lizardman, and Berserker. Also, there are the console-specific characters, and woohoo, PS2 owners get another Tekken character. On the subject of the console characters, while they don't necessarily fit in with the game, I found that pretty easy to overlook after a while and found their additions to be a nice idea. I suppose Namco felt that being in two other PS2 fighters (Tekken Tag and Tekken 4) wasn't enough for Heihachi, so he will join other Tekken characters in the roster - despite using him because I have a liking for melee combat, I really wouldn't have minded someone else. There's also McFarlene's other contribution, aside from Spawn, Necrid, who is both strange and very powerful, which makes him the only real ugly duckling of the bunch. Getting past all the modes, real and faux replay value, and new characters, we get to the meat of the game: the fighting system. What really sets Soul Calibur apart is how smoothly the characters can move around the arena; meaning that they don't simply side-step, but can move around their opponent in a continuous motion. While I dig side-stepping, I certainly have no problem with this method. There's also soul charges, stun attacks, wall and ground attacks, reversals, and - what I find somewhat interesting - guard impacts. Most of the moves are self-explanatory, but soul charges and guard impacts might be new to some people: soul charges are when the character charges up their move, while guard impacts occur when the player blocks a move and uses the their opponent's momentum against them - this is something I found tricky since it never seemed consistent. Aside
from balancing and the various random goods, quite a chunk of the game is simply
Soul Calibur. How much you loved it will really depend on what you take
from 2; some people have found it very disappointing since four years yielded
little more than an update, while others find the additions and tweaks just right.
Myself, while I don't contest the engine, I can't play the title for long periods
of time. I do, however, appreciate the way newcomers can hop on a joystick and
feel like they're actually doing something. I found myself enjoying it in small
bursts and amongst friends, which is more than I can say for most fighters.
Graphics: 8.5/10 Control:
8/10 Overall:
8.5/10 [ top ] | |||
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