Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Soul Calibur II

Written by Matt Partington on September 20, 2002

First Impressions: Talim, meet My Fist. My Fist...

The Soul Edge series started on console with Soul Blade, a fun but somewhat troublesome game. The next addition to Namco's weapons-based series was Soul Calibur, which flourished in the arcade and on console, widely receiving acclaimed reviews. It was one of those few absolutely remarkable titles that made people realize Sega's short-lived child, the Dreamcast, might be worth their pretty penny. Boasting beautiful graphics, a great fighting system, Soul Calibur was anything and everything you could ever want in a fighter. Up till early March 2002, Soul Calibur claimed the rank as УThe Greatest Fighting Game Ever.Ф But a little someone called Virtua Fighter 4 rolled around the corner and stole the podium right out from under SC's feet. Never before had a fighting game been so gorgeous, so realistic, so balanced, so absolutely perfect. Read on to find out how the Soul Edge franchise may reclaim what was formerly theirs.

The Soul EdgeЦsome say it's the ultimate weapon, some say it's eternal youth, or a heroes might, maybe even the cure to all sickness. Inevitably, the Soul Edge has been destroyed, shattered to hundreds of fragments in one final bout. Instead of the intentional effect of well-being, there is now no balance between the swords, and a terrible episode later named the Evil Seed took place, for the sky was darkened with only a single violent light. This marked the land for three years, until the terrible events were forgotten nearly a half-decade later. No one was aware that the spirit of the Soul Edge, Soul Calibur, was still in existence, and that the people have been unintentionally transporting pieces of the legendary blade to all corners of the earth. Now in the form of Nightmare (formerly Siegfried), Soul Calibur is pursuing all parts of the fervent sword, to rejoin it once again as the most powerful weapon on earth.

That's the story in a nutshell. SC2 should pick up at this point, but don't feel stupid if this seems unbelievably confusing, because it is on paper. Much of the story is told in cutscenes, which take place in between fights. The cinemas are all different and depend on whom you're fighting as and against.

Balance. This word solely may define the largest departure between Soul Calibur and Soul Calibur 2, not to mention so many other fighters whom lack this key element. SC could be difficult, but smashing your opponent in with a number of memorized combos nearly certainly meant victory. Soul Calibur 2 will not be that simple. Each character has entirely different physics. Some are small and quick, some are large and cumbersome, and some are average. Different weapons have different ranges, attacks, and abilities. To become a master, you're going to have to learn your character inside-and-out, and have the knowledge of what to perform against all the other types of fighters. Every character has an advantage and disadvantage against all other fighters. It's up to you to find those out.

Going along with balance is the importance of guard, (known as Guard Impact in SC2) as it usually is for this franchise. Guard Impact is a maneuver that can set-off your opponent, therefore giving you limitless opportunities for attack. A new addition to gameplay is ricocheting off walls. Namco has decided to tone down the amount of Ring Outs in SC2, and instead replace many of the drop-offs with destructible walls and further objects. Throwing your enemy against the wall will add damage to their meter, but it gives them the chance to bounce off with a great counterattack. Once again: balance.

Namco has not fully announced what game modes will exist in the console version of SC2, although most have been reported. These are subject to change, and more modes are suspected to be added. So far: Arcade Mode (move up the ranks by prevailing in a series of fights till the final battle), Training Mode (you, uh...train), Survival Mode (get bombarded with a swarm of opponents till you're defeated), Time Attack Mode (defeat a preset number of opponents in limited time), and Conquest Mode. Conquest Mode probably stands out the most, which is very reminiscent of Kumite mode in Virtua Fighter 4. Conquest Mode is where you compete against a batch of opponents, then the computer saves your record (wins-losses), and compiles what you did, how well you fought, how you performed, and so forth. Interesting indeed.

Arenas have been created larger for SC2, and many are now enclosed with walls, boxes, and so on. Like mentioned before, this is largely due to tone down the amount of Ring Outs. Many more lines exist, and the levels should comply with the 16th century time setting. Some include a clock tower, cove, temple, courtyard, ruins, and more (11 total), but they haven't been given formal names at this point.

No reports have henced at controller schemes, but something peculiar is that the left analog stick will provide movement as opposed to the classic d-pad format. Now that the environments are much more interactive, your character will be able to strafe left and right, jolt back and forth, and move around with much more ease. Aside from that, no PlayStation 2 configuration has been confirmed.

On the visual side of things, Soul Calibur 2 is extremely impressive. Everything from the lighting, texture mapping, and dimensions are remarkable. If you aren't satisfied by SC2's graphics, we're not sure what will get you going. Nuff said.

The Soul Calibur 2 docket has been fleshed out this time around, with an additional 4 characters and all the classics. Here's a look:

Voldo
Age: 50
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Birthplace: Parlermo, Italy
Weapon: Katars

Nightmare
Age: Unknown
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 209 lbs.
Birthplace: Unknown
Weapon: Soul Edge

Isabella УIvyФ Valentine
Age: 32
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 128 lbs.
Birthplace: London, England
Weapon: Snake Sword

Mitsurugi Heishiro
Age: 29
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 143 lbs.
Birthplace: Bizen, Japan
Weapon: Katana

Talim
Age: 15
Height: 4'8"
Weight: 93 lbs.
Birthplace: Southeast Asia
Weapon: Elbow Blades

Kilik
Age: 23
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 139 lbs.
Birthplace: Unknown
Weapon: Rod

Chai Xianghua
Age: 20
Height: 5'"
Weight: 101 lbs.
Birthplace: Ming Empire
Weapon: Chinese Sword

Cassandra Alexandra
Age: 21
Height: 5'5"
Weight: Unknown
Birthplace: Athens, Ottoman Empire
Weapon: Small Shield and Short Sword

Hong Yunsung
Age: 18
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 150 lbs.
Birthplace: Lee Dynasty Korea
Weapon: Chinese Sword

Astaroth
Age: Unknown, recently resurrected
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 287 lbs.
Birthplace: Unknown
Weapon: Giant Ax

Maxi
Age: 28
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 126 lbs.
Birthplace: Ryukyu Kingdom
Weapon: Nunchaku

Raphael Sorel
Age: 32
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 159 lbs.
Birthplace: Rouen, French Empire
Weapon: Rapier Sword

Taki
Age: 29
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 117 lbs.
Birthplace: Fu-Ma No Sato, Japan
Weapon: Ninja Swords

Cervantes De Leon
Age: Unknown
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Birthplace: Unknown
Weapon: Unknown

Yoshimitsu
Age: Unknown
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Birthplace: Unknown
Weapon: Unknown

Charade
Age: Unknown
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Birthplace: Unknown
Weapon: Unknown
Note: Final Boss

As you can tell, SC2 has quite the elaborate roster. Some familiar faces, and some newcomers. Truly someone for everyone. The last three characters listed (Cervantes, Charade, Yoshimitsu) are bosses and unlockables, therefore not giving you the statistical side of things. Cervantes is quite a badass though...

All and all, you might be scratching your head and saying УIs this really a sequel?Ф Mostly because not many significant additions have been made, and the game is nearly unchanged from its precursor. Let us not forget what make the best sequels? The best sequels are the games that are everything their predecessor was, and more. That doesn't necessarily mean huge drastic changes, because that can have a negative impact. Instead, Namco seems to have created a game that takes all the best elements in Soul Calibur, and altered them so subtly to make it that much better. Although, words do not suffice for the true experience.