Namco fighting game console ports are always worth looking forward to. Stacks of extras, game and audio-visual enhancements … they’re always such wonderful, professional packages, and SCII is no exception.

Fans of the Soul series of games have always been treated very well when it comes to home conversions. Remember Soul Blade, with it’s mission-based Edge Master mode, glut of play modes, two arranged soundtracks and (oh god) incredible CG intro?

Or how about Soul Calibur, the exclusive Dreamcast western launch title that was the very definition of that horrid buzz-phrase, the “killer app”? With a shockingly in-depth training mode and the mediocre System22 graphics engine totally overhauled to absolutely stunning effect - SC was a game that embittered DC fans took great delight in rubbing in the faces of new PS2 owners as being visually superior to anything on Sony’s brand new console. And it was true. And remained true for at least three weeks.

Soul Calibur II probably won’t be a system seller on it’s own, but it is still effortlessly, consummately excellent - so much effort and love has been poured in that I just don’t think it’s possible not to reciprocate.

This review looks at the PS2 version. I have to say I was a little sceptical about the game running on the PS2. It’s a powerful console … but things have moved on, and SCII makes such freat use of space and size and detail - I was unsure whether or not it would be able to cope. It almost does — admittedly it has problems, but they’re certainly nothing to dissuade a potential purchaser, which is what you all should be.

The console release was also the first time I’d ever played the game (new games at arcades intimidate me) - and it’s the first time I’ve ever really written about it, so this can be considered my ‘general’ review of the thing.

SCII kicks off just the way it should do, with the Namco logo, the clang of steel and a beautiful CG intro. Straight away it’s clear that life is going to be good - presentation is top-notch, the game itself eminently customisable, and supports nifty things like surround sound (Dolby Pro Logic only though) and widescreen televisions. It’s also got that really funky thing where you can position all the elements of the HUD how you want them for maximum free screen area.

And when you peel off the peripheral layers of awesomeness, you find more awesomeness underneath. The whole SC mythos is one I’ve always been fond of - I find the mish-mash of historical and mythological concepts the games are set against - this medieval-cum-feudal Japan-cum-Pirates of the Caribbean-cum-ancient Greek myth-cum-stain atmosphere to be a fascinating and wholly engaging backdrop for a fighting game.

And what a fighting game. Unlike some of the other ‘weapon’ fighting games that have come and gone (mostly gone) over the years - SCII picks up where it’s predecessor left off and manages to use the weapons in such a way that brandishing a sword isn’t like having a punch with longer range, it’s actually like a sword, or spear or what-have-you.

Basic controls remain the same. A block button, horizontal and vertical attack buttons, and a general all-purpose “kick”.

The main change to the game itself is the Eight Way Run. It’s similar to how it worked in the first game, but unlike said game, the directional input is solely dedicated to movement. In SC1, all crouching directions made you, well, crouch, and you had to hold left/right/up to ‘activate’ the 8WR before you could move down. To jump and duck in the sequel requires quick-fingered use of the Guard button, held in tandem with the relevant direction. It makes ducking instantly a bit tricky for a while, but on the (considerable) upside ensures that this game has by far the most complete, deepest and most firmly integrated three-dimensional combat I have ever seen. It makes sense really - though I don’t know if it was planned this way from the start - a game that assigns its attacks into either horizontal or vertical planes is the ideal candidate for a game of this ilk.

While its 3D fighter peers have so far managed to implement what I tend to think of as “almost free stepping” and “Seven And A Half Way Running” - the combat and design always falling a little short of what I feel a “real” 3D fighting game should be - here, from the very second you start playing it, it’s clear that the whole game is built around this concept. Characters circle one another with grace and ease, they dash in, step out; they bob, weave, dodge, run and jump with a level of flexibility and an intricacy of implementation never seen before. Suddenly the versatility of the attacks and attack strings that have always existed - the delays, the guard cancelling, the high/low canned combo mixups … suddenly they all come into play in ways only hinted at in previous versions.

As someone totally new to the game until the PS2 version (playing new games in arcades scares me) - this 8WR business was a little intimidating at first. I initially would play in a very ‘2D’ fashion - just walking back and forth, blocking, attacking and so on. It actually takes a little while for the upgrades in mobility to really sink in - to realise that while big fat guy #28 is drawing back his enormous weapon - instead of just blocking or running away, it is entirely possible to walk round the side of him, so the arc of the strike will miss you entirely, and leave him exposed.

