It's time to find out if the soul still burns, because SoulCalibur III will be coming to PlayStation Plus this week. What makes this even more exciting is that this marks the first time the Namco classic has been re-released on any home console. That's right, after twenty years, SoulCalibur III is finally available again. That's cool news, but is this game actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Edge, the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine and more classic magazines that reviewed this game when it first came out. Welcome back to the stage of history, because it's time for another episode of PlayStation Plus Review Crew.


The problem with the SoulCalibur series is that it came out of the gate so strong – with arguably the greatest fighting game on the Dreamcast – that the only direction it had to go was down. Despite SoulCalibur II earning high-praise and perfect scores from many of the magazines, it was seen as a step down from its landmark original. In fact, GamePro, which gave the game a 5 out of 5, infamously claimed that “Everyone can pretty much agree that SoulCalibur II was a big disappointment.” But what about SoulCalibur III? Released just two years after the last game, this PlayStation 2 exclusive swapped out big-name cameos for character creation tool that let players make whatever they wanted. Was that the way to get this series back on track? Or was SoulCalibur III destined to be an even bigger disappointment than the last game? Let's find out.

You know how GamePro just said that “everyone can pretty much agree that SoulCalibur II was a big disappointment”? Well, they were somehow even less impressed with SoulCalibur III. Giving it a 4 out of 5, they concluded that “obviously, Namco can't continue to pile on more moves, game modes, and graphical enhancements: At some point, something's gotta give. The missing online play is one major sore point, but what's more surprising is that Namco didn't even bundle in playable versions of SoulCalibur and Soul Blade. Tekken fans got the first three games for free with Tekken 5, so why not SoulCalibur fans?”

Edge agreed with GamePro, giving the game a solid 8 out of 10 and voicing some disappointment. “Namco's desire to maximize its fighting titles' lifespans is laudable as always, but this time the implementation has misfired. An additional costume or two for the main characters would have been preferable, especially when such sumptuous and inviting backdrops have been provided to frame the action. SoulCalibur III is still great, because in all the ways that are truly important to its genre it excels. While single-minded acquisitions of its frivolous wardrobe will ironically leave you empty in the end, a dedicated embrace of its fighting soul will instead share with you its power.”

While Edge and GamePro may have been disappointed, Electronic Gaming Monthly was still won over by SoulCalibur III's charm. Giving it an average of 9 out of 10, EGM didn't go in expecting a free copy of SoulBlade. Che wondered if this would bring in new fans: “SoulCalibur III makes a valiant effort to hook fighting game nonfans with its collection of distractions, but I'm afraid there's not a lot here to keep ‘em hooked for long. What, me worry? Fighting games should be made for the hardcore, and thankfully, SoulCalibur III has plenty to offer returning fans. I won't whine about the lack of online support, but let's just say that I anxiously await SoulCalibur IV.” Shane also loved the game, asking the all-important question: “What's the secret of SoulCalibur's appeal? Massively addictive gameplay. Intricate move sets, responsive control, and creative characters make SoulCalibur III a tough beast to put down, especially once you and your buddies graduate to high-level play. One caveat, though: You're going to be pissed off when Namco announces a better-looking version for a rival console in a couple of months. You just know it's going to happen.” As it turns out, Shane was wrong. SoulCalibur II remained a PlayStation 2 exclusive until, well, today.

As we continue our ascent, we see that Game Informer agreed with EGM, giving the game a 9 out of 10. The Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine ended up giving the game the highest marks – a perfect 5 out of 5. They argued that there's almost too much to do in SoulCalibur III: “There's so much to do in the game that sometimes you think, ‘I just want to fight,' but anyone who grows tired of plain ol' 1-on-1 matches will appreciate the other special activities Namco has included for you to participate in. In any case, we had some initial worries with SoulCalibur III. The changes to the speed, the move sets, and the feeling of weight initially felt as though they would have a negative impact on the overall gameplay. But while they do have an effect, it's not a negative one. These things make SoulCalibur III feel like a genuine sequel and not some half-assed yearly update. No, Namco went all-out and put forth a tremendous effort, showing once again why the series continues to remain at the top of the genre.”

Despite some strong scores, the critics were not as kind to SoulCalibur III as the previous installment. They gave this sequel an overall average of 88%, down from the 93% we saw from SoulCalibur II. That's certainly not a bad score, though the series is trending in the wrong direction. Who knows, maybe SoulCalibur IV would be the game to turn things around.