TALIM!!! ![]()
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Oh, and everyone else, I guess.
I already got a copy of the original PS2 version a while back from GameStop, but I never got around to going through it again to unlock stuff - mostly because I've been spoiled by the current gen's wireless controllers and I don't feel like sitting as close to a TV to play, like back when I was a teen.
I'm definitely going to get this, though, mostly as a way of telling Project Soul "more stuff like this, please! Not the bare-bones, convoluted mess of a storyline that SCV ended up as!"
Seriously, the best things about SCII were Talim and the story... and Weapon Master... and Team battle... and Survival...
Man, these games lost a lot of features at or after 3. At least 3 was fun, had the most weapon disciplines, event matches, etc.
Once again, 2 and 3 for best games.
The sad, REAL American dichotomyI hope they don't change Talim's fighting style to match 3 and 4. She was at her best in 2 (ironically, her very first appearance). And I liked her VA better.
"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - FighteerI third that.
Soul Caliburs 1-3 were the 'golden age' of the series, IMO.
Something I've always liked about those three games (and including Edge/Blade, actually) is how there was this sense of adventure permeating them. They were fighting games, but the presentation, the look, and the general 'feel' of those games gave them an atmosphere more akin to an adventure/action game (the Weapon Master modes of Edge-2, and the Chronicles of the Sword mode of 3 probably helped further that feel). I can see that with SC4 onward, they were trying to go for a more 'serious', 'gritty' tone... but it seems to have fallen flat, like quite a few similar attempts in other franchises have. The timeskip and changes they made in 5 only served to make it worse, I think.
I agree with that. Talim's original style was more about sidestepping and tech crouching, and I loved doing that to mess with a friend of mine who was a Raphael player
; I thought that the increased focus on her almost-suicidal Wind Sault move just didn't fit her personality. Also, I love Julie Parker's performance for her - yes, she had moments of self-doubt, but she also had the requisite confidence a world-traveler needed, and she was even a little harsh with her tone at times ("You're full of nothing.") Hynden Walch is okay, but she just sounds too sugary-sweet - somehow even moreso than Yukari Tamura, I noticed!
And one more thing: I think her default SC2 outfit is still her best outfit.
I'm a big Talim fan, in case you guys can't see it.
edited 19th Jul '13 5:55:11 PM by Demovere
I think we're all big Talim fans. Who recognize she was at her best in SC 2. Unfortunately, the COTS disciplines were so much more fun in 3 than she wound up being. But then again, some of them were really fun.
I'm Talim's best fan!
Maybe we should list or rank what we liked most about this series' history and/or characters.
The sad, REAL American dichotomyHonestly, I found some aspects of the custom-only styles in SC3 a little too weird. Yeah, they were fun, but they kind of affected the more 'grounded' feel of the previous games' fighting styles. It's a little hard for me to explain; there was a simplicity and elegance about the styles back then, even with the often-large move lists. Like even though you had fantastic elements like a golem created by a cult and recruited by the god of war but loyal only to himself, an evil knight who used his giant sword to devour souls, and an undead pirate captain (who ended up the least weird out of those three, now that I think about it
), the fighting itself was ultimately a contest of skill, with few, if not no superpowers involved.
SC3's fan style could lift opponents off the ground? Kind of unusual, but I'm not required to use styles like that, so it's okay. SC4's Critical Finishes? A bit overly-flashy (and sometimes looks strange on certain CAWs), but they make sense from a gameplay standpoint, in that they discourage turtling. SC5's Brave Edges and Critical Edges, which include moves you're more likely to see in Street Fighter and are now required for you to stand a chance? >_>;
And one more thing: I think SC2 Raphael was also his best incarnation. He wasn't an undead blood-sucking lifeforce-draining vampire-expy... he was a nobleman out for a revenge that he tried to disguise under a veneer of compassion, walking into a fight for a sword that was possibly out of his super weight.
edited 19th Jul '13 8:03:02 PM by Demovere
Poor Raphael, he's the sword's new boyfriend, but it can't let go of its old flame.
I think Raph might have been best in 3. He had the most potential in 2, yeah, but he didn't really have much purpose there. He was more fun in 2, though.
The worst thing about 2 was that it introduced Yunsung to the series.
I miss Charade!
The sad, REAL American dichotomyCharade was...OK, I didn't get Charade as a character. He is basically a clump of Soul Edge shards loosely formed into a body using the corpse of the fellow who got onto the shards. Except...Charade is always presented as basically the shards just trying to remerge with the original, which is fine and all but...if the sword really could just up and build itself a working body...why didn't it?
...Thinking on it, it's possible that, like the Nightmare body created by Zasalamel, it's possible that Charade was unstable, and, if kept separate from the sword for too long, Charade's body would fall apart. I mean, it already is twisted beyond recognition of the human who it once belonged to, and seems to be animated by the shard's own power. It probably could only go for so long. But nothing like this is implied in the games of course.
Don't PM me. We don't like being PMed.I've always felt that it should've become "nightmare" by using Charade as the base, in the armor. For one, that'd explain the whole chest mouth thing its got going on. Then, it could've still used Sigfried as the basis for its whole homolust*, but incorporate moves from others who have wielded it, or something, to further the Luigification.
The sad, REAL American dichotomyYay, I can play SCII Raphael online now!
