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a lot of fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 12
Date: September 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I'm a big fan of SOUL CALIBUR, having played the heck out of both the original DreamCast version as well as the PS1's SOUL BLADE. SOUL CALIBUR 2 for the PS2 is a nice follow up, with updated characters, arenas, and graphics.

In all honesty, gameplay isn't too different from SOUL CALIBUR 1, but it's been a while and I don't really seem to mind. They've made tossing someone out of the ring more difficult, and they've added walls to the arenas. I haven't noticed any control lag, as suggested by other reviewers, and you can change the voices from english back to japanese in the options menu. That reviewer is right, however, when he points out how insufferable the english dialog is.

Here are the negatives: The game lacks online play, which is really too bad. Almost unforgivable, in my opinion. Some of the new character designs (Charade, Necrid) are really lame. The addition of Heihachi, from Tekken, doesn't add anything to the game, either, and Yoshimitsu is tired. Finally, being asked to play through "Weapon Master" mode a second time is downright tedious.

On a picky note, some of the character re-designs fall a little flat. Xianghua, Seung Mina, and Astaroth seem to've lost something with their updated graphics.

Now that I'm older and don't live at home, I depend on online play to compete against my brother, who now lives across town. Not including it in SC2 is really too bad.

SOUL CALIBUR 2 is a nice follow up. Fun, fast, and full of special moves and effects. It's a great fighter and a lot more engaging than TEKKEN 4 was.

This game is the master of fighting

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: July 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Soul Calibur 2 is going to be released on August 29th, 2003, and I cannot wait. I have played this at several game stores and arcades, and boy was I surprised. I played Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast and thought it was awesome, so when I heard about Sould Calibur 2 for PS2, Gamecube, and X-Box I screamed like a little girl. I think this game is a great game with completely astounding graphics, great gameplay, and cool and original characters. My favorite character is Cassandra, who is exactly like Sophia from Soul Calibur. Taki is also a great character. I cannot wait one more minute for this brand new and original video game. If you haven't played it in arcades yet, don't waste a minute.

Get ready to spend some time in front of your TV

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: September 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is the best fighting game I've ever played. With some great RPG elements, as well as some intense sword swinging action, this game simply blew me away. Each character is extremely playable by any somewhat experienced player, and the computer opponents have difficulties ranging from pathetically easy to horribly difficult. There are a multitude of one player and multiplayer modes, including a team battle mode, arcade mode, Weapons master (story) mode, time battle mode (same as arcade mode, except without continues), and a practice mode.

While playing the game, you will rapidly aquire new characters (usually through weapons master mode), new weapons (bought with gold from any mode), new outfits (bought), arenas (Weapons Master), character profiles (complete arcade mode with each character), and more. This adds a little incentive to play each mode many times, something that many fighting games don't have.

Each character has a different fighting style which is easy to learn but hard to master (how cliche), such as Nightmare, who uses huge swords, Raphael, the fencer, Voldo, who uses claws, and even Necrid, who manifests the weapons and attacks of other characters, and Charade, who takes the form of a random character at the start of battle (great for keeping a human opponent on their toes).

If you're a fan of fighting games, you should definately give this one a 'stab', especially now, with its great price.

wow

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

this game is one of the best fighting games i've ever seen. i've played this at the arcade and thought it was amazing. the graphics are so good and the fighting moves are very well done. my favorite thing about this game that makes it unique is that every character yields some sort of weapon. i don't know how the playstation 2 version is going to be like since they are adding a couple of new features and a new character. the new character is going to be heihachi from tekken. i don't really know how he's going to fight since he doesn't have a weapon...????...he has wristguards...well, that doesn't matter. soul calibur 2 is a great game and i can't wait for it to come out on the PS2.

***just a note: for the gamecube version the new character will be LINK from the legend of zelda and for the X-box, the new character will be SPAWN.***

The best weapons based fighting game out there

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: September 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

After first extensively playing Soul Calibur, I knew it would be hard to top. An excellent variety of characters, beautiful animation, accurate hit detection, perfectly balanced gameplay...it was the king of weapons based fighters. Soul Calibur 2 takes those features and stretches them to their limits. However, while in terms of graphics SC2 blows away the arcade versions of the first 2 games...it offer little in terms of new characters and styles of play. Raphael is a sensable addition to the Soul Calibur roster with his unique fencing style. Talim is also a welcome addition...a petite female character who's lightning-quick movements will give even Taki players a run for their money. That's it for entirely new characters though...Cassandra, Yunsung, Necrid, and Charade are all modifications of older characters with updated moves, ect. Heihachi plays well in the PS2 version, but somehow feels out of place (I would have liked to see Namco get ahold of the rights to Dante from Devil May Cry or perhaps Final Fantasy's Tidus for the PS2 exclusive character). Also worth noting for PS2 owners: There is some minor slowdown when fights get intense, and the load times are slightly longer than the X-Box/Gamecube versions...but it's not so noticable that it's worth whining about. I also felt that the stages were not quite as creative this time around. I guess if you've never played any of the previous incarnations of Soul Calibur before, you will thoroughly enjoy Soul Calibur 2. If you're a veteran of the older versions however, you may notice there are few improvements that have been made. Still, if you're looking for another great fighting game to master, there's no better choice than Soul Calibur 2.

