SoulCalibur II (GameCube)

SoulCalibur's brilliance is not due to any particularly innovative features--it could legitimately be described as simply Tekken with weapons. It's just that it does everything with more panache and imagination than the rest. Instead of awkward, staccato moves, SoulCalibur offers gloriously flowing, instinctive combos that often leaves you gasping at your own character's athleticism.

Of course beat-'em-ups aren't known for their innovation and SoulCalibur II doesn't really deviate too far from its original premise of 16th century men and women hitting each other with a variety of swords, sticks and other meleé weapons. The whole tactical nature of the battles has been altered, though, to create a deeper game with blocks and counters now far more important and the glorious new animation system able to adapt each move depending on the direction and speed you're moving in.

One point of true innovation in the original game was its unusually complex and rewarding single-player mode and this has been expanded for the sequel as you compete under a variety of different conditions to earn money and buy new weapons, costumes and extras. As an extra bonus to GameCube owners (the original arcade hardware uses Nintendo technology), Link from The Legend of Zelda is a playable character in this GameCube version. --David Jenkins

It is good. The story mode is vet innovative, the arcade is classic, but nothing beats playing against friends


Soul Calibur II-The best beat em up or a fighting flop?   March 1, 2004
 3 out of 6 found this review helpful

INFO-Name-Soul Calibur II
Memory Blocks-4 (for entire file)
Players-2
Age-16+
Connectivity-N/A

STORY-Many fighters from around the globe have red soul edge shards, pieces broken off the ultimate sword. They all want it,even Link from the Zelda series, wonder who has the strength to get it first? Cassandra? Kilik? Talim? Mitsurugi? Nightmare? Necrid? Link? WHO KNOWS? Whatever the case, thet'll KILL for it!

UPS-+The best fighting game since Melee!
+88 things to unlock!
+Fluid graphics.

DOWNS--Can get annoying.
-Can get tricky. VERY tricky!

REPLAY VALUE-5/5-Lots to go back to!

Visuals-5/5-Fluid, realistic movements.

AUDIO-5/5-One great soundtrack that compliments the environments.

GAMEPLAY-4/5-With so many moves, it takes AGES to perfect them all!

LIFESPAN-5/5-It will take about 4 months to unlock EVERTHING!

ALTERNATIVE-SUPER STREET FIGHTER II: TURBO REVIVAL on the Game Boy Advance.

FINAL VERDICT-The best beat em up in the world EVER!!! 95%


Started off great, and then kinda went downhill   February 21, 2004
 4 out of 7 found this review helpful

Don't get me wrong - this game is absolutely gorgeous - and the gameplay and the way the characters move is nothing short of stunning. We went out and bought this on the day of release - having waited for it for 6 months. Initially, euphoria - best fighting game we had ever played, it looked and played beautifully, and there was some kind of story mode as well.

Now heres where it starts to go downhill.

In the Weapon Master mode, it starts off quite easy, and then gets ridiculously hard very quick - only to have, once you have done some v.v.v.hard levels, to go back to very easy again. And more or less every level just revolves around "kill enemy as quick as you can". I know thats the whole point of the game, but some innovation would have been nice - don't know exactly what, but thats we are supposed to be funding when we pay for videogames.

And people go on and on about how much life there is in this game - it is in fact not a lot. My hubby cleared it in a week (and this is someone who also goes out to work), and then just spent another week redoing it and buying different weapons in the process. He's not an obsessive gamer, well is, but only as far as football is concerned, so this wasn't the only game in the 'Cube, never mind me playing typically feminine games as well. So unless you don't mind polishing off the main story in a fortnight, and only being left with what is really, a very good multiplayer game, since theres nothing else to do on your own, then get it. But its up to you whether its worth 30-40 quid. We only plaid 3 (yes 3) for it as we had a credit note from the local games store, so weren't too disappointed with lack of life. But if you want a game that will last you six months, not it.

GOOD POINTS:
Gorgeous graphics
Gameplay can't be faulted

BAD POINTS:
No life after initally completing Weapon Master mode
Environments you fight in get real boring after a while
The cheesy american announcer will do you head in!!!


SoulCalibur II   February 21, 2004
 0 out of 6 found this review helpful

Soul Calibur was originally on the DC. This is the sequel.

Graphics

Nice and smooth, though there didn't seem to be much variety in the arenas. Characters move smoothly and are nicely animated.

Sound

DPL2 supported, though the music leaves something to be desired...

Gameplay

Its essentially a fighting game, sometimes there's a bit of variation, but its mostly defeat your enemy before they defeat you.

Replay value

Quite a bit, it will take you a long time to get every weapon.

Overall

An ok game that's only really sold well because Link from Zelda is in this version, but that does little to move this from being an overall dull game.