Score: 89
Overall User Average: 8.88 / 10 (89.1%)
Gameplay User Average: 9.09 / 10
Graphics User Average: 8.97 / 10
Sound User Average: 8.32 / 10
Young_Fledgling
Date reviewed: November 9, 2005.
Overall: Soul Calibur II will not disappoint you and will last you a long time, considering you have the patience to master some of the harder characters and combo. This game is one of the highlights of the 2003 gaming year.
Gameplay: Soul Calibur II, easy to learn, difficult to master. What I mean by this is that someone can pick up the controller and learn the basics of the fighting system (eight way run, horizontal, vertical attacks, etc.) in about an hour or less. But these basics are the bases of much more complex actions which are the bases of ever more complex actions! Someone can pick up this game and have a good time and then they can have an even better time trying to master the system. The only complaint I have is that some characters might seem to overpowered and ring-out are easy to get and rather annoying. Other than those complaints, Soul Calibur II has a gem of a fighting system.
Graphics: The graphics in this game are wonderful. If you thought Soul Calibur?s graphics were good, Soul Calibur II?s graphics will grab you by your eyes and burn them, but in a good way. The characters and stages are very detailed and nice to look at. The character combos look awesome and whether you are on the receiving end of the combo or not, you will enjoy watching them. The only complaint with the graphics is that there are minor clipping problems (hair going and weapons going right through characters? clothing when the characters pose, etc) but that is minor complain. Namco did a wonderful job in this department.
Sound: The sounds in this game are great and, most of the time, sound authentic. The characters? voices are for the most part, well done. But sometimes it sounds like the American voice actors were trying too hard with some of the voices which makes the voices sound a little fake, but that isn?t so bad. The music in this game also stands out. The tunes flow along well and fit each level for the most part. Even though it wouldn?t have hurt adding a little more fast-paced tunes to the game. The sound in this game gets the job done well, even though you might get tired of hearing some characters say the same thing over and over.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 80 %
Wolf
Date reviewed: September 17, 2005.
Overall: This is probably the best fighting game I have ever played. The visuals, sound, gameplay, and just about everything else about the game is smooth as silk. A must have for any fan of fighting games.
Gameplay: The gameplay is great. the story is good and there is a huge selection of characters, with the special xbox character as Spawn. The controls are good and there is also a good variety of weapons. some characters use heavy weapons, such as axes or hammers. others use medium weapons such as swords, while the last group uses light weapons: whips, knives, staffs.
Graphics: the graphics are pretty good, with good fighting stages and good player models. the weapons look great also, with lots of detail. looks great on xbox.
Sound: sounds are pretty good, with good sound effects during fights, but nothing really special. voice acting is aight.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 70 %
Liquid Gears
Date reviewed: September 12, 2005.
Overall: This is a solid fighter and probably tops my list for 3D fighters. It takes a lot to get good at and is a pleasure to play. Not too hard to get into and even beginners can mash the buttons and have fun executing some combos they act like they know how to do. So fun for everyone.
Gameplay: Really great gameplay. The combos and characters are very unique. Weapons in a solid 3D fighter are rare and they are added in very well into SC2. The game is very difficult to master and the highest levels really are very hard which is good.
Graphics: Visually this game is beautifully done. Smooth graphics, nice characters, good looking weapons, and nice bright surroundings add to the feel very well.
Sound: Sound is done very well in this game I think. Each weapon being swung makes its own sound and for different moves with that weapon as well. Voices for characters also match them well and the music is decent for a fighter as well.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 90 %
xj74
Date reviewed: May 28, 2004.
Overall: This is by far the best fighter I have ever played. I thought Dead or Alive 3 and Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance were good, which they are, but this game tops them all. I'm addicted to just playing the single player weapon masters mode and when I finish that there will always be the never ending longevity of the two player game. The xbox specific character is Spawn, which I think fits into the game quite nicely, but that might just be me since I like the character. Soul Caliber 2 rules, I definitely waited to long to buy it.
Gameplay: This game has it all, the single player modes are addictive enough to keep you coming back for 10-20 hours depending on skill and patience, plus you'll never get tired of playing a few matches fromt time to time with a friend. Weapons master mode is the meat of the single player modes and consists of different areas on a map that have battles with a variety of requirements, which are too long to list. The game is easy enough for a novice to come in and bash some buttons and pull off some cool moves, but it is also very deep and extremely polished for those who want to learn the moves and become a pro. The controls fit the xbox controller S perfectly and are the most responsive I've yet to experience in a fighter. This game sets the standard by which I'll compare all future fighting games.
Graphics: Excellent best describes the visuals, not quite Dead or Alive 3, but close. The characters look great, especially Spawn, and display some great animation. The framerate is smooth as silk
Sound: The sound effects are above average, but most of the english voice acting sounds lame, so even though I can't understand it, I switched to the japanese voices because it fits the game much better and actually sounds good. The Dolby 5.1 is used more than I thought it would, for instance on an arena where water is surrounding the platform you hear running water all around you. Nice subtle touches like that go a long way. The sound is good for what it needs to do. User soundtracks would be useless since the rounds usually don't last much longer than the match annoncement.