WOW!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: October 03, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Soul Calibur 2 is simply put: ONE OF THE BEST. This game is an awesome achievement on so many levels. It is a visual treat and a fluid experience in terms of gameplay. I purchased this game on the release date of august 26th 2003, and am still to this day finding new things!
The game is great in terms of gameplay, and even better when it comes to replay value and head-to-head competition with your friends. The single player mode is great. Weapon master mode is a way for you to unlock everything from a new weapon to nifty pieces of artwork and concept sketches.
The plot isnt something that you really need to know about, so i dont think that i will delve into it here. Fighting games arent loved for their plot lines, their strength lies in their ease of play and level of mastery.
Soul Calibur 2 is a great game that anyone can pick up and have a good time with. For those players who like to discover every combo move and every special attack, this game is full of them...almost too many! If, on the other hand, you are a player that just wants to button mash and pull off some cool moves with very little effort, this game will allow you to do that as well.
Although some of the charachters seem a bit over-balanced, this game is still a great one to play.
The graphics are good, and there is only a minimal amount of frame rate slowdown and choppiness. The control response is like lightning and the camera is superb. Environments are colorful and unique, ring outs have been minimized and best of all...weapons galore!! over a dozen weapons for each charachter. You can obtain weapons that are all powerful, weapons that break through an opponents guard, and even some weapons that make silly noises on impact.
All said and done, this game is great. Obviously, becuase it is consistently within the top 10 selling games for all systems. Legions of fans have lauded its praised and deemed it worthy of the 50 bucks you have to shell out for it. Dont rent it...just buy it! Its awesome.

Review from a Novice of Fighting Games

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: October 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

My area of expertise is in racing games, but I do occasionally look outside the genre to other games. Soul Calibur II caught my eye, primarily because I had seen several CosPlay images of various characters from the series, and was wondering about their "origins." Even though I am generally terrible at fighting games, Soul Calibur II has me in its exquisite trance.

The most important aspect of Soul Calibur II for novices of the fighting genre is the playability. Fortunately, it is quite easy to attain a good measure of success immediately in Arcade Mode on the Easy difficulty setting. This is definitely important to help boost the novice's confidence. Some gameplay modes do not have a difficulty option, however, which will force the novice to become better and better in the other gameplay modes by increasing the difficulty level as experience and confidence improves.

Another great aspect of Soul Calibur II is the number of characters. From the beginning, the player has an awesome array of characters from which to choose - as many characters are initially available in this game as the TOTAL number of characters in other games. The characters are well-designed, their outfits all generally quite interesting visually, and their clothing and hair (and, where warranted, breasts) all move fluidly and realistically with NO slowdown in framerate despite all the action on the stage and the movement off-stage (such as flowing water).

The environments are spectacular, and each is typically associated with one of the characters in the game. Even better, once Arcade Mode has been beaten with a particular character, that character's profile can be viewed, which allows the player to learn more about that environment (and also more about the character). While all the action takes place upon a stage, even the scenery well in the distance is breathtaking. Most stages also have at least one side "open," creating the possibility of a Ring Out; while a Ring Out is often difficult to attain, it is a wonderful strategic aspect of the game.

The music in Soul Calibur II is absolutely astounding. Aurally breathtaking yet non-intrusive, it is worth buying or at least renting the game for the music alone.

As for replay value, the many different gameplay modes ensure that the player will be having fun (and some frustrations) with the game for a long time. The most interesting gameplay mode is Weapons Master Mode, essentially an RPG mode with an unfolding storyline. Fortunately, the storyline is not necessarily linear, and it also involves some interesting sidequests which can unlock more features in the game (such as new weapons and characters). Perhaps the best part of Weapons Master Mode, however, is that any available character can be used, with character changes permitted so long as the change does not occur within a dungeon level. The ability to change characters is important, as each character has particular strengths and weaknesses; depending on the required task for a given battle, certain characters will be better than others, causing the player to make some strategic choices.

Overall, Soul Calibur II is quite friendly for the novice of fighting games. Perhaps only the Tekken series is easier for newcomers to or novices of the genre, although the Tekken series does not really have the breadth of characters seen in Soul Calibur II. The overall gaming experience is first-rate, and the gameplay fast and addictive. The only true downside is that there is no blood in the game, which is both disappointing and unrealistic for a sword-based fighting game. However, Soul Calibur II is definitely worth at least a rental by every serious gamer.

Great game, but if compared to VF4 is "ok"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Soul Calibur debuted around 1995-1997 on the PSOne, but it wasn't under the name "Soul Calibur". It was originally called "Soul Blade". When it came out was an automatic hit, it was both innovative and great in quality. "Soul Blade" was later reincarnated to "Soul Calibur" and thrown on the Sega Dreamcast. Players were appauled at the sheer quality the game held. Now what about Soul Calibur II, the sequal to the Dreamcast revelation?

Well, Soul Calibur II turns out to be just as great as predeccessors, if not, better then the others. It has good gameplay, great graphics, tons of modes and features, and a nice selection of characters.

