Soulcalibur II | |
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Developer(s) | Project Soul |
Publisher(s) |
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Director(s) | Jin Okubo Yoshitaka Tezuka |
Producer(s) | Hiroaki Yotoriyama |
Programmer(s) | Shinobu Nimura |
Artist(s) | Takuji Kawano |
Writer(s) | Yoshihiro Nakagawa |
Composer(s) | Junichi Nakatsuru Yoshihito Yano Asuka Sakai Rio Hamamoto |
Series | Soulcalibur |
Platform(s) | Arcade, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Fighting |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Arcade system | Namco System 246 [8] |
Soulcalibur II [9] is a 2002 arcade fighting video game developed by Project Soul and published by Namco. It is the third installment in the Soulcalibur series of weapon-based fighting games as the sequel to Soulcalibur (1998). Originally intended to be released on Sega's NAOMI arcade board, [10] the game was built on the Namco System 246 board before being ported to the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox home consoles in 2003.
The game's plot revolves around the legendary weapon Soul Edge having been shattered into pieces, with different characters seeking to collect all the pieces to gain possession of the complete weapon or to destroy it once and for all. Compared to Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur II had improvements in graphics and the game system and introduced several new and guest characters.
The game was a critical and commercial success, with the introduction of guest characters to the series, particularly Link on the GameCube version, being acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, and considered to be one of the greatest fighting games made. A high-definition port, titled SoulCalibur II HD Online, based on the PlayStation 2 version, was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013. It received a sequel, Soulcalibur III (2005).
Key game system improvements include an easier "step" and "avoid" systems, arena walls (rather than ring out ability on all sides) and wall-specific moves, a three-step Soul Charge system, a clash system that is used when two attacks hit each other simultaneously resulting in a white flash, Guard Break attacks which put a blocking player into a post guard-impact state, just frame moves awarding additional hits to players who can time their command inputs well and a revised Guard Impact system that removes height-based Impact moves and instead uses a more unified system (high and mid attacks are countered using Repels, mid and low attacks are countered using Parries).
Soulcalibur II includes the same modes of play as most fighting games: Arcade, Versus Battle, Team Battle (similar to Arcade, but with teams of up to 3 characters and without cutscenes or endings), Versus Team Battle (with teams of up to 8 characters), Time Attack (where the player has to race against the clock to set records), Survival and Practice. There are also "Extra" versions of these modes, intended to allow the use of Extra Weapons and unlockable stages. A point worth mentioning is that the 7th battle in Arcade Mode is called a "Destined Battle", which is a predefined battle that never changes. Each character has one according to their story, and all Destined Battles are shared by groups of two characters (for example, Mitsurugi→Taki and Taki→Mitsurugi) with the exceptions of the home console-exclusive characters. As in Soulcalibur, there is a "Museum" containing character artwork and various videos (like the Arcade Mode's intro or the Weapon Master Mode's intro and Ending) and an "Exhibition Theater" (where "katas" can be viewed). There is also a "Profile Viewer" (to read about character's stories) and a "Battle Theater" (to watch CPU vs CPU battles).
A returning feature from Soul Edge that was absent from the first Soulcalibur is the inclusion of Extra Weapons. Instead of the many stats used in Soul Edge, this one uses only three stats: attack, defense and special abilities (such as draining energy, passing through defense, etc.). Each character has 12 different weapons, from the standard (basic) weapons for 1P and 2P to the powerful "Ultimate Weapon". Also, each character is granted a Soul Edge version of their weapon, as well as a "Joke Weapon" with bad stats and effects, and with unique and funny hit sounds. Each weapon is given a backstory in the "Weapon Gallery". Like before, some characters possess a third costume, which is purchased in Weapon Master Mode. Out of the 25 selectable characters, 13 are granted a third costume: Astaroth, Cassandra, Ivy Valentine, Mitsurugi, Nightmare, Raphael, Seung Mina, Sophitia, Taki, Talim, Voldo, and Xianghua. The GameCube version's guest character Link has four costumes (green, red, blue and lavender) and Assassin, Berserker and Lizardman each have six different costumes (three color edits of their two standard costumes).