Suggestions: Add multiple levels to the arenas.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 80 %
Cool8man
Date reviewed: February 8, 2004.
Overall: Terrible, boring game. Avoid this overhyped franchise. Mortal Kombat, Dead or Alive, and Bloody Roar are all better purchases on Xbox.
Gameplay: Extremely dull. I zoned out countless times playing this game because the dull button mashing can get you through all challenges.
Graphics: Very dull. Graphics aren't terrible, but they do not take advantage of the Xbox at all. Slightly better than Soul Calibur 1, but well below Dead or Alive 3 and even Bloody Roar. Graphics are about on par with Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance. The levels are very bland and small. Visuals overall are very underwhelming. The game also has almost no blood violence or gore. Very dull.
Sound: Awful. Boring. Sleep inducing. Even my mom would find this music boring. The music is inappropriately classical and operatic. DULL. The voice work is horrible as well. I really wish I could really kill the characters and their inane comments in this game. Dead or Alive 3 isn't much better in this respect, but at least they didn't speak in broken English. If the characters are going to convey meaningless gibberish to me at least put it in a language I can easily ignore and not be able to understand.
Suggestions: Next time give the characters weapons made of steel instead of styrofoam. This game is BORING! The music and mindless gameplay will put you to sleep. My dentist plays better music in his waiting room. The characters speak in horrible Japanese style broken English. The levels are completely lifeless and a huge step back from Dead or Alive. If you want an exciting weapons based fighter, pick up Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance for under $20. MKDA is now a Platinum title and trumps Soul Calibur 2 in almost every aspect.
Overall: 20 %
Gameplay: 30 %
Graphics: 20 %
Sound: 20 %
xdragon
Date reviewed: December 19, 2003.
Overall: This title has come a long way from it's PS1 and Dreamcast days with revamps of the old and interesting new additions to up the replay value and game experience.
Gameplay: Touting new characters, missions and levels, this is a fight fan favorite. The weapon master mode is rife with new and varied missions along with some VERY frustrating challenges as well. The old revamped optional weapons and new ones keep you wanting to unlock more.
Graphics: The levels, lighting and characters (ah, thank goodness for horny game designers...and IVY/TAKI!) keep novices and veterans seeing always looking for finding new and great things. Although more varied weather affected levels ala DOA 3 would up some replay value.
Sound: The grunts, groans, attacks and taunts are good for the first week yet get old once you pick a favorite character or two. The new age soundtrackkinda wanes, yet some of the rolling epic orchestral intros and storyines can be moving after a hard fought battle.
Suggestions: Going online with this title will keep Namco in competition with DOA 3 to bring Soul Caliber farther in the fighting arena on Xbox.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 80 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 80 %
wbio
Date reviewed: December 18, 2003.
Overall: Soul Calibur 2 is an awesome fighting game. It's really fun to play the Weapon Master mode, and multiplayer is great too.
Gameplay: There is so much to do in Soul Calibur 2 that it's amazing. The weapon master mode is what i had the most fun with, and it took a VERY long time to beat. There are also tons of other fun things to do.
Graphics: The graphics are quite good. the only thing that wasn't very good was the environments, which were about average.
Sound: Soul Calibur 2 has Amazing sound. It sounds extremely realistic when you hit an opponent with a weapon. the announcer is very annoying though.
Suggestions: Better voice acting
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 90 %
asammw
Date reviewed: December 13, 2003.
Overall: A run of the mill fighter. Nothing more. Yet another over hyped muti-platform game. Nothing else to say really.
Gameplay: Its ok at first, plenty of characters, plenty of stages. But far too repetative. There is nothing special o make the game jump out at you.
Graphics: Looks ok at a glance, but not nearly as impressive or nearly as detailed as other Xbox fighters like DOA3. It runs smooth, but has no genuinly impressive visuals.
Sound: Repetative, Repetative, Repetative, Repetative, Repetative, Repetative, Repetative, Repetative, Repetative, Repetative, get the idea?
Suggestions: Theres nothing here we haven't seen before. This makes it less worth the time spent on other fighters where although the gameplay is simply... Fighting, have other good points. Such as DOA3's lush graphics.
Overall: 20 %
Gameplay: 40 %
Graphics: 40 %
Sound: 20 %
Loop
Date reviewed: November 15, 2003.
