The Soul Still Burns....
So when the time came back in 2003, almost four years after the original release Namco lined up for a multi format release across all the current generation of consoles. The Playstation 2, the GameCube and the Xbox would all see the sequel end up in their catalogues.
Normally with a multi format release you get pretty much the same game, regardless of which format you play it on, this is where Soul Calibur 2 is different.
Each console has its own unique character that is only available in that consoles version of the game. Playstation 2 gamers will recognise, Heihachi Mishima from the Tekken series as he makes his debut in Soul Calibur, complete with wicked side burns an all. Xbox owners will get Spawn, who you may recognise from the Todd McFarlane's comic books, and finally GameCube players get to play as Link, who we all know and love from the Zelda series. Each of the special character fits into the game really well and despite their obvious differences, i.e. being characters based in other games, they play really well and any newcomer wouldn’t be able to spot the seasoned Nightmare from the new whipping boy Link. To also appease fans of the three special characters, each one also has weapons based on and around themselves, so for example if you play as Link on the GameCube version then you’ll have access to his Master Sword, Bow and the trusty Boomerang.
They aren’t the only new characters in the game though as Charade, Talim, Cassandra, Raphael and Necrid are all joined by a returning cast that includes past favourites Nightmare, Taki, Voldo and the swash buckling pirate Cervantes. Regardless of what version you play, the result will be the same. You’ll have an extensive set of characters to choose from and there will be at least one character in the roster that you become fond of.
As you’d expect with a sequel the graphics have changed for the better and while they are not anything special when compared to the original, all the stages and characters have new looks that make the game very appeasing on the eyes. Overall the graphics are splendid and one cannot fault them. There’s not much difference between the three systems either, which is good news.
All the game modes are there that you would come to expect from a game of the genre. The standard Arcade, Versus and Team modes are all available to play, but the one mode which is new to the game is the Weapon Master.
Weapon Master is sort of like a mini RPG within the game and offers you a variety of missions to complete, which normally require you to defeat your enemy or enemies with a few set conditions. As you play through Weapon Master you will unlock new game modes and characters, and also will reward you with gold which you can use to purchase a variety of new weapons, each one specifically designed for use with a certain character.
Each weapon offers a difference in strengths and weaknesses which is a nice touch, as you are able to customize your character to have weapons that best suit your style of fighting.
For example some weapons drain your health away gradually when equipped but offer greater damage, while others are more effective in blocking. There’s a whole host of weapons for each character and simply acquiring every single weapon will keep you busy for some time.
The multiplayer mode within the game is very pleasing as you will easily spend many hours fighting it out in the variety of versus modes the game has to offer, while making fun of your friends’ ten fight loosing streak. The only drawback is that there is no online mode, which could have made the game so much more enjoyable and also longer lasting.
Another nice feature within the game is the ability to change between the English voices of the characters or the Japanese. This option is one we particularly like as some of the characters don’t sound right when spoken in English, you can never go wrong with the original voices.
Over all the game is very much well worth playing, and with the only major difference between the three versions being what special character you have on offer, you can quite comfortably choose one based on which character you would most like to play as or against.
I can’t fault the game much and is a fine effort from Namco and while some fans of the original will claim its not as good as its predecessor we feel it does enough to keep fans of the series happy and with the extensive game modes and multiplayer options available, you’ll be playing it for quite some time.