From the creators of the popular Dynasty Warriors series Koei presents Samurai Warriors a Fantasy hack and slash game set in ancient Japan whereby you live by the sword you die by the sword. Featuring masses of on screen foes to slash, stab and generally maim until you are victorious, Samurai Warriors could well be the game for you if you like no-nonsense killing with a hint of strategy thrown in for good measure.

Gameplay

As mentioned before Samurai Warriors follows the same game play style as Dynasty Warriors, choose a hero from a wide selection of die hard characters then follow their story as they kill all who stand in their way. Well ok it’s not really as simple as that because during the massive battles that take place there is some minor strategy involved. Combat itself is pretty fluid and simple to master especially once you get your positioning and timing down to start producing some excellent combos and sustaining your special attacks. That said players who simply wish to go brutal with zero finesse can do so easily as they simply mash buttons to great yet unstylish effect.

The maps that you fight on are quite large and are populated by a number of varying enemy types and their officers. These enemies range from infantry, archers, ninjas, gunners and a whole lot more. Your job as an officer is to visit key locations throughout the battle and offer your assistance. Whilst this may sound easy it isn’t because Samurai Warriors offers a lot of temptations along the way such as racking up loads of kills from the masses of enemies that litter the maps or taking time to perfect combos and such; even looking for new weapons and items whilst you are there. However should you spend too much time being distracted from the overall goal of your army then the enemy may overwhelm your forces and defeat your general whilst you are no-where near to protect him. Alternatively you could simply opt to return the favour and ignore key battle locations and head directly to the enemy general, take him out and the battle is won instantly.

Samurai Warriors features several modes of play to mess around with these include a Story Mode, which follows the path of your chosen warrior, this is also key to unlocking more characters. Free Mode, this allows players to choose a warrior and then select any maps unlocked from story mode. VS mode pits the player verses the computer or human in a battle to see who is the greatest warrior. Survival Mode places your chosen warrior in one of two places, Castle and Abyss where it’s a fight against the clock to complete random stages as quickly as you can. Challenge Mode lets players compete in training exercises and try to attain a high score. The final mode and perhaps the most interesting in terms of character development is the Create a Warrior mode. Here players can select a character from several skins and then train them to become the ultimate warrior. Players can choose which weapons they will be proficient in and also hone skills depending on their play style. Once training is complete players can then join a clan and take part in the other modes of play on offer. What is also neat is being able to level up characters after each battle, this process gains characters new abilities and special moves.

Another feature that is rather cool is the ability to name and choose your bodyguards. These level up as well and can be individually named. I had fun simply naming my ninja guards the same as msxbox-world staff as we kicked ass. If I am to complain about Samurai Warriors then it would have to be on things like the camera which uses the left trigger to snap it behind your character which also enables blocking and strafing. This was awkward at times as trying to face an adversary to block was quite cumbersome. The AI is also questionable at times as it seems that a wide number of troops will simply stand there waiting to be attacked first. Then there is the question of repetition in the actual combat which although is quite fun can become samey after your 1000th kill. I suppose it’s up to the player to develop multiple characters who have different play styles and to master the combat mechanics to attain high combos.

Graphics:

Samurai Warriors graphics are a mixed bag as the character models look fairly decent although nothing that pushes Xbox. Where as the landscapes are very poor and lack any detail at all. That said during the frenzy of having loads of on screen characters at once the focus definitely shifts to the characters rather than landscapes. As a multi format release the graphics overall could have been better on Xbox however there is absolutely no slow down at all during the games more intense moments, which is a good thing.

Sound:

The sound is also very average with some reasonable yet clichéd voice acting for the characters during battle and cut scenes. The option to switch all voices to Japanese is there for those who prefer a more authentic sounding game. Other sound effects are what you can expect from swords clashing to cries of pain. Although some of the battle cries from your warrior can start to grate if used over and over.

The music is also very mixed, favouring an electronic faced paced feel as opposed to a more traditional soundtrack. I personally didn’t like the pseudo dance music on offer and was glad that it was low in the mix anyways.

Longevity:

As mentioned before there are a wide number of modes and characters to mess around with as well as the option for two players. However due to the nature of the game the two player doesn’t quite work due to the size of the screen which only offers a very limited view of the surroundings. It’s a welcome addition to the package but not one for extensive play as the single player is simply better.

The create a warrior and levelling up does offer a fair amount of replay ability to the game however the core game play remains pretty much the same throughout. Therefore it’s advised that you play for short periods at time to get the maximum benefit of this game.

Overall:

Overall Samurai Warriors is a decent fighting game which should entertain those willing to look beneath the surface and try more than simply hitting the X button continuously. With its many modes of play and levelling up system there is enough here to make the game last. Whilst enjoyable the game play does get repetitive after extensive play but still remains fun if you’re wishing to cause mass killings with ease. Samurai Warriors is a fun game marred by a few minor flaws and let down perhaps by its lack of variety.