Soul Calibur II

Five reasons why the PlayStation 2 version of Soul Calibur II deserves your attention.

Ever since Soul Calibur II was announced as a multi-platform title, the graphical powerhouse systems have simply had more hype. Who wouldn?t want the best looking version of this hot fighting game? And who wouldn?t want to play as GameCube-exclusive character Link? So, before PlayStation 2 owners get too discouraged, here?s a handy top five list of why the PS2 version is still one to watch.

5. Base controller: Of the three consoles, the PlayStation 2 has the best standard controller for fighting games. Period.

4. Selection of arcade sticks: None of the other two consoles have the wide selection of optional arcade sticks as the PS2. Let?s face it, SCII rocks that much harder when you have a great arcade stick.

3. Arcade architecture: Soul Calibur II ran on a modified PlayStation 2 board in the arcades, so what you get at home is not much different. Plus you get all the extra modes and characters not found in the coin-op.

2. Heihachi: Say whatever you like about the grizzled Tekken boss, but he?s an interesting addition to SCII. He?s the first character to not wield a weapon, has tons of new moves, and features an amazing character model that animates far smoother than in Tekken 4.

1. Presentation: After extensive tests here at GamePro, it?s safe to say the graphical and audio differences between the three versions are minor. All three versions support higher resolutions and widescreen layout on HDTV and Enhanced Definition TVs, so it?s all relative. There are subtle effects that are better on each system, the Xbox has the highest resolution possible (720p vs. 480p on PS2 and GC), and it?s not easy to get progressive scan out of current US PS2?s without the proper cables. Still, the bottom line here is you can?t tell the difference without having them side-by-side and even then it?s hard to tell.

Of course the Xbox and GC versions are sure to be great, but let?s give the PS2 its props. All three versions of Soul Calibur II are slated to come out in late August.

Comments [0]

post a comment

Post a Comment