SoulCalibur

"A great deal at ten dollars; sorely lacking some important modes"

SoulCalibur is a truly excellent fighting games; the combat is refined, the characters are interesting and unique, and the game looks fantastic (even now, nine years later). It's no surprise, then, that the HD port to Xbox 360 is also fantastic. SoulCalibur on Xbox 360 retains the entirety of its complex and engaging combat, characters, art gallery, etc. Unfortunately, it lacks both an online mode and the extremely enjoyable mission mode found in the Dreamcast version. While neither of these omissions cripple the core gameplay, they decrease the value of an otherwise excellent package.

Graphics

In 1999, SoulCalibur was unquestionably the best-looking game on any console, and probably including PC's as well. To this very day it rivals the better-looking fighting games in both character models and fluid animation. Hair flows freely in the wind; Xianghua gracefully and realistically twirls her blade, Maxi animates like Jet Li with a pair of nunchucks, etc. The arenas are gorgeously detailed as well, adding even more life to an already jaw-droppingly pretty game.

To be fair, SoulCalibur was a game that Sega fans around the globe used as concrete proof that the Dreamcast could combat the PS2 graphically, and had more Dreamcast games attempted to look as good as SoulCalibur, that claim would be more than valid. On the Xbox 360, the graphics have been bumped to 1080p, and unlike most 3D games, the increase in resolution did nothing but help the already amazing graphics.

Unfortunately, the game retains its fullscreen aspect ratio; opting for disappointing frame bars on either side of the picture. It's not terrible, but compared to how jaw-dropping the graphics are (especially for an XBLA game) it's a bit of a disappointment.

Sound

SoulCalibur has pretty epic music; all orchestrated, very operatic. The voicework is entirely in Japanese except for the announcer. It's your typical fighting game voicework, but truly excellent music.

Overall

While it lacks mission mode, SoulCalibur retains everything the mission mode unlocks (the art gallery, exhibition theater, secret characters, etc). Because of this, SoulCalibur still feels like a complete game and an absolute bargain if you love the combat system. The lack of online play certainly hurts, but it's pretty clear that NAMCO consciously chose to leave it out in order to promote SoulCalibur IV's online mode. A poor excuse for us consumers, but it still makes sense.

Overall, a great game and worth purchasing by any Xbox 360 owner.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/12/08

Game Release: SoulCalibur (US, 07/02/08)