Soul Blade for PlayStation 1

Overall: 8

Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 8
Sound: 10
Concept: 7
Replay Value: 7(8 on PSX)

During the Playstation's rise to fame it was hard to stand out among 3D fighting games. Most fell into two categories: those attempting realism or those with tons of bells and whistles. Soul Blade falls somewhere in in middle of that spectrum. You won't find characters flinging fireballs at each other, but you also won't use complicated strings of commands to make a character peform a specific maneuver of a famous martial art. Instead, you'll find an easily learned combat system with some interesting and unique twists.

Soul Blade game gives 10 characters various weapons to battle it out with, from oriental swords and knives to giant battle-axes. Commands consist four buttons: a horizontal attack button, a vertical attack one, a kick, and block (pressing back doesn't block, as in many games). The action is fluid and quick, and the gameplay is easy to pick up.

Soul Blade is extremely easy to learn. Combos, which in some games like Tekken are extremely complicated, are extremely easy in Soul Blade and usually consist of 3-4 button presses and a joystick movement or two. In fact, complicated combos aren't even really necessary to play the game at a decent level, as opposed to most fighters. There are different types of special and unblockable attacks, and a sidestep move which will avoid some, but not all, attacks. Each character has a different style, in the typical fast and weak or slow and powerful vein. All of this is somewhat typical, but there are a few aspects that set this game apart. First and foremost, the commands and combos are very straightforward and easy to learn. It's actually possible to learn each character's combos and special moves in the game, unlike games like Tekken where combos can involve 5 or more complicated steps, and are impossible to learn without resorting to a move list.

The other major plus for this game is the weapon damage system. Each character blocks using their weapon, and has a weapon power bar in addition to the typical life bar. The weapon power bar is depleted each time the character blocks a blow, the amount depending on the strength of the attack. A strong attack might take off a third of the bar, while a kick doesn't take off any. There are also certain special attacks which deplete the user's weapon bar. Nevertheless, when your weapon bar is totally gone, the character loses thier weapon for the rest of the round. But this doesn't mean you're in for the beating of a lifetime; a great player can win even without their weapon, resorting to hand-to-hand kicks, punches, and grapples. This, combined with the ease of the combat system elevate this game above most of its peers.

In addition to the standard Arcade and Time Attack modes, there is an extra 'quest' mode. Here you take each of the characters through battles against each opponent, following the storyline. Most of the enemies have specific conditions to defeat; for exmaple, one may require you to knock them out of the ring to win, while another might require all throws, or another may make you battle multiple enemies in a row. Not only that, but as you progress, you gain different weapons that your character can use in Quest Mode and in the other modes of the game! Some weapons are slower or faster, weaker or more powerful, while some might drain or replenish your health. Once the quest mode is completed for one character, they get an 'ultimate weapon', which is much more poweful than thier typical one. Complete it with all characters and you unlock a secret character.

The graphics are somewhat above average for it's time. The characters have different costumes, and are well-created with facial expressions and such. The backgrounds are nicely drawn, and some of them have interesting details, such as the seige background where the tower falls as you fight. While the attacks and movements are animated well, the flow is a bit more choppy than the paragon of Playstation fighters, Tekken 3. Some attacks have a very nice glowing trail, and when the weapons clash, they create bright flashes. Overall, pretty standard stuff, but still above-par.

The sounds are excellent. Weapons clash with a metallic clang, the characters grunt when they attack and are attacked. The game's music is where it stands out, however. The score is deeply classical, with each character having their own theme. The music isn't overbearing, or overly tecnho as much videogame music tends to be, but it fits perfectly with the theme of armed combat and doesn't invade on the game, working perfectly in the background.

The concept of the game is pretty standard stuff for fighting games. However, the characters each have rich personalities, deepened by ethnic ties, which show through in thier weapons and techniques. Hwang, for example, hails from Korea, and in addition to his sword he uses many kicking attacks associated with the Korean martial art, Tae Kwon Do. Rock, the native american, is a giant of a man, and weilds a huge battle axe and wears a bearskin. The storyline is nothing spectacular... each fighter is persuing the legendary weapon 'Souledge', rumored to be the geatest weapon of all time. In the end, the player must fight the essence of the sword itself. The fighting system, with it's easy layout and simple mechanics, gives the game a plus here.

There is more replay here than the average fighter of its time with the Quest mode. This gives you the incentive to learn how to use each character, and while this isn't difficult beacuse of the easy commands and combos, it does provide for longevity. The various weapons that are selectable after completing Quest mode also gives the vs. play a bit more life.

Overall, this is an above-par fighting game, especially on the Playstation. It was slightly outgunned by the arrival of Tekken 3, but was and is a great fighting game, and is often placed next to Tekken 3 for comparison which is high esteem in and of itself. The armed combat and weapon breakage are very nice additions to the standard milieu, and the various weapons in the PSX version are almost like having 6 new characters for each one! There is also a sequel, Soul Calibur, on the Dreamcast, which remains one of the best fighting games to this day even after the death of that console. This game is a must-have for any Playstation owner who likes fighters.