How do you follow up Soul Calibur II, quite simply the finest fighter on our blessed black box? It was such a finely judged mix of gorgeous looks, flowing animation and mesmerising moves that surely the only way for the series was down.
Developer Namco has got that one licked. It's blindingly obvious, really: leave the mechanics of the game pretty much as they are and instead concentrate on adding some nifty new features. Sorry, we said "some" new features when what we should have said was "more features than you can shake a giant scythe at". Soul Calibur III has as many extras and hidden features as the recent Tekken 5 and Namco seems determined to outdo itself here.
HIGH CALIBUR MODES Because Soul Calibur III has been developed exclusively for PS2, as opposed to it being an arcade port, we get a whole host of new modes designed to keep the more solitary player satisfied. The most impressive of these is the utterly sublime Character Creator mode, which we couldn't overstate if we tried. It's the single most genius-infused portion of the game. If you feel you just don't have that much in common with the death dealing savages already on offer, create your own from scratch for a more personalised mauling session. It's so much more than cosmetic surgery - just about everything bar sexual preference can be decided, and even that's open to interpretation. Once an appearance and fighting style has been settled upon, there's the real nitty-gritty of choosing an entire move set to enjoy. Rather than simply recycling the main characters' techniques, this is in effect a bonus section full to bursting of completely original moves to take your pick from.
The choice of weapon and job determines how your fighter goes about unleashing their brand of colourful carnage, although to start with some of these are locked until a certain amount of cash has been earned through the main single-player modes. Being a Dancer, Thief, Samurai and, weirdly, a Saint are just some of the options which will eventually be available. Each occupation is well balanced, so choosing Samurai isn't necessarily a guarantee of success as every category of brawler will have their own pluses and minuses - it's up to you how effective a fighter is, not some predetermined skill set. Then of course there's the warm, fuzzy feeling of serene smugness that ensues after loading up your very own digital psychopath on a friend's machine and laying waste to everything they throw at you. Very few games manage to achieve the level of involvement, even parental pride, evoked by Soul Calibur III as you choke back the tears watching your own little ninja spinning around the screen.
SWORDS 'N' SOULS On to what made Soul Calibur so great in the first place - the fighting. This time, as well as the familiar versus and instant play modes, the Chronicles of the Sword campaign sees a new strategic slant applied to full on single-player carnage. A continent is divided into three warring kingdoms and it's your custom-created fighter's job to unite them by bludgeoning them into snivelling submission. Playing out like a simplified role-playing game, skills are notched up a level every time a victory is pulled off; the action switches to the usual viewpoint whenever a boss battle is initiated. It's got a surprising amount of depth considering one-on-one scrapping is the game's speciality, but it's more of a diversion than anything. After a while you'll find yourself wanting to rush through the field battles to concentrate on the more impressive boss bouts.
Better still is World Competition because it does more than any other game mode to improve your own skills. Playing through a tournament sees you pitted against computercontrolled versions of opponents, as if you were playing online (which, unfortunately, you can't actually do), and it forces you to use every aspect of attack and defence so progress can be made.
After a couple of tournament wins, it'll become clear as day that Soul Calibur III's crown jewels - its unrivalled blend of accessibility and multilayered combat - remain as dazzling as ever. If anything, it's a touch faster and smooher, and maybe even sharper. Thankfully, the developer knows when it's on to a good thing and Soul Calibur's fighting was always a very good thing. Fans rest easy: it's still the most fantastic, instinctive combat system around, full of subtlety and variation. With all those clever new modes bundled in for good measure, there's plenty for everyone. Soul Calibur III is another almost perfect addition to the almost perfect beat 'em up series. It's safe to say that this is high calibre gaming indeed.
PSW Staff
// Overview
Verdict
Even more refined combat combined with some inventive
game modes means Soul Calibur III maintains its jaw-dropping appeal.
great review, but how can you give this game only a 9? its clear as day that game is a 10 maybe a 11! Namco have taken this game beyond your regular beat 'em up, it is now a game that is appealable to all gamers. it has the creativity of create a character, the rpg aspect of the game with chronicles of the sword is a superb addition. even though this game does not have online it doesn't matter, players will be spending to much time trying to unlock every item and warrior!
i know we are both on the same page in thinking this is a fantastic game but it is the easiest game to rate ever, its a stone wall 10!
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