Back To Reviews
By Contributing Writer Jimmy Payne Rating: Awesome At first glance, one could easily think that Soul Calibur is just another fighting game with pretty graphics. Even though I consider myself a big fan of fighting games, I have to admit that at first I thought this, too. Fortunately, these pre-conceptions were thrown out the window the minute I started playing the game and discovered that its gameplay is just as magnificent as its graphics. Anyone can see that Soul Calibur's graphics are amazing. Even if you've seen every single screen shot of the game on the Internet, you'll be pleased to find that the graphics are even more spectacular than you thought. I could go on and on about Soul Calibur's graphics endlessly, but I think you get the point: This is one of the best-looking video games on the market. One thing that always worries me about a new fighting game is its control. Fortunately, Soul Calibur's lightning-fast response times mean that you'll never lose a match just because the control didn't respond quickly enough. You can also choose whether you want to control the game with the analog joystick or the d-pad, which is great for people who have trouble using one or the other. In addition, executing beautiful moves has never been easier than it is in Soul Calibur. For instance, stringing together breathtaking combos can be achieved from the moment you first pick up the controller. This means you won't need to have an annoying strategy guide/move list in your lap throughout the entire game. Being able to execute moves easily could be a major flaw if it were over-done, but Soul Calibur also has plenty of moves that are very hard to pull off. As a result, people who've been playing the game for a while and can pull off the tricky moves will always have an advantage over newcomers or button-mashers. Soul Calibur's play mechanics are so much more advanced than old fighting games like Mortal Kombat that it's almost scary. Some people I have spoken to say that they aren't going to buy the Dreamcast version of Soul Calibur because they had already played the game and beaten it in the arcade, but this is no excuse to miss out on the Dreamcast version. Besides the eye-popping graphics (which are actually better than the arcade version's), there are so many other things the console version gives you that the arcade version doesn't. For example, the Dreamcast version of the game has a lot more replay value than the arcade version thanks to the wide variety of hidden things there are to unlock. I especially like the hidden combat arenas, which weren't just thrown together quickly and really show the time and effort that went into this game's development. You also avoid all those punks who throw in two quarters to challenge you right before you’re about to fight the final boss (who is one of the best fighting game bosses in a long time, by the way). All in all, you'll be getting a different and ultimately better experience if you play Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast. Soul Calibur is the best fighting game I have ever played, and considering all the great fighting games that have been released over the years, that's saying a lot. Send your thoughts on this review to jimmy@mastergamer.com
© 2001 ivan@mastergamer.com