It can be frustrating; bashing out AABK combos by rote, and then realising that the other player stepped out of the way on the initial ‘A’, leaving you slashing away at nothing, painfully vulnerable. Also, playing the slower, more powerful characters against a step-happy opponent is initially a bit annoying too. However, when it finally hits home, falls into place - it’s a glorious experience.

The fighting in the first Soul Calibur was great, and this added freedom of movement, plus the improved aesthetics, speed and style just takes it even further - makes it something so fantastic, so satisfying, so visceral and expertly expressed, it’s really evocative of how one might expect FANTASY WEAPONS FIGHTING to actually be.

I defy anyone to play this, to block a hammering, punishing series of strikes, sparks arcing from their weapon, and then to push forward and launch into their own attacks, to duck a swinging staff, narrowly sidestep a battle axe, stick a sword in someone’s chest - and come away unimpressed. It just can’t be done! It all comes down to how it’s executed - and everything, the graphics and sound, the weight and feel of the characters, the collision routines - unite to create something that is absolutely fantastic.

Make no mistake, though, this is a 3D fighter in all senses of the word and that includes the immense move lists and dastardly learning curve. You have to put a hell of a lot of work into this to do anything, really. Knowledge of all the characters, their speeds and ranges, moves, combos etc. is a must. The game is as much about knowing your enemy, knowing what they can do, what they will do as it is about your own character.

Namco have helpfully added three extra columns to each character’s vast move list detailing ‘main’, ‘power’ and ‘quick’ moves - the basic essentials really, meaning you can just flick through these and then wade in swinging without having to sift through the regular lists. It’s quite a useful addition, although there were a few times where it turned out that Namco’s idea of a useful move differed from mine, and going through the main list is essential in the long run,

Despite this it can still be ever so disheartening at times. There have been several points where I lost and lost and lost and just thought “surely I should be good at this by now!” - and it’s heart-rending to spend two hours in the training mode and then come out to realise you’ve forgotten everything you just went through. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe not. But if you do make the effort, my god is it ever worth it. The slow dawning light when you realise you know how to block this, how to sidestep that … how to repel this, it’s a wonderful feeling. I’m still an extremely average player, and I doubt I’ll ever get much better - but I’m so glad I went the extra mile with it, and if you’re after something that requires a whole lot of focus and effort - this is most definitely it.

Other changes to the engine from the previous game include an altered Guard Impact system, Soul Charge while moving, far more characters with multiple stances and the introduction of walls and far more irregularly-shaped arenas. And yes, ring-outs are still very possible indeed.

Looking through the game menus, it’s clear that SCII is mode heaven (as a deaf Super Nintendo fan would say). Pretty much everything you could want to do with fighting game characters can be done here.

Weapon Master mode - the story-led, challenged based subgame returns once more, this time more like the SB version - where the missions provided money for new weapons and costumes, than the purely ‘unlockables’-grabbing fun of SC1. It’s a fun diversion and adds a lot of lasting appeal, but I still prefer playing the actual arcade mode - the whole ‘buying new and wacky stat altered weapons’ thing just doesn’t do it for me, in the same way that any ‘customisable’ fighting game doesn’t. I’ll always prefer playing it properly.

WMM seems a lot easier that the incarnations of past Soul games. There are a couple of missions that are hard, but I’ve beaten the entire thing, and never once came across anything near the horror of some of the EMM modes, that took me 50+ tries to beat.

As you make progress in the game, in Weapon Master mode - all sorts of background information comes to light though endings, unlockable profiles and other details … this is the thing I always come back to, how much seemingly insignificant detail and effort has been put into making this game. And it’s this sort of thing that makes me feel appreciated, and makes me want to put effort back in, as a kind of thank you.

Here we have a fighting game where the stages you fight on are not only named, but come complete with their own background and history. The characters have biographies, you can examine them, you can listen to their voice samples, find out who voiced them … you can watch their endings (once you beat the game with them) - make them do those funky weapon exhibitions, look at artwork of them … it is so great to be able to access all this stuff.

Talking of both intense effort and getting to know your character - the game allows you to choose between English and Japanese voice acting, with the additional option of subtitles for all intro/win quotes. The changes are far-reaching, as many of the moves and exclamations have been overdubbed. In all it’s a pretty thorough and well-done job. There are a couple of instances where the original voice crops up and it’s noticeable that it’s not the same person (some of Taki’s exertion sounds, for example) - but on the whole it is an admirable attempt.

