Soul Calibur

Written by Tom Clare in Dreamcast Game Reviews, Friday 20 April, 2007

Released: 1999
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Genre: 3D Beat 'em up
Platform: Dreamcast

It's hardly surprising that, upon eventually getting hold of a second-hand Dreamcast, one of the first games I bought to accompany the beautiful white(ish) machine was the 3D beat 'em up Soul Calibur. Critically, one of the most highly-rated games ever; one of the strongest technical showcases of its time and massively popular with gamers - by all accounts, it was seen to be the Dreamcast's magnum-opus.

And yet, despite all this, it was with a nervous anticipation that I first sat down to playing the game. You see, even with such praise, I was somewhat sceptical. I had played both its predecessor (Soul Blade) and its successor (Soul Calibur II) and whilst undeniably impressive titles, both suffered from some slightly clumsy controls and a sluggishness that hurt them when compared to other beat 'em ups. I wondered, how could the game that fitted in between the two chronologically prove to be as incredible as everyone claimed?

Well, ye-of-little-faith, it beat the evil monster that is hype and proved to be every bit as special as had been touted. Don't ask me how, but Namco managed it. In fact, it is so good that all memories of the series niggles and qualms (both past and future) are forgotten within a matter of minutes of picking up the pad. The slate has been wiped clean; it's like a separate game entirely, and in a league of its own.

Soul Calibur (SC) is a 3D one-on-one beat 'em up, adapted from Namco's arcade game and released as a Dreamcast exclusive in 1999. Want a crude stereotype? It's like "Tekken with weapons". There is an element of truth to that - the games have the same developers after all and therefore share near identical modes 'n' menus, classy visuals and SC even sees a guest appearance from everyone's favourite Tekken space-ninja, Yoshimitsu. Beyond that, you have two very different beasts. It's hard to articulate just how great an achievement SC is; but for its own sequels, it could have been released five years on from its original iteration and would not have seemed out of place on a PlayStation2. It was the best beat 'em up ever on release, still is today and as a gaming feat in its own time and context, may never be bettered.

The plot follows 19 characters from predictably diverse backgrounds, as they seek the alluring, destructively powerful sword known as Soul Edge. Though rarely the primary point of interest in a game of this type, the story is notably darker and more convincing than the Mishima family squabbles that have dominated Tekken for over a decade. Upon completion of the eight stage arcade mode (which culminates in a battle with the evil swords own fiery embodiment, Inferno), you are treated to an ending that shows how your character coped with coming into contact with Soul Edge, and it's all the more intriguing as many are jarringly downbeat - as the weaker minds surrender to madness or become possessed by the blade. This time around, young knight Siegfried has acquired Soul Edge from the (temporary) corpse of the pirate Cervantes, and in doing so becomes host to the evil weapon. This prompts his aptly-named alter-ego, Nightmare, to embark on a relentless killing spree at the command of the sword, with its seemingly unquenchable thirst for souls continuing unabated. Thus, a motley crew of fighters from around the world seek the legendary sword, each with their own motives.

Soul Calibur's gameplay is near-perfect. The fights are fast-paced and flow beautifully, with controls that are as responsive as you could possibly wish for. A wonderful middle-ground has been struck between accessibility and depth; each character has dozens of moves, a great deal of which require little more than a tap of a button linked with a direction on the D-Pad, and the intuitive input system is complemented by the ease in which you can improvise with combos. In your average Streetfighter or Tekken outing, long combination moves must be carried out in a very specific manner, but SC's incredible flow of control and animation means you can be relatively creative in your attack-strings, leaving you to concentrate on quick reflexes and cute timing to win battles rather than memorising control configurations. There are, of course, many more sophisticated attacks and special moves to tackle in the long term, but it can be as simple or as complex as you wish it to be, and there is much more to the game than initially meets the eye.

Blocking is slightly unusual as you have to do so with the 'A' button, rather than stepping away from your opponent. I must admit, this felt slightly out of place to begin with and requires practice to use effectively - but it does have its uses as a well-timed parry of an opponent's blow can give you the upper hand. All arenas upon which you fight have edges from which you can fall from, causing a ring-out and automatic defeat. The dimension this adds is very much tactical; if the odds are favouring an opponent or you are especially low on health, it can prove a good move to lure your opponent towards the edge - there's nothing more satisfying than impaling a reckless foe on Cervantes' blades and hurling them out of the fight entirely. This is brought into play far more effectively than in Soul Blade, thanks to the masterful 'side-step' technique. Used many times since but rarely as effectively as in Soul Calibur, this manoeuvre not only allows the player to dodge an attack with good timing, but several different throw moves can be performed by each character depending on where you are standing in relation to your opponent.

