Off the Shelf Media

It’s been a while since my Samurai Warriors review here on Off the Shelf Media, but that’s because this game is very, very long, and I didn’t cut my playtime short because I was having way too much fun hacking and slashing my way through samurai and ninja in the Sengoku era of Japan. 

Unfortunately, I skipped the Xtreme Legends expansion because it was too repetitive and extended the gameplay too far, like the first game did. I’m not complaining about extra content. Hell, there’s more content in this game than modern games, but when you spend 100+ hours on one game mode, the last thing you want is an expansion of the same game mode with different characters. 

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s spring into action and get to the review. 

Gameplay: 2

I praised Samurai Warriors for its hack-and-slash gameplay, likable characters, and unique playstyles. I also critiqued the repetitiveness of the lengthy levels, lack of mission clarity, poor leveling-up systems, and unnecessary hidden missions to unlock the full story for most characters.

I’m happy to say Samurai Warriors 2 fixes most of them. The repetitive gameplay is still there, but it didn’t bother me as much because there were more battles from multiple time periods. I’m no Japanese historian, but the first game felt like it took place within the same decade. This game feels like it takes place over multiple decades in multiple different areas of Japan. Fact check: It does! The battles range from 1561 with the Battle of Kawanakajima to 1616 with the Siege of Osaka. This wider time period allows the game to explore new characters, new battles, and enhanced technology, and it cuts down on the repetitive nature. 

Levels can still run long, but nowhere near the first game. The game gives you a horse at the beginning of each level, so when you have to go from the opposite side of the map before Ieyasu escapes, because it’s always f’ing Ieyasu, it’s much easier. 

Each mission is a different battle from history, and you fight each battle from all sides. One mission you’ll play as Keiji Maeda, and later on, you’ll play as his nemesis, Kenshin Uesugi. It’s the same battle told from different perspectives. 

The castle system is also fixed. It’s no longer a timed maze with unlimited enemies! It’s built into the level. Sure, there are still some obstacles where you use the wrong entrance, but having it all in one place as one mission was a breath of fresh air and took the tediousness out of the game. It helped with the flow and pacing of each mission, which made me want to play more and forgive the repetitiveness. 

Another positive is the linear storytelling. There are no more secret missions to unlock an alternate ending that doesn’t make sense. Each level has a certain set of missions and sometimes multiple ways to complete the mission, but each character has their own set path to follow. Each character also gets one final mission once they beat the main campaign, and that mission is always difficult. You’ll need to replay other missions to level up your character to beat it. 

Speaking of the leveling up system, it is SO. MUCH. BETTER. in this game. You still have to grind at times, but it’s way better than the last game. You level up by defeating enemies and collecting experience scrolls. Leveling up will boost your base stats and unlock new combos. Let me tell you, you don’t notice the growth until you play as a new character at level 1. Man, you really start basic and turn into a master samurai quickly. They also added gold, and that is spent in the shop.

Don’t worry, this is 2006, so there are no microtransactions for more gold to spend in the shop. You earn gold by beating missions. Simple enough, right? If you lose a mission, you’ll get less gold, but you won’t be stuck with nothing but your sword in your hands. 

Gold can be used to upgrade your abilities, speed up your growth, increase your effectiveness in battle, or unlock special abilities. The shop also lets you buy weapons you unlock, new guards who also level up, or a different horse tailored to your needs. The system is much more organized and reasonable. 

The gameplay isn’t perfect, but I spent over 100 hours playing it, so I can’t honestly say the repetitive gameplay made me dislike the game or the gameplay. 

Story: 1

The story is an Achilles heel in this game, unfortunately. There is a story, but I can’t say I remember it or even care about it. I think the developers had a decision to make: lean into the gameplay and co-op with different game modes, or go all in on a story. They chose the former, and I think it’s the right call. Nobody plays these games for the story. They play for the action, the combos, and the destruction.