The Arcade version has a unique mode called "Conquest Mode" that allows the player to pick an army, fight enemies and gain experience points, increasing the level of the selected player. "Weapon Master Mode", made in a similar fashion to Soul Edge's "Edge Master Mode" and Soulcalibur's "Mission Mode", takes the core system from "Conquest Mode" and expands upon it. It introduces a story set in an alternate world, in which the player moves in a map divided into "regions" (named after stars) and fights enemies to gain experience points (which raise the "rank" of the character) and money (which can be used to buy weapons, art, costumes and videos). The mode has 10 normal chapters, four sub-chapters and two extra-chapters as well as Extra-Missions (alternate versions of normal missions). The player endorses the role of a swordsman searching for Soul Edge, who is confronted by a powerful, mad knight named Veral, seeking Soul Edge for his own desires.
Four new playable characters are introduced in Soulcalibur II: Cassandra (fighting style derived from Sophitia), Raphael (unique fighting style), Talim (unique fighting style) and Yunsung (fighting style derived from Hwang).
A new unlockable character, Charade, switches its style to match existing characters' move lists with each individual round of fighting, similarly to its predecessors Edge Master and Inferno. The console versions of the game feature Necrid, a new character created by Todd McFarlane, and one of three platform-exclusive characters: Heihachi Mishima from Tekken on the PlayStation 2, Link from The Legend of Zelda on the GameCube, and Spawn from the comic book series of the same name by McFarlane on the Xbox. Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII was originally intended to fill Heihachi's spot on the PlayStation 2 version, but the licensing deal fell through at the last moment. [11] The HD version includes both Heihachi and Spawn. [12]
Fully returning as playable characters are Astaroth, Cervantes (unlockable), Ivy, Kilik, Maxi, Mitsurugi, Nightmare, Taki, Voldo, Xianghua and Yoshimitsu (unlockable), as well as Seung Mina (unlockable) and Sophitia (unlockable) who are exclusive to the console versions. Inferno is the game's main boss, but is no longer a playable character. Nightmare's third costume is Siegfried (although he is still referred to as Nightmare), while Assassin and Berserker play extremely similarly to Hwang and Rock, who do not return from the previous game. Although the original Lizardman from Soulcalibur does not return, the game does feature a generic Lizardman with the same move list. Since Assassin, Berserker and Lizardman are considered bonus characters, they do not have any Extra Weapons. In the North American and PAL console versions, they can only be selected in Versus Battle Mode, Team Battle Mode, Versus Team Battle Mode, Practice Mode, along with the "Extra" versions of these modes, as well as in Battle Theater. In the Japanese console versions, they cannot be selected by the player in any mode. They are, however, playable during certain portions of Weapon Master Mode in all versions of the game.
The game is set in the year 1590 AD, four years after the events of Soulcalibur . The wave of slaughters that terrorized Europe reached a sudden end. The knight in azure armor, Nightmare, and his followers were successful in collecting enough souls and were about to start the restoration ceremony on the ruins of the once-proud Ostrheinsburg Castle. But just as the ceremony was about to start, three young warriors assaulted the castle. In a matter of time, the cult was defeated, and Nightmare stood in front of the young warriors while wielding Soul Edge. After an intense battle, Nightmare fell, but then the evil soul inside Soul Edge sent the young warriors into a vortex of hellfire and stood to confront them. As a result of Soul Edge's evil aura, Krita-Yuga revealed its true form: that of the Holy Sword, Soul Calibur. The intense battle ended with the victory of the holy sword, but when the vortex of Inferno collapsed, both swords along with the Azure Knight Nightmare were sucked into the void and expelled to another place. Siegfried Schtauffen, who was until a moment before the Azure Knight, reclaimed his own mind. Recognizing his sins, he set on a journey of atonement. Still, the blade held a strong bond, and every night, it took control of his body and absorbed souls of those nearby. The efforts made by the young knight were fruitless, and four years later the Azure Knight returned. Around those times, various warriors came into contact with the blade's remaining fragments, revealing Soul Edge's ultimate survival. After its defeat, the fragments began causing chaos and evil to grow in the world. Driven by the need to either possess or destroy the evil sword, each warrior embarks on a new journey, while Nightmare starts his rampage anew, seeking souls to gain the power to restore Soul Edge once again... [13]
