This product is like new. At NexWave Games, like new means:
Additionally, all discs at NexWave Games are carefully inspected and assessed for quality. When discs arrive, we do not accept any that are so badly damaged that they are unlikely to work. We only accept discs with light scratches at most. Discs with scratches are then treated in our professional disc repair machine. By warming the disc and polishing it with soft brushes, these machines can remove a very thin layer from the disc. This removes the layer containing surface scratches and improves the disc’s readability. This ensures the disc works properly, even on consoles with ageing lasers that have difficulty reading games! Great news for the player.
Soulcalibur III for PlayStation 2
Soulcalibur III for PlayStation 2 is a three-dimensional weapon-based fighting game with a strong emphasis on distance. You choose a familiar warrior such as Mitsurugi or Taki, or try a newcomer such as Tira, Zasalamel or Setsuka. Each style has its own reach and ways of putting an opponent under pressure. You move sideways, block and look for a chance to attack after a missed strike.
Character Creation also lets you make your own fighter. You choose elements including appearance, clothing and an available fighting style, then use that character in different parts of the game. Tales of Souls follows the regular cast’s stories through fights and choices along the way. Soul Arena offers separate challenges. Training develops your moves and combinations; Versus lets two players face each other locally.
Chronicles of the Sword adds a strategic campaign built around custom characters. You move units around a map and try to capture positions. A confrontation brings regular weapon combat into view, so your own skills also influence the outcome of the larger plan. Characters develop during the campaign. Soulcalibur III therefore connects learning a fighting style with choosing equipment and deploying units on the map.
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 III 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 III
Soulcalibur III appeared in 2005 for PlayStation 2. Namco developed it after Soulcalibur II, which had been released on several consoles. The third game was instead announced for PlayStation 2. Its release also began on the home console this time, whereas earlier main instalments had appeared in arcades first. That decision gave console content a different role in development.
Namco’s announcement emphasised Character Creation and Chronicles of the Sword. Creating your own warrior was linked to a campaign combining strategy with regular fights. The existing world also received new faces. Tira, Zasalamel and Setsuka brought different weapons and styles to the cast. Tales of Souls additionally gave returning characters their own routes through the story surrounding the sword Soul Edge.
A separate Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition followed in 2006. The original PlayStation 2 version remained the release with extensive console features, including character creation and the strategic campaign. In the series’ history, this instalment therefore marks a clear interest in what you could do beyond a single duel. You could follow an established fighter, shape your own character and then deploy them in a larger conflict. This disc contains the original PlayStation 2 game from 2005.
Similar games for PlayStation 2
Soulcalibur II gives you challenges and collectible weapons through Weapon Master. Soulcalibur III adds custom characters and a strategic campaign. Movement around an opponent and attention to weapon reach remain familiar. The main difference lies in what you build between fights and how much influence you have over a custom fighter.
Tekken 5 mainly uses punches, kicks and throws and lets you change established characters’ appearances. Soulcalibur III lets you design your own warrior around a weapon style. Both offer three-dimensional duels and separate single-player content. The distance at which you plan attacks differs because weapons have a larger role in Soulcalibur.
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution strongly emphasises training moves and the relationship between punching, kicking, guarding and throwing. Soulcalibur III also requires precise timing, but lets the selected weapon determine reach and attack angle. Both give you room to learn a fighter more thoroughly; Soulcalibur also connects that with custom characters and equipment.
Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore uses reversals and arenas with changes in elevation to alter the pressure in a duel. Soulcalibur III lets you seek initiative through movement, weapon reach and well-timed defence. Both require responding to the other fighter. The extra campaign and Character Creation also give Soulcalibur a different focus outside direct fights.
Mortal Kombat: Deception combines combat with extra features such as Konquest and Chess Kombat. Soulcalibur III connects strategy and weapon duels in Chronicles of the Sword. Both seek variety around the regular confrontation between two fighters. In Soulcalibur, you play with custom characters that you deploy as units on a map and develop further.
