What makes Soul Calibur 2 so great? First of all, if you haven't played a Soul Calibur game before -let me introduce you to the series. Soul Calibur is a unique 3D fighting game. Each fighter in Soul Calibur has their own individual fighting style and a weapon to go with it. For example: Raphael, a French fencer, uses a stiletto to dance around his opponents and destroy them with powerful feints and thrusts. There's Maxi, a fighter who uses the nunchaku to perform powerful acrobatic combos that do heavy damage to his foes. Also playable is Astoroth, a gigantic, muscle-bound, alien who uses a huge war-axe. Stranger-still is Ivy, a fighter who wields a sentient "Sword Snake" that is able to entwine and strangle her adversaries. These are only a few examples of the fighters you'll see in Soul Calibur, there are many more to choose from.

Soul Calibur 2 has arguably the best control system of any fighting game ever. It is very easy to just jump in and play. You can quickly figure out how to control your character well enough, to pull off many a cool move. That said, to become a master with one character will take some time, and true masters of their characters will be able to dominate the novice (as it should be). These controls are the backbone of Soul Calibur 2, and a big reason why it is my favorite fighting game ever. The battles are fast paced and very exciting, and the momentum can change in an instant. Risking everything to perform a desperate move could heavily damage your opponent, or if unsuccessful, leave you open for a brutal counter-attack. This leads us to a feature I have to mention: Namco's ingenious 8-way run system. This system allows you to move your character any direction you want, in 3D. Using 8-way run, you can sidestep an opponent's attack, then counter with one of your own. You can also set up attacks by moving around your opponent's guard and striking a cruel blow. These are only a couple of examples of how 8-way run can be used to your advantage, there are many more to discover.

Soul Calibur 2 features multiple modes of gameplay to choose from: Practice mode, VS battle, arcade mode, time attack mode, survival mode, team battle, VS team battle, and Weapon Master mode to name a few. There are also additional modes to unlock, but I won't spoil them for you here. Variations of these modes are pretty much standard in any new 3D fighting game, Weapon Master mode, however, is something found only in the Soul Calibur series. This mode allows you travel across a mythical landscape, fighting missions as you progress along a greater storyline. Unfortunately, this is one area where Soul Calibur 2 suffers. Dialogue in the Soul Calibur series never seems to be translated very well, and as a result the story can be somewhat confusing. Despite its flaws, this mode is quite challenging, and a lot of fun. Weapon Master Mode is also very rewarding, allowing you to unlock secret stages and characters. You also earn gold as you complete mission battles; gold allows you to buy new weapons and new costumes for your characters, as well as other secret content.

Graphically, Soul Calibur 2 looks amazing on each system it has been ported to. The character models are expressive and vibrant. The animation is truly a thing of beauty, each character moves with a stunning fluidity, making their moves even more visually impressive. The backgrounds are also excellent, each stage providing a different 3D environment. The game's sound effects are also impressive, I still find myself wincing every time I hear my fighter's bones crunch as he takes a brutal impact. Even stronger is SC2's score, which helps to add dramatic effect to the battles. The enthusiastic announcer from SC1 is back again, though he still suffers from translation issues similar to those I mentioned earlier. Overall, even with its flaws, Soul Calibur 2 has great presentation.

I highly recommend Soul Calibur 2 to anyone who enjoys 3D fighting games. It's great fun to gather some friends and play against each other, and unlike most 3D fighters, Soul Calibur 2 is deep enough to allow fun and challenging solo play. There are tons of characters, costumes and stages to unlock, which should keep soloers going for hours. The most disappointing thing about Soul Calibur 2 is the lack of online play, which means you'll still have to head to the arcade if you want to test your skills against unknown opponents. Soul Calibur 3 is due to be released later this year; which I fervently hope will include online play. Until then, Soul Calibur 2 is your best bet for 3D fighter fun. For Xbox, PS2, or GameCube, you can't go wrong with Soul Calibur 2.