***Official Soul Caliber II Discussion Thread*** (1 Viewer)

[Philip_S]

I picked up the Xbox version today, to go along with my import copies for the PS2 & Gamecube. Xbox definitely has the smoothest graphics and the audio seems a bit fuller.

They definitely tuned the AI in arcade mode for the domestic release. Arcade mode was ridiculously easy in the import.

 

[Ricky Hustle]

It's pathetic.

I didn't realize you were referring ONLY to SC when calling the PS2's video capabilities pathetic. Again, I stand corrected, although I think the word 'pathetic' is quite an exaggeration. I've seen the PS2 version running, and while it doesnt look as good as my Gamecube version it's a far cry from pathetic.

 

[Mike_G]

Well, look at it this way...

The PS2 version doesn't do progressive scan.
The GC does Dolby Surround with ANALOG cables, and my PS2 with Toslink cables sounds AWFUL.

It makes the PS2 an embarassment.

Mike

 

[Scott L]

It makes the PS2 an embarassment.

Bah.. you won't be saying that after playing something like GT4.

 

[Evelio Figueroa]

Unlocking the extra characters is easy, can do it in about 2 hours. Just need to get to mission 6... nothing too hard on the way to there.

Hmmmph!! You think its easy!?! Try unlocking Lizardman!

Here is what you need to do.


If you look at the IGN guide, it says to beat All Stages of Subchapter 2 in Weapon Master Mode to unlock Lizardman. BUT......to unlock Subchapter 2, beat Stage 3 of Chapter 4 two-three times in Weapon Master Mode with a level of 73+ (Edgemaster).

 

[JamesHl]

To be fair, he was talking about the regular characters, not berserker/assassin/lizardman.

I've got everything now. I'm not sure if I'm going to be as entertained by this as I was by Soulcalibur. Perhaps my video game interests have been changed, because SC2 seems the same or better. Although I must say that Yunsung is a poor substitute for Hwang.

 

[Evelio Figueroa]

To be fair, he was talking about the regular characters, not berserker/assassin/lizardman.

OIC

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Bah, the PS2 can't be PATHETIC... it's a step up from the Dreamcast which wasn't progressive or anything

Actually if you got the VGA adapter it'd do progressive.

 

[JamesHl]

Actually if you got the VGA adapter it'd do progressive.

We covered that on the last page...

 

[John Berggren]

Does anyone know if a second weapon's master mode game can be greated? I have the GC version, and my partner would like to play WM, but my game is already in progress? Any solution beyond a second memory card?

 

[JamesHl]

Any solution beyond a second memory card?

Nope.

 

[EdR]

I'm loving this game, and I hardly ever play fighting games. I payed so much yesterday I developed a new blister on the inside of my right middle finger!

I was confused about the 720p setting, given that it's inset. But I found that if I change my projector to "crop" (in the aspect ratio settings) that it fills the screen (it's a 4:3 projector) and looks incredible. I tested it in native 480p and there's no question that the 720p (even scaled up) looks way better, very little aliasing, incredible detail. The game is almost photorealistic at times.

 

[Neil Joseph]

Exactly what characters can be unlocked?

I have unlocked Berserker, Sophitia, Seung Mina, Yoshimitsu, Cervantes, Charade.

Who else is there and is Assassin, Lizardman, and Inferno available?

 

[Adam Tyner]

You seem to be exactly where I am, and I think you snagged the bulk of them, Neil, since playing through Weapons Master once in its entirety will unlock all but three.

From http://www.gamewinners.com/xbox/SoulCalibur2.htm :

[/b]Successfully complete sub-chapter 2 in weapon master
mode. Lizardman will only be available in two player team battle
mode, versus mode, extra versus mode, and basically any mode that
involves two players. The only single player mode he is in is
practice mode. Lizardman does not have a move list, but most of
his grapple moves are similar to Nightmare's.

 

[Brian Kleinke]

I've unlocked all the extra costumes, everyones 1-7 weapon, some of their 8 and 9, and assassin.

To unlock Beserker you have to beat the Beserker dungeon EXTRA mode.

Some of these EXTRA WM lvls are just nasty

 

[EdR]

shot some pics of the screen in SCII (Xbox), in 480p and 720p (scaled up) to compare.

On the surface, this game looks like it's 480p native, since the 720p mode just adds a huge black border around the whole image (it's a 4:3 projector), effectively scaling it down. Essentially, it looks like there is nothing in the game actually rendered at 720 pixels.

What I do to get rid of the black border is to scale it up in my projector using "Crop" mode in the aspect ration settings, which I assumed would look no better than 480p.

I tried to get some shots of the fighting, but I couldn't get any shots that were similar enough to compare. So I ended up with one comparison of the title screen, and another of the fighter-intro screen which are identical.

These are all @ 100% (unscaled), saved from photoshop with 75% quality

From the title screen:

480p


720p


From the fighter intro screen:
480p


720p


The difference you see in saturation is real, I have no idea why the 720p image is more saturated, but it is.

I still can't figure out why it would look better as 720p scaled up vs 480p native...the game doesn't look particularly bad in 480p, those close-up shots make it look worse than it is, sitting at a normal distance it looks pretty standard for any game (it's an 80" image afterall). But the smoothness at 720 is definitely noticable.

 

[Max Leung]

Ed, it probably looks more saturated in 720P because your TV has different settings for 720p mode versus 480p mode. Assuming you had your TV ISF'd, I'd say your 480p mode has correct grayscale and no red push, but your 720p mode is out to lunch.

 

[Markus Lidstrom]

Can a normal Sony WEGA run in progressive scan?

 

[Rob Lutter]

Bart... no.

Oh man, I picked up this game yesterday. The 1-player mode is surprisingly addictive!

 

[Brian Kleinke]

Oh yeah Rob... it's crazy addictive... but once you beat it all and buy every single item... well now I'm finally down to trying to learn the characters

I think the only thing left to unlock is to beat Arcade more with Yungsun, maybe I'll do that tonight.

Wait till you get to play around with the joke weapons, they're a blast! Not only do thy look kinda funny, they make funny noises when you hit people with em