And surprisingly, some of the English voices are pretty great themselves - Cassandra is such a wondrously spunky little girl, Taki is all stern and matronly, Ivy is a splendidly English superbitch - a sort of hellish Lara Croft; the big scary guys are … big and scary. It’s the more ‘normal’ characters that suffer the most, all sounding somewhat generically ‘heroic’, dull and largely interchangeable.

However it’s Yoshimitsu that really cements the deal. His voice is absolutely brilliant. He sounds like a theatrically-trained, elderly, gay English stage actor… and although it doesn’t sound that great in print, actually seeing him in action, and combining it with his medieval harlequin-esque appearance… it’s just perfect. This is, as far as I’m concerned, THE definitive Yoshimitsu incarnation.

Now I’ve given both a voice options a fair listen to, and I actually prefer the English version. The Japanese dialect may be more accurate, and better acted (laughs in the dub all sound so forced) - but the English track adds this marvellous theatrically camp feel to proceedings. It’s kind of contrary to my usual ‘purist’ stance on such things, but it just makes things more fun. And that’s what this is all about, really.

SCII sees a number of new characters introduced. First of all there’s Cassandra. Cassandra is the sort of character who inspires declarations of love from lonely internet users. “Greek warrior maiden” Sophitia Alexandra’s younger, more in-your-face cute sister, who comes off as a sort of Hellenic Hitomi, but plays fundamentally similar to big sis Sophie.

Then there’s Talim the regulation underaged combo-machine cutie, Yunsung the obvious Hwang replacement, Raphael the French (I ask you!) fencing noble, and Necrid the er … crap. He’s an exclusive console-only character, designed by our old friend Todd McFarlane - a kind of green alien/orc/monster guy with a big light on his chest and the handy ability to conjure melee weapons out of nowhere. He comes off as not only a character who belongs in Tao Feng, but as a very uninspired character to actually fight with.

Fortunately there are far more fragrant home console-only characters to play with, in the form of SE/SC favourites Seung Mina and Sophitia. Bless you, Namco.

Much has also been made of the platform-specific “exclusive” characters. For the benefit of any recently-thawed Nazi war criminals reading - the Gamecube version has the ‘Zelda’ series’ Link selectable, the X-Box version has Todd McFarlane’s comic anti-hero Spawn and the PS2 has Tekken’s - Heihachi; hurled back through time after cutting himself on a shard of the Soul Edge sword and doing what we’d all do when faced with such an opportunity for cultural and historical enlightenment, ie punching people in the face.

According to the text in his bio, Heihachi is familiar with the legend of the cursed sword, in other words, for the purpose of this game, both Tekken and the Soul series take place in the same world - which is interesting.

As a character to use, I found him fairly dull - he looks the part, wearing natty wrist gauntlets to prevent the inconveniences generally associated with trying to stop two-tonne axes with your arm … but playing him just didn’t work for me. He’s got most of his more recognisable moves, but the speed and power he overwhelmed with in his native series just doesn’t impress when the other characters are all mammoth monsters with intercontinental reach. He’s a novel addition yes, but at the same time a somewhat unsatisfying one.

The end boss of the game is, somewhat anticlimactically “Inferno” once again - for reasons I can’t quite fathom. Just like before, he’s a walking nifty graphical showcase covering up the somewhat tawdry truth - he’s yet another “composite” character in a game that has a couple too many for my liking.

The actual fight against him is a little more interesting. Covering just a single round, it starts off with him as one character, and when you take off a third of his lifebar you get a brief cutscene and then he’s another, and then another at 1/3 and then he’s dead.

I found him a tough fight at first — he takes a lot less damage than anyone else, and refuses to be juggled with the same ease everyone else does. The raging fire on the ground doesn’t help either, often obscuring the fight, DOA3 boss-style.

It’s probably the only occasion where you will be fighting against the visuals, because everywhere else in the game they are spectacular.

It looks gorgeous. Incredible even. There are several areas where I was actually surprised at what the PS2 was putting out. Some of the levels are huge, and massively detailed, with a wonderful eye for art and aesthetics. The game’s more fantastical theme sees Egyptian burial tombs, hidden pirate caves, ruined churches and Japanese fortresses alongside one another, arenas of varied shape and size, some with walls, some without - all useful in defeating your opponent.

The characters look similarly impressive. Lots of detail, lots of neat touches. Absolutely loads of details on costumes and weapons, faces have moving eyes, eyebrows and mouths. Mouth movement matches both the English and Japanese speech impressively well.

On an even more interesting note, we can hasten to assume that whatever is in the water at Tecmo HQ has now contaminated Namco’s offices, because quite frankly: bosoms.

