Samurai Warriors 2 – Review

Another epic Koei battle title greets my reviewing needs. Yet how I do love these mindless hack-and-slash games, so it duly fills me with joy to pop it in and jump right in. Waiting for the rock music and flashy cut scene to welcome me, I’m not surprised by the similar style of gameplay, which resembles Koei’s Dynasty Warrior titles. Of course, some gamers would criticise Koei for producing the same type of slashing games one after another…but well, what can you say? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?

When the game loads up you are greeted by a fantastic intro that is simply beautiful. It sets up the game nicely and makes you rather eager to go forth and take over feudal Japan. The main difference between the Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warrior series is that Dynasty Warriors is set in China and, as the title suggests, Samurai Warriors is set in Japan. The game layout is much the same though, and you select a character that has very little experience (but will quickly rise through the ranks) while hacking and slashing toward victory.

One of the first things that struck me about Samurai Warriors 2 were the individual accounts of what was happening to each of its playable characters. They are actually in-depth stories that are sometimes quite personal and harrowing. Surprisingly, I felt quite moved by particular events. This is a huge difference from the DW stories, as I never felt any sympathy for any of those characters. It’s safe to say that the side-stories in SW are what hold your interest in the game, as they encourage you to play on, to see what the overall outcome will be. Not only is there a huge difference in the stories but also the graphics have greatly improved too.

Great stories and voice talent go hand in hand. Koei titles have always exuded a great mix of corny and well-acted voices to convey their stories, and Samurai Warriors is no exception to this rule. The in-game voice talent is great and there are only a few cringe-worthy characters that appear to contribute unnecessary comments. For gamers who are hearing impaired there are accompanying subtitles throughout the game’s narrative. It is so important to read what is on screen when hacking and slashing anyway. The generals that need assistance pop up with their pleas and it is very easy not to hear them when you’re in the swing of things—no pun intended.

The generals stand out more in Samurai Warriors than they do in Dynasty Warriors, as there aren’t as many, and nearly all of them have a story that you can play through, so you pay more attention to their stories rather than bashing your way through mindless battle after mindless battle—and it’s always interesting getting to play both sides of the story and realise that there are no good guys and bad guys, just enemies and allies.

The game’s cut-scenes constantly raise the performance bar when it comes to impressing the player, as they tie-in perfectly with the stories and are graphically stunning. Unfortunately, the cut scene graphics are pre-rendered and almost put the in-game efforts to shame. These graphics are certainly less impressive and you are suddenly surprised by vast groups of soldiers that appear out of nowhere. Although this can be a little frustrating it’s ultimately okay because, after all, you are a great samurai with the ability to kill 100s of menial troops within a 15-minute time limit.

The characters that you play as are more interesting than those on offer in other epic Koei battle titles. When playing in the story mode, you start off with a limited selection of characters, and every time a story is completed you are rewarded with another character to play as. There are 26 playable characters in all and a handful of them are very cool chicks. Although the majority of these playable ladies are married to the male characters they’re without doubt hard as nails—yes, even the one with the cup and ball as a weapon…seriously.

As with previous third-person hack-and-slash titles, it is always much more fun to play with a friend during Samurai Warriors 2, not only is it easier but it’s also great to pass orders between each other. However, be careful there aren’t arguments over who gets to kill named generals, or who holds most Exp, new weapons, and gold. With the gold you can buy new skills and then upgrade them, you can also upgrade and enhance your weapons. This is a new element to the battle gameplay. It is very satisfying if you have your skill board completely full, and it’s a very necessary process as the bad guys actually become extremely hard extremely quickly.

Another new element in Samurai Warriors 2 is the mini-game Sugoroku. This is a fun Monopoly-style game, where you are trying to make the most money by owning and defending it through a series of simple mini-games such as collecting the most gold or breaking the most boulders. You can have up to four players and it’s a fun way to spend an hour with your friends.

Overall, it’s fair to say Samurai Warriors 2 does offer some new elements to Koei’s already well-established third-person hack-and-slash titles. However, nothing drastic has changed in the evolution; it is still the same look and style of gameplay with just a few changes here and there. These small changes do make the game better, but I can’t say for sure that it would be a good investment if you already have Dynasty Warriors 5.

Review by Amanda

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