The soul still burns as the stage of history makes its second appearance on PS2. Distinguishing Soul Calibur III from earlier editions, and from most other fighting games in general, is the ability to create a custom character. Players can choose the gender, physical appearance, weapon, and fighting style of their created character, who they'll lead through the game's main story mode, earning new items and unlocking additional customization options. Favorite fighters from earlier editions are available as well, along with three new soulful warriors -- the mysterious Zasalamel, the hoop-wielding Tira, and the close-combat specialist Setsuka -- for more than two dozen playable characters in all. Even the stock Soul Calibur characters have been customized to some extent, as once-similar fighters, such as Siegfried and Nightmare or Sophitia and Cassandra, now battle with noticeably different moves. In spite of these changes, the fast-paced fighting is designed to retain a familiar feel for veterans of the series.