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Review: Soul Calibur The first thing that will catch everyone's eye is the breathtaking graphic beauty that abounds on the screen. From the swaying band on Xianghua's sword to the rustling leaves on the ground in Kilik's stage, no other game demonstrates the power of the DC as well as SC. Namco also created some of the most convincing animation to ever grace a videogame screen. You will cringe as the lumbering Astaroth delivers an onslaught with his axe, and gasp as the nimble Taki slashes her opponent with her twin daggers.
Fortunately, the gameplay in SC is as good as the graphics. Each character has a very distinct fighting style which requires different strategies. The agile characters require a bit of hit-and-run, while the bigger guys must pick their moves wisely, since it takes a longer time to execute them. You also have a few counters at your disposal, which can be the difference between winning and losing. Sure, it's no Virtua Fighter, but it's satisfying enough. The only thing that could have been added in would be weapon clashes, but that's a small niggle.
Sound is not an area that is given too much attention in fighting games, but SC is at least a cut-above average. The music is great medieval-type stuff, and the sound effects are spot on. All is not well, however. The announcer is back from Soul Blade, and after hearing, "This battle strengthens the soul..." for the thousandth time, you'll beg to turn it off. Another small quirk is the Japanese sub-titles. They sound great, but Sophitia looks more Greek than Japanese. Once again, a nit-pick, but if Namco made each of the characters speak their native language, the horrible announcer would be more than forgiven. Namco is known for throwing in tons of extras into their home ports, and SC is no exception. The mission mode from Soul Blade is back, and cooler than ever. Objectives in these missions are great, varying from not being able to see your opponent's weapon to having your health drained by poison. Beating these missions gives you credits, which can be used to unlock an amazing art gallery full of concept art, CGI renderings, and other cool stuff. Some cards even unlock things like new stages, character outfits, or game modes. Believe me, you'll be playing SC for quite a while.
Is SC perfect? Well... pretty much, actually. Unless fighting games are not your cup of java, you'll be very pleased with this game. Have a few friends who like fighting games? Perfect. The multiplayer mode will keep this game spinning in your DC for a long time. Hell, even if you don't like fighting games, you should try SC. This game could change your mind.
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