Soul Calibur

At first look, this game seems like "another" 3D fighter that has good graphics. The graphics ARE indeed the best ever seen, but this is surely not just another 3D fighter. For starters, the graphics are absolutely amazing. The characters in the game look as realistic as you can get. It is amazing how smooth the characters and their weapons move. What really sets off the moves though is the colorful light trails that blazes behind your weapon, the lighting effects on this are perfect. You will not be missing the prequel to this game at all once you get your hands on this one. Namco obviously knows how to drain the Dreamcast of everything it has to offer.

The games storyline picks up where the first game, Soul Blade (or Soul Edge on PSX) left off. The game takes part sometime in the 1600's, where battles took place using weapons in hand-to-hand combat. The story line is simple... There is a ultimate sword called Soul Edge, that has great, but evil power. All 19 of the combatants (9 hidden) are fighting for one of 2 reasons, to destroy the sword, or to control its power. First though, they must defeat the guardian of the sword, Inferno, who is the soul of the sword. Sure, its not very deep of a storyline, but while your playing you could care less about a storyline.

As if all of this wasn't enough, there is another mode of play that adds even more depth to the game, called Edge Master. Edge Master mode has you completing many different missions, to try and get points to buy pictures, which open up even more missions and extra weapons, modes and outfits. These missions put you under conditions such as being poisoned, fighting in quicksand, winds that can blow you off the edge, and many more. This game takes years to master, and most veterans will tell you that they haven't even mastered it yet. The fighting system is incredibly deep, there are so many different moves for each character.

I
only have 1 problem with this game, and that is that the endings are just pictures and words. There is not much of a storyline, but I just know Namco could have treated us to some nice looking endings. The intro itself tells us just what exactly they can do with this games engine. (by the way, that intro is in game graphics!) Pretty much anyone can play this game, and pretty much everyone plays this game. When you get a group of gamers together, this is one of the most competitive games you will ever play. If you are fortunate enough to have a Dreamcast, or planning on getting one, this is a must-buy and should be the first game you get. I guarantee that if you love any fighter, you will love this one.
 
Graphics- 10
This game shows just what the Dreamcast is capable of, and even after almost 2 years it is still one of the DC's best looking games
 
Sound- 9
Hear those swords clanging together? It doesn't get much better than that. The music is great, but its just memorable enough for me to give it a 10
 
Control- 8
I had a hard time pulling off some of the more advanced moves with a Dreamcast controller, but with a arcade stick it is perfect.
 
Fun Factor- 10
This game never seems to get old, and the Edge Master mode keeps the single player game fresh


- Genraven