Soul Blade
Developer - Namco
Publisher - Sony
Players - 1-2
Extras - Memory card
The bit on the box
"From the same Dojo as the Tekken
series, the most advanced weapon-based combat simulation ever! Savage swordsplay
and an epic crusade in this tale of soul and sword."
Graphics
If you thought that Tekken 2 had great graphics,
you're in for a pleasant surprise. Though Soul Blade does not run
at as smooth a frame rate as the aforementioned title, the polygon design
is awesome. The limbs on the fighters now look rounded, not jagged, which
is a nice change with todays beat em ups. That is not to say that they
are perfect however, and in fact when the camera zooms in close to a fighter
the breakup can be quite bad. This only happens during cut scenes though,
and not during the actual fighting action. The biggest improvement over
Tekken
2 would be the backdrops, using 3D animated graphics rather than 2D
static pictures, and while not interactive, it is a nice change to see
towers falling in the backgrounds, or flags waving in the breeze. The fighters
themselves look great, with bright, vibrant costumes, hair that reacts
to movement, and a large variety of weapons. Also deserving of a mention
is the CGI intro, Namco really have become experts at these things and
this game is no exception.
Sounds
The sound effects in Soul Blade add alot to the
action, with clings, clangs, swishes, grunts, groans and whatever else
is normal in a weapon-based fighter. Footsteps change sound depending on
what surface you are fighting on (wood sounds like wood etc), and armour
makes a clinking sound too. If there was one thing I found disappointing
it would be that every time you slash your opponent it sounds more like
you just hit him with a light-saber than a conventional weapon. Like Tekken
2 you have a choice of musical score to listen to, ranging from orchestral
to modern. I preferred the orchestral music as it suited the medievel feel
of the game setting.
Gameplay
The control in Soul Blade is typical of Namco's
design excellence. Even a person who has not played the game before will
be stringing together effective moves in no time, most moves easily accessed
without having to bring up the handy training menu (this can be brought
up in a normal game or in practice mode). Tekken purists may be
disappointed as there does not seem to be as many moves available here,
and there are less grapples and throws to be performed than ususal. There
are combo's however, which can be done consistantly with a little practice.
The one thing I hated most about the control system here, is not the controls
as such, but the use of the dreaded "ring-out". If somone is to be backed
into a corner, at least give them a wall to rest against or utilise as
a defence. This is only a small gripe though, and doesn't detract from
gameplay much. One nice touch I really liked was how you could wear your
opponent's weapon down until it breaks, forcing them to fight hand-to-hand
for the rest of the bout.
I feel a verdict coming on
Soul Blade is an excellent weapons-based fighting
game that puts the Toshinden series to shame. Not everyone will
like this style of combat however, some much preferring unarmed combat,
which allows for more moves and grappling. I must say I still prefer Tekken
2 because of this fact, but that does not mean I regret making this
purchase. On the contrary, Soul Blade fills that niche I had on
my shelf for a "different" type of fighter, and is at the moment the best
of it's kind. Maybe a few more secret characters or moves would have obtained
it a higher score, but as it stands Soul Blade is another fine example
of the programming prowess of Namco.
Review by D.R.T.Barrett
|