The game had a marketing budget of $9.4 million. [14]
A soundtrack for the game was released as Soulcalibur II Original Soundtrack . An art book was also published. [15]
A high-definition version of the game, titled Soulcalibur II HD Online, based on the PlayStation 2 version of the game, was released digitally for PlayStation 3 through PlayStation Network and Xbox 360 through Xbox Live in North America and Europe on November 19 and 20, 2013, respectively, and in Japan on February 20, 2014. [7] [16] [17] It includes all game modes from the original releases, as well as support for online-only gameplay via PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. For reasons unknown, the English version of the HD re-release lacks the dual-language option available in the original game and only features English voice acting. Both versions of the game also include two guest characters, Heihachi Mishima and Spawn, who were previously exclusive to specific platforms (PlayStation 2 and Xbox, respectively), and the PS2 version's opening version is used. [18] In addition, in Japan, having the game data allows for two virtual items and a costume to be available for free in Soulcalibur: Lost Swords . [7]
Aggregator | Score | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
GC | PS2 | Xbox | Xbox 360 | |
GameRankings | 92% [19] | 91% [20] | 92% [21] | 78.75% [22] |
Metacritic | 93/100 [23] | 92/100 [24] | 92/100 [25] | 77/100 [26] |
Publication | Score | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
GC | PS2 | Xbox | Xbox 360 | |
Edge | 9/10 [23] | 9/10 [24] | 9/10 [25] | |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 9.66/10 [19] | 9.66/10 [20] | 9.66/10 [21] | |
Eurogamer | 10/10 [27] | 10/10 [27] | 10/10 [27] | 8/10 [28] |
Game Informer | 8.75/10 [19] | 8.5/10 [20] | 8.5/10 [21] | |
GamePro | 5/5 [29] | 5/5 [30] | 5/5 [31] | |
GameSpot | 8.5/10 [32] | 8.5/10 [33] | 8.5/10 [34] | |
GameSpy | 5/5 [35] | 4.5/5 [36] | 5/5 [37] | |
IGN | 9.2/10 [38] | 9.2/10 [39] | 9.2/10 [40] | |
Nintendo Power | 5/5 [19] | |||
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | 5/5 [20] | |||
Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 9.2/10 [21] | 7.5/10 [41] | ||
Play | 9.1/10 [23] | A− [20] | A− [21] |
Publication | Award |
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Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (2004) | Console Fighting Game of the Year |
Spike Video Game Awards | Most Addictive Game |
The original version of SoulCalibur II received critical acclaim, earning it the average scores of 91.3% for the PlayStation 2, [20] 92.3% for the GameCube, [19] and 91.6% for the Xbox. [21] Greg Kasavin of GameSpot praised the game "It's certainly one of the most refined, most accessible, and best-looking 3D fighting games to date, and it's squarely the best game in its class for the Xbox and GameCube." [42] IGN writer Kaiser Hwang gave the game a positive review, but commented on its similarity to the first game "And so, while evolution is not always mandatory, sometimes pushing the boundaries can lead to bigger and better things. In the case of Soul Calibur II, contentment will do just fine." [43]
In the first ever Spike Video Game Awards in 2003, SoulCalibur II won in the category Most Addictive Game. [44] During the 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the game was awarded Console Fighting Game of the Year by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences; it also received a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Animation. [45] In 2009, Official Nintendo Magazine praised the inclusion of Link, placing the game 41st on a list of greatest Nintendo games. [46] In 2011, Complex ranked it as the 14th best fighting game of all time. [47]
By July 2006, the GameCube version of Soulcalibur II had sold 850,000 copies and earned $32 million in the United States. Next Generation ranked it as the 69th highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country. Combined sales of Soulcalibur games released in the 2000s reached 2.6 million units in the United States by July 2006. [48] As of 2007, the GameCube version sold about a million copies in the US, and 100,000 in Japan, making it one of the best-selling third-party GameCube games. [49] The PlayStation 2 version received a "Gold" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), [50] indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom. [51]
Soulcalibur is a 1998 fighting game developed by Project Soul and produced by Namco. It is the second game in the Soulcalibur series, preceded by Soul Edge. Originally released in arcades on July 30, 1998, it ran on the Namco System 12 hardware, and was ported to the Dreamcast console in 1999 with new features and improved graphics.
