Seven Samurai 20XX

by Sammy Studios

Product Features

• The epic legend of the Seven Samurai is updated for a new century, with computer graphics and cinematic combat
• Draw from an incredible arsenal of attacks -- your techniques & combos grow as you master the way of the samurai

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00009YXE0
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: March 23, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,683 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Game Informer Review

In all honesty, the idea taking Akira Kurosawa's classic The Seven Samurai and turning it into a science-fiction themed video game sounded pretty damn bad on paper. Now, despite the cooperation of Kurosawa's estate and the involvement of both legendary comic artist Moebius and anime writer/translator Marc Handler, the end product turns out to be worse than we could have imagined. Sammy, here's a hint: If you're going to make a "respectful" update of one of cinema's most cherished films, it's probably a bad idea to have a cutscene that features two rapping boy band rejects on rollerblades. But maybe that's just me. Also, I suspect that dialogue like "Bite me!" (which, I swear to God, actually does make its way into the script) might possibly diminish the gamemakers' dramatic intentions.

Of course, great gameplay makes up for any number of flaws, but unfortunately Seven Samurari offers nothing but mindless button-mashing, boring level design, and horrible pacing. Yes, there is some theoretical "depth" to the combat in the form of a dash move, blocking, combos, and the ability to equip new weapons, but in reality none of these techniques prove any more or less effective than just mindlessly punching the square button. Really, the only thing you'll have to master is the Nitoh-Ryu power-up, which lets you decimate your opponents with two swords for a brief period of time. Other than that it's a dull trek through levels that are alternately painfully linear or just plain confusing. Even worse, I suspect that the only audience that might have truly embraced 20XX's middling action – hardcore devotees of Kurosawa's films – will not only be put off by the juvenile voice-acting and poor dialogue, but will likely be offended at this affront to his legacy.

Concept:
Make a sci-fi hack n' slasher based on Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai

Graphics:
Really this game's only strong point; the characters and particle effects are nice

Sound:
Ridiculous voice acting, and the battle music is horribly repetitive

Playability:
Seriously, press square and you'll be fine

Entertainment:
Falls far short of living up to both its license, and the standards of modern-day hack n' slash

Replay:
Moderately Low

Rated: 5 out of 10
Editor: Matt Helgeson
Issue: May 2004

2nd Opinion:
Despite its high production values, Seven Samurai is an absolutely putrid game. The combat is so one-dimensional and yawn-inducing that I have enemies I wouldn't recommend this game to. It's so bad, in fact, that I would warn fans of Kurosawa's classic tale to not ruin their love of the movie by playing this pathetic button masher.

Rated: 4 out of 10
Editor: Matt Helgeson


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Product Description

In Seven Samurai 20XX you'll have an epic experience with cinematic depth and intense combat! Designed with over 100 different artists working together for a futuristic interactive epic, this game will immerse you in the ancient lore of the samurai, in a far-off future!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid, March 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Seven Samurai 20XX (Video Game)

Don't buy this game. This is really a bad game. During the role playing part you can't save in the levels, you have to wait until you complete the chapter, and that can take well over an hour. Because its so easy to get lost. Plus during the combat the enemy characters move in slow motion. The game counts your hit, and I had a hit count of over 100, and I went over 50 plenty of times. Who ever came up with enemy characters of this game needs to be fired. You really start to dislike your character also. This game doesn't do the movie any justice.

2.0 out of 5 stars Multiple Gamers Disliked This One, July 18, 2009

By 

Lisa Shea "medieval swordfighting enthusiast" - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

= Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Seven Samurai 20XX (Video Game)

Seven Samurai 20XX PS2 combined the efforts of Akira Kurosawa's estate, artist Moebius and author Marc Handler. It should have been at least good. Instead, it is surprisingly boring.

I love the Seven Samurai movie and have seen it many times. I'm also an avid fan of sci fi movies. This seemed like the perfect combination to me, to merge these two genres together. Instead, everything was "dumbed down" and the result does not do credit to either.

The game is in essence a button masher. Everyone I've shown this to has played without looking at the manual, simply by taking the controller and mashing buttons. Enemies around you fly into pieces, your samurai swords spin, and you finish the level. Then you move on to a new area which seems fairly similar to the previous one.

The voicing and dialogue is nowhere near the powerful reaches you find both in Seven Samurai and in many sci fi classics. Instead it is rather silly. You don't become fond of the characters at all as a result. Sometimes you wish your swords were a little more under your control, to take out whoever you wanted to (and not just the "enemies").

There's no real sense of achievement after wiping out entire fields of bad guys, and a sense of dread builds as you plod into the next area, sure that more of the same awaits. It's not that often that we hit a game that every member of the household dreads playing - usually at least ONE of enjoys a game enough to have fun playing their way through it to do the review. However, this is one that all of us felt was agony to have to keep playing. There's just so many other better games out there of this style.

Rating 2/5 for at least having smooth controls.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Game, April 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Seven Samurai 20XX (Video Game)

The movie this game is based on is probably my favorite movie of all time. The game does a pretty good job following the story with futuristic twists. At times the hordes of enemys get a little old but its a good time to practice moves. As far as saving goes, I am pretty sure the game saves your place every time it goes to a load screen, even though it does not advertise this it does. Who wants to quit in the middle of a chapter anyway? I found the game to be much like the movie once it was over I really wished it wasn't.

As far as game play goes I wish I had more control over the camera. That's about my only complaint.

I highly recommend this game, for its story line and game play. Its not an extremely hard game but after you beat normal you get a hard option.

If i had to do it again I wouldn't change anything . Defiantly buy.