I have to admit, I'm not much of a fighting game fan. In fact, I hardly even pay any attention to them. The only reason why I bought Soul Edge in the first place was because I liked the intro scene :) The fact that this game turned out to be one of my favourite PSX games of all time can be considered a bonus.

An evil, malevolent sword called the Soul Edge is loose in the world. Wielded in the hands of the vicious pirate, Cervantes DeLeon, it had twisted the man into something vile and terrible. Since the pre-Soul Edge Cervantes already had a reputation for being bloodthirsty and cruel, you can well imagine that a Cervantes with Soul Edge is not exactly a good thing. All the player characters present here have one thing or other to do with the evil sword (they either want it, or they want it gone for good).

Playing as each individual character will allow them to accomplish whatever tasks they set out to do. Win the game as Sophitia, for example, and she will destroy the Soul Edge, as was ordained to her by Haephaestus. As Hwang, you would take your hard-earned prize back to Korea in the hopes of using it to end the civil war. Not all the characters have noble quests to fulfil, or course, but that doesn't make their battles any easier, or any less fun to play.

From noble patriot Hwang, to the wheezing weirdo Voldo, each of the game's characters have their own methods of fighting. The game's mechanics change slightly for different fighters, and a lot of practice and dedication is needed in order to master all of them. Constant play is a must if you want to familiarise yourself with the character of your choice. (I left this game on the shelf for two weeks while I played Final Fantasy Tactics, and when I came back I found that my playing skills had rotted atrociously.)

You begin with ten characters to pick from, each with their individual default weapon. Beat the Arcade Mode as any one of them, and you have the chance to view one of two different endings for that charcater (depending on which button you press during the ending animation). Once you have managed to defeat the Arcade Mode with every one of the ten original characters, the game rewards you with the option of choosing and playing as Soul Edge itself.

Namco added a really nice touch when they included the Edge Master Mode in this game. Playing as any one of the characters originally available, you have to complete a set of quests in your search to obtain the Soul Edge. Upon completion of some of these quests, you may collect several new weapons, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. What's best about this is that you can choose and use these weapons in your regular game, outside of the Edge Master Mode.

Obviously, the game's mechanics are changed slightly with each new weapon. Choose your weapon and then spend a bit more time practicing with it. I find that the act of beating the snot out of my enemies with the new addition to my armory makes the time invested in training more than worthwhile ^_^

Gameplay is flawless, and the characters move about the screen with barely any hitches. Except for a slight slowdown in gameplay during Seung Mina's stage, everything else performs superbly. There is a slight delay for the fighters to pull off some of their special moves, but this can be accomodated for. Besides, it adds to the fun :) The animation is a joy to watch. Those so inclined may find themselves turning on the game just to watch how the characters move. There's not many fighting games which can boast that.

The one big weakness in Soul Edge is its dependence on preset combos. You can't make up special moves on the fly; neither can you let loose a string of fifteen hits onto your opponent. Those who like to make up their own combos (ala Tekken) will find this a very major flaw in an otherwise good game. However, anyone who is not usually very proficient in these fighting games (like me ^_^) can beat the game quite nicely once they have memorised the important combos. Still, the computer opponent can pull a surprise trick out of its hat once in a while, leaving you gaping as your character is smacked around to next week. There's lots of instances where I find myself screaming, "How the $^#& did they do THAT?"

Of course, once you find out how to pull off that surprise move and perform it on your opponent... Revenge is sweet :)

The music of Soul Edge is excellent. You have three choices of music: the original music from the first Arcade release, an updated version of the original, and the Khan Super Session. Of all, my personal preference is to the Khan Super Session. The first time I took notice of the music was during one of my matches against Sophitia. When I heard the beginning of Sophie's "A Mediterranean Call", I just sat there and listened, barely paying attention to anything else on the screen. My fascination was rudely broken when I realised that, while I was listening, Sophitia had wasted no time in smearing my character into the ground.

Another plus in the long list of good things about Soul Edge is the voice actors. Namco had taken care to make sure that the voices would fit each speaking character. It is simply a joy to listen to. (It was a nice surprise to find Miyamura Yuko's voice among those credited. Incidentally, she happens to be one of the reasons why Seung Mina is among my favourite Soul Edge characters ^_^).

All in all, Soul Edge is a good game to have in most people's games collection. If you're a fan of fighting games, but have the reflexes of a drunken orangutan with its thumbs tied together (like me ^_^), then by all means get this game. If you're looking for a game that combines great animation and art with unforgettable music, then don't hesitate to buy this! If you're very particular to games with excellent voice acting, then what's stopping you from getting Soul Edge?

However, most fighting game fans would prefer something with a bit more challenge, and so may be wary about this game.

Additional information on Soul Edgecan be found in the following sites:
    -  Namco (listed under Soul Blade)
    -  The Critical Edge