Take a look at Taki’s classic 1P outfit, the infamous skin-tight red catsuit. No longer restricted to the traditional ‘up-down’ bounce, her vast lady-bumps sway and tilt realistically as she moves, reacting to gravity and inertia in just the way I’ve always wanted them to. Add to that the highly prominent nipples and … it’s quite a sight, leagues above what has so far been seen in even the Dead or Alive games. With SCII, Namco have done no less than raise the bar in the field of the polygon depiction of female breasts. Well, it certainly raised my bar.

The CG intro mentioned earlier is great, too. It has action-packed bits, sexy bits, creepy bits, all conveyed with some of the most solid, detailed CGI I’ve ever seen in a game. As someone who bitterly missed the presence of such an intro in the first Soul Calibur, this makes me a very happy bunny indeed. For my money, it’s not quite as good as the Soul Blade CG sequence; technically better yes, but the SB one just edges ahead, thanks to its greater scope, better choreography and my oh-so beloved vocal accompaniment.

The presentation is great, plenty of stone ‘n’ steel, with a typically OTT announcer. The game also has quite possibly the best “VS” screen ever to appear in a fighting game - it uses the actual character models, zoomed in to torso-and-up height, and sees them turn to glower at the opposition from across the screen. If that isn’t awesome enough, pressing any of the buttons will cause the character to speak. Some of the speeches are hilarious, some are awful, some stupid … a couple are even pretty good.

“UH-OH!”

Equally stylish is the musical accompaniment. Once again the combat takes place alongside a selection of booming orchestral pieces, that swell, pierce and crash just as well as the combatants themselves, and it lends no end of atmosphere and presence to onscreen proceedings. Top tunes include the Japanese castle stage, the Egyptian style tomb and the game intro itself.

In the name of slavish, dedicated research, I fired up the Dreamcast original for a quick chuckle. God it’s ugly. Garish too. I don’t know how I ever saw it as ‘beautiful’ - but progress is harsh on everything, even things we love. It also feels exceedingly stiff, and jerky - nowhere near the silky smooth love that is SCII.

Is the sequel perfect though? You’d certainly think so from what I’ve said so far. You can pick nits, if you wish - there have been a couple of things made me raise a single sardonic eyebrow once or twice.

For one, there is a fair amount of slowdown. It happens on certain parts of several stages and with several characters - mostly when someone is being hit or making a successful block. At times, whole sequences come out in slow motion. It’s kind of ugly, and just the sort of thing that will come up in a million “my version is better!” arguments.

The game difficulty is a bit of a sticking point, too. The default is too easy. The next one up is too hard (for me, but I’m getting better) - it’s a little bit off-putting to anyone new to the series - you either mash your way through unsatisfied, or the CPU makes mincemeat out of you.

The training mode is curiously lacking as well - comparing it to the comprehensive list of options in the original Soul Calibur, the game that broke new ground with regards to in-game training modes - sees several omissions and irritations. It’s still fine for basic training, but some of the more ‘advanced’ options are strangely absent.

That’s about all I can come up with, really. Those, and the slight question mark over it’s accessibility to those out there who don’t have five hours a day to put aside to learning Ivy’s stance switchovers.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Whenever I’m writing a review, I often leave the gameplay/engine stuff until last. Sure I’m as interesting in chain combos and juggle limitations and invulnerability frames as the next loser, but it just isn’t any fun writing about them. Except here. Here it’s probably the most fun I’ve had writing this thing, and that says a lot about the game. Incidentally the second most fun I had was talking about Taki’s nipples.

Soul Calibur II is a fabulous and wholly complete package. In an era where so many fighting games (indeed, so many games of all genres) all too often come complete with huge flaws or mistakes, things that only the bravest of fans and most abject apologists can deal with - it is refreshing to be able to say that flat across the board that this game is fantastic. There are no “yeah buts” with SCII. No “at least it’s better than 2K1s”, and certainly no “the recycled sprites don’t stick out that much-es”. There are those tiny omissions and technical issues, but I feel strongly that they all belong in the ‘would have been nice’ category - they don’t hurt the game itself and certainly don’t harm the overall item - that is, a fantastic, gorgeously-produced, involving, satisfying, atmospheric 3D fighter that manages to uphold the series’ famous legacy in all departments, something that will last even the least adept players a long long time - something so overflowing with effort, love, care and attention to detail that anyone with any of the consoles this game exists on should pick up, immediately.

• Publisher/Developer: NAMCO
• Score: 93%