Soul Calibur III Kills the Competition: A Welcome Advance in Fight-style Console Games
As an avid PS2 gamer, my tastes have remained constant since the console first hit the market – driving, fighting, and strategy. While I usually stick to the PC rather than consoles such as the PS2, Xbox, and Nintendo (yuck) for certain game genres such as real-time strategy and fantasy, nothing compares to two-player action for fighting and racing games.
Soul Calibur I was a revolution for me. I was first introduced to fighting games at my local bowling alley, playing Street Fighter and then Mortal Kombat. Since then, we have seen everything from female pandas (Tekken) to superheroes squaring off against the legends of Street Fighter. My favorite has been Soul Calibur. They capture movement so well with their games and they are always crisper and more responsive than their counterparts when they first arrive on the market.
Soul Calibur III has done what other combat games have not been able to do. Soul Calibur III has actually introduced an interesting and fun “story” battle version of the game. The designers of Soul Calibur III combine the strategy component of managing a battlefield with the fast action-packed first person fighting and they also give us gold, yes gold, that we get when we pass a stage.
Even better, we’re able to create a new Soul Calibur III player that continues to get more and more powerful, gaining access to new weapons, gaining hitpoints, and gaining endurance (so we can take 100 stabs with a sword instead of only 25) as battles are won.
For those of us who are lacking that dreamgirl fiancÃ?©e, wife, or girlfriend that loves to play video games with us at all hours of the day, this story-based component of Soul Calibur III can really make a difference in enjoying the game. The other story component of Soul Calibur III is the character story mode that is common with other games of its ilk. The storylines are primarily weak and the challenge is mediocre at best, but it unlocks new players, so it’s worth spending the time; you can always skip the story part of it.
There is one section of Soul Calibur III that I really dislike – the tutorial. I swear, I do what it tells me to do and for some reason, I can never advance past a certain stage. The best way to learn how to play the game is not to learn all 400 moves per player (not an exact number), but to learn timing. Timing is the best weapon of Soul Calibur III. Learn how to recognize specific combinations, learn how many moves they have, and then learn EXACTLY when you jump in. Timing will make you a Soul Calibur III dynamo that will surely impress the ladies!
While not bloody or gory, the action is spectacular, fast, and responsive. The blocking is effective and easy to understand. There are moves where you can not just block, but throw back your opponent’s weapon and simultaneous attacks often end with the clash of weapons. Yes, metal on metal… which leads me to Soul Calibur III’s grandest feature – the weapons. Each character in Soul Calibur III has their own weapon, something both deadly and unique, and the graphics are spectacularly barbaric.
The weapons are pleasing to any who thought the fight scenes in Lord of the Rings were well done! I used to actually enjoy Tekken 4, but after playing Soul Calibur III, there is no turning back. I challenge any out there to find a better and more addicting fighting game. If you have someone willing to play against you, tell your relatives not to call, because you’ll be busy perfecting every move from every exciting character in Soul Calibur III.
