The game that made you buy a Dreamcast.  That's what Soul Calibur was.  As a Dreamcast exclusive, it left PSone and Nintendo 64 owners in the gutter.  That's the main reason why many of us picked up Sega's last console – to play the sequel to Namco's most innovative title since Tekken: Soul Edge (known as Soul Blade on PSone).

Times are changing though.  Exclusivity is no longer a major issue.  Game developers are doing everything they can to release every game on every console.  While Tekken still appears to be a PlayStation exclusive, Namco's other high-calibur fighter is giving Nintendo and Microsoft some much-needed soul.  Now everyone can take the arcade experience home with Soul Calibur 2.

Soul Calibur 2's fighter lineup is the best yet.  Not just Namco's best – there are more characters in Soul Calibur 2 than in any other weapon-based fighting game.  It was stunning to see the entire character screen for the first time at Lollapalooza.  Namco revealed the addition of one exclusive character to each home version of the game (Heihachi for PS2, Link for GameCube, and Spawn for Xbox), but never in my wildest dreams did I expect to have so many fighters to choose from.  It was like going back to the early 90s when Tekken first launched and when Mortal Kombat was its prime.  You'd play the game at the arcade, come back a few weeks later and be amazed by how many new characters had been added.

If you're already a diehard Soul Calibur fan, then chances are you're dying to know what this new Weapon Master Mode is all about.  It can't be described in one sentence, but I'll try anyway: learn more about the story, complete various battle missions, and unlock weapons and hidden characters.  These "battle missions" consist of dozens of challenges that test the player's skills (or their ability to play the game until they get lucky and win).  For example, at one point you'll have to battle on an icy platform.  The platform is extremely slippery, making it difficult to run or do any quick attacks without flying off the ledge.  Another mission requires you to defeat a series of fighters with a limited amount of health.  Yet another will have you battling through what the game describes as a dungeon.  In truth, it is just a series of tough battles.  It's cool though, since you have the option to take on additional battles, earn more EXP (which increases your strength) and unlock more weapons.  Unlocked weapons can be equipped and used in Weapon Master Mode, and in one of the extra arcade modes. 

The story – well, we've been there, done that, and quite frankly, I really don't want to go there again.  Soul Calibur has, unfortunately, never had a spectacular story.  I wish it did because it would make the single player experience that much more compelling.  But it's one minute flaw.  Compared to how much time you'll be playing this with friends, the story hardly matters.

Overall the Weapon Master Mode is a great addition to the Soul Calibur series, and will surely keep fighting fans busy for at least a solid weekend.

Having played all three versions of the game, I can happily say that you will be thrilled with whichever one you get.  I'm going to concentrate on Heihachi since this is a review of the PS2 version, but I'd like to make a quick note about Spawn: he is an excellent character.  He may not seem to fit in with the Soul Calibur lineup, but his weapon and unique attack moves are awesome.  His larger-sized weapon and fast attack moves give him many advantages.

Contrary to some crazy reports floating around the Net, Heihachi is a great character.  He may not have a sword, and he may not feel like a Soul Calibur character, but would you really want him to?  If he did, then he might as well not be Heihachi.  Several of his moves are the same, though some of them have been simplified to work with the three attack buttons that SC2 offers (Tekken uses four).  He also has a couple of new punch attacks and a few altered combos.

Note: I am unable to comment on GameCube's exclusive character (Link) because the demo I played did not feature him.

Character rehashes are common in large fighting games, but you won't find many here.  From Voldo, the contortionist with swords for hands to Maxi, the knun chuck-wielding fighter introduced in the last game to Nightmare, who uses a sword that looks like it's alive.  Voldo's odd, body-twisting moves make him the perfect candidate for gamers who like to mess around with their opponents.  He's tricky -- a lot of evasive moves look like attacks and vice versa.  This makes it especially tough for people who don't use Voldo to defeat him.  This also makes it important to learn your foe's attacks and learn them well.

Kilik has a great selection of Neo-type moves.  (Yes, the same Neo from The Matrix Reloaded.)  His long staff enables him to strike at a distance, yet still perform several powerful attacks while standing close to an opponent.  Kilik is one of the game's many characters that has several subtle evasive and attack moves that don't make much sense at first.  But when the power of those moves is fully realized, you'll become all the more powerful when using that character.  Yet again, you'll find yourself in dire straits when you are on the opposite end of this battle.  That's part of the fun of a fighting game though – coming up with new solutions and defeating new problems that your friends have created.

Necrid (the console-exclusive character that was created by Todd McFarlane Productions and appears in all three versions) is really cool.  He looks like a cross between Spawn and a goblin, but his powerful moves make up for that.  His sword is awesome – it disappears when he’s not using it!  Some of his moves are punches and kicks, no weapon necessary.

Unforgettable characters like Taki and Raphael add even more variety to Soul Calibur 2's lineup.  I'm not sure what you'd call Taki's fighting style, but her small sword, quick moves and the stellar use of her legs (to trip her enemies, among other things) make for an excellent, fast-paced character.  Raphael's fighting style is like that of a swordsman from a classic swashbuckler (think Pirates of the Caribbean).  His moves are also quite quick, but are performed in completely different ways, resulting in different strengths and weaknesses.  Fully mastering just one of these characters could take any gamer several months.  Mastering the whole lineup could take years.