The best feature of Soul Calibur 2 is that there is a exlusive character for each console. The PS2 has Heihachi, he is from the Tekken series. I have mixed emotions about him, he is a good fighter plus he is very powerful, but he is already in a fighting game plus he wields no weapon. The Gamecube has Link, he is the elf hero from the Zelda series. He is a great fighter, he is ultra fast and he has a nice selection of weapons. The XBox probably has the best character out of all the exclusive characters, he is Spawn. He's from the comic book created by Todd McFarlein. He is a well balanced fighter that is very strong.

The gameplay is both simple and easy. It's basically just press the buttons fast and just try your best to beat your enemy to oblivion. It sounds boring, but in every way it's far from it. Because each and every character has a long list of attacks and moves that they can perform. The moves and attacks are awesome, flashy, and most of all, DEVISTATING. Some attacks are hard to pull off, but if you play it a lot it becomes much easier (And trust me, you will be playing this game a lot).

There are tons of modes that you can play in Soul Calibur II. Some of which are Arcade (naturally), Versus, Practice, etc. But the meat of the game lies in the mode, "Weapon Master". In this mode you fight enemies completeing certain objectives, when you complete them you are given money, with the money you buy weapons for the various characters (much like Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution but not as good as Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution). Weapons Master mode is just one of the many modes Soul Calibur II has.

The music was both epic and enthralling. It really brought the mood to the game. The sound, however, was not up to par. The reason being because the english voice acting was not done as good as it should. But luckily you can fix that by switching to japanese voices with english subtitles in the options menu, that is of course, if you wanted to. The sound effects were done very well. The clashing of weapons, the tapping of feet, the groan of your foe as he gets a kick to the noggin, everything was oh-so perfect.

The graphics are breath taking. The flowing of the hair and clothing are so well animated it makes you want to get dressed (if your not already) and go into the game and go exploring. The flashes of light that the attacks are beauiful and vibrant. The character designs are both awesome and beautiful, in my opinion, Ivy is by far the sexiest design. Ever.... Ok, stop looking at me like I am a freak!

While this game is great fun and addictively fun to play, in my opinion, it is not as good as Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution. Now, if this game came out before Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution and I had rated it, it would have gotten a perfect 10 in almost all catagories, but Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution raised the bar. But, Soul Calibur II is the best weapons fighter by far (Virtua Fighter Evolution is a hand to hand fighter).

This is most definitely a must have for all console owners! It is out on all next generation consoles so your all in luck. Ok, you can stop reading this review and go buy the game.... QUICKLY!

Hit
+Good gameplay
+Epic and enthralling music
+Nice selection of characters
+Great character designs
+Amazing and breath taking graphics

+Weapons mode is great
+Nice selection of weapons
+Tons of modes to choose from

Miss
_Not as deep as VF4E
_You can beat weapons mode in a day or two
_Voice acting was not that good
_Gameplay is the same as the Dreamcast version

Rock 'em, Sock 'em

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: October 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This was the first Teen rated game that I purchased for my kids. I'm happy to say they love it and I'm pleased that it wasn't "too graphic or too violent". It also has the wonderful feature of being a two-player game, so no fighting over who plays when!

Worth Your While

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: November 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I played Soul Calibur 3 before playing Soul Calibur 2. There's not much difference between the two games other than the fact that SCIII has more features and extras. The graphics on the newer game is also slightly, not noticeably, superior to the older game. I admit buying Soul Calibur only upon learning that KOS-MOS from Xenosaga makes a cameo appearance in SC3. You can use the Character Creation Mode in the third game to build a fighter that looks just like KOS-MOS. Eventually, I got addicted to Soul Calibur.

Both are fun games. Each offers you many characters to choose from. SCIII even offers you the option of creating your own character. Each of these characters have unique weapons and attack moves. You can replay these games over and over, using different characters and you will never get tired. The combination of characters, costumes, and weapons, make this a game that will have a long replay value.

I rated Soul Calibur 2 higher than I did for Soul Calibur 3 simply because the battle AI in the older game is more consistent. You will play just as well with your character no matter who your opponent is. That doesn't mean that you will have the same challenge facing every enemy. If you choose a short range character and fight a long range character, you will naturally have to work harder to deal damage. However, unlike Soul Calibur 3, here you don't get the feeling that the AI is cheating on you and playing "favorites" with some characters like Seong-Mina or Talim. With SC2, you don't get the feeling that the AI is holding you back. In other words, if you get your rearend kicked, it meant that the enemy outplayed you and not because the AI put your character in slow motion. I'm referring to single mode, when you play against the CPU.

I highly recommend this game. I am new to playing the Soul Calibur series. I'm glad I gave this series a chance. It's a very, very fun fighting game series from Namco. I guarantee that you will spend countless hours in Practive Mode to learn the very complex character moves. As for me, I spend so much time with these games, SC2 and SC3, that I have actually developed a callus on my left thumb from playing so much. I get so worked up during battles that I tend to slam the left analog stick while entering my commands. Rough on the controller and hard on your thumb. But that just proves how addictive the Soul Calibur games are.

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