The 19-strong cast of characters is really good; rather than sticking to one or two figures predominately, you'll likely alternate between a dozen or more as not only are they totally diverse in their fighting styles, and precisely-judged strengths and weaknesses make different fighters more effective in certain specific circumstances. Among them are Taki; a ninja-assassin with super-speed and vicious kicks; vivaciously-dressed youths Maxi and Seung Mina; the aforementioned Siegfried/Nightmare doppelganger, cleverly selectable as two different characters with subtly different abilities thanks to the 'memories' of the Soul Edge weapon; Edge Master, an old guy who has mastered the mimicry of all fighting styles; and eerie, inhuman entities Lizardman and Astaroth, who are a bit rubbish to play as, but at least highlight the games more creative design.

Whilst its gameplay is exceptional, Soul Calibur's most striking facet is undoubtedly its graphics. Every aspect of its visual make-up is utterly astounding - so astounding in fact that the developers didn't even need FMV sequences - for all the showcases, the in-game graphics engine is deemed sufficient. The fighters move with pure fluidity and are meticulously animated - little things such as facial expressions, clothes and hair billowing in the wind; they set the game apart from the rest.

The unlockable Character Profiles allow the player to zoom in and around these incredible models, but they are only the tip of the iceberg. Each character has their own stage, which are epic in design and gorgeously realised. They are amazing without exception; the Shrine of Eurydice stage for example is set on a pedestal high up among the clouds, surrounded by gleaming marble pillars, with a snow-capped mountain as an awesome backdrop. Elsewhere, there are equally grand designs that include a harbour dominated by a giant shipwreck; an ominous fiery temple, and a Roman Colosseum. Another nice touch is the inclusion of some sunset and night versions of stages, which prove just as lovely as their daytime counterparts. It is pure architectural beauty, as in the majority of beat 'em ups you probably won't even notice the backgrounds, but such is the variety and elegance of design that you'll find you can't help deserve poring over every little detail in the games Museum mode - there's nothing quite like it.

Yet another extremely strong element of the game is its sound. Character lines are convincingly performed and as they are solely in Japanese with subtitles, Namco fortunately haven't taken the opportunity to ruin the atmosphere with cheesy dubbing. The music is superbly crafted and perfectly tuned to reflect the swashbuckling action; indeed, they are probably the best songs in a beat 'em up since Streetfighter II.

The simplified Mission Battle mode is a big step-forward for the series and adds considerable legs to an already lengthy sole-player experience. Doing away with the weapon collecting business of Soul Blade, SC allows you to tackle more than sixty missions set under a range of conditions, such as fighting in quicksand, or when poisoned, or even with the disadvantage of not being able to see your opponents weapon. The rewards for winning these are points that can be spent on the 300 or so art cards that can be admired thereafter at your leisure. They hold more than aesthetic value however, as buying special ones can open up new missions, character outfits, modes and stages. The difficulty in the early stages is pleasantly gentle, though the latter challenges will keep you occupied for some time - there are some real toughies.

And if the 60 or so missions and 19 arcade-mode endings aren't enough for you, there's always the beat 'em up ever-presents such as Time Attack and Survival, as well as an intriguing 'Extra Survival' mode, where the first blow landed wins the fight. Then there's the evergreen two-player mode where Soul Calibur is arguably at its best - playing against a mate especially good fun thanks to the Team Battle setup, as you can have rosters of up to eight brawlers each, mixing things up nicely and its always a great challenge opting for a random selection of fighters. Bottom line is - it will last for ages.

Does Soul Calibur live up to its considerable reputation then? Yes, easily. Technologically, years ahead of its time, and fully a generation later, it is still debatable whether there is another beat 'em up that can rival it for speed and excellence of control. A game that every Dreamcast owner should own, and considering the amount of quality that's on show, the fact you can buy it for around £2 new on eBay means the value it offers is quite extraordinary. A real classic.

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