With PlayStation 2's lifespan reaching the half-way point, developers are really pushing to get as much out of the console as possible.  Soul Calibur 2 was intended to maximize the console's graphical power, which is why it was developed using arcade hardware that's based on PS2.  Released in arcades last summer, Soul Calibur 2 looked great, but didn't quite steal the show.  At home, however, this game shines brighter than ever.  PS2 may be the weakest of the current generation of game consoles, but the differences between each version are minimal.  The gameplay is constantly fast, with never a single drop in the frame rate.  Comparing Soul Calibur with its sequel might make you think that the graphics haven't been upgraded too severely.  Take a closer look and you'll notice that, in addition to the greatly enhanced backgrounds, lighting, shadow and other effects, the characters are also quite a bit more detailed.  Their skin textures are more realistic, their movements are more fluid, etc.

As an added bonus, Namco included a demo disc packed with extras just for PS2 owners.  Try out two new games (kill.switch and I-Ninja) and download stuff to your memory card (such as a game save for Tekken 4 that unlocks all of the characters).

Soul Calibur 2 is in a caliber of its own.  Its gameplay is even more perfect than the first two games, and a lot of people didn't even think it would be possible (including myself).  To improve on Dreamcast's best fighting is to create the best multi-platform fighting game to come around since...since...ever!  For a minute there I almost forgot that Tekken Tag Tournament was a PS2-exclusive.  I had more fun with that game than I could have ever imagined, and now I'm having that much fun trying to master Soul Calibur 2.  It's the ultimate tournament game.  The kind of fighter you'll pop in your PS2 and play for hours without even thinking about taking a break.  GameCube and Xbox owners should be on cloud nine now that they can also experience one of Namco's greatest masterpieces.  If you have just one friend who plays fighting games, you absolutely, positively, must not wait another second to buy this game.  You and him (or her, if you're lucky enough to know a girl who likes fighting games) will have the most fun you've had in years.

Gameplay: 9.6
Soul Calibur 2 is sword-fighting perfection trapped in a box.  Open the box and you'll unleash a world of endless entertainment.  A fighting game is only as good as its characters, and Soul Calibur 2's characters are just about perfect.  Their weapons, their moves, their fighting styles – it's all on a Namco level.  For those of you who don't know, Namco's level is of the highest quality and is constantly rising.  It started with Pac-Man, then Tekken and its sequels, then Soul Edge and Soul Calibur, and now the third game in the series, Soul Calibur 2.

Graphics: 9
When referring to this game's graphics, you could call it Stunning Calibur.  Namco has once again upped the ante of fighting game graphics by developing it with new PS2-based arcade hardware.  The great graphics were then enhanced even further for home release.  The frame rate is always consistent and the character detail and animation is some of the best ever seen on Sony's console.

Sound: 8.5
Epic soundtracks rarely make it into fighting games.  Soul Calibur 2 has one that is on the same "calibur" as a top-notch RPG.  It's powerful, emotional and very deep, so much that you'll become engrossed by it.  Furthermore, this soundtrack is one of the few in a fighting game that will entertain you and your friends during those long game sessions.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Button-mashers will eventually get lucky and complete the game on its hardest difficulty.  They'll also be able to unlock all of the secret characters.  One thing they won't do, however, is become a master of the game.  To do that, you'll have to make this your primary game.  On average, two to three hours a day is required to compete with the really, really good real-life players.  It's easy to spend that much time playing though since Soul Calibur 2 is close to being the most addictive multiplayer game of the year.

Concept: 8
Soul Calibur 2 is the "Tekken Tag" of the series.  It has virtually every character, a few new ones, an exclusive character, brand-new play modes and new fighting moves.

Multiplayer: 10
Last year was a great year for single-player games, but this might just be the best year for multiplayer titles.  Soul Calibur 2 is one of the few fighting games to be worthy of a perfect multiplayer score.  Play it with some friends and you'll see why.  You will literally do anything you can to avoid getting off your butt while playing this game!  The only thing that could make you get up is if you're playing with a group of people and are forced to take turns.  Then at least you'll have a chance to go to the bathroom, and maybe get something to eat.  But music, movie theaters and television shows (you know, the important stuff in life) will all take a backseat to Soul Calibur 2.  You'll be tempted to cut class, take off work, or if you're really addicted, cancel a date!  It's that good.

Overall: 9.7
Tekken Tag still holds a special place in my heart, so I can't say I love SC2 more, but it blows away every single fighting game released exclusively on GameCube or Xbox.  It's so incredible that they could have called it Amazing Calibur.  Superior Calibur.  Or even... Häagen-Dazs Calibur, the richest and creamiest of all fighting games!

Although it helps to have a friend who already likes the genre, you shouldn't fret if none of your gamer buds play fighting games.  Like Tekken and the first Mortal Kombat game, Soul Calibur 2 has the power to turn anyone into a fighting fan.  This doesn't mean you'll instantly love every fighting game out there, but why would you want to?  I'm all for more games, but really, when it comes down to it, you want the best in every genre, right?  If the best fighting game is what you're looking for, then look to the soul that never stops burning.