It is every little boy’s dream to go around the world waving swords around and wreaking havoc.
…it’s not?
WELL IT WAS FOR ME!
Little boys everywhere!
Pick yourself up a copy of Soul Calibur II and fulfill your dreams.
In the third installment (first one was Soul Blade) to the series of fighting games,
You can do all the sword-swinging havoc and havoc-wreaking you want.
Whether you are new to the Soul Calibur scene, or even the fighting genre altogether, Soul Calibur II is a game anyone can enjoy. While the game can be played as a button-masher, you will most likely find victory more often by using strategy. Twenty-hit combos stemming from every button on the controller being hit at the same time do not exist in this game. In order to win, you must successfully master the weapon that your character uses.
Each character in the game has a unique weapon, and uses that weapon to inflict death upon their foe. It’s a simple enough concept, but if you still can’t grasp it, you should probably be put to death WITH one of these weapons.
Soul Calibur II starts off like any other fighting game. There is your basic Arcade Mode, Versus Mode, Time Trial Attack, and Survival Mode. What sets Soul Calibur apart from the rest is the inclusion of Weapon Master Mode. WMM is a sort of story mode that gives the legend of Soul Calibur and Soul Edge as you battle your way across the world. With each battle, you earn gold and experience. Gold allows you to purchase different items (weapons, costumes, bonus moves, etc.) and experience goes toward your ranking. Higher ranks mean new routes open for you to explore. Battles can function just like a normal arcade battle, or you may have to fulfill certain requirements to win.
The graphics in this game are pretty well done. All collisions are handled very well, and the characters all have a very unique appearance. Flame trails from powered attacks look stunning, and the movements flow quite realistically. The arenas that these battles take place in are magnificent. Everything about them, from the varying architecture to the strategies that must be used to effectively use the arena to your advantage, is amazing.
With that, I must say Link fits very well into the Soul Calibur realm. Having only played the GCN version, I cannot say anything as far as Spawn and Heihachi are concerned. All of Link’s classic weaponry makes a return in Soul Calibur II. The Master Sword, Megaton Hammer, Cane of Byrna, and even the Bug Catching Net are all available in the game. Each character has ten weapons at their disposal. An eleventh is a “joke” weapon, provided for humor and as a handicap for experienced players. Honestly…how many people do you think you can kill with a bug catching net?
While similar to the original Soul Calibur for Dreamcast, Soul Calibur II has plenty of new features to keep fans of the series happy. It’s easy to pick up, and you won’t find too many people who won’t take you up on the offer to duke it out. Pick up a copy and live out those boyhood dreams! Wreak havoc! Girls can play too, though…