Overall: Soul Calibur II marks NAMCO's first Japanese made foray into the Xbox universe, and it's third tiresome visit to the world of Soul Blade/Soul Edge/Soul Calibur. I know many people will be put off immediately by my ''low'' score (a 7 is only 2 points away from a 9, so quit complaining!), but I feel I must honestly evaluate this game on it's own merits and not on the hype that surrounds it's long awaited release. I'll start off by assuring you that this is a very good game. It has no intrinsic problems that prevent it from being enjoyable, and it is certainly welcome on a system that is thirsty for good fighting games. To be honest, I was wavering between a 7 and an 8 as this site does not allow decimal scores, but since most if not all of the other reviews that will eventually be posted here will certainly be 9s and even 10s, I decided to deliberately skew low for the sake of balance. The issues I have with this game can be summed up quite simply: there simply isn't enough new here to consitute a legitimate sequel. Those who have not played previous games in the series or who have only enjoyed them for a few minutes at a time at a friend's house will undoubtedly fall in love with this game, but those of us who have followed the series from the beginning will most likely find ourselves scratching our heads and wondering why the SAME story, the SAME last boss, and - with few exceptions - the SAME moves and winning poses for the SAME characters we've been using for years remain. ''If it ain't broke, don't fix it,'' goes the old axiom, but when it comes to video games, this is only partly true. In my opinion, for a sequel to truly be a sequel, it must have some major new feature that wasn't in previous games: new characters that are completely different than others in the series (see SFII to SFIII), far better graphics (see VF progression), a new system, a new button...something. To be sure, saying that there is nothing new here would be an exaggeration. SCII does manage to offer up a few new characters and a guard break move of questionable use, but it actually has FEWER characters, costumes, and backgrounds than it's 4 year old predecessor. I wouldn't expect them to totally reinvent the wheel with this game, but as it stands, it strikes me as less of a legitimate sequel than a mere update of an existing game in the vein of the Guilty Gear X/Guilty Gear XX or SFII/SSFII variety. To illustrate my point of how other series have gone beyond this, let's use the VF games as an example. VF2's graphics were light years ahead of the original game. That alone was good enough, but they also added 2 new characters that played entirely unlike any other existing ones. VF3 made the graphical and character leap again and added a button. By the time VF4 came about, they once again made a huge graphical leap and added totally original characters, along with trimming some of the fat by abolishing the extra button and expelling the unpopular Sumo character. The SC series, however, has enjoyed minor graphical improvements (at least when compared to the VF series), and, with a few notable exceptions, tends to reuse character archetypes in both design (Sophitia/Cassandra, Maxi/the nunchaku guy from the original whose name escapes me at the moment, etc...) and basic control (Astaroth/Rock, et al) when adding characters.
Gameplay: Once again, this portion of my review has been on the receiving end of much harsh criticism. I must start out by saying that I mainly play this game (and most other fighters) in the standard 1 player mode. I recognize that the depth and breadth of the fighting system is greater when playing against someone who is skilled at the game, but I still contend that other fighting games have AI that is light years ahead of SCII. No game should REQUIRE you to play in vs. mode to have fun and experience a challenge. Therefore, most of the following comments are based on conclusions drawn from playing in the standard arcade and weapon master modes and not in vs.mode. My main issue with all NAMCO fighters is that they rely heavily on throws, which are performed easily at a distance much greater than other fighters (though the distance issue is perhaps par for the course in a game featuring weapon based combat) and do quite a bit of damage. As a test, I actually finished the game (on default normal difficulty, and on harder settings) in arcade mode using nothing but throws with EVERY character and never saw the ''game over'' screen. Aside from the throw issue, NAMCO fighters tend to be button mashers: in my experience, newcomers to the game can often thrash overconfident experienced players with a few lucky random button pushes and combinations of two buttons. To be sure, dedicated fans who spend time in the arcades honing their skills would make short work of an inexperienced goon, but those of us who mainly play the home versions for fun and unlocking new features can oft times find our modest skills shown up by the kid up the block who likes to hold his controller the wrong way (mostly due to the aforementioned moves that are executed simply by pushing two buttons simultaneously). Certainly, this can be said of nearly any fighting game to an extent, but I find that 2D fighters and games like the VF series tend to favor the more experienced player with almost no exception. Of course, this is not so say that the system is entirely faulty. There is quite a deep fighting engine to be found here (much deeper than DOA, but unable to hold a candle to VF) - an engine that deepens more when two skilled fighters take each other on. I enjoy the backgrounds this time around, as well, as the addition of walls and the greater overall size of the arenas adds some opportunities for new strategies to be explored. I find the sharing of backgrounds by so many characters to be disappointing though - especially after the huge variety found in the original game. The weapon master mode is an interesting mix of the one found in the home version of Soul Blade (that would be Soul Edge on the PS, to those of you who had never heard of the series until the emergence of the DC) and the venerable DC outing. By combining the weapon collecting aspects of SE with the overall feel of it's DC counterpart, this mode offers up some nice variety and enemies who aren't as likely to take a throw without a fight. The dungeons, which consist of a simple overhead map of a series of trapped rooms that must be fought through, are also a quite innovative and welcome feature.
Graphics: This game has excellent graphics. Having played all three versions (albeit briefly), I can confirm that the Xbox version looks the best (the widescreen compatibility is nice, too), BUT it still only looks marginally better than the arcade version (which runs on the PS2 hardware) or even the DC version of Soul Calibur. By ''pumping up'' the graphics from the arcade to home version on the DC, NAMCO set a precedent that fans expect to be followed. The DC offered more power than the arcade board it was on, so NAMCO took the time to augment the graphics. The same could have been done here, and it's safe to say that many fans will be disappointed in the tiny leap in visuals from the arcade to the home this time around. The graphics look great, make no mistake, but games like DOA3 and VF4 Evolution on the PS2 look better to me. The characters have a slightly different look to them than they did in Soul Calibur, with smaller heads and facial details leaning to the more realistic side, but I find myself preferring many of the designs and costumes from the former game.
