PS2 Soul Calibur 3

Games/Video Games/PS2 Soul Calibur 3
3 stars (Worst AI I have ever seen) - The game is pretty, and it's fun to play - Namco,ps2,soul,calibur,3,namco,games,video,games,ps2soulcalibur3 25 october, 200,PS2 Soul Calibur 3
Software Developed byNamco

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Click to buy via Regnow (49.99$)

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Description :

PS2 Soul Calibur 3 review:
3 stars (Worst AI I have ever seen) - The game is pretty, and it's fun to play with friends, although some of the added gameplay dynamics are frustrating: namely that once you're on the ground, you can expect to get hit 6-7 more times before you can so much as regain your footing, and even then, you're on the defensive for the rest of the match.



The biggest problem with this game is that the single player, which you're practically forced to play if you ever want to unlock weapons/characters/armor, etc is awful.



The main reason is the computer AI. Enemies vary between being 100% flawless (all of your moves are blocked, if not guard impacted, all of your throws negated, even though there should only be a 50% chance of that if someone's even fast enough to attempt negating it), and being 100% worthless. It punishes you for even trying to fight, because immediately after the enemy blocks your attack, he immediately counters with a lightning fast move before you can block it (even moves that knock an enemy off balance don't protect you from this counter attack).



The enemy alternates between sitting completely still and not trying to block anything, to becoming completely impossible to harm at all; there is no in between. Skill is irrelevant, as I can beat computer opponents just as well with the character i've used since soul caliber 1 (which i consider myself quite skilled with) as with a new character who's moves I have no idea to enact (which I admit I am god awful with). This is because any hit you get off the computer is because it allowed you hit it. Tactics, switch moves, throwing off balance, fakeouts, etc do absolutely nothing against the computer. You're as likely to strike the computer with the most comnplicated and flawlessly executed maneuver in the history of fighting games as you are by closing your eyes and mashing the triangle button (try it, it works).



Second reason is massive load times. Trying to play through story mode makes you wait 15 seconds to load out of a battle into the map screen, 15 seconds to wait for the next text box, 15 seconds again to load into battle mode, and then it makes you watch every damn cinematic on the way though.



Chronicles of the sword seemed like an intersting new game, but once again suffers the same problems as the other single player modes, some of which are even worse here. Frequent loading saps any amount of inensity the game might hold, and the rediculous difficulty of the computer AI is magnified here. Everyone in this mode gets 'levels' 1-60. You start at level 1ish, and fight opponents usually ranging from lv 7-60. Higher the levels, the more health/damage they have/do. Also, just to spice things up, battles frequently have an effect like 'all the attacks the enemy makes are unblockable', or 'any hits you make against the enemy don't slow him down'. These benefits only occur for whoever controls the tower, and since 95% of it is you attacking towers, not defending, these benefits rarely if ever get applied to you.



With all of this complaining, you might wonder why I gave the game 3 stars. Remember, this is only the single player mode. Multiplayer is still relatively fun. It also suffers from load times (especially when picking characters and trying to see what they look like), and the problem with once you're on the floor you're pretty much a goner, but is otherwise loads of fun. Once you go through the root canal of single player to unlock the characters that is.
4 stars (Very good, but still needs work) - I find this to be a very love-hate game. Despite all the great things about it, it still seems to have some bad quirks and tendencies that could easily, and should be, taken out.



Gameplay is erratic. It seems even though you push the same button combination, something different happens, which can be extremely frustrating at times. I don't appreciate giving the command for a round house only to have my charcater jump in the air and leave himself wide open for an attack. But on the other hand, it's hard to complain because each character can to so many different things. Just like Soul Calibur II, when you fully learn a character, they can become damn good, and some of the moves are awsome despite being ficticious.



My biggest gameplay gripe is against the computer in the Tale of Souls mode. The computer blocks, and blocks, and blocks. And when it doesn't block, it ducks or runs. No matter which way you hit them, they block it. They have a high block, you stike low, it's blocked. Sadly, this doesn't work both ways, as the computer can get past your block from any angle. And as soon as your hit, expect five more lightning quick blows to be dealt before your character can recover. Granted this adds an element of strategy, but it also slows down gameplay incredibly as you need to wait for an oppurtunity to strike. Don't expect to be very aggressive and win, especially against the faster characters. Also, some of the characters have had their moves changed around (ie. Ivy, Cervantes), so you need to re-learn how to use them.



The graphics are amazing, simple as that. The backgrounds for Soul Calibur II were impressive, but they look like N64 models compared to III. You can't help but gape at what the designers accomplished with them. Truly works of art. Character models have improved, and while each character has only two costumes (some improved, some much worse ie. Kilik), you can edit the colors of each to make two additional ones. This adds more than you would think.



And speaking of design, something gamers have been waiting a long time for: a character creation. There are quite a few options available for appearance, and a color editor for each piece of the outfit makes it quite in depth. The voices and fighting styles for the created characters are limitied, but that doesn't detract much at all from it. Each character design has a unit type (ie. barbarian, saint) that creates a base unit to build from. All it really does is determine what weapon your character uses, and hence the fighting style. You can make your barbarian look like a clergyman, and vice versa if you want. Any character type can use any design piece. This section could be better, but for a first, it does the job more than adequetly. Now if they can only add a weapons design mode...



Lasting appeal is better because of the single players modes. Tales of Souls allows the user to walk through a storyline of the chosen fighter, choosing the path at points. Chronicles of the Sword adds a bit of a stragety element to the game. While not in depth, it is a nice change of pace. Add in the various other specialized fighting modes and you've got a game with a lot more lasting power than it predecessor.



Voice acting has improved, and while basically the same voices as before, they are done in a more realistic manner. It takes a little getting used to, but is an improvement.



All in all, the game is pretty damn good, but can still be incredibly frustrating at times, especially when you add in the fact it was so needlessly done and could have been easily avoided by the designers. Replay value is much better, as are the graphics. Despite the frustration the game can cause, the fun outweighs it, and I would strongly recommend the game.


1 stars (Don't Waste Your Time/Money) - I was pumped when I bought this game at the store, but as soon as I popped it in, I was seriously disappointed. After playing a few matches with most of the characters, a friend and I started playing Soul Cal 2 again for XBox. The graphics are worse, the sounds/speech is worse, the movements are slower...I could go on forever, baby. I really want to know what Namco was thinking when they were making this. We were joking, but being serious, that if we had been told this game was for PSOne, we would believe them. Any advanced Soul Cal player should say that this game blows. If they had taken Soul Cal 2, and used the new characters, made a new Weapon Master, and used the new outfits, then I would actually be pleased with spending $50 on this game. Everyone, do yourself a favor and don't buy this game, and if you don't have Soul Calibur 2, get that instead.

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