SoulCalibur III

"Right Up in the Upper Echelon of Fighting Games"

Let me start off by telling you all that I've played all the North American versions of this series, from Soul Edge and Soul Calibur in the arcades, to Soul Blade, Soul Calibur, and Soul Calibur II on the consoles, and in my books, Soul Calibur 2 was an immense disappointment after I got past the hype of there being an exclusive guest character on all three consoles. At first, I was really upset to find that Soul Calibur III was coming to only one console, and that console was the PS2, because I thought Heihachi wasn't really that great. I didn't even pay attention to any of the details of Soul Calibur III because I was so upset.

However, that started changing when I saw a video of the game in action on one of my friends' PSM DVDs. I was amazed at how awesome it looked. But, it still wasn't enough to convince me to get the game just yet. It was when I played a demo that I knew I had to own it, to put it simple, I plunked down 5 dollars to reserve myself a copy at my local Gamestop. That's how bad I wanted it, from there, I counted down the days to it's release, sold one of my consoles to help pay for it (my X-Box of course), and when the day came, I went to pick it up, came home, and popped it right in my PS2, and the rest can be found in "the stage of history".

Gameplay: 10/10

I can only tell you, this game is a joy to play. Some will say it isn't, but to me it is. I give it a 10 not because it's perfect, but it's damn close. The fighting hasn't changed much in the series, but it doesn't need to because it's such a finely tuned product, compare this to Namco's other flagship franchise, Tekken, and there's no contest. The AI has been ramped up considerably, if you thought SC1 or SC2 was hard, you ain't seen nothing yet! The AI here puts up a helluva fight, and more often than not, will beat you into oblivion if you make one false move. Yet, I don't consider this a detriment, I consider it a joy.

If anything, I'd have to say the gameplay outdoes the first Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast, and that's saying something, considering that was a fantastic title to begin with. The new modes are actually fun, I have enjoyed Chronicles of the Sword thus far, and the new Story Mode makes you feel like you're in a Choose Your Own Adventure book, and truly does add to the experience of being in the game, and the authenticity of the characters' motivations. The create-a-soul is actually fine, though it could use some fine tuning, I give Namco props for coming up with such an awesome concept, and wonder why they didn't do it sooner.

Graphics: 10/10

Yeah sure, there might be a few aliasing problems, blame that on the PS2 hardware if anything. Aside from that, however, the graphics are gorgeous! The characters look awesome, especially two of the new ones, Zasalamel, and Setsuka. The animation is fast and fluid, just like how it was in the previous iterations of the series. But it's the stages that really make the difference here.

After looking at the visual quality of this game, it is easy to see why Namco decided to bring this back to being a one console series. Many of the backgrounds are simply breath-taking, in particular, Setsuka's stage truly is a sight to behold. I can't describe it's beauty in words, but can say that you must see it at least once. Yes, this game looks that damn beautiful. Without a doubt, the environments eclipse the other Soul Calibur games, as there is so much detail in the environments. And to top it all off, it is done with hardly a frame-rate hiccup at all.

Audio: 10/10

Wow! After the disappointment of Soul Calibur 2's soundtrack, which had a few good songs on it, but paled in comparison to the first Soul Calibur, this was something I was not expecting at all. The soundtrack in this game is amazing, and encompasses a variety of classical styles, from big and brassy, to slow, and elegant, your ears, eyes, and all other senses will be in for a treat. The music is simply beautiful, and is worth purchasing a soundtrack for it is that good.

I've not really heard any composition in this game that I've not liked yet, but I have to say that my favorite thus far is Setsuka's song "Ephemeral Dream", which is one of the slow songs I was talking about. It's sad and beautiful, you can truly feel the emotion that Namco was trying to convey here. It might be slow, but it actually ADDS to the feeling of the fight, which is a feat. I'd go as far as saying this outdoes the first Soul Calibur in terms of overall composition.

There's some great remakes of some songs from the first Soul Calibur as well which sound just as good as the originals, in particular "Beyond the Horizon" was a surprise remake I was not expecting to hear. It sounds awesome to say the least, as does "Sail Across the Storm", which keeps it's original intensity without missing a beat.

Overall: 10/10

Easily one of the best fighters I've experienced on the PS2, possibly even this generation. To me, this game is the total package, a much needed return to it's roots. This is actually one series that I'd prefer stay on one console, we've seen the results with multiple consoles, and the disappointment that was Soul Calibur 2. And now we've seen the results of it being on one console instead of three.

This is definitely of a higher quality, and without a doubt, one of the PS2's finest hours. If this is to be the last Soul Calibur of this generation, at least we can all smile and say that it is the best one yet. This is without a doubt, game of the year material. Everything about this game, from the awesome graphics, to the sweet soundtrack, make this a purchase worth getting. This game is worth purchasing right now, as in don't wait, go grab yourself a copy. I promise, you won't be disappointed, and you will indeed be "Welcomed Back to the Stage of History!"

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/28/05