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Dreamcast | Fighting | Soul Calibur | Review

Boxart for Soul Calibur
Soul Calibur 39 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 5.0
  • SOUND: 5.0
  • CONTROL: 5.0
  • FUN FACTOR 5.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.9
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 5.0
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Review: Soul Calibur

Review by SCARYLARRY | 11/24/2000 | 14:47:41 PM PST

Forget any other reason for buying a Dreamcast -- Soul Calibur remains as the sole good reason for spending the money. It's worth the $199.99, it's worth the $49.99, and it's worth your time to check it out.

Forget any other reason for buying a Dreamcast -- Soul Calibur remains as the sole good reason for spending the money. It's worth the $199.99, it's worth the $49.99, and it's worth your time to check it out.

Soul'ed Out
You may have some trouble grabbing a copy of Soul Calibur, because every Dreamcast owner probably purchased this at the counter when picking up their system. Soul Calibur is the ultimate in fighting games - sleek, graphically unparalleled, and deep - and ranks as the best fighting game out there. It's set apart from its competitors by the double knockout of a great look and solid game play.

Based on last years hit arcade game, and a sequel to the smash PlayStation hit, Soul Blade, Soul Calibur pits ten fighters against each other in a standard two-out-of three battle for supremacy. But might doesn't always make for right in this game. Soul Calibur is unprecedented in its game balance, with large, impressive bulky fighters on the same ground as small, fast players. The ten starting fighters are just that - a starting lineup. Through game play and advancement you'll uncover many cameo fighters, like Yoshimitsu from Tekken, and Seung Mina and Hwang from Soul Blade. There are also mystery stages and costume changes to uncover.

Soul Calibur also offers many new options that the arcade version couldn't. Battle Mode, Team Battle, and Survival modes all lend the game an enormous replay value, while the sometimes complicated move system is helped out by a very thorough Practice mode that explains every move and shows you how to execute them.

High Calibur Combat
Graphically, the game evolves past its arcade counterpart in every respect, with incredible detail and superior polygon counts. Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast is without a doubt the best looking fighting game ever, with nuances like muscle rippling, facial expressions of pain, fear, and anger, and caustic lighting effects that dazzle the eyes.

The game also excels in the area of sound, achieving what other games only dream of - the perfect balance of music, voice, and sound effects. Clashing swords, primal yelling, and blood-pumping heroic themes course through the game, all meshing for the perfect sonic mix.

Namco has retooled the fighting dynamics so that both button-mashers and serious students of ass-whupping can both benefit and prosper in the game. Although novices can easily beat the game on easier settings, the game definitely favors those who understand Soul Calibur's complexities, like dodging, vertical and 8-way run attacks, and stagger blocking. Someone who has mastered the arcade game will find the differences in the moves trifling, while every one else will scarcely notice.

Welcome to the Stage of History
What are you waiting for? Sonic can wait, TrickStyle will still be pulling tricks next week, and NFL 2K has a millenium ahead of it. There's no excuse for you not to be enjoying the best fighting game this year, and possibly the best ever. Power Stone and the laughable Mortal Kombat Gold can't touch the soul of this fighter, but you can.