Samurai Warriors
the venerable Warriors franchise finds new ways to keep things fresh
Tags: Samurai Warriors Categories: PS2 Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Jun 27th, 2004
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Samurai Warriors (title page) | 1- 2 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Action | No | ||
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Let’s get the most obvious stuff out of the way. Comparisons to KOEI’s flagship Dynasty Warriors franchise are inevitable for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the title. While the action shifts from feudal China to a feudal Japan, the basic gameplay remains, with a few alterations to keep things fresh.
Longtime players of the Dynasty Warriors series will dive right in and have an enjoyable game. Newcomers will also find Samurai Warriors to be a rewarding action game with bits of strategy thrown in that is easy to become immersed in.
The setting is Japan during the “warring States” period. Players command a Samurai officer in battle and attempt to find and take out opposing generals. This is of course easier said than done, as there are plenty of other officers of the field with their forces.
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There are plenty of weapons with which to deal the damage, with a counter in the lower right to see how well the player is doing. Attacking is pretty much done with the square button, with the triangle charging up to do additional damage. The X button performs a jump, or mounts/dismounts from horses. Ride through a crowd with a long weapon and deal as much death as possible. The R1 button pulls out the bow to allow the player to shoot arrows and take out singular enemies.
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There is however, a special attack that has its own meter (in addition to the helath meter), and when fully charged, allows the player to unleash a spectacular and wide ranging attack. This Musou attack has a couple of varieties, but the result is pretty much the same – lots of enemy samurai laying on the ground.
Enemy officers will drop items such as new weapons, health, and other items that can enhance performance.
The main section of the game is the Story Mode – here players take on one of several characters and take them through a series of events. Each character has a different take on the events as well as goals, so really, playing through multiple times is to be expected. As play progresses, players will beef up the stats for their character, adding a slight RPG element to the game (though not anywhere near enough for those with an aversion to the genre to be put off).
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What makes the Story Mode really enjoyable however is the co-op portion. Two players can go at it to defeat every enemy general on the map. There is also a Free Mode which allows players to go for a quick fix of action. Pick an officer and a battle – then go at it. This can be viewed as the “Quick Race” mode in many racing games.
Survival Mode is pretty much what it sounds like – survive wave after wave of enemy troops. A VS mode has two players going after each other with their respective officers and troops, and it even has a one player version as well.
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There is an additional mode, New Officer Mode that has players creating a new recruit and go through a lengthy trial period of tests. After going through these and building up stats as well as spending time learning the ways of a samurai it is possible to take this player created officer out on the battlefield in Story Mode.
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The basic idea of entering into a military battle, strategizing which path and opponent to take out first and then going through and mowing through everybody in the way like a John Deer power mower is something that KOEI has done quite well for a long time. Samurai Warriors does add a few welcome touches, but doesn’t stray too far from a winning formula.
The audio is nearly everything one would expect from a game of this type. The voice work is serviceable, but doesn’t sound natural. The sound effects are good as are the battle cries. Musically, Samurai Warriors does little to stand out. You could listen to the Japanese tracks if you want to though.
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Graphically the game falls short of expectations. Yes, it looks as good as nearly every other game in the Dynasty Warriors franchise, but that’s not terribly high praise. There are hoards of troops on the screen at once, each moving about individually (and usually trying to kick your ass). The tradeoff is that Japan seems to be covered in a perpetual fog – the draw-in is getting ridiculous. Somebody at KOEI and Omega Force needs to work on figuring out how to push the PS2 a little bit more in the visuals department.
KOEI is dipping its toes into the water by allowing players to obtain a password after getting through Survival Mode to post high scores on the website. Fun, but wouldn’t it be easier to have the game connect directly? And why not have all the other multiplayer aspects online playable? Oh well.
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There is a massive cult following for KOEI’s particular mix of strategy and action – and for good reason. While it can be repetitive, the gameplay is solid. With plenty of options, multiplayer and replay value, Samurai Warriors makes a great purchase. Players that are new to the franchise may want to rent it first to test the waters.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
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+ Solid gameplay + New addition of RPG elements + Co-op play |
8.6 |
| What Doesn't | |
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- Mixed bag visually - No online - Some may find the gameplay repetitive |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| Samurai Warriors takes place in Japan's warring past - did you honestly think ninjas wouldn't appear? This game rocks in 37 different flavors. | |
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Tags: Samurai Warriors
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Jun 27th, 2004 and is filed under PS2 Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
