don’t think anybody had higher expectations for this title than I did. Soul Blade kicked Tekken’s butt in my opinion, and the Dreamcast version of Soul Calibur is easily one of that system’s best efforts. While Soul Calibur II outshines the previous entries in the series, I can’t call it the PS2’s best fighter – much less a must-have for anyone who has ever held a controller.

Visually, SC II is silkier than that chocolate pie made with eight sticks of butter. The characters push the limits of the PlayStation 2, and without the stiff movement of Final Fantasy X’s models. I’m amazed at how unique and distinct each costume is. Also, as someone who has fooled around with nunchuks for 13 years, SC II’s animation is so good that Maxi taught me a few new moves.

The mission-based modes have always been what kept gamers coming back to the Soul titles, and Weapon Master mode is indeed vast. Through 10 chapters, you’ll fight enemies with odd parameters and certain tasks. You can switch your character at any time. Winning grants both experience and cash to buy new weapons.

Sure, this mode sounds great; but for some reason, it doesn’t do as much for me as it used to. Maybe it’s because I want something for leveling up other than just a title. Maybe I miss the nifty stat graph for your weapons. Perhaps I’m put off by the abundance of mundane text or the lackluster ending when you finally get through everything. Even the missions themselves get boring after a while. How many times can one person be poisoned, forced to fight five enemies in a row, and only have 15 seconds per bout? I feel like a tool for ripping on something obviously meant to increase replay value – and the game is definitely better for having it – but it just doesn’t satisfy me. I hate to compare it to Madden’s Owner mode or NBA Street Vol. 2’s Be A Legend mode, but those are examples of the new-school replay that’s taking games by storm.

Many new characters are introduced here. I love their fighting styles, as weapons like tonfas are represented. You can never have enough people to choose from. Their design leaves a bit to be desired, however. Many are just rip-offs of old Soul Blade cast members, or they simply lack personality. "Hi, I’m the fencer guy. Let’s fight!" I also think Tekken’s Heihachi is a lame choice for an exclusive character. I’d rather have Mr. Driller than that old fart.

I’m being overly critical (hey, I’m a critic), but I still view Soul Calibur II as a good fighter. It has all of the elements I look for in the genre: It’s long-lasting, it’s great in multiplayer, and it looks dead sexy. SC II just doesn’t elevate the series the way I had hoped, and even takes a few steps back in some single-player respects. But, if you’ve got love for fighting games, pick it up.  

ANDY MCNAMARA   8.5 No matter what system you play it on, Soul Calibur II is simply gorgeous. While this version lacks the HDTV support of Xbox and the character-of-choice in Link, it does deliver all the intense fighting action you would expect from this series. My one major disappointment in this title is the single-player experience. Weapon Master mode is a complete waste in my book, and doesn’t even begin to hold a candle to the ingenious Quest mode of Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution. I really expected a lot of this game, but in the end found its only charm to be multiplayer (and if forced to choose, I think that VF4: Evo is better even in this respect). If you love Soul Calibur, and have a buddy who will constantly play it with you, then I can’t recommend this game enough. But if you are planning on going solo, you might want to look elsewhere.