Soul Edge is a 1996 fighting game developed and published by Namco, and the first installment in the Soulcalibur series. Introduced at the JAMMA trade show in November 1995, the full arcade game was released in February 1996 on System 11 hardware, the same board used by Tekken and Tekken 2. Later in December an upgraded and expanded version of the game was ported to the PlayStation; this version was renamed to Soul Blade outside Japan and released in 1997.
Cel Damage is a vehicular combat video game developed by Pseudo Interactive and published by Electronic Arts. The game was first released for Xbox on 14 November 2001, and for GameCube on 7 January 2002, in North America respectively. In Europe, the game launched for both consoles on 3 May 2002. A Europe-exclusive PlayStation 2 port, titled Cel Damage Overdrive, was released as a budget title by System 3 under their Play It label on 12 December 2002. A high-definition remaster, developed and published by Finish Line Games, titled Cel Damage HD, was released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita on 22 April 2014 in North America and 14 May 2014 in the PAL region. An Xbox One port followed worldwide, via the Xbox Games Store, on 11 March 2016. A Nintendo Switch port was released via the Nintendo eShop on 28 March 2019.
Yoshimitsu (吉光) is a name used by three different characters who appear in the Tekken and Soulcalibur series of fighting games by Namco.
Soulcalibur III is a 2005 fighting video game produced by Namco as a sequel to Soulcalibur II (2002) and the fourth installment in the Soulcalibur series. It was originally released for the PlayStation 2 and was followed by an improved arcade version, subtitled Arcade Edition, in 2006. It was the last Soulcalibur game to receive an arcade version and was also the last to be released by Namco as an independent company. Soulcalibur III received a mainly positive reception, and it was followed by a sequel under Namco Bandai Games, Soulcalibur IV (2008).
Nightmare is a fictional character and main antagonist in the Soulcalibur series of video games. The evil possessor of Siegfried Schtauffen's body, he later becomes an entity entirely separated from Siegfried in Soulcalibur III onward. Nightmare is the living incarnation of Soul Edge and a vessel for Inferno.
Isabella Valentine, commonly called Ivy, is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division, she first appeared in the original Soulcalibur and its subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise related to the series. She was voiced in Japanese by Yumi Tōma between Soulcalibur and Soulcalibur III, Kanako Tōjō between Soulcalibur Legends and Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, and Miyuki Sawashiro in Soulcalibur V, and Soulcalibur VI; in English, she was voiced by Renee Hewitt in Soulcalibur II and Lani Minella for the remainder of the series.
Necrid is a character in the Soulcalibur series of weapon-based fighting games. Designed by comic book artist and toy designer Todd McFarlane through a collaboration with Namco, the character appeared in console ports of Soulcalibur II and later as part of an action figure set created by McFarlane Productions. Necrid's concept and physical build were outlined by Namco, who aimed to target North American audiences with the character, while McFarlane provided the character's design and name.
Soulcalibur is a weapon-based fighting game franchise developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
Soulcalibur Legends is a 2007 action-adventure game developed by Project Soul and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the Wii. It is a spin-off of the Soulcalibur fighting game series and primarily features two of its most popular characters: Ivy and Siegfried.
Soulcalibur IV is a 2008 fighting video game developed by Project Soul and published by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. As the fifth main entry in the Soulcalibur series, it marks a significant evolution in gameplay with enhanced graphics and new features compared to its predecessor Soulcalibur III (2005), including the introduction of three guest characters from the Star Wars franchise: Darth Vader, Yoda, and the Apprentice.