There is no set story; each character has their own journey and a separate story from everyone else. Which is cool and almost unique, but the stories don’t blend in well or always make sense. 

Take the Kenshin and Maeda rivalry as an example. These are real people from history, and there were things that actually happened in real life. That’s not accurately reflected in these games; it’s impossible. They have you play as Maeda on one side, and you have to win the battle to unlock the real mission. Well, what if Kenshin won that battle in real life? Who cares! The game will make mention of it in dialogue or a text box, but there are better ways to tell this story that would cut down on the repetitiveness of these games. 

The game should include all of the battles, but you play as the winner. Or if it’s a back-and-forth battle, you play as one guy and then the other, and if a 3rd commander plays a major role, you play a mission as him. Each campaign is broken down by the battle(s) revolving around a small handful of characters. You can still keep the same leveling up system and shop and have those stats carry over into free play or other game modes. 

The story doesn’t have to be a throwaway, but since it is, it still gets credit for being based on history and having cool cutscenes and dialogue explaining what’s going on at the time.  

There are a lot of characters in this game, and most of them have different play styles. They are broken up into warriors, speed, and tanks, but each character has different combos, different special abilities, and different weapons. It adds depth to each character, and I’m a sucker for some returning favorites like Nobunaga, Sanada, and Hanzō Hattori. I’m glad they brought back most of the favorites but don’t sleep on the newbies either. Kotarō Fūma is a beast and one of the most memorable campaigns. You couldn’t play as Ieyasu Tokugawa in the first game, and that was a damn shame, but I’m glad they corrected that mistake in this game. 

Atmosphere: 1

I described the first game as “dim and faded like an old shirt that’s been through the wash too many times, but you’re too stubborn to throw it out.” I stand by that assessment, and the developers must have had a time machine in 2006 and read my review because this game is the exact opposite. The colors are vibrant, they pop, and it looks so much better. I almost forgot I was playing a PlayStation 2 game. It looked that much better. 

The maps still rely on copy and paste of elements, but there is more variety in the maps. You have your city maps, your rural maps, your water maps, and your “how the hell do I navigate this” maps. 

I can’t say I’m wowed by the sound editing or voice acting because a lot of it sounds the same. I get it’s tough to have sounds from hundreds of soldiers on screen, but there’s more that could have been done. 

It’s definitely an upgrade, but it still falls short of what it should have been. 

Value: 2

This came out in 2006 so that was around the time video games were bumped up from $49.99 to $59.99. Man, those were the days. It was also released on the XBOX 360 and the PlayStation 3, so it’s safe to assume it was in the $50 – $60 range. Either way, you’d have gotten your money’s worth with this game. 

I didn’t get to experience co-op or online features, but I know my brother and I would have loved it. There’s so much to do in this game, and even if I got tired of the repetitive gameplay, I could put it down for a month or two and pick up right where I left off. 

I wouldn’t pay full price for it today, but if I were back in 2006, I would have been happy with my purchase. You can buy it today on eBay for $10-ish, so that’s a bargain in my mind. 

Duration: 1

Who’s more foolish? The game, for being over 100 hours long? or the fool who plays the game for over 100 hours and then complains about the length? 

That’s me, I’m that fool. I spent many hours playing this game, and I didn’t have to. I had plenty of material to work with after 30 hours for this review. But I didn’t quit. I powered through for the love of the game and the experience as a player.

That being said, it’s still too long and could have been cut down. 

Total Score: 7/10

I had a lot of fun with this one. I don’t see myself playing another hack-and-slash for a while, but I’m glad I got this one off my to-do list. If you haven’t played it before, give it a shot. It’s easy to pick up and play, and easier to enjoy. 

It needs some polish, but at the end of the day, don’t we all? Give the game a break.

Speaking of a game that needs little polish, my next review is The Godfather: The Don’s Edition. Talk about a game that had no business being this good. We’ll get into it soon. 

I’ll see ya there, but until then, y’all take care.