Soul Calibur 2: Hop Aboard the Soul Train

The Sega Dreamcast had its lifespan cut short after the release of the current generation of home consoles. Among other things, however, it had one compelling reason to keep it from collecting dust in the closet even after Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft kicked it to the curb, and that was Soul Calibur. One of the most popular fighting games of its time, Soul Calibur was incredibly easy to pick up and play, yet deep enough to keep the attention of even the most seasoned fighting game player. The weapons-based combat was also unique, and made each character remarkably different even when not executing their unique attacks. Basically, we could take Soul Calibur out in the dorm room and play for hours on end without getting bored, and anyone could have a turn and have fun. In fact, there was one memorable gaming session where my girlfriend (now wife) played for the first time, and took on five or so straight contenders without trying very hard at all.

So naturally, when Namco took four years to release a sequel, gamers with fond memories of the original began foaming at the mouth. After all, the only next-gen system to host a Soul Calibur game was the defunct Dreamcast, so owners of current systems could only sit and wait for the sequel before they would have any Soul Calibur goodness to enjoy. Finally, the wait was over, and Soul Calibur 2 was released for all three next-gen systems, each featuring an exclusive character. But was it worth the wait for anxious gamers?

Well, if your motto is, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” then Soul Calibur 2 is the perfect game for you. If, however, you are expecting that four years would produce a revolutionary entry in the series that would be the best fighting game ever made, then you might be a tad disappointed.

Soul Calibur 2 is bigger and prettier than its predecessor, but it really doesn’t do much to move the series forward. Everything that made the original great is still here and improved, but there is very little that is new to the series, and even the things that are new seem more toned down than perhaps they should be.

The most noticeable difference is in the character set. While there are several new characters, with the notable exception of Link, most of the new characters are either very similar to other characters or simply older characters in new clothing. Cassandra, for example, is simply Sophitia with shorter hair, and Charade is Weapon Master, only uglier. Granted, there is only so much that can be done to make new characters, but with four years to work on the game, one would think that Namco could be a bit more creative. Of course, with 15 initially selectable characters, as well as eight unlockable characters (including old favorites like Sophitia and Sueng Mina), even if some characters are palette swaps of other characters, there are enough variations that it’s not a terrible offense.

Speaking of characters, however, a review of the GameCube version of Soul Calibur 2 would not be complete without mention of the most anticipated new character to the game, Link. Our favorite citizen of Hyrule is represented in all his glory, and seems remarkably similar, believe it or not, to his likeness in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Link is more of an average character on the surface, but he is also given access to a number of his more popular weapons, being the bow, the boomerang, and bombs. Those weapons aren’t completely intuitive to use since they each require activating a certain stance which is very easy to switch out of, but he’s just as much fun to play with as I imagined he would be.

The combat itself is fairly unchanged from the original with a few enhancements as well. The weapon-based combat we all know and love is back in all its glory, and anyone who played the original Soul Calibur should be able to pick up the sequel and play as soon as they get acclimated to the new controller. The main new feature in the combat system is that some stages have walls which can be used to a fighter’s advantage; a fighter can slam an opponent against the wall and then perform a lengthy combo against the disabled foe. It’s an interesting idea, but there just aren’t enough stages that feature walls for this to be a significant addition.

As far as the stages themselves are concerned, the actual environments are much more detailed than those of the original Soul Calibur. While the arenas are still more or less variations on the standard fighting octagons from the original (albeit now with a wall tossed in here and there for good measure), the animated backgrounds and level of detail really make each stage feel completely different. Even more important than the aesthetics, the arenas seem bigger than they used to be, which make Ring Out wins slightly less frequent, but still very possible.

As far as the modes go, there are all the different ways to play that one would expect: Arcade, Versus, Time Attack, Survival, and Team Battle all return from the original game. There is, of course, a mission mode as well, this time called Weapon Master Mode. Much like the original, you are presented with a world map and a series of missions to complete in each land. In addition to earning experience and gold for each mission, you can also unlock different modes and some selectable characters. Weapon Master Mode is definitely the centerpiece of Soul Calibur 2 in terms of single player, as it has at least 50 missions that gradually increase in difficulty so as to keep the player engaged even as their skills improve. The actual missions are nicely varied as well, changing the battle conditions, and even including missions where you go double or nothing with each successive battle (which is a holdover from the original) and levels where you have to navigate a dungeon, fighting enemies in each room (which is new to Soul Calibur 2).

