Regarded by some as the Dreamcast's finest hour, and still extremely playable today, Soul Calibur can justifiably be considered one of the best 3D fighting games ever. It combined detailed characters, lavish backgrounds and a wonderful flowing fighting engine. The game itself was a masterclass in playability that managed to be both easy on the complete novice and satisfyingly deep for the veteran. In short, Soul Calibur 2 is the sequel to a very good fighting game.

Soul Calibur was itself a sequel to the arcade and PSone title Soul Edge. The arcade version of Soul Calibur 2 was made using Sony's System 246 board, and it might have been expected that the home version would only be released on the PS2. However, the game is refreshingly non-platform exclusive and was released in Japan for the Gamecube, Xbox and PS2 at the same time. This review will concentrate on the PS2 version.

The first thing a player will notice about Soul Calibur 2 is the graphics. Soul Calibur was one of the prettiest games on the Dreamcast, and even now still looks good up against newer fighters such as Tekken 4 and Virtua Fighter 4. However, Soul Calibur 2 is simply gorgeous and truly raises the bar for console fighting game graphics.

Initially the game features 15 fighters, with a further 5 unlockable, and Namco have followed the usual fighting game blueprint and included a mix of new characters and returning favourites. Each character is highly detailed and possesses a weapon that, to a large extent, defines their fighting style. Characters range from young girls with small swords, that rely of fast poking moves and combos, to huge axe-wielding giants whose game revolves more around throws and powerful strikes.

What set Soul Calibur apart from its rivals was its medieval, mythological theme, and its sequel continues this. The character design in Soul Calibur 2 is undeniably superb, and each character's costume fits in with the theme extremely well. The fights themselves take place in a selection of varied arenas that are beautiful constructed. Each arena has a distinct look, and they range from an underground slime pit to the top of a windmill and a cathedral. Namco have created a set of characters and environments that fit together extremely well, and the contrast between the often tranquil arenas and the ferocity of the fighting makes Soul Calibur 2 a joy to watch.

The sound is also impressive, and each stage features an orchestral tune that is consistent with the theme. It is certainly a lot better that the awful soft rock that often accompanies such games. The sound of weapons clashing is convincing, and each character has a wide variety of screams, yelps and taunts.

Fantastic graphics and sound do not make a good game, and it is in the playing where Soul Calibur 2 really excels. The fighting system is based around the use of four buttons, each mapped to one of three types of basic attack (A, B and K) and guard (G). 'A' refers to the horizontal class of attack, which as a generalisation are quick attacks that hit high. 'B' is the vertical attack class, and will usually hit ducking opponents as well as standing ones. These tend to be marginally slower, but more powerful than the standard 'A' attack. 'K' attacks are kicks, the importance of which varies from character to character.

In addition to a basic side step (performed by tapping up or down with the stick or d-pad), the game enables every character to move around the screen if the stick (or d-pad) is quickly returned to neutral and a direction then held after a side step. This feature, referred to as 8 way run, allows and encourages players to move around the environment a great deal. This is important, as while the arenas are not fully interactive, players can be hit against walls or knocked out of the ring. The character mobility in Soul Calibur 2 contrasts greatly with the only limited use of the 3D environment found in some fighting games. It also puts a greater emphasis on move evasion, and sidestepping attacks is a very useful strategy.

Behind the apparent simplicity of the controls is a huge array of possible moves and combos. Learning the properties of every character's moves will take the player a long time, and such knowledge is needed in order to really get good at the game. However, once two players have an idea of the controls and the moves, every Soul Calibur bout becomes a battle of minds and not fingers. The game gives two well matched opponents a fantastic range of options to psyche each other out. Guard cancels, guard impacts and throws can be used to disrupt your opponents rhythm, and the 8 way run system allows experienced players will make full use of the arena when playing their mind games.

Practice hard, and the game will certainly give rewards. However, the game is still immensely enjoyable to the complete novice, and the combination of lavish arenas and balletic fighters with simple controls means that the game is great to pick up and play. Some fighting games require the player to gain an almost academic knowledge of the moves and fighting system before they feel like they can get any enjoyment out of them. However, in Soul Calibur 2 novices are drawn in by the prettiness and apparent simplicity of the game. The game gets the balance right though, and a button masher would certainly not trouble an experienced player.