He's not exactly top tier in 5. I also really liked his original costumes much more than the green costumes, though I do like his costumes in 5 (with a little color correction of course).
Actually, I think I'd also like an HD remake of 3, because I think Setsuka is really sexy (especially with brown hair).
edited 19th Jul '13 9:41:05 PM by StarOutlaw
I'm on the fence for this one. I love SCII (even if having the PS2 version means I'm stuck with Heihachi instead of Link), but since I, y'know, already own the game, I don't really know if I could justify shelling out money for it again. At the same time, it might send a message to Project Soul about how they should go about creating a new Soulcalibur. For me, it's similar to not wanting to get the DMC HD Collection right before DmC was released because I already owned the identical 5th Anniversary Collection.
Now, if SCIII: AE received an HD edition with online play, I'd get that in a heartbeat. I have to agree with everyone else: even though I liked IV and liked anything about V that wasn't story or roster-related, II and III especially were my faves. Plus, Crispin Freeman as Siegfried. I mean, I don't mind Roger and I think he does a good job with his take on the character. Ted D'Agostino, the guy who voiced Nightmare in II, gave me chills with this one line in his Destined Battle.
But holy hell, it's Crispin Freeman. CRISPIN FREEMAN IS IN MY SOULCALIBUR. NOW I HAVE EVEN MORE OF A REASON TO MAIN SIEGFRIED. (Alongside my SCII main, Kilik, but that was until he became a mimic because Odashima and Project Soul had teh dumb and didn't realize that the best course of action was to keep Kilik and Xiba as distinct characters like Mi-na and Kilik were beforehand, thus forcing me to main Xiba.)
Unrelated to HD remakes, Bamco has apparently trademarked Soulcalibur: Lost Swords.
Since there's no VI in that title, my guess is that this is probably another side game like Broken Destiny. Either that or it's an interquel that backtracks from the unfinished mess that was SCV, which would be fine by me.
edited 20th Jul '13 12:07:39 AM by X2X
"Just wants a friend but had to give up his ding dong for it, tragic." - AngelLightStarWhy do I have a feeling this is just going to be one of those smartphone 'card games'?
Then again, if it manages to help fuel production costs for the next fighting game iteration of the series (or, at the very least, lets Project Soul finish the damn game via add-ons) then I suppose it wouldn't be too bad if it were a 'card game'. On the other hand, if this ends up giving Namco Bandai the wrong idea...
Also, another thing I remembered about SC2 that I well and truly loved:
In my opinion, none of the other character select themes come close to how good this one sounds.
edited 20th Jul '13 12:17:56 AM by Demovere
I would have to give II the go-ahead for best character select theme in the series, but I'd say IV, BD, and V are strong contenders too.
But hey, this is Soulcalibur, after all.
edited 20th Jul '13 12:24:36 AM by X2X
"Just wants a friend but had to give up his ding dong for it, tragic." - AngelLightStarI'm not likely to get II unless it's on big sale. I've already gotta get the Final Fantasy X HD Remaster, and I may wind up doing my first ever import with the new JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle fighting game that looks amazing. However, if III AE comes out online, and we can fight created characters, Amy, Li Long and co., I will suck my PS 3's nonexistent dick for that game.
Okay, I think I'm going to bring "Crowner Week" (something I've brought to the manga threads) here: A different Crowner A Day thing. Options so far:
- Best character (story, personality, etc)
- Best weapon playstyle (storyline, bonus or create)
- Most attractive character (this got some non-pervy attention in one thread, so I might bring it back)
- Best music
- Best game feature (weapon master, COTS, survival, breakable armor, create-a-character, etc)
- Best Game
Anything else seem interesting? Maybe a "best costume", but that might have a lot of options in it that could get boring to sort through.
edited 20th Jul '13 1:15:46 AM by wanderlustwarrior
The sad, REAL American dichotomySoul Calibur II is by far the most highly regarded game in the series, as well as the most well-known (thanks to being on the three main platforms back in the day with exclusive guest characters for each.)
They'll turn your world aroundNot to mention that SC 1 is already available for download.
There's also the fact that Soul Blade did not age well. It's slow and clunky, and despite the greatness that is The Edge of Soul (and the Kahn Super Session in general), it would be a waste of money on Namco's side to doll up and rerelease the game.
Don't ask what's wrong with me, because I don't know either.
Because then, he wouldn't be "Siegfried!" His armor is red because, well that's the color of his armor in the actual game.
◊ However, Since the "!" costumes didn't have alternate colors, I suppose an alternate color that's blue armor would be pretty cool.
If I recall, isn't his 1P armor his signature grey, while that's his 2P armor. Also, I was referring to his non- input ending, where in he gained Soul Edge, he got red armor and that mutated arm, but with SC 1, it's a mutated arm and blue armor, hence Azure Knight.
Yeah, the red armor is his 2P. I just wanted to talk about "Siegfried!"
Nonetheless, there's no real reason to retroactively change his armor in Soru Eji. Considering that the series has been going on for for a couple shy or 20 years at this point, I'm quite sure that some extended canon explains away the color change other than "we wanted to."
edited 21st Jul '13 5:54:04 AM by IWasJustPassingBy
Don't ask what's wrong with me, because I don't know either.

If they ever made Soul Calibur III online, it'd have to at least be based on the Arcade Edition's balance. Everyone says that Vanilla SCIII is way broken.
They'll turn your world around