Earning gold in Weapon Master Mode is also the only way to unlock one of the other new features of Soul Calibur 2, which is the additional weapon selection for each character. Instead of art cards which you could spend your gold on in the original, each area in Weapon Master Mode’s world map has a shop in which you can purchase an array of different weapons for each character (around 200 in all), each with its own attributes, like slower but more powerful, more inclined to perform Guard Breaks, etc. This, more than anything else, adds a new level of depth to the game, as the different weapons change the characters just slightly, so instead of just 24 characters, you can have 200 character variations.

The biggest concern that I had coming into Soul Calibur 2 for the GameCube, of course, was how the game would control. After all, the GameCube controller is not known for friendliness toward fighting games, and while I was prepared to deal with the pain in order to be able to play with Link, I certainly was expecting the worst. Surprisingly, however, I found the GameCube controller well suited for Soul Calibur 2. Since the three main attack buttons are set to A, X, and Y, which are all clustered together, it is very easy to press them together for special moves. The only button not within easy reach is the block button (set to B by default), and the only button combo that that makes difficult is the vertical attack and guard throw move (Y + B). That’s easily avoided by assigning one of the buttons that isn’t used (L, R, or Z are good choices) to execute that button combination. The game also sets some common button combinations to directional presses on the C-Stick, but I found that to be less than convenient, since it required removing my thumb from the face buttons for a split second in order to use it. Overall, though, with a very small amount of customization, I found the GameCube controller extremely natural to play with. Basically, if the control is keeping you from getting the GameCube version over the Xbox or PS2 versions, rest assured, control is not an issue here.

Graphically, Soul Calibur 2 is at least as impressive as one would expect, if not more so. The characters all move fluidly and with no perceivable slowdown, and all the combat animations are gorgeous. The backgrounds are teeming with detail and completely add to the engaging experience. The only graphical glitch that I noticed is that walls have a tendency to vanish as you get close to them. It’s not a big deal, really, but it does somewhat ruin the suspension of disbelief, especially when you’re performing a wall combo and the wall is no longer there. Other than this minor flaw, though, Soul Calibur 2 is absolutely breathtaking visually.

The game’s sound is equally impressive. There is a fairly good variety of orchestrated background tracks that set the mood rather well. None of them, however, compare to the orchestrated version of the theme from The Legend of Zelda, which I daresay surpasses even the version included in Super Smash Bros. Melee. I was actually moved the first time I heard it, battling in a temple with Link as my character. Sound effects are excellent as well, with every clash of weapons making an appropriate clang, as well as the various sounds of bodies hitting walls and the ground. The voice acting is also surprisingly well done; those characters that speak do so convincingly, and even the cheesy announcer who spouts melodramatic introductions before each battle sounds decent. (Of course, he no longer says, “But the soul still burns…”)

As a total package, there are really two ways to judge Soul Calibur 2. On its own, Soul Calibur 2 is easily the best fighting game available right now, and possibly one of the ten best games currently available for the GameCube. If you haven’t played the original, stop reading and go to the store already; you won’t be disappointed at all.

On the other hand, as a sequel, Soul Calibur 2 seems to only take baby steps to improve the series beyond the original. Most of the characters are the same or similar, the combat system is essentially unchanged, and even a number of the missions in Weapon Master mode are easily recognizable as carry-overs from the original. That said, since the original Soul Calibur doesn’t exist for the GameCube, that fact really doesn’t hurt the game all that much. Even if Soul Calibur 2 was a reissue of Soul Calibur with improved graphics, a la Resident Evil, it would probably be worth picking up, and even more so with the incremental improvements and the addition of Link as a playable character.

That said, Soul Calibur 2 deserves to be in your GameCube collection. Even if you’ve never played the original, even if you’re not a huge fan of fighting games, Soul Calibur 2 is an excellent game that deserves, at the very least, a rental. (Chances are you’ll be off to the store to buy it before the rental period is up anyway.) It may not have the level of improvement that one would expect from a four-year hiatus, but Soul Calibur 2 is well worth the purchase price.

The announcer may not say it any more, but I will: The Soul Still Burns.