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Simply the best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

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.

The Best Available Version

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Soul Calibur 2 will forever be embroiled in a web of contreversy, and destined to start many fueds in internet chat rooms over which version is the best. This review is strictly to set the record straight with the facts. It's not on personal biasism or favorites, it's just over which version offers the most, and is the most enjoyable to play. The Xbox version wins the overall contest.

In terms of graphics Xbox has the sleakest, and most impressive visuals of the 3. Everything is crisp and concise down to the finest details on the characters and backgrounds. It has no slowdown or long load times, and definately beats the competition in terms of speed. If you are using the Xbox Controller S, then you will have no problems playing. After time I found that I liked playing with the Controller S even over the PS2 controller, as the buttons are slightly closer together and the d-pad/control stick layout is more friendly. If you are using the Fat Xbox controller, I don't see any problems either. I played many matches with that one too, and didn't encounter any problems. The button layout is slightly more complicated, and you might occasionally mispress a button, but overall if you get used to it, then you won't find anything wrong with it.

The exclusive character for the Xbox as you know is Spawn. He is a decent exclusive, but personally I think Link is a much better exclusive, and Heihachi is less than stellar. Spawn though is who we are talking about. He has a good variety of moves, and fits in well to the Soul Calibur 2 arena. He does seem kind of strange along with the cast of SC2 players, but trust me no one is stranger than Mcfarlane's Necrid (I'm still wondering what in God's name it is...)

So The Xbox wins the overall competition. It has the best graphics, a good playing controller (controller S that is), and a good exclusive character. No slowdown, virtually no load times, and overall better performance make this version a clear winner. Have Fun.

Right now Soul Calibur 2 is the best fighting game out!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: September 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Soul Calibur 2 is the best fighting game to me because it has almost everything that the first one had plus more. You get tons of game modes, extra characters, all new stages with improved graphics, and a Weapon Master mode which is exactly like the mission battle mode in the first SC. But what this game has that the first one does'nt and also the reason I think this game will be the number one fighting game on all consoles for a long time is because in this game you can actually buy different weapons for each character. Over 200 different weapons in all and they are actually different from each other in appearance and capabilities. Some weapons have longer reach than others and some can even heal your character. This alone should add at least months of gameplay for anybody who buys this game

Best Fighting Game of the Year

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: June 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This games blows the rest of them out of the water. I own Tao Feng, Mortal Kombat, Dead or Alive but nothing compares to this. The new characters, Spawn & Necrid are amazing. This is definately, a must buy. You will still be playing this for years to come.

The Soul still Burns

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: September 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Intro:
Four Years ago, Soul Calibur for the Sega Dreamcast came upon us. Soul Calibur showed us wonders, it was technologically ahead of its time, luscious smooth graphics, beautiful sounds and over all of that, a perfect gameplay. Perfection, is there really such a thing? If there is how could you improve on it? Critically acclaimed, the sequel is finally here, but is it really what it's hyped up to be?

Graphics:
SCII's graphics are beautiful to say the least. The stages are done remarkably well, with beautiful settings and buildings. Special effects are at its best, from fire trails to lightning it's all gorgeous. Though it's by far a great looking game, it doesn't have the same impact it had when we saw SC1 four years ago. SC1 completely pushed the Dreamcast's capabilities and still out looks some of today's PS2 titles. Perhaps it's a multi-platform problem because the PS2 isn't nearly as powerful as the GC and Xbox. Nevertheless, it still stands up there as above average graphics, it should be better knowing that Namco can push a console's performance to the limits, but you can't complain if it still looks good.

Sound:
Music is still at it's best with catchy tunes that get stuck in your head. It's reminiscent of SC1's music, which is good, medieval tunes match well with its surroundings and never gets repetitive. With English and Japanese as two whole different voice tracks to choose from, you'll never get old hearing the characters. The Japanese voices are clearly better, but different voice actors make it kind of awkward when characters say a line that was in the first game. Nevertheless, the refreshing music adds to great presentation.

Gameplay:
Alright, this is what matters the most in every game. The new characters alone is good enough reason for veterans to buy this game. The greatness of Soul Calibur II is that each character is equally balanced. There is no best or worst character, only good and bad players. Of course the real challenge in the game is mastering every character. Soul Calibur II is a masterpiece of fighting engines, newcomers can jump in and learn quickly, but there is nothing that can explain the level of depth that you can master the game. There is a move for every situation, the flow of executing the moves is smooth and it's as if your instinct just tells you what to do after each move. The strategy of the gameplay is not memorizing a combo that will KO someone in the least moves, instead it is in timing. Timing is everything in Soul Calibur, button mashers don't realize that and get beaten to a pulp, the basic is that you need to know when to block, when to attack, and when to counter. Then it gets deeper when you learn repel and parry Guard Impacts, the 3lvls of Soul Charge, and to an extent, offense that dodges the opponent's attack at the same time.

I can safely say that Soul Calibur II lives up to the perfection that the first one had, but maybe it is a little bit too much like the first one. The only significant changes besides new moves are Guard Breaks and Wall Combos. Guard Breaks stagger a guarding opponent so they let their guard down and you can come in for a nice combo, a very nice alternative to unblockables. Though it's hard to connect the opponent with the wall, wall combos do massive damage and should be used whenever the chance comes. There are other small changes such as walking or running while Soul Charging so that you're not vulnerable when doing so. Also, the depletion of upper and lower Guard Impact is neither good nor bad; it encourages newcomers to use it because it's easier, but for veterans this could lead to minute-long moments where each just counters the Guard Impact until someone messes up.

