With Nintendo Change 2 bringing a collection of GameCube classics to Nintendo Change On-line Growth Pack subscribers very quickly, we appeared into our again catalogue of retro evaluations and located we did not have one for among the finest preventing video games ever created…till now. Take pleasure in!
Soulcalibur II, of all of the video games on this mighty collection, was the one that actually cemented it in our minds as a franchise to have sat alongside the likes of Road Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken and the easiest fighters of its period. And another period, let’s face it.
Bringing weapons to the social gathering may not seem to be such an enormous deal these days, however again in 1999 when the unique Soulcalibur launched, not many video games had managed to introduce them effectively, never-mind efficiently mix them with a recreation that adheres to the flashy, easy-to-learn, super-move pushed fight that was so fashionable on the time – and stays so!
Soulcalibur managed it (constructing on Soul Edge’s basis). Nonetheless, it was locked in a Dreamcast-shaped jail, so this huge, daring, multiplatform sequel was the primary SC that many players performed. The hype pre-release was one thing to behold because of this, and fortuitously the sport turned out to be an absolute cracker that elevated every little thing about its predecessor into one thing we are going to very fortunately sit down and play, and totally take pleasure in, to this very day. Soulcalibur II is the very definition of an all-timer.
Alright. However what makes it so nice?
Effectively, let’s begin with the unbelievable roster: the legendary Mitsurugi, Yoshimitsu, Ivy, Taki (this author’s go-to), Nightmare, Voldo, Cervantes… Truthfully, as quickly as we begin speaking about these characters, we’re whisked again to a wonderful time when preventing video games arrived as full packages, stuffed to the gills with wonderful fighters and dazzling arenas, all of which we would spend an entire lot of time attending to know intimately. You even get the joy of unlocking a bunch of fighters by means of beating the arcade mode. Bear in mind how a lot enjoyable doing easy issues like that was?
Soulcalibur’s secure stays one of many best possible round, too. It is acquired one thing for everybody, with simple newbie heroes like Mitsurugi, proper as much as off-kilter brawlers like Voldo and Nightmare. This model additionally arrived with Hyperlink as a particular character and…effectively, he is nothing particular compared to the remainder of the lineup (brutal honesty FTW), however hey, it is a enjoyable bonus, a straightforward ‘in’ for Nintendo followers, and the perfect of the platform-specific visitor characters (Sony acquired Tekken’s Heihachi Mishima, Microsoft acquired Spawn).
Every fighter within the lineup is designed to enchantment on a really fundamental degree to gamers who’ve been raised on Road Fighter and its ilk, and so the core of motion — moreover the side-stepping 2.5D facet and the performing of specials — will come as second nature by design, leaving you with the free brain-space to work your weapon methods into the combo.
And as a substitute of pinpoint accuracy, or fumbling the ball by having the weapons turn into overbearing or complicated, they roll with a hack-and-slash type that delivers engrossing and exhilarating fight, huge combos, simple mixes between weapon and limb assaults, and a few very fancy throws to extremely addictive impact. It is welcoming to newbies, too, making you’re feeling like a proper show-off onerous b*****d who is aware of what they’re doing even if you’re truly simply studying and are afraid of every little thing.
Taking part in in 2025, that is nonetheless an instantly participating and spectacular factor, then. Moving into and out of the foreground with a fast double-tap of your D-pad is one thing that also feels fairly novel, even as we speak, and timing particular assaults that solely happen as you dodge and weave into the again and/or foreground like that is addictive as ever. There are so, so some ways to sneak an assault and switch the tide if you open the fight up into three dimensions, even when it is just a bit, as it’s right here.
Having block set to its personal button is at all times a bonus on this type of weapons-based caper, too, supplying you with way more management over defence, and forcing you to root your self to the spot at instances, altering the move and velocity of fights and placing you ready to utilise the advantages a weapon brings. These scraps can get surprisingly (and pleasingly) strategic with all these transferring elements, because of this.
With blocking, dodging throughout a 2.5D aircraft and, lest we overlook, ring-outs, there’s quite a lot of methods to each dominate an enviornment by holding the central floor, or to play possum and lead your foe to their doom with a fast side-step and, “Oops, you have simply been chucked out of the sector while urgent the benefit. Dingus.” There’s intelligent fighters after which there’s intelligent fighters, mate, Soulcaliber 2 is a intelligent fighter. Add in weapons that actually do matter, that actually do complement and add choices to a roster of impressively diversified and technical preventing types, and also you’re in a struggle fan’s dreamland.
So, the fight is wonderful – we’re good to go on that entrance. The roster is a cracker. The levels are nonetheless lovely to behold. And it continues on this vein, even all this time later. There’s an OTT type to how every little thing is introduced, proper all the way down to the commentary, that is not aged a day, both. It is all so pompous, grandiose, and self-important. Outrageous enjoyable. We will not flip it off.
In addition to all of the common modes you’d look forward to finding, with normal arcade, time assault, survival, workforce battles and a observe mode, the sport additionally comes with a stellar Weapons Grasp mode, the place you kick a couple of huge map scrapping everybody and taking their swag. The collectible weapons and equipment facet of this has led to us pumping approach too many hours into this recreation prior to now – and it is gonna occur once more on Change 2, consider it.
Weapons Grasp harkens again, in fact, to 1996’s Soul Edge (or Soul Blade for us non-Japan dwellers) and its Edge Grasp mode, in that it once more sees a narrative of types supplied alongside the best way, as you blast throughout a map of Europe selecting fights with low-ranked foes, wading by means of dungeons to face boss battles, and all of the whereas bettering your little fighter till they’re mega-badass.
It is a mode that is acquired far more depth to it than you may assume from a cursory look. There are tons of challenges, match modifiers, and difficult hoops to leap by means of to progress by means of its 15 chapters. There’s genuinely masses to sink your tooth into, and it additionally doubles as a really exhaustive tutorial that walks you thru every little thing it is advisable to know concerning the core fight.
The truth is, we would really feel pretty assured in suggesting that only a few fashionable fighters, proper as much as the arrival of the latest Mortal Kombat and Road Fighter releases, have managed to incorporate something remotely approaching a single-player mode nearly as good as this. It is nonetheless the perfect the collection has to supply on this regard.
When Soulcalibur II first launched, actually, we type of had our suspicions. With its flashy console-exclusive characters, extremely attractiveness, and seemingly large promoting funds, was there going to be the depth required to match all of the snazziness? Because it turned out, this is among the actually nice 3D fighters, and a first-rate instance of how the easiest video games do not turn into much less fulfilling over time.