Sound: SCII continues in the series tradition with an orchestral soundtrack that perfectly matches the thematic aspects of the game. I'll admit that I preferred the music in SC, but that is not to say that there is any sort of problem with the soundtrack this time around. The narrator is back as well, and he has much more to say in this rendition. The surround sound compatibility is welcome as well.
Suggestions: Playing Soul Calibur II left me slightly unsatisfied. The conspicuous absence of well loved (and personal favorite) characters like Rock and a playable Lizardman and the incongruous presence of Spawn didn't do anything to endear me to this game, and extra features in general seem to have been cut down from the DC version of the original. Only around half of the characters have 3rd costumes. Only two smallish galleries are available. Competitive players will concentrate more on the vs. modes and most likely won't mind the lack of extras or repetitive storyline, but for those of us who get the bulk of our gaming dollar from enjoying the one player modes of fighting games, the game just feels like a less meaty version of the original.
I think NAMCO realizes that this game will sell oodles on all three formats whether it's a great game or merely a good one. They took the easy way out and made a good one. We'll buy it anyway. No one will accuse NAMCO of not being shrewd businessmen. We will, however, say this:
''Transcending logic and reason, a tale of throws and routine, eternally resold.''
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 80 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 90 %
shapoopy
Date reviewed: November 11, 2003.
Overall: I think it's the best fightin game out there, I never thought anythin could beat DOA 3 but I was wrong this game is extremely fun but a little too easy.
Gameplay: It's a fightin game but u get weapons my fav. character would have to be I guess KILIK but I think they shoulda add more unlockables, and it was too easy and if there's another suquel put another character I don't like spawn a lot.
Graphics: It's good but not great but it's still colorful and pleasing to da eye. THey coulda done better but it was good.
Sound: This is what I hate about most fightin games Most of da time HORiBBLE VOICE ACTING!! It gets very annoying after a while but still good.
Suggestions: sequel, more unlockables but good JOb!!
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 80 %
The Jackal
Date reviewed: October 30, 2003.
Overall: Great game with awesome action and looks great but is kind of a button masher game and without XBL it's value really goes down with me
Gameplay: The gameplay is unreal. But the ability to mash buttons takes away a bit. Plus i love the gameplay of 2d fighting games but this is easily my favorite 3d one made yet.
Graphics: The character designs, environment, and the movement in this game easily top all the other fighting games xbox has brought out.
Sound: Just plain great sounds. If all this was actually possible in real life it'd sound just the same and it really adds to the games excitment.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
||-TaXMaN-||
Date reviewed: October 30, 2003.
Overall: Personally ...i really thought that this game would be alot better than it really is....i feel that it is more or less just an xbox version of the dreamcast original
Gameplay: Same ol' kinda gameplay as the original but the original has great gameplay...but i would have like to see more....of something
Graphics: visually it is a little better than sc1 ...but i dunno ..it looks to me as if the battle "arenas" if i may are identical as the original
Sound: at least when they talk...its in english...i think you had to unlock the english versions of what they were saying in the first 1 lol.
Suggestions: mooore characters
Overall: 70 %
Gameplay: 70 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 80 %
BlackWeenie
Date reviewed: October 30, 2003.
Overall: its a good fighter. i especially like the weapon play and graphics. it is pretty fun for a while. 100 words up now.
Gameplay: great weapon gameplay. its a lot of fun for a couple of hours but it gets dry after a while. i wouldnt recommend a purchase
Graphics: fantastic. the graphics are a magnicficient part of the game. they make it worth playing more.
Sound: VERY repetitive. in the dungeons it is the same thing every time. it will annoy you very quickly.
Suggestions: online play
Overall: 70 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 20 %
crucialcreation
Date reviewed: October 27, 2003.
Overall: There is basically no way this game could go wrong. I bought it expecting a really good game and found that it was fantastic.
Gameplay: The gameplay in this is amazing. There are more moves and weapons than you can imagine. You can unlock more players, play modes, and buy your weapons. SPAWN IS THE GREATEST CHARACTER EVER!
Graphics: This graffics are crisp and clear. The stages are amazing and beatiful. There's really nothing more to say.
Sound: The sound is excellent. Wether it is the fresh noise of your blade cutting into your enemy or you threatening your opponent, the sound is just fantastic.
Suggestions: Keep up the good work!
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 50 %
Sound: 100 %
Lucifer_Hawk
Date reviewed: October 25, 2003.
Overall: Hey Hey folks. Its your buddy Lucifer up with another review. This time its Soul Caliber 2, the sequel to the very popular fighting game Soul Caliber for the Dreamcast(live in peace dreamcast, live in peace)
Gameplay: Gameplay here is a blast! I am still trying to figure out the controls because I am not someone you would consider an expert at fighting games, hhrm..... There are very few fighting games that I actually enjoy, but for Soul Caliber 2, I have to make an exception. I LOVE THIS GAME! The gameplay is quick and fun. The moves are stylish and fun to perform. And i just get a blast from pounding on people after they died and listening to there character scream ;)
Graphics: The visuals in this game are also superb. The graphics are crisp and the characters look full of life, and the scenery's look stunning. Superb.
