Customer Reviews

Way of the Samurai

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

A very interesting take on the end of the Samurai era in Japan. I just purchased this title earlier today, but so far I am already enthralled with it. The first things I noticed about the game were: one, its very hard, and two, the story is amazingly open and varied. On the difficulty end of things, there are very few save points and you only get one life; if you die the game is basically over. The story plays out like and old samurai movie or Clint Eastwood western (think "Yojimbo" or "Fistful of Dollars"; you encounter warring factions in a small town and everyone seems to want to recruit you to help tip the balance of power in their favor. However, the game never pushes you towards a specific direction. Your character's choices remain refreshingly open ended as the plot develops. You can fight, switch sides, or just sit back and watch while the npc's fight it out. The game also has it's quircky Japanese moments, like the afro-haired samurai, and sometimes downright bizzare quips you can choose to taunt your oppents with during battle. The bigest weak point in the game is definately in the graphics department. The character faces are genuinly unique and fairly expressive, but the game itself is somewhat jaggy, and definately displays some texture seaming problems. Another possible quible could come from the intitial dificulty level, which is fairly high. However, starting from scratch often is not as bad in "Samurai" as in some other titles, because it alows the player a chance to view different possible story arcs. One final not on the music: it's fairly eclectic, I personally enjoy it, but its probably not for everyone. The rest of the in game sounds are fairly minimal, so if you want to listen to your stereo instead of the game you at least won't be missing anything important.

For those of you who are trying to decide whether or not to buy this game, this is the review for you. This game is not the best PS2 game ever, and it certainly doesn't deserve 5 stars. However, it is a LOT of fun. You just have to go into it knowing what to expect... The story is similar to "Last Man Standing" w/ Bruce Willis (which was a remake of Kurosawa's "Yojimbo"). Two rival clans are preparing for war against each other, and you are a lone Samurai with the power to sway the outcome of conflict. This is what makes the game so much fun. You are free to choose how you want to interact with people, and your decisions cause chain-reactions that ultimately change the entire story line. There's nothing forcing you to be good or bad. You can help those in need... or beat them up if you feel like it. Because of this, there are several different endings, giving the game high replay value. The story is relatively easy to follow, but the dialog probably could have used some revisions. Some nuances have clearly been lost in the translation. The graphics for this game are decent, but below the quality of what we've seen capable on the PS2. The characters are unique and have a lot of personality, but their bodies are blocky, and the (non-fighting) animations are repetitive and stiff. The environments are pretty nice, but they are limited in number, and there is little or no "exploration" to speak of. Most of the areas are noticeably devoid of the presence of humans. Even in the main town area is almost completely empty (except for when the fighting starts). It would have given the game some nice atmosphere to have at least a few random townspeople walking about. The music in this game is very good. It is similar to that which appeared in the first Tenchu game (no surprise). There aren't that many ambient sound effects other than random animal sounds or that of a passing train. Consequently, a lot of times the game seems overly quiet. It would have been better if the characters had speaking voices. All conversations take place in dialog boxes and balloons, and people just grunt or make random noises so you know who's talking. The fighting sounds, however, are great--on par with any fighting game out there--and that does a lot to liven things up. The highlight of the game (other than the changing story line) is the sword fighting. It is incredibly deep, and it takes a LOT of practice before you even begin to realize how much potential you have. There are air-juggles, throws, blocks and parries... and you can even use some items in the environment as weapons. If you play the game on normal or hard, expect to die... a lot. But once you get the hang of it, you'll be loving it. You start off with a single sword, but there are dozens of weapons you can obtain along the way. Each weapon has different moves, and you have the ability to improve the stats on them by taking them to a blacksmith. AND the ones you manage to "save" can be used in subsequent games. Because the fights take place in different environments, the camera sometimes gets stuck in unhelpful angles. Plus, the camera angles often switch, which will cause occasional confusion. But these issues are common in games like this, and they definitely don't ruin the experience. Also adding to the replay value is the fact that, based on your performance, there are plenty of things to unlock, including a 2-player VS. mode. Well, this review is already way too long, so I'll end it here. I am definitely enjoying this game, I'm sure you will too.

This is one of the best games I have ever played, period. I am not a hardcore gamer, so take that with a grain of salt. But still, this is an incredibly well crafted and well thought out game. Fans of the PSX Tenchu series will immediately be reminded of Way of the Samurai's roots: much of the background music is similar to that of Tenchu, as is the general approach to the scenery. The swordplay is similar to that of Kengo: Master of Bushido (an underrated game, in my opinion). The graphics are incredible, as is the sound. The camera is moveable with the right analog stick, which is a very nice touch.

You assume the role of a samurai in the early Meiji Period, and as such must make decisions as to how to interact with the many characters you meet as you travel around the map. Each decision affects the outcome of the game. The non-linear aspect of this game is very well created, and makes for interesting gameplay.

But the game is not only about meeting and talking to other characters. Intrinsic to it is sword fighting. In the beginning you are equipped with only a mediocre sword and few fighting skills. As you fight other samurai, you can obtain new swords and new skills. You can also have the swordsmith work on your sword to increase its durability, sharpness, and flexibility. The approach to fighting is interesting: your sword has a certain durability factor that determines how many "strong attacks" can be blocked before your sword will break. You can parry, cause your opponent to stumble in order to open up an attack opportunity, and even low and high kick while fighting.