Weapon Master Mode, the main 1P mode, has been done quite nicely, presentation wise it gives players a good impression that you really are a warrior in the 16th century searching to destroy Soul Edge. Veterans might not find much challenge in the missions except touching up their skills, but it's nice going through a new set of missions. The missions range from a variety of conditions to fight in, from poison to earthquakes to timed ringouts, to a series of battles in a dungeon. The main aim in Weapon Master Mode is collecting all the different weapons for each character. With over 200 weapons, each weapon affects the character's stats such as offense, speed and health to suit how you play. The weapons can be used in other modes, which is a nice addition for a bit of variety in your matches.

Of course the beauty of a fighting game comes out when you play against a friend. When you and your friend are equally skilled in mastering SCII, versus mode becomes a blast to see who can beat the other more times. The CPU though has been greatly improved and can be as tough as diamond if you want a challenge.

To some veterans SCII might feel like a complete rehash, but it actually packs in quite a lot of new features. The reason that SCII feels like a slightly updated SC1 is that, as much as I hate to admit it, not many people owned a Dreamcast and has experienced SC1, so Namco is giving the rest of the world a taste of SC1 but improved for the benefit of veterans.

Conclusion:
While it doesn't have the same jaw dropping impression that the first one had, Soul Calibur II is an awesome game, definitely a worthy sequel of the first. It offers a great fighting engine that's fun to play alone and even more with a friend, while it's depth is simply amazing. Soul Calibur II is definitely a must-have.

Graphics: 9.3
Sound: 9.7
Gameplay: 9.9
Overall (not the average): 9.8

Excellent fighter

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Although the Sega Dreamcast wasn't a very long lasting console, it created a number of excellent games, one of which was a fighter called Soul Calibur. The game was one of the most excellent fighting games ever conceived, no questions asked. Could Namco possibly improve on such an excellent game? In mid 2003, Soul Calibur II was released both in arcades and on the three major video game consoles. Read on for my review.

PROS:
-Regardless of which one of the three major consoles you play this game on, the graphics are stunning. The characters and the locales are some of the most well-detailed objects ever represented in a video game.
-The game, though easy to learn, is difficult to master.
-The home console versions of the game have included a Weapon Master mode, in which you go on a quest, earning gold to buy new weapons for your characters and experience points with which to improve your character rank.
-There is a two-player mode. And almost needless to day, tournament fighters are funnest when you play them against a human rival rather than the computer.
-Each version of the game has a character exclusive to that version of the game. For the X Box version being reviewed here, that character is Spawn, Todd McFarlane's comic book character.
-The game has a good deal more depth than your average tournament fighter, with tons of stuff to unlock, a good storyline, and a whole lot more.

CONS:
-If you played the original Soul Calibur, you may be disappointed to find that this game isn't a massive improvement over it (it's hard to improve on what many gamers claimed was a perfect game!)
-Although the game as a whole has a good deal of depth, the combat itself is mostly just a matter of mashing buttons. Each character has some special attacks, but you're just as likely to succeed at the game if you mash buttons.

OVERALL:
Overall this is a very good fighter for all of the next-generation consoles. If you own one of the systems, buying this game on the one you own is highly recommended. If you have all three next-generation consoles, which one should you buy? I guess it's just a matter of which one of the version-exclusive characters you want. Either way, this game is highly recommended.

One of the best X-box games of all time !

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: September 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game was well worth the wait! I have never had so much with any of my X-box games. From the moment that I saw it in the store till the moment it was in my X-box. I was hooked from the start!!!! The graphics are amazing,the game play is non-stop cool. This game is a 10+! Don't start playing it if you have something else to do,beacuse before you know it the hours have passed away.

The Best Ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: September 03, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I had the first Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast, and loved it. This one is better, but basically the same game. As much as I love it, I still find some fault with it. After four years of waiting impatiently, I was expecting many new fighters. The only new fighters are Spawn (Xbox) and Necrid (very cool fighter). I don't know exactly what I was expecting, I guess at least ten new fighters. Yes, the graphics are better, although not by a lot. After all, it already had great graphics. If you are still playing your Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast, there really isn't a whole lot more that this will give you, maybe with the exception of Weapons Master mode. I say save the money, and just enjoy the perfection of the first one.

Soul Calibur "the best game ever"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 7
Date: July 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

For any of you with a Sega Dreamcast, you know what I am talking about. The sole reason I bought a Dreamcast was for "Soul Calibur." With the soon-to-be released "Soul Calibur II" everyone will share a favorite game. I am disappointed at some of the characters, for example they didn't include Rock or his son Bangoo. However there are more characters that make up for it. For anyone that hasn't played the original "Soul Calibur" it makes no difference, just go out and buy "Soul Calibur II" because you don't have to play it to know that it will be the best game for Xbox giving some competition to Halo and Halo 2. I don't own a PS2, but i do know that the Tekken character still has his 10 hit combo, and Link is going to kick some serious [butt] on the GC, but Spawn and Nercid will blow them all away. And with all of the upgrades and advancements from the first one, Soul Calibur II will be an instant Classic for all of the game systems.

One Of The Best Fighting Games Ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: September 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you have ever played a weapons fighting game, you will know that they are usually bad. I usually get bored of them quickly, and will never play them again. But, alas, this didn't happen to me with Soul Calibur 2! I am still playing it after beating weapons master mode (you can unlock over 200 weapons here), and arcade with every character (even the 3 special ones). Now, there are really no flaws, other then the fact that the levels are just to small to have weapons on. You can easily throw somebody off the ledge, and win that quickly. If you want a great fighting game that you can play for hours, with no major flaws, this is the one to get.

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