Graphics:

The graphics in this game are phenomenal.


The character models are the best you'll see in a videogame ( when this first came out ). There are a couple of nice


arenas like the Venice stage and the Underground Cavern but for the


most part each area is just a floating platform with a very


lightly animated background.

Gameplay:

 It is easy for the


beginner to jump in and start playing. Contrary to what some people


have said, button mashing against a more skilled opponent won't get you


very far. Almost every move in the game can be blocked, and


those moves that can't, called Unblockable Attacks, take so


long to perform that it's possible to get out of the way before the


attack ( side stepping ). There are literally hundreds of different moves for each


character, and unlike many fighting games, you don't have to enter a


huge string of random commands to perform a combo ( accept Tekken ). Most combos are actually strings, or several different moves performed


one right after another. This style does two things: first, it makes


combos easier to perform and much more customizable; and second, it


makes the moves more satisfying because you feel like you're actually


controlling what's happening on-screen.

Music :

The music is one of the


best I've heard in a fighting game. It sounds very orchestral and has an





incredibly epic feel to it. The sound effects, on the other hand, can be


off at times. Screams, grunts, and growls all sound great, as well as


the weapon clashes, but the sounds of characters and weapons hitting


the


ground are not so good. Overall, the aural experience is solid but there





are other games that do it better.

Story:

Here's is an area that's often


neglected in fighting games. Anyone who's played any of the Tekken


games will know what I mean. In Soul


Calibur each character is chasing the Soul Edge. But each character


is after this legendary sword for his or her own reason. Voldo is after


the blade because it was his dead master's life-long quest; Sophitia


received an oracle from the god Hephaestus to destroy the Soul Edge;


etc. Every character has his or her own story and each one is much more


intricate than what I've outlined here. The endings are a  series of


hand-drawn pictures instead of pre-rendered cinemas.

Favorite Quote from the Game :

Nightmare: "The time is ripe, you shall become part of me. You are my first sacrifice."