Soulcalibur II review

Link, I think - you should go down in history!

If a reason were needed as to why to choose the ‘Cube version of Soulcalibur II over the PS2 or Xbox versions, here it is: Link. Yes, the fabled pointy-eared, skirt wearing pixie is here, in a Namco game, ready to beat the heck out of all comers. And this time, even, he's not all Disneyfied, big eyed and cartoon-gestured, no: this is the adult link from Ocarina of Time - all ready to bash the hell out of other characters with names resembling Scandinavian automobiles.

In fact, to be fair, Link's moves aren't much of a match for characters like Chinese princess Xianghuia or suave swordsmith Raphael, also selectable from the start of the game. Yeah, you can shoot arrows, fire bombs, and (later on) use the Megaton Hammer to try to squash opposing combatants into submission, but even bearing in mind you get to hear the glorious Zelda theme in its full orchestral glory, the novelty soon palls and you yearn for a character without Link’s defensive weaknesses.

A tale of souls and swords

You get the impression that Ivy doesn't like men much.

The thing is, though, even if Link wasn't in this, it would still be an outstanding game. The depth and complexity of this game is astonishing. At times, true, it can be a real button basher, as you fumble with the controller and the (frankly) confusing manual. However, as with any beat ‘em-up, you learn by experience and it soon becomes clear that you don't need fourteen fingers to be able to be in command of the game. A thumb on the control stick and a couple of fingers hovering over the A, B, X and Y buttons ready to clobber them in diverse configurations easily suffices. The C stick can automatically produce various combinations, but can feel a little redundant. It's honestly just easier (and often more satisfying) just to pound and see what happens.

To start with, it's tempting just to dive into Arcade mode and battle. Which is what I did, and I got badly whupped within about 10 seconds by the AI opponent. Let's not beat around the bush, these guys are tough, although the difficulty level is selectable on the options menu - it's "normal" by default, and you might want to stick it on "easy" until you've got the hang
of how things work.

Hit me baby, one more time

Voldo is just about the freakiest chracter ever in a video game.

What’s probably better is to start off in the story mode, named "Weapon Master". This leads you gently through a tutorial mode - initially, at least - although you'll probably need your game manual to hand as you try to figure out just which button is B. Confusingly, it's actually the Y button. One of the hazards of multi-platform games, I guess, but it would have been nice to have a little Nintendo customisation.

As Weapon Master develops, though, it takes you through a slowly-increasing difficulty level as you work your way through various levels to try to... well, the story's a bit vague, to be truthful, and who's truly interested in the story in a beat ‘em-up anyway? All anyone really wants is carnage, and Soulcalibur II delivers well in this respect. The levels in Weapon Master are well thought out and often a genuine and extremely frustrating challenge. As you advance in this mode, you gain EXP points and fighting classes, but you also accumulate gold with which you can buy new weapons and, if you wish, outfits for the characters. You'll find that these weapons add greater depth to the attacks - Raphael's Schweizer sword, for example, gives him a much greater reach, enabling him to cut through defences and cause shocking damage to his opponent.

The soul still burns

My, what a big sword you've got.

It takes a while to become used to the diverse characters. Obviously each has their own strengths and weaknesses (and some females will be the favourites of young males, for quite obvious aesthetic reasons...) and it's quite time-consuming to work out the differing attacks for each player. This is partly where Soulcalibur II's depth lies; with (probably, if the character selection screen is anything to go by) twenty-three playable figures, a passable performance with each takes a while to master, and you'll need to use a variety of different characters to be able to progress through Weapon Master mode.

Whether a beat ‘em-up stands or falls depends though mostly on its multiplayer modes. Vs. mode on SoulCalibur II is a simple, two-players-beat-the-mush-out-of-each-other, deal and it's easy to pick up. It's possible to handicap one or both players, depending on their skill level, although it would have been good to see an option which could do this automatically depending on the number of wins a player has had, similar to Super Smash Bros. Melee. It's a fine line deciding a tactic to win on this: whether to go for a superior combo-based approach or whether to sock the buttons and hope for the best. Sadly it's too easy to get a result using the latter method.

Have at you!

Raphael is probably the best new character.

The graphics on the game are smooth and fluid throughout. There are no noticeable jaggies and the lighting effects are stunning on occasion - watch Cervantes charging up some of his attacks and you'll be amazed by the crackling electricity effects. A pleasing glow follows the trajectory of the weapons and you'll be staggered by some of the backgrounds, but not bothered by over-busy arenas, which are wide and open, yet beautifully detailed. From time to time, especially if two characters are in full flight, you might notice the odd bit of jerkiness if using the 50Hz mode, but this seems to be taken care in the 60Hz mode. Sometimes, though, it seems as if the camera can get a little lost and your character suddenly has their back to the opponent. The sound is atmospheric (although some of the in-game music can seem rather repetitive) and there's a nice touch, buried deep in the options menu, which allows the game characters to speak in Japanese, lending very much a mystical martial arts movie theme to proceedings.

While Soulcalibur II can in no way claim to be groundbreaking, this is a game of precision and depth. It will provide a serious challenge to even hardened beat ‘em-uppers, while still being accessible to newcomers. It's frustrating that a few rough edges - the camera and the somewhat fiddly controls - weren't smoothed out for the home version but, nevertheless, it's the best beat-em-up on the ‘Cube since Super Smash Bros. Melee and streets ahead of any opposition.