When it initially released back in 2003, Soul Calibur 2 quickly became a model for arcade-to-home transition, offering not only solid weapon-based gameplay, but an interesting twist on platform choice, with console specific characters – Spawn (Xbox), Heihachi (PlayStation 2), and Link (GameCube) – that caused endless hours of debate amongst fans over which version was most preferable. With the recent release of Soul Calibur 2 HD Online, fans are given a nearly flawless port of the original, with just a little bit extra.

The Soul Calibur franchise has always maintained a rather high standard for visuals, and this iteration is no different. The decade old visuals have received a stunning high definition facelift, and aside from some decidedly dated hair physics, the textures and lighting (particularly with regard to the environments) look phenomenal. The original title also saw the cast of characters duking it out in fluid animation, and Soul Calibur 2 HD Online continues that tradition, separated from the franchise’s most recent iterations only by a hair.

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The lighting and environments really shine.

However, the online modes offered in this update hardly offer much reason to purchase the game. With only two modes to choose from, ranked and player match, there isn’t much variety to go on here. Ranked match plays out as the fairly ubiquitous online mode where players battle each other in hopes of increasing their overall online rank. This works fairly well, although there is definitely a degree of input lag that will more than likely throw off some of the more hardcore players.

Player match, however, offers disappointment after disappointment. Although designed for a more casual audience, the inexcusable absence of any kind of player lobby shows that this was little more than an afterthought. Players will be thrown onto one of the stages, fight their fight, and be dumped right back on the main menu. Additionally, players wishing to beat the tar out of their friends over and over will find themselves forced to create a series of private matches and invite them over and over again. Combined with the fact that there is no way to have a queue of friends set up, online play can quickly become a surprisingly solitary experience.

On the other hand, single player is as robust and entertaining as it always was. Soul Calibur 2 HD Online brings back not only the standard arcade modes, but RPG-esque Weapon Master, survival, team battle, and time attack make an appearance. Weapon Master will likely play host to most players’ attention, as this is where players earn most of their money for purchasing new costumes and weapons to be used in the more traditional game modes. Also of note is the inclusion of both Spawn and Heihachi in this version of the game, although Link is understandably absent.

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Spawn and Heihachi are both here and look great!

What this all boils down to is a nearly flawless updating of a decade old title. While the online mode is hardly an exemplary addition, the abundance of offline material and truly spectacular gameplay and visuals – together with the opportunity to re-experience the game that defined the series – offered by this tale of soul and sword are likely worth the price of admission.