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SOUL CALIBUR
Copyright © 1998, 1999 Namco, Ltd.
Sega Dreamcast
Fighting Game
1-2 Players
Jump Pack, VMU compatible
T-1401M
¥6800
Available now in Japan and USA
Where to buy
FAQ
—by Kenneth Lee
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What can be said about the most graphically impressive 3D
fighting game in the world? For that is exactly what Namco has delivered with their
first offering to the Dreamcast: SOUL CALIBUR. As a sequel to
SOUL EDGE, Namco blew away expectations last year when it
revealed SOUL CALIBUR to the arcades. Even back then, it
sported wonderful graphics and motion-captured animation from the heavens. When
Namco announced that it was making the Dreamcast version a "150%" version of the game,
no one knew the ramifications of this, until now. SOUL CALIBUR for
the Dreamcast is the sole reason you need to buy the system, with downright stunning
graphics, a wonderful orchestral soundtrack, and solid, deep game play.
If anyone had doubts about the power of the Dreamcast, they were all
crushed when Namco released this game: Eyes that blink, mouths that are
perfectly lip-synched to their speech, discernible clothing physics that
wave and bend in the wind (you can actually tell the difference between
Mitsurugi's cloth outfit, and Sophitia's thin skirt, for example), and even
individual strands of hair that each flutter separately in the wind
while you're executing your
moves! Check the sakura leaves that fall about the stage and actually get
affected and get blown by the wayside as you square off against an
opponent! Or Nightmare's living Soul Edge weapon, that has a demonic eye in
the center that moves around and blinks as you fight! The list continues,
and while it can be argued that this is merely "eye candy," it is so
devastatingly brilliant, that one can't help but be in awe.
In addition, the motion-captured animation is arguably the best motion
capture data ever to be featured in a game to date! Just check the
individual katas when you let the game run by itself—or you can enjoy
them after you open up the Exhibition Theater later on. It is as if you are
watching a live martial arts expert doing a public exhibition, or watching
a high-powered kung-fu movie without the bad dubbing and cheese.
There are a slew of fighters to choose from, each very unique from each
other, using a variety of different weapons to square off, which helps
separate itself from a traditional hand-to-hand fighter like VF3 or STREET FIGHTER. The weapons are
as drastically different as can be imagined, from Astaroth's giant Ax of
Death, to Taki's twin legendary kodachis, Rekkimaru and Mekkimaru. Of course the
coolest weapon in the game would have to be Ivy's 'whip sword' that is a sword
that is segmented, which can be controlled to extend into a segmented whip! In
addition, the backgrounds are just as astounding, with an insane amount of
polygons and high-quality textures being thrown around, like Yoshimitsu's stage
atop a giant floating raft that is shooting forth down a wild, churning river
and water lapping up around the edges of the raft, all while you are fighting!
The music serves as a perfect compliment to the fighting, featuring bold,
grand, orchestral pieces of music that just add to the inherent grandeur of
the game itself. The compositions are well-composed with solid core
melodies that get well-developed as the fight continues. The sound effects
are solid, and the voices are top notch (sans the annoying announcer—one
must wonder if Namco will ever be rid of them), with such high quality
seiyuu such as Hisakawa Aya (Skuld in OH MY GODDESS!), and
Touma Yumi (Deedlit in RECORD OF LODOSS WAR).
Finally, the game play is SOUL CALIBUR's only
weakness: A solid fighting engine, with great responsive controls, but ultimately
limited game play. The newest addition is a unique '8-way run' system, that allows
you to move freely in all eight directions by simply double-tapping in that direction.
The moves are so wonderfully easy to get into that a beginner could hop
right in and feel at home. Which is excellent at drawing newcomers, but
also can marr the overall gaming experience: Gamers familiar with Namco's
other "no-skill" fighters from Tekken—"Auto" Baek and Eddy—will
immediately recognize this flaw, which is most apparent in Maxi. Indeed,
because the fighting styles are so rich and varied, it is easy to defeat
others with simple button-mashing—which looks brilliant and provides
immediate satisfaction—but also hinders growth. While it may take a
while, it is possible to master enough characters to counteract the slop,
but it certainly takes a lot longer than in other games.
There is also the requisite Namco high-production values in the form of
tons of extra modes, with Mission Battle mode being the highlight.
Developed from their previous idea in SOUL EDGE, Namco includes an
addictive quest mode where you travel from location to location and fight
under various objectives such as defeating all opponents while you're
poisoned (slowly losing health), or defeat as many enemies in an alloted
time, etc. With this you earn points that you can spend to buy/uncover new
pieces of art in the Museum mode. And with over 338 pieces of art to
uncover, that provides more than enough incentive. The art pieces are all
wonderfully recreated, high-res, with the added ability to zoom in/out to
better view them! And on top of that, Namco added in "secret" into some
pieces of art, that as you buy that piece, it will not only uncover the
art, but also an added bonus as well, such as a new stage, or new character
costumes, etc.
There is not much else to say folks: SOUL CALIBUR is pure Dreamcast power,
and a requisite buy for any Dreamcast owner or gamer. Period. It is the new
graphical benchmark by which other games will be
judged. 
Rating: 9.4/10 |
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