The game features the usual Arcade, Time Attack, Survival, Team Battle, Vs and Practice modes. In order to boast the single player game and to satisfy a gamer's urge to collect things, the game features Weapon Master mode. In this mode the player travels around a map completing a set of missions, in a similar way to the Edge Master mode of the original Soul Edge. Missions take the form of battles against one or more opponents, and their completion earns the player gold and experience points. Gold can be used to purchase weapons for each character, which then can be used in the unlockable 'Extra' modes that mirror the normal game modes. Each character has eleven weapons that can be unlocked, and aside from cosmetic changes, these new weapons also feature different characteristics. Certain weapons do more damage, drain health, heal, provide extra defence, or even do damage when the opponent blocks. The Weapons Master mode is diverting, but once completed and all the extras unlocked, there is no reason for a player to want to return to it.

In recognition of Soul Calibur 2's multi-platform release, each console version is graced by an exclusive character. The PS2 version includes Heihachi, the aged wannabe dictator and fighting tournament organiser from the Tekken series. Heihachi's inclusion may seem a little incongruous to some, given his lack of weapons, but in actual fact this is not much of an issue in battle. He is blessed with gauntlets on his wrists that he uses to block attacks, and uses his fists and feet to carry out his attacks.

He is speeded up from his Tekken self, but plays surprisingly similar. His range is short, but has a few moves that cover a fair distance before they connect. It is interesting to pitch him against the Soul Calibur crowd to see how he fares using their fighting system. In Tekken, Heihachi relies on powerful juggles, which as a rule are less important to Soul Calibur 2 than they are in Tekken. Soul Calibur 2's Heihachi plays in a very juggle friendly manner and the contrast between his playing style and those around him is good. Tekken has a button for left and right punch, and left and right kick. The transition to Soul Calibur controls has made many of Heihachi's moves marginally easier to perform, as they rely on a simpler sequence of button presses. For example, some of his attacks that in Tekken require the LP and RP to be pressed in a certain order are executed only using the B button.

However, it is impossible not to come to the conclusion that he looks and feels slightly of out place. Aesthetically, he does not greatly detract from the medieval theme, and aside from his lack of weapons his character design fits in reasonably well. His costumes will be familiar to those who have played Tekken, and luckily Namco opted not to give him his nappy suit from Tekken 4. However, it is one of the conventions of fighting games that old characters are slow and powerful. This nod to the natural world reflects the fact that with age reflexes and reaction time wane. Heihachi is well into his 70s and yet plays very quickly in Soul Calibur 2. It just doesn't quite sit with the speed balance of the other characters. Of course, if he was as slow as his age suggested he would be hopelessly outclassed.

The console exclusive characters are a clearly a marketing gimmick, and the inclusion of another returning Soul Calibur character would have been preferable to fans of the series. While it is diverting to see how Heihachi fights against a character with a range as large as Astaroth, it is only a diversion. Until a Tekken v Soul Calibur game is released, it would be better to keep the two games and their respective fighting systems separate. However, there is no doubt that if the inclusion of Heihachi encourages more people to buy the game then his presence is more than justified. It would be wrong for anyone to begrudge Namco for wanting to sell as many copies of this fine game as possible.

The biggest criticism of Soul Calibur 2, and it is a criticism that applies to most fighting games, is that it does not offer a great deal for the single player. The computer AI in every mode lacks the spontaneity of playing a human opponent. At the highest skill level the computer is certainly a challenge, but only because of its unnaturally good blocking and parrying skills. Playing the computer is certainly no substitute for playing a decent human, and once Weapons Master is completed Soul Calibur 2 is limited as a single player game.

In conclusion, Soul Calibur 2 is a masterpiece in terms of design and playability. It is enjoyable for the novice, yet deeply rewarding for those who are willing to take the time it takes to learn its intricacies. Like many fighting games, the single player experience is ultimately limited, but add regular human competition and this game will be played for years to come.