SoulCalibur II

"Namco Does A Great Job!"

Alright so you are probably wondering rather to buy this game or probably how good it really is. Well here is my opinion on Soul Calibur 2 in almost every category.

Presentation- score:10-The first thing you see! Well the guide is plenty helpful but I lack a little understanding due to myself not being able to read alot of Japanese. The in game guides and menus are extremly helpful though. With a great easy menu system which makes this game easy to pick up on for most newbs, yet it still holds those great tweaks for the rest of us. Plus it offers that in game move list when you pause the game.

Graphics- score:9-I dont exactly think that these graphics are going to blow you totally out of the water but they are plenty crisp and clear. They are kinda along the lines of DOA for the xbox yet a little more better. The frame rates are also very consistant never a slow down due to too much action.

Sound- score:10-The soundtrack for this game is really well. It has really good background music none of the tracks are too loud or too annoying like in most games. Also the voices from the characters are crisp and clear and none of them are annoying. This game also has some really good menu sounds that sound really powerful. This category seems very well covered.

Controls- score:10-This game has TERRIFIC controls! Which is saying alot for xbox. Very responsive controls. Plus all the controls are fully customizable. Movement is used with either the D-pad or the Analog stiic.

Gameplay- score:10-The game offer plenty of gameplay modes like Arcade, Vs., Survival, Time Attack, Team Battle, A really great new mode called Weapon Master Mode, where you can upgrade weapons, get extra character outfits, and unlock even more gameplay modes.

Story- score:7- What do you expect its a fighting game most of your story comes when you win or when you unlock new chapters in weapon master mode. All the endings I have seen so are decent though.

Replay Value- score:10-I am not a huge soul calibur fanatic and I barely played the first one never owned it. Lets just say I can't put the controller down you beat a challenge and you just want to keep going. This game has loads of features and when you beat that you still have a really awesome 2 player game. This game is a deffinte buyer if you don't believe me rent it for yourself and then you will see.

Closing Comments>
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS GAME TO EVERYONE!! I believe Namco did a fantastic job.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/06/03, Updated 05/06/03