Soul Calibur Ii

If the first Soulcalibur game was almost the perfect fighting game, this one lands even closer to that mark. Revamped graphics for the PS2 and Xbox mark a noticeable difference in detail from the previous game, giving more life to the returning cast of diverse fighters. New additions join them, including the twin blade wielding Talim and special guest Heihachi from Tekken and Legend of Zelda's Link. In addition, AI is improved, and single-player is a throwback to Soul Blade (1997), the series' true origin. Despite these improvements, it's the return of previous mechanics that provide most of the fun. The four buttons provide a vertical, horizontal and kick attacks, as well as a guard. The blocking system only allows you to block your upper half or lower half at the same time, and certain attacks will beat others, leading to a slightly more tactical element. You can combine these attacks together, as well as directional pad presses, to create hundreds of different moves and combos. It all sounds simple, and it is. And in this case, that's not a bad thing. One of Soulcalibur II's biggest strengths is its accessibility. It's a game best enjoyed with friends, and they can pick it up and play without winning simply by button mashing and dumb luck. It's the same formula fans of the series are familiar with, in its best iteration.