Sophitia Alexandra is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division by designers Aya Takemura and Takuji Kawano, she first appeared in Soul Edge and its subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise related to the series. A baker turned warrior from Athens fighting with a Xiphos and shield, Sophitia became involved in the search for the cursed sword Soul Edge at the behest of the god Hephaestus. The affair soon affected her other family members as well, including her sister, Cassandra, and later her children, Pyrrha and Patroklos.
Voldo is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division, he first appeared in Soul Edge, and later in all games of the Soulcalibur series with the exception of Soulcalibur Legends. Servant to a long-dead weapons merchant, Voldo guards his treasure vault, attacking intruders while occasionally wandering out in search of a cursed sword named Soul Edge. Designed by Aya Takemura and Takuji Kawano around his dual hand katars, Voldo went through several designs, and in the early design phases was called "Psycho Murder". Having no spoken dialogue and instead strictly moaning or hissing deeply while fighting an opponent, his high mobility and flexibility influenced his outfits throughout the series, with several designed to take advantage of his unique traits.
The following is a comprehensive list of characters from the Soulcalibur series of video games, beginning with Soul Edge in 1995.
Taki is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by designers Aya Takemura and Takuji Kawano of Namco's Project Soul division, she was introduced in Soul Edge, and later appeared in almost every subsequent sequel. Taki is a Japanese demon-hunting kunoichi and the greatest warrior of the Fu-Ma ninja clan. She is traveling the world on a quest to destroy the cursed sword Soul Edge. Taki has been featured as a player character in every main entry in the series up until 2012's Soulcalibur V, when her place was taken by her own young disciple named Natsu, but she returned in 2018's Soulcalibur VI. She has further appeared in all of Soulcalibur spin-off games, as well as in some other titles such as Namco × Capcom, The King of Fighters All Star, and Queen's Gate. She has been voiced in Japanese by Fujiko Takimoto until Soulcalibur III, and then by Sachiko Kojima and Nanako Mori in later games, while her English voice actors include Desirée Goyette and Cynthia Holloway.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny is a 2009 fighting video game in the Soulcalibur series, developed by Project Soul and published by Namco Bandai Games, for the PlayStation Portable. The game uses many of the features of Soulcalibur IV, including its character customization mode. One of the goals of the game is "to target beginners and novice players with Soulcalibur IV's content". It introduces two new characters to the series: Kratos from the God of War series and Dampierre, a new original character. In December 2023, the game was released digitally on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Soulcalibur is a weapon-based fighting game series by Namco Bandai Games. The series revolves around a sword that, after years of bloodshed and hatred, gained a soul of its own, the Soul Edge, and the sword forged to counter it, Soulcalibur. The discography of the Soulcalibur series consists of two soundtrack albums for the first game in the series, Soul Edge, and one soundtrack album each for Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur II, III, IV, V and VI. None of the other games in the series have received a soundtrack release.
Soulcalibur V is a 2012 fighting video game produced by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. As the sixth main installment in Namco's Soulcalibur series, Soulcalibur V serves as a follow-up to Soulcalibur IV (2008). It retains the weapon-based combat that characterizes the series while introducing a new protagonist, Patroklos, who aims to free his sister from a curse inflicted upon her by an ancient weapon. This installment marks the conclusion of the original Soul series timeline.
Soulcalibur: Lost Swords was a free-to-play fighting game distributed through PlayStation Network. Released in 2014, the game is based on Soulcalibur V and is strictly single-player. It uses the same weapon-based fighting system from previous games; however, several of the gameplay mechanics were changed, simplified or otherwise removed.
Soulcalibur VI is a 2018 fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Dimps, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. As the seventh main installment and reboot of the Soulcalibur series, it was released for the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on October 19, 2018. The game revisits events from the first installment, set in the 16th century, with the aim of "uncovering hidden truths." Players engage in combat as they select from a diverse roster of characters, including both returning favorites and new additions.