SoulCalibur

"Sega's got heart and soul!"

Alright, I'll confess. Despite what many people said, I thought Soul Calibur was just another fighting game with weapons. That could've been because I barely played it in the arcades, but that's another story. Then I picked it up and I realized that I had been truly wrong; The Dreamcast not only has a heart and a mind, but it also has a soul!


Graphics: 10/10
Breathtaking! That's all I can say! Each movement is fluid and lifelike, the weapons shine and reflect with amazing detail. Plus each combo is fully customizable, meaning that you can interrupt a vertical-vertical combo with a kick, and there will be no frame skipping of any kind! If only I hadn't been so skeptical!


Sounds: 9/10
The sound of each weapon being wielded, the way each one connects, and the screams and groans of each fighter. They're...they're...perfect! Well, almost. I do have a couple of gripes here. First of all, that announcer does get rather repetitive. Second, I would have liked to see some English dubs, rather than having to read subtitles.


Controls: 10/10
Moving around is pure and simple, thanks to the easy responsive controls of the Dreamcast! You can even use an arcade stick to emulate that original arcade feel! Plus, with the trigger buttons, you can power-up your character without having to do any special button combos!


Replay: 10/10
With your standard modes, such as Arcade, Versus, Training, and Survival, what more could you want? How about a Quest Mode! Similar to the Edge Master Mode in Soulblade for PSX, what you do is fight battles under various conditions, and earn credits to buy artwork. As you earn more artwork, new features, such as demonstration theater, extra characters, and hidden costumes, will be unlocked. It's enough to keep anyone coming back for more!


Overall: 10/10
Despite the subtitles on the dialogue, Soul Calibur definitely strikes a smashing blow into the Sega world, with amazing graphics, excellent controls, and a variety of modes which will definitely leave a big impression on the soul of the Sega!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/28/00, Updated 07/16/01