Sound: The sound is great. During the begining of each match, you have the characters say there special lines, and they are played out perfectly. The sounds of weapons swinging and other fighting sounds are played out well. The characters can also occasionaly be heard yelling during the fighting. The onyl part getting on my nerves is the scentence the announcer reads before each match telling you about your oppenent in a poetic type fashion.
Suggestions: This box is supposed to be used to suggest something to the developers but i don't care, I need to write my ending! Overall, I think Soul Caliber 2 is a great game with alot going for it, but I really think it could have had something to make it the best fighting game possible as of now cough*Xbox Live*cough. Other than that, I think it is a solid game that is sure to keep me entertained for months to come. If anyone is excited to read my next review( I know your out there, just fess up) the next game i am looking to review is Unreal Championship( shut up, I have only had Xbox since February, I still gotta play some of these highly rated games!) but this will only happen if I can mangage a B averager on my finals this week( you know thats a hard feat to accomplish) Until then, this is Lucifer Hawk, signing out.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 100 %
gameaddict17
Date reviewed: October 22, 2003.
Overall: Lets thanks god that Soul Calibur 2 has finnally come out! Overall the game is remarkable in everyway, easliy pulled off string combos, nice animations,and a very good job in the audio department!
Gameplay: In this game you are fighting to find out the secret of the soul edge, or something. there are 21 charaters in all, and a few unlockable (All together 21). You will not find a better fighters in any other game, Who iam i talking about? Of Course Maxi, Talim,Kilik,and many more. And the gameplay mechinces are top notch to make a very nice video game.
Graphics: This game is very gourgous, in every way u think about it. I love the textures that the developers used in the this remarkable 3d fighter. And Might I mentoin the backgrounds look amazing!!! :)
Sound: When U first play Soul Calibur 2 You will honestly feel like you are at the arcade! Its truly brings out the real arcade soul, not heard before in a console fighter. But character voices, sometimes does not make any sense what so ever. But it is still a great sound in a modern 3d fighter!
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 90 %
George89
Date reviewed: October 21, 2003.
Overall: Soul Calibur 2 is a weapon based fighting game; with over 20 characters, over 200 weapons, tons of modes, and dozens of levels to fight on. The game is the long awaited sequel to the original and is finally here, and was definatly worth the wait!
Gameplay: The game is so much fun to play. You get to use all 200 weapons that you collect in Weapon Master Mode. In Weapon Master (which is where most of game will take place) you will fight, win money, and purchase, movies, weapons, costumes, arenas, characters, etc. The game plays extremely well; the characted moves flow together seamlessly, which makes for a very enjoyable experience.
Graphics: Though not as good as some other fighters (DOA3) the game does look terriffic. The character models are great, as well as weapons, stages, and costumes. There are some little things though that you can tell could be fixed if this was an XBOX exclusive, like weapons go wave into the ground when you are on the ground, and the water is not as good as it could of been. Een these though cannot take away from some of the levels detail. You can see little rings in the wood and there is texture in dirt. Overall, the game looks terriffic.
Sound: The sound is great also, with tons of voice overs, and a great soundtrack. Instead of annoying guitar solos, you get a fully orchestrated performance. The weapons each have a unique sound also.
Suggestions: Everything was perfect. Maybe for a sequel more characters would be great and possibly more unlockable weapons.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
Hellsing
Date reviewed: October 18, 2003.
Overall: im not a big fan of fighting games which is why i gave this game a low score, but it is the best fighter game right now.
Gameplay: like all fighting games the goal is to knock out your opponent. In this game you have several different weapons for each character to help you accomplish this goal. Also you wont get far with button mashing.
Graphics: the graphics are pretty good. all the characters are very detailed and the arenas look cool. I have no problems with the game in this area
Sound: the sound is excellent in this game. All the music and the voices sound very good. Combat sounds good to
Overall: 50 %
Gameplay: 60 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 80 %
kenji
Date reviewed: October 18, 2003.
Overall: This game is awsome. The gameplay and visual are great. And this is the only game that has you fight with weapons.
Gameplay: Gameplay is great. Fighting with friend or against CPUs is sweet. Weapons Master made this game what it is. It is a quest to find Soul Blade, and this is where you unlock things too. My only problem is that there was no team battle where you could fight with your friends. And Spawn rules!!!!1
Graphics: Graphics are awsome. The Soul Charges, blocks, and chraged attacks are sweet. No lag what so ever. The graphics looked great for each character.
Sound: The sound was good.l The weapons sounded great and the voices where pretty good.
Suggestions: Team battle where you can play with your friends and some mini-games.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
Shadow20002
Date reviewed: October 13, 2003.
Overall: First of all, since i play too much or everytime i went to the arcade, i won't buy it but gonna rent it just to know what we have in the home version. After Dead or Alive 3, there are nothing that really interest me to drop another 60 bucks on a fighting game. Until now, i'm totally impress by Namco that they are very good to make a fighting game.
