This game proves better than almost any game that Namco's made that they know how to make a damn good fighter.

User Rating: 9 | SoulCalibur II GC
Well, I've just purchased a PS2. I got one so that I could play all the great games that I've missed over the years because I owned a Gamecube, that's not to say I didn't enjoy what games I had. I had Super Mario Sunshine, Super Monkey Ball, Resident Evil 4, and of course, Soul Calibur II. Over the years, the Soul series has added some new characters, character creation, and new game elements, yet I still see Soul Calibur II as the best game in the series (keep in mind, I have not yet played the original Soul Calibur or the former games.). What is it that makes this game so great? Let's take a closer look.

Story: There are nearly 20 different characters in the game. Every character's story is different, yet every story revolves around the Spirit Sword, Soul Calibur, and the Evil Sword, Soul Edge. Everyone's goal is different. Some are searching for Soul Edge or Soul Calibur, some are seeking the source of their problems, and some are looking for someone. Everyone's journey eventually leads to both their destined battle and a fight with Inferno (Destined Battles include, Mitsurugi vs. Taki, Raphael vs. Nightmare, Ivy vs. Cervantes, Yoshimitsu vs. Voldo, Maxi vs. Astaroth, Cassandra vs. Sophitia, Kilik vs. Xianghua, Yun-Seong vs. Talim, Seong-Mina vs. Yun-Seong, Necrid vs. Talim, and Link vs. Raphael.). The endings seem pretty varied. Link and Necrid both decide to leave the universe, Mitsurugi continues his quest to find the most powerful sword, Nightmare traps himself in a cave. To fully understand the endings, you have to watch them in the game or on Youtube.

Design: The game plays much like Tekken, except it uses weapons. It has the 8-way run, the juggling, all that's here. But in Soul Calibur, you have Air Control to prevent juggling. Guard Impact, which allows you to parry an attack and leave your opponent open. And you have Soul Charge, which makes your attacks more powerful among other things. The arenas vary by size, shape, and background. Some also have walls, while others just let you fall off. You have 3 attack buttons and a guard button. The attacks are horizontal, vertical, and kick. You also have throws, as per standard for fighters. Soul Calibur II's systems work well and make the game even more fun to play.

Gameplay: The characters all fit into one of four main categories: Long Range (Kilik, Ivy, Seong-Mina, Raphael?), Close Range (Yun-Seong, Talim, Cassandra, Link), Heavy Hitters (Nightmare, Necrid, Astaroth, Cervantes), and Fast and Furious (Mitsurugi, Taki, Maxi, Yoshimitsu.). Some have better range than others, some are better up close, some are faster or more powerful. I never really used the Soul Charge, but it can add effects such as piercing defenses, having stronger single strikes (Supposedly meaning non-combo attacks.), or having stronger guard Impact. There are several game modes including Arcade, Team Battle, Survival, and Weapon Master. Weapon Master is the game mode that you're likely to play the most, as you can unlock weapons and costumes through it. Weapon Master gives you a lot of fights with varying conditions, such as health draining, being drawn to the edge of the stage, or even earthquakes. There's also a one-hit kill survival mode, so it's basically like quick-draw. All the game modes and varied play styles lead to hours of enjoyment.

Presentation: The graphics look great for the time that this game was released. The characters are beautifully rendered, the backgrounds are vivid and filled with detail. The music, in most cases will fit a heated battle and a bloodbath. The music in Talim's stage is less fitting for a battle though. The voice work is also fantastic. Every character's voice acting is done well. The visuals and audio are fantastic.

Overall: 9.0
This game proves more than just about every game that Namco has made that they know damn well how to make an awesome fighter.
P.S. Mitsurugi is awesome, Talim is hot, and I'm getting SC3.