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Soul Calibur II Review for Xbox
Posted on Wednesday, September 03, 2003 @ 11:20:35 pm E.S.TOne of the most anticipated fighting games of the year is finally here. This game is the sequel to the game Soul Calibur, which was released on Dreamcast in September of 1999. Soul Calibur was the must have game for Dreamcast when it came out. If you had a Dreamcast you most likely had a copy of Soul Calibur, and for good reasons. Soul Calibur was the best looking fighting game of its time; it also had wonderful sound and a high replay value. The original Soul Calibur was a legend on Dreamcast, now it’s time to see if Soul Calibur II can live up to its legacy.
Graphics: Soul Calibur II is a beautiful game, especially on the Xbox game console. Though it’s not as revolutionary in the graphics area as the original was on Dreamcast, this game is still stunningly beautiful. I picked up the Xbox copy because it was going to be better graphically and has HDTV support. Playing any game on an HDTV makes a huge difference and can truly make for a great experience. The Xbox version of this game did not let me down; the characters and environments are both very detailed and well done, especially when playing on HDTV.
Design: Soul Calibur II’s control system is pretty easy to get the hang of, especially when you're using Microsoft’s S-controller. If you’re a serious player you could spend a hundred dollars on an arcade controller, but it wouldn’t make that much of a difference. It’s relatively easy to just pick up the controller and be good at this game. The AI can get challenging at times, but they get easier after a couple hours of playing and mastering your skills.
There are over fifteen warriors to choose from, including a handful of new characters added to the game. Cassandra, Raphael, Yunsung, Talim and Necrid are all new. Necrid is an exclusive character for the home console versions of this game. There are also 3 brand-new unique characters, one for each game console that Soul Calibur II was released on. Spawn for Xbox, Link for Gamecube and Heihachi for PlayStation 2.
There are seven game modes to choose from including Arcade, Vs., Time Attack, Survival, Team Battle, Practice and Weapons Master. Arcade mode is where you fight against the CPU to clear the game. In Vs. mode you can battle against a friend just for fun or competitive purposes. In Time Attack mode you must clear all the stages in a certain amount of time. In Survival mode you have to defeat as many CPUs as you can with a limited amount of health. In Team Battle mode you can choose your team and fight through the game versus other teams. Practice mode is where you can refine your skills, of course. Last but not least is Weapons Master mode, where you can unlock arenas, over 200 weapons, and player costumes.
Sound: The sound, like the graphics, is incredible, but can’t compare to the original Soul Calibur. If you want the best of sound pick up the Xbox version because it offers true Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Background music with weapons clashing, kicking and character voices are great and wonderfully done. The sound adds to a good game like any other, and leaves me with no complaints.
Addiction: Even if you have no one to play with, this game will keep you entertained for hours upon hours. Weapons Master mode by itself will take hours to completely finish, unlocking all the arenas, weapons and costumes. However, like most fighting games they are relatively boring unless you have a couple of friends to play with. The multiplayer modes will keep you entertained for even longer. This game will keep you from sleeping until you’ve unlocked everything and your little heart is content. Review By: James Herndon - 2909 Reads
Soul Calibur II Review Scores for Xbox :
| Gameplay |
| 9.5 |
| Graphics |
| 9 |
| Sound |
| 9 |
| Replay |
| 9.5 |
| Overall |
| 9.3 |
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