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Xbox | Fighting | Soul Calibur II

Boxart for Soul Calibur II
Soul Calibur II 42 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 5.0
  • SOUND: 5.0
  • CONTROL: 4.0
  • FUN FACTOR 5.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.4
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.6
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Review: Soul Calibur II

Review by TOKYODRIFTER | 08/26/2003 | 17:25:16 PM PST

The Xbox has the graphics, but what?s the deal with Spawn? Can he cut it, or should he get cut?

Do you want the version of Soul Calibur II with the fastest load times, the exclusive antihero Spawn, and a slight edge in graphics? If you answered ?yes,? head immediately to the big black box with the X on it.

Gorgeous Soul
When a game gets released on multiple platforms, Microsoft?s machine is usually the big winner in terms of graphics. Soul Calibur II doesn?t visually push the Xbox as hard as some other fighting games made especially for the system, but the topnotch character designs and support of high-end displays easily bridge any gap.

The directional pad on the original Xbox controller is ill-suited for Soul Calibur II, but the now-standard Controller S handles the job well. The silky smooth gameplay along with the deceptively deep fighting system keeps you playing through the lengthy Weapons Master mode and endless hours against your friends. The fantastic soundtrack gives the onscreen action a larger-than-life feel, and there are two dialogue languages to choose from to suit all tastes.

Spawn of Evil
Considering that the game is populated by the likes of Voldo, Nightmare, and Astaroth, Todd McFarlane?s brooding comic-book creation, Spawn, sort of fits just fine in an odd way. Spawn?s struggles with the forces of good and evil in the comic actually make him the best fit, story wise, of the exclusive console characters. His powerful strikes and air-based attacks also make him an extremely tough character to beat.

Even if the Xbox was up to its ears in great fighting games (and in case you were wondering, it?s not), Soul Calibur II would still be a top choice.

Heihachi's my hero! Take me to the Soul Calibur II PS2 review!
I like Link! Take me to the Soul Calibur II GameCube review!


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