Soul Calibur

Publisher : Namco

Developer : Namco

Released : August 1999

Genre : Fighter

Language : Japanese (Options in english)

System : Dreamcast

Just when I thought things couldn't get any stranger in the industry, Namco announced that it will develop Soul Calibur for Sega's current system, the Dreamcast. While Soul Calibur and Soul Edge weren't nearly as popular as the Tekken series, they did amass a sizeable following during their short stint at the arcades. For that reason I would have thought that Namco would never port such a title to their supposed biggest rival in the arcade industry. However it seems they did. Not just is Soul Calibur a showcase for the Dreamcast's graphics capabilities, but also an indicator of what awaits us in the future. That is if Namco continues to make decent games for the system.

Gameplay 9.0 -I may get chastised for saying this somewhere down the line, but I will anyway. Soul Calibur is not a button masher. Anyone who thinks this game is a dial-a-combo extravaganza obviously hasn't taken more than two minutes to learn a single character. While I'll admit that some characters have easily executable techniques that can be found by just experimenting with the pad, that in no way says the game is a button masher. A beginner who only knows three simple combos or so wouldn't stand a chance in hell against an expert. With that said I'll move on. Soul Calibur retains some gameplay aspects from it's predecessor. The most immediately noticible elements being the weapon based combat, the functions of the buttons, and some of the old moves for the returning cast. However, several things from the first game have also been abandoned. The most evident of these being the power gauge that used to be under a character's lifebar. In Soul Calibur, a player can block attacks endlessly and no longer be worried about their weapon being flung from their hands. Because of the loss of the meter there are also no more critical edge techniques. Instead Namco has decided to give each individual fighter more move variety. While at first I feared that the lack of the meter would promote even more defensive gameplay than the first game, I discovered that there are ways to pressure an opponent effectively. This is mainly due to the new 8 way run system that was incorporated into the game. Unlike Soul Edge's mostly useless sidestep, the 8 way run reacts with enough time that it can be used to avoid incoming attacks, or more importantly to work your way around the opponent and hit them from the side or behind. If a player chooses to fight head on there are still ways to pressure an opponent. These include unblockable moves(kind of slow though), or simply pushing them outside of the ring's boundaries. A player who is defending themselves can also do something beyond blocking. This is known as the parry. When a character parries an opponent's attack the opponent is left wide open for a spilt second. Typically thats more than enough time to execute a throw or a hard hitting attack. Soul Calibur also borrows something from Tekken 3 in that a character can charge up briefly giving their hits the temporary ability to make all their blows land as counters. This makes it far easier to dish out heavy damage, do large juggles, or knock an opponent out of the ring. There is a variation to this charge as well. The variant basically makes most of the character's attacks unblockables for a very brief period. Lastly, many of the old returning cast have multiple new techniques. These range from new combos to different fighting stances which open up another set of moves. As an added bonus the Dreamcast version also has moves that weren't to be found even in the arcade version. The new moves really help to balance out some characters who were thought to be on the weak side in the coin-op. One such example is Ivy, who was formally an effective fighter only in the hands of a veteran Soul Calibur player. While she is still difficult to use effectively, she definitely has an easier time trying to win than in the arcade version. Even characters who had mostly similar moves like Sophitia and Lizard Man have some new stuff to further them apart and make them unique. And for fans of the first game, the last boss from Soul Edge, Cervantes has returned with a slew of new moves as well. As everyone has come to expect from Namco, Soul Calibur also sports several home only modes. Of course there are the old staples, Survival mode, Team battle mode, Practice mode, and Time Attack. But now there is also a series of tests called Mission Battle. In Mission Battle a player chooses a character and fights a series of bouts with preset conditions. These can range from having to defeat multiple enemies to fighting with a handicap. Each victory in this mode will earn you points which can be used to unlock artwork hidden within the game. So far I have gathered a massive 338 high res stills of character art. This has to be the most extensive collection of pictures I've seen in a game, even surpassing Phantasy Star Collection's lofty gallery in size. Besides the art, new costumes can be unlocked, as well as several other new modes. The most interesting ones in my opinion being the kata viewing mode, and the introduction edit feature. This is the first game I've played where I could actually control who I want in the intro. A novelty at best, I know, but still interesting. For those that have a modem there is an internet mode too. Unfortunately this doesn't allow players to challenge each other over the phone lines. It only works for uploading or downloading files related to the game.

Graphics 10.0 -This is the most beautifully rendered game I've ever seen on a home system, period. Namco proves that if a company takes their time, they can produce even more amazing imagery with the Dreamcast hardware. Soul Calibur makes Virtua Fighter 3 seem like a pale shadow. The characters are filled with personality, and the backgrounds are far more interesting. There is everything here from indian style architecture to traditional japanese houses, streaming rivers, and even a psychedelic color filled void. For the nitpicky player(me) there are dozens of small touches. Things such as leaves rustling as they fly through the air, the rats scurrying around the floors of the money pit, and the ice cold breeze that makes the characters' breath show in Sophitia's stage. The backgrounds themselves are mostly three dimensional, although I did spot some 2-D elements here and there. Namco did a wonderful job of masking what isn't polygonal though. Light sourcing is abundant as well. The various weapons will glow and leave streaks behind during battle, depending on the stage shadows will cast on the ground differently, and the characters will be shaded or lit to show how the light is being shined on them. Unlike in most other Dreamcast games I've seen though, Soul Calibur light sources in realtime. As if all this wasn't enough, the clothing moves seamlessly and realistically. The models don't have any real noticible joints either. And everyone has numerous realtime facial expressions, not simply drawn on textures that give the illusion of a mouth being modeled.

Sound 8.0 -This is the only area where Soul Calibur falls a bit short. The sound effects are well done. They come across loud and clear without getting cut off. The music on the other hand was a bit of a disappointment to me. While the soundtrack is good in it's own right, it doesn't really ever become as enjoyable as the tunes in Soul Blade for the psx. Namco didn't include an alternate bgm selection or arranged tracks either, so this is all essentially the same music from the arcade. Don't let this fool you into thinking the music is crap. It just isn't as good as the sound in the first game.

Story Line 6.5 -I've said it once and I'll say it again. Who plays a fighter for a detailed storyline anyway? There is a story here though and it is more convoluted than the plotlines in the Street Fighter series, but probably not as good as the back story for the King of Fighters games.

Control 9.0 -This is about as good as it gets. The game has very responsive reaction to the Dreamcast stick. Any combos I could pull off in the arcade, I could do here with minimal fuss. Even the Dreamcast stock pad which is already known to be horrible for fighting games holds it's own. I personally prefer the stick though, but either peripheral is adequate to play the game well. For those who have a puru puru pack, the rumbling effect from the game is fairly impressive. When you get hit hard, the rumbling reflects it pretty damn well.

Overall 9.0 -This is one of the best games I have ever played. I can easily reccomend this to anyone who owns or is planning to buy an import Dreamcast. In fact, I think this game is more impressive than House of the Dead 2 or Sonic Adventure in overall presentation. Anyone who likes a decent fighter and is willing to practice enough to explore the depth of this game will not be disappointed. So if you have an import Dreamcast and are thinking of buying this game, go get it! The only big drawback is that the Mission Battle mode is all in japanese. Anyone who doesn't have a decent understanding of the language may be stumped without help, but I'm certain that there will be at least a mini faq for that sooner or later. If the language barrier doesn't scare you off, then I don't see any reason for not purchasing this gem of a game. Besides, the basic options screen is completly in english.