Gameplay: In this game, there are over 20 characters to choose, somes you must find a way to unlock it while playing the game. Each of them has it's own style of fighting, weapon and abilities. It's could take you a little time to mastered them all. When you enter where you choose your character, each one have two costumes. You can unlock more later. When you finish to take the one you want, time to slash your opponent !! There are several stages before you meet Inferno, the boss in the game. Well, there are new mode called Weapon Master. In this one, exclusively on home version, you can collect over 200 weapons, costumes, characters, and stages. This should keep you playing more than anything else until you unlock everything. This game have the greatest replay value so far i think for his genre.
Graphics: Visual are not really like the spectacular of Dead or Alive 3 but it's somewhat ok. Every stage have a different layer. The lightning effects are soo good. Just slash your opponent will unleash somes of them. When you use your power, there are even more.
Sound: Musics are cool to hear. The sounds of the swords touching each other make really like in the reality.
Suggestions: How about...Soul Calibur 3 ? By the way, finish Breakdown first, i don't want this one to be delay !! :P
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 100 %
MasterToki
Date reviewed: October 13, 2003.
Overall: Best fighting game today. Best fighting engine. Countless 'n extraordinary moves. Too much fighters to master all. Excellent cartoon-like graphics. Beatiful song themes and good hit sounds and voices. I never get boried of playing, alone or in company.
Gameplay: Too much modes for plaing. Extremely difficult Survival. Weapon Master is the best. Hm.. but it still don't have tag, nor oline...
Graphics: Very good grafics. Very colored, a la cartoon. I still prefer DOA3 stages and clothes... But it got 5.
Sound: Love songs... I feel in that century. I love character voices and hit efects. A movie lacks at end of arcade...
Suggestions: Add: Online. Movies. Tag. Damageable clothes 'n skins... More perfect graphics. And, of course, keep good work.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
pottsee1
Date reviewed: October 6, 2003.
Overall: First, this is the best fighting game on XBOX. Better that DOA3. Amazing graphics and a story/mission based fighting routine that adds immensly to the typical climb the fighting ladder and beat the fire-monster bad guy in the end. That said I am going to use some red ink in this review contrary to all of the shining reviews posted so far. Number one reason, WHY NO XBOX LIVE? Anyone who has played this game knows that the addition of XBOX Live support would have resulted in blistered figures around the world. We're talking tournaments and just a ton of regular butt kicking. It was an option and they passed to ship the game to multiple systems, I get it but they still dropped the ball. Second the arcade mode was too much like DOA3. The big bad guy at the end is a fire guy, come'on. The story based fighting routine was excellent fighting battles to take your "journey" to find the ultimate Sword. To bad the battles weren't that tough to begin with. (2nd level fights, after getting through enough first levels they are unlocked, were at a challenging difficulty.) This game lacked in replayabilty for anyone who is not a diehard fighting game fan. This is the biggest obstacle facing the fighting genre of games, long term enjoyment. Online gaming and a more indepth story mode would have given Namco a 5 from me. Minus .5 for each issue gets a 4.0 overall.
Gameplay: The fighting itself is Fantastic. I know I complained a lot in my overall comments but as far as mechanics and combos go this is the best. I tend to use the faster characters. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, you know. Plenty of weapons to choose from but I really didn't get the point of hunting just for an eighth type of sword for a character. Let's fight already and not worry about whose Schwartz is better. (Spaceballs reference for those youngsters who haven't see the movie.) Gameplay was excellent I just wanted more especially online.
Graphics: Graphics are phenominal in this game. No better than that. Characters move flawlessly without any visible polygon seems etc. to distract you. Infact the visuals were so good that the jello effect on Voldo's hips really was disturbing. A+ graphics on the XBOX I assume similar effects were achieved on the other systems but I can see how they could compare when considering XBOX's power.
Sound: Sound is so-so. In a fighting game you need two sounds, the weapon and the hit, that is all. An occasional gasp or weaze is good too. Nothing to impressive here. Sufficient is fine.
Suggestions: More gameplay and online capability. The first online game for XBOX live with this kind of detail and fighting gameplay will be a smash. To bad thats not going to be your game, Namco. Stop using the crutch of climb the fighting ladder. We've seen enough of that. Lastly, lose the land mine mission/story - that was practically impossible (just a personal wish here).
Overall: 80 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 80 %
Conchord
Date reviewed: October 4, 2003.
Overall: An epic fighting game with many modes, most of them unlocked throughout the long and arduous 'Weapons Master' mode, Soul Caliber II lives up to its predecessor. This game is stunning. The combos leave infinite possibilities. Choose the character that best suits you. If you're playing it on xbox, that will probably be Spawn. Many people are disappointed that Spawn is missing his famous cape, but I like the new look.
Each character has his own fighting style, weapons (there are so many !&%$@#* weapons! over 10 per person! yikes!), and look to bring to the table, and don't listen to people complaining about the shortage of characters, because they are just used to the crappy, undeveloped characters from the Mortal Kombat series.
Gameplay: The controls get very easy to use, and at first, the AI is fairly normal, but when you beat weapons master for the first time, a second lay-over mission is revealed, and the computer is EXTREMELY HARD-WARNING: I BROKE 2 CONTROLLER S's BECAUSE OF THE AI ON THE 2ND GOAROUND! VERY HARD! Other than that, the number of weapons, combos, character levels (in WM), skins, and other goodies should keep you busy longer than any other fighting game out there.
