With the growth of technology, it comes to no surprise that
downloadable titles have thrived and become a common convenience in gaming. This
convenience is not exclusive to new releases either - many gems from the past
have resurfaced as ports with high definition makeovers, and Soul Calibur II HD
Online is one of the newer contenders to appear amongst this wave of nostalgia
cash-ins. As the name suggests, this is
not a cut-and-paste port; full online capabilities have been added to this
classic weapon-based fighter. However one question remains important; has this
fan-favorite title been able to transcend history and the world (lol)?
SoulCal II’s home console release was back in 2003, and HD
Online leaves all game play elements untouched; it’s still the same fast-paced,
gratifying clasher that takes minutes to learn, but a lifetime to master. Those
who may have felt underwhelmed by SoulCal V’s cast of newcomers will find the
return of all the original classics refreshing, though don’t expect Link to be making a come-back with them; Heihachi and Spawn are the only guests over-staying their welcome in Project Soul's not-so-humble abode. A
slight disappointment for some, yes, but the cast is already well rounded enough to hold
its own, and we don’t need Link competing with Raphael for ‘Game’s Cheapest
Bastard’.
With the release of HD Online, it proves one surefire thing:
the game has aged well, just not as well as one might think. The mechanics
are still responsive and conducive to swordplay, but if you’ve been a die-hard
fan for the past decade you’ll notice all of the nuances that have been fixed
over the years resurfacing like unwanted blemishes. I’m sure you don’t want to
be bored to tears with info that only crazy people (like myself) care about, so either take my word for it or find out for yourself; just know that a guard-impacting spam fest isn't fun, it's a war of attrition.
The most important (and only) addition to HD Online is of
course, its Online Mode. However, this portion of the game is bare bones and
with it you realize how easy it is to sucker people of their money with familiar
faces. Online consists of one-on-one Ranked and Player Matches with very little
options within them. In SoulCal V,
the series’ most recent iteration, there are player lobbies where you can chat
and watch others play, view your opponents’ profiles, and keep track of a
(arbitrarily) great variety of stats. However, none of that is
incorporated in HD Online. The Replay Theater is absent as well, which is
important not only for players to watch their competition, but to have an
archive of their own fights to study and learn from. It just strikes one as odd
that a game with a great selection of offline modes (Team Battle, Survival,
Extra Modes, Weapon Master) to not include an equally abundant amount for
online play as well.
Another issue with online is the inability to skip character
introduction and victory sequences during battles; this interrupts the pace of
a fight and it’s frustrating when you lose a round and want to jump right back
into the action, but the game is too busy rubbing your loss in your face. Online
fights are also troubled with lag despite using its optimized search settings
for opponents; meeting another player with four bars of connectivity does not guarantee
lag-free play. Freezes and disconnects also occur more often times than not.
SoulCal II HD Online is one thing; fan service, though it’s
not satisfying in that regard. This ten-year-old beast still has plenty of
fight left in it, but only offline; the poor execution of its online mode will
leave a sour taste in your mouth, and the rose-tinted glasses certainly won’t
make it - or you - look any better for buying it.
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