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Soulcalibur II for PlayStation 2
Soulcalibur II for PlayStation 2 is a three-dimensional fighting game in which weapons chiefly determine a duel’s distance and tempo. You choose a character such as Mitsurugi, Taki, Kilik or Ivy, each with individual moves and reach. The PlayStation 2 version also includes Heihachi Mishima from Tekken as a guest fighter. His punches and kicks give him a different approach from characters fighting with swords, staffs or other weapons.
You move forwards, backwards and sideways to make an attack miss or find an opening yourself. Horizontal strikes cover different space from vertical attacks. Well-timed Guard Impacts let you repel an attack and try to take the initiative. Open edges also introduce the possibility of a ring-out. Both fighters’ positions can therefore become as important as their remaining health.
Weapon Master gives you a series of missions with changing conditions, spread across a map. You earn rewards and collect weapons, including versions with special properties for Extra battles. Regular Arcade and Versus fights keep attention on the selected fighter and the duel. Practice lets you rehearse moves and combinations. Two players can face each other locally and investigate how different weapons respond to one another’s reach.
Region and language
Our PlayStation 2 games are PAL editions and come with a Dutch or English box, unless stated otherwise. By default, you receive the version for the European market. We note it in the product details if the region is different or the box is in another language. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
Soulcalibur II for PlayStation 2 includes the manual unless the product title states otherwise. If the booklet is missing, the title says “No Manual”. This lets you see before ordering whether the game comes with a manual.
The manuals included with our games usually contain at least English and often around six European languages. The exact languages vary by edition, so Dutch is not always included. The booklet explains the controls and the main rules. You can use it to check how to control the game, which actions are available and how its different features work.
The history of Soulcalibur II
Soulcalibur II appeared in arcades in 2002 and came to PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Xbox in 2003. Namco developed the sequel within the series that began with Soul Edge, known on European PlayStation as Soul Blade. The first Soulcalibur had further developed freedom of movement around an opponent. The second built on that with returning fighters, new characters and adjusted combat possibilities.
Each system received its own guest character for the console releases. PlayStation 2 got Heihachi Mishima from Namco’s Tekken series. An unarmed fighter thereby joined Soulcalibur’s different weapon styles. The home versions also received extra content involving collecting weapons and playing challenges. Weapon Master gave those battles progression through chapters and rewards, alongside the direct arcade matches from the game’s origins.
Guest fighters made the individual console versions recognisable, while the foundations of moving, parrying and attacking remained shared. Soulcalibur III originally followed on PlayStation 2 in 2005, including a character-creation system. Soulcalibur II preserves the earlier phase: an arcade sequel expanded for home play with challenges and collectible weapons. This PlayStation 2 release contains the original version with Heihachi and the combat structure with which it arrived on the console in 2003.
Similar games for PlayStation 2
Soulcalibur III adds custom characters and Chronicles of the Sword, with a strategic layer around combat. Soulcalibur II uses Weapon Master for challenges and collecting weapons. Both share movement around an opponent and attention to weapon reach. The third game gives you more influence over the appearance and composition of your own fighter.
Tekken 5 concentrates on punches, kicks and throws, with four attack buttons for the limbs. Soulcalibur II lets the weapon determine the distance you can cover and how you evade an attack. Heihachi connects the PlayStation 2 versions as a familiar Tekken character. The difference is especially noticeable when you pit his short reach against a long staff or sword.
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution uses unarmed fighting styles and three basic buttons for punch, kick and defence. Soulcalibur II shares its attention to timing and sideways movement, but adds different weapons. In both, you must know when a blocked attack leaves room to respond. The distance at which that happens changes greatly with the chosen weapon.
Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore uses reversals and arenas with different heights to turn a duel around. Soulcalibur II lets you try to take the initiative with Guard Impacts and movement. Both ask you to read attacks rather than simply keep striking. In Soulcalibur, reach and an open arena edge can also determine the outcome directly.
Mortal Kombat: Deception lets fighters switch between several styles, including a weapon style. Soulcalibur II instead builds most characters around a fixed weapon and its associated moves. Both use three-dimensional arenas and character-specific attacks. Choosing distance and defence therefore has a different relationship with your fighting style in each game.