Graphics: The graphics are superb! Character animations were smooth, and the environments we incredibly real. having the ability to knock an opponent out of the ring and win an early victory is always fun, and always made me gaze off into the hills and remember-oh yea, its a game. D'oh! The weapons are very cool-looking, and the different skins are awesome. My favorite skin is the 'Good' Nightmare.
Sound: The sounds in the game were great! When you beat arcade mode, you unlock a profile for that character. The profile contains a list of every noise that character makes, and boy, does Spawn like to cuss. The noises in the fight are good to, and the music and announcer are the perfect level of Japanese-cornyness and fit right into the game.
Suggestions: Graphics-Make the water splash look more realistic when someone falls in. also, make some destructible environments, because everyone loves those!
Sound-Make the option of having custom soundtracks there, that's what the xbox is for, !&%$@#* it! LOL no one ever does this....every game should at least have the option.
Other than that, great game! Soul Caliber III will have a lot to beat!
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
colosso
Date reviewed: October 2, 2003.
Overall: oh my god! i can,t stop playing this
game,somebody help me,i have played
many figthing games like dead or alive
3,mkda,marvel vs capcom 2,but i have
never experience a soul calibur game
until last week . honestly this is the best
figthing game ever,why did i buy this
game? well SPAWN was the main
reason and i love it.
Gameplay: the arenas are huge,combos are very
good,nothing comes closer to
this,SPAWN and his axe are great
,NECRID is oustanding and the rest of
the characters made this one a winning
and a must have tittle for any xbox fan of
this genre.guarantee it's woth it $50
Graphics: some of the best on xbox and any
platform,soul calibur 2 on xbox is the
best ,because of SPAWN.the arenas are
well done,very nice effects every time
you engage your opponents.
Sound: great,amazing,what can i say,i think
every one should buy a copy of soul
calibur 2,but make sure is the xbox
version,if you have any other sistems like
me besides the xbox,you all thank me
later,because nothing is greater than the
power of the x. go ms,go xbox
Suggestions: SEQUEL WITH MORE CHARACTERS
AND XBOX LIVE PLEASE.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
AlphaCigara
Date reviewed: October 1, 2003.
Overall: I was a big fan of Soul Caliber on the Dreamcast, and have played Soul Caliber 2 on every system. By far, Xbox has the best graphics and character (go Spawn!).
Gameplay: Any fan of fighting games like DOA3 and Marvel vs. Capcom will fall in love with Soul Caliber 2. Moving around is a breeze (though I've had some trouble ducking) and unlike 2-D fighting games, moves are pretty simple to execute.
Graphics: Wow. Even though Soul Caliber 2 came out a year after DOA 3, I can't help but be impressed when I see a game with graphics on par with DOA3. Unlike the PS2 and GC versions, there is no slowdown at all.
Sound: When you first here the sword swings and the orchestral music, SC 2 will really impress. However, when doing modes like weapon master, where you sometimes have to do a stage more than once, you'll start to wish Voldo at least acted human and you could use your custom soundtracks as background music. Also, it's fun to make fun of the announcer for the first couple times you hear his nonsense, but after a while, you'll feel the same about him as you should Voldo (which is irrevsible, blinding hatred).
Suggestions: Make a Soul Caliber 2 version thats like Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution; have all the system characters (Heihachi, Link, and Spawn) and add a whole bunch of better content like fan art and cooler costumes (anybody who has seen Cassandra's 3rd costume knows what I'm talking about).
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 80 %
AC/DC Halo Man
Date reviewed: September 28, 2003.
Overall: This game kicks, i really love it it just has this unbeatable essence about it. I played forever, none stop. Spawn just kicked butt and Nightmare just rocked my house, i swear i've played this thing so much i cant believe i've had time to play halo, which i've played about 9999999 times more hours than i've played this.
Gameplay: now the game play, it rocks. The music kicks, the lvls u play on kick, and the battles are just sweet goodness. I love Weapon Master Mode and everthing else accesible through beating it, its a good game to get and its, on my list, right behind halo and its sequel halo2. The grabs are good, the moves are good, and every character is well balanced. lackin something to make up for something else
Graphics: overall, the graphics rock and its clear that when im lookin at the screen that im kicking @$$ cuz i've played so much i've learned combos and everthing its amazing. This game obviously kicks the PS2 and Game Cube crap versions, and LINK IS SO FRICKEN CHEEP!! This games graphics, and everthing else, kick Tekken in the booty along with every other fighting game
Sound: sound is really good. unlike in soul edge and soul blade, you can understand the narrator speaking instead of a mumbling idiot that took heroine or some other drug. The music is clear, and its clear to hear character taunts and what they say during and at the start and beginning of battles. This game just has amazing stuff all around.
Suggestions: Nothing really, just make it live and some custom costumes like mensioned before, with some demos at the end to see what they do, instead of reading it, otherwise nothing much
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
mentat
Date reviewed: September 2, 2003.
Overall: I've been waiting a long time to play this game and having never played the original I really wasnt sure what to expect. Let me just say that Soul Calibur 2 has blown away any expectations I might have had about this game. It's 10 times better than what I expected. I love fighters and this is by far the best one I've ever played.
Gameplay: Gameplay is really nothing new as far as fighters go but that isnt a bad thing at all. It's very easy to pick up and play and once you've mastered the basics it becomes all the more easier to figure out the insane combos and throw attacks. Also the fight system is much too intuitive for mere button mashing. It wont get you very far or allow you to truly enjoy the way you can string moves together for incredible looking combos. They really got it right this time by providing numerous game modes (time attack, survival, weapons master mode, versus, etc..) and variety with hundreds of weapons to chose from making replay value a lot better than say DOA3.
Graphics: Absolutely gorgeous! Soul Calibur 2 truly utilizes the power of the xbox. The backgrounds, characters, and costumes look stunning. Very impressive.
Sound: All the sound in this game is very suitable and goes perfectly with the game. The announcer guy who introduces each match might annoy some people after awhile but since you can quickly skip past it, it's really not an issue. All the battle sounds are cool and they even let you listen to your favorite characters different sayings (which are surprisingly numerous) once you've unlocked his/her profile.
Suggestions: Great game but you guys know what I'm going to say next...XBOX LIVE! It really would be cool to play against a wider range of opponents. Also, SOUL CALIBUR 3!!!
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 90 %
mattgame
Date reviewed: September 2, 2003.
Overall: Okay, okay, this is the best fighting game on the Xbox to date. I haven't had this much fun on a fighting game since Tekken 3. Excellent game.
Gameplay: The gameplay is simple and also can be complex. I love the Spawn character. He is wicked. You will play this game for a while to come.
Graphics: The graphics are crisp and clear. At times though, it looks like the Sega comes out in the graphics, but overall it is good to watch.
Sound: I think the sounds of the game are well done. The trash talk is good although a bit repetitive.
Suggestions: Get rid of that ridiculous water splash. I holla!!
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 80 %
mavrick1_98
Date reviewed: September 1, 2003.
Overall: Soul Caliber 2 has a lot going for it. The first thing I noticed was the terrific graphics (and one of the best opening movies), which surprised me considering it was a game that was ported to all the consoles. Secondly, like the Dreamcast original, it has a terrific fighting engine. Thirdly, it has all the characters you'd expect, including the Xbox exclusive character, Spawn. And lastly, it has tons of unlockables (lots of weapons for each character, and a handful of playable characters). It's nearly perfect, but I did have a couple problems with it that kept it from being a 5 out of 5. Mainly, the ending movies (when beaten on arcade mode) are merely 2-3 pictures with words. I would have liked to see some FMV (like the terrific ones in DOA3). For example, if you clear it with Ivy, you'll get to see two pictures and the story will tell you after your victory you "wither away" all alone (yay! that sounds like fun!). Secondly, it does not appear that some characters are unlockable (such as lizardman), but yet you fight against them in weapons training mode. But, overall SC2 is one of the best fighters on the Xbox and is a lot of fun.
Gameplay: The fighting engine is one of the best. Great combos and special moves for each character. Every character has a weapon, and they make good use of them. Plus, you can earn/buy more weapons for each of the characters. It doesn't get much better in the gameplay department.
Graphics: This is one of the prettiest Xbox games (up there with the DOA games, Halo, Splinter Cell). The character models and arenas are very well done. Like I said earlier, the opening movie was very cool. I have a beef with the 720p HDTV setting as I have a widescreen TV, and when you play it in 720p it will show black bars on the side of the screen. I had to turn off the 720p feature on the Xbox to get it to play in full screen mode. But, that was a very minor complaint to an otherwise perfect looking game.
Sound: The background music was pretty standard fare, and not very noticeable. The rest of the sound effects are very good (hits, punches). You can set the voices to english or japanese which was a nice touch (I prefer the Japanese ones as the English is a little cheesy sounding).
Suggestions: FMV endings for the characters are a must! Correct the 720p HDTV to show in widescreen, not with the black bars on the side.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 90 %
Slayer02
Date reviewed: August 28, 2003.
Overall: I picked this game up at 7:30(pm, traffic made the shipment late.) august 26th at GameStop. I've been playing it ever since. The graphics are crisp and clear, the gameplay and depth is limitless, and for a fighting game the story is awesome. Not that you notice them much, but the sound effects blend in nicely.
Gameplay: Simply awesome. Limitless combos, tons of depth and strategy. Plenty of counters and such make this the perfect game for the casual gamer or the hardcore addict. Button mashing can be effective, but against a skilled player, you won't stand a chance. Though, button mashing is useful for finding out moves.
Graphics: Soul Calibur 1, except crisper, clearer, and all around better. Nothing that will make your draw drop, but nothing that's so hideous it will make you turn off your console either. The graphics are good, but it's nothing we haven't seen.
Sound: The sound in this game blends perfectly. The character voices are nice and smooth, no annoying voices or anything. And the background music is nice. (That is, if you're not too enthralled beating your best friend to a pulp.)
Suggestions: More weapons. More characters. Style switch (hand-to-hand and weapons.) More on the graphics. (Example: Water splash from a ring out...) If spawn makes another appearance, PLEASE let him have his cape... It looks awesome... Also: Make Necrid more fair... He's just plain cheap.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 90 %
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