I only bought this game yesterday, and have not played it for very long so far, but I can tell you that it is well worth the money. And while some of the reviews of the Japanese version (or maybe it was a demo version, I don't know) have claimed that it plays a bit short, I can say that it is not easy to win sword fights against the more powerful opponents. That, combined with the non-linear play, should make for a game with high replay value. In addition, there is a 1P vs. CPU and 1P vs. 2P fighting mode.

Some cons. The map is a bit small. But that is intentional, as the story is supposed to take place in one mountain pass and the immediate environs. Since there are many characters (some minor, some major) that you meet along the way, the small map does not detract from gameplay at all. Each area of the map is rather small, meaning that each time you move from one area to another you have to wait for it to load. But load times are really, really short. The only other gripe I have is that sometimes when fighting the view is blocked by something in the landscape (a small tuft of earth, a fence, etc.). It only happens once in a while, though, and is relatively minor.

If you are at all a fan of samurai/sword games then this is a must own. If you are interested in playing a fighting game with stunning graphics and a lot more to offer than the usual hack-and-slash, then this is at the very least a must play.

After reading some negative reviews about the games graphics and length I was hesitating to buy it. But it definatly turned out better than I thought. The graphics really aren't bad - characters are detailed and the landscapes are nice. In fact at times this game looks quite beautiful, especially at sun rise. Even though the game is short it has great replay value. From what I read there are 6 endings, but even more ways to get there. EVERY time I played it something different happened. There's a great variety of swords and the fighting is awsome and extremely fun. There is an unlockable two player feature wich I haven't tried yet. You can unlock new costumes and head to edit your character. In my opinion the only flaw in this game is the saving system. You can only save when u get to certain points. Then you have the option to either save and quit or continue without saving. Sounds normal right? But the catch is that every time you load the game your saved game will be erased and you have to play till you reach the next save point. If you do not reach it and turn the ps2 off, the next time you'll play, you will start from the beginning of the game again. This is especially bad when its bed time and your mother keeps shouting at you to go to bed, or when you are late with something and you can't find a damn save point. This flaw doesnt bother me too much though since I think the game is so fun that i dont mind starting from the beginning again. But for some this is quite annoying. This minor or not so mnor drawback schouldn't stop you from getting this great game though. And parents should not be too worried about the M rating. I have not yet heard any foul language, the violence isnt that violent- really and there is an option to turn the blood off wich there isn't so much of anyway.

Pros:
- Some nice musical pieces - some of it is kitaro-esque, some of it is light rock. (like I said, you either hate it or like it).

- Excellent texture mapping for the faces.

- Beautificul backdrops- makes you feel like you are in a small village in Japan.

- No cheesy dubbing of any kind. Just comic strip voice ballons- which I kind of like.

- Wide range of fighting styles that can be obtained through obtaining new swords.

- Fun to see how the stories weave into each other. Not an easy task to accomplish. Have to play multiple times to try different paths.

- Fight controls are simple to learn and difficult to master.

- Provides dual vs CPU and dual vs another user, after a certain level has been passed.

- Sufficient cheats available.

- Online tutorial provides step by step training. Later tutorials consist of video sequences which are not particularly good.

Cons:

- Save system is awkward. Everytime you save you also delete the saved game. So if you die in the middle of the game that's it! You have to start all over. I guess that makes it more like real life. So get yourself an extra memory card and backup the saved game before you start.

- Camera tries to blend in a first person shooter viewpoint with a Resident Evil viewpoint. Works sometimes to create a dramatic effect but often times, especially during a fight sequence, it can be fatal.

- Areas are all very limited in size. Likely to be because of all the memory eating up in the texture maps. But they are all well done- reminiscent of the old samurai films.

- No way to skip through dialog quickly so restarting the game means you have to suffer through all the text.

This game definitely deserves a rental. I have both Kengo and Bushido Blade and I like both. This game's major improvement over the aforementioned is a deeper story element that gives the users choices for the path he/she takes.

Buy it if you think you can tolerate the user interface problems.

This game is a must buy for any fans of samurai action. Way of the Samurai is a very intriguing game that allows you to determine the outcome. There are around 6 different endings to acquire, different costumes to earn, hundreds of swords and moves to learn for each sword, and much more. You can customize your character's face and clothing. Two-player vs. mode is fun and plays much like Bushido Blade. Combat isn't too hard to learn and provides plenty of entertainment though after killing a little over 100 guys...it kind of gets repetitive. Camera angles screw you over a few times, but not often enough that it gets frustrating. This game is tons of fun and should be rented at least if not bought. And sometimes it's pretty comical like when you go into the little restuarant, there is a black guy with an afro who has "dedicated his life" to the ways of a samurai. What are you waiting for? Go buy it!

I think I've put about 8 hours into this game now...enough to spot some of the misleading reviews; lots of little blunders I felt were worth correcting:

1) There is swearing and ONE instance I found of sexual content (you have to be a very sleazy ronin to get this). Given the fact you kill dozens of people, plus the very occasional and minor swearing AND being able to force the girl to sleep with you to save Don--all those things do probably justify an M rating (is that such a bad thing?)

2) Since your starting moves are weak, you must be careful to 'save your progress' (ie swords and learned moves.) You can leave the valley at any point to save the new moves you learned or swords you found. You can also have your swords delivered to your 'sword warehouse', meaning that you can take as many swords out of the game as you want (not just 3).

3. Game length is only 2 hours??? Just seeing one ending is not playing this game. You need to play again and again to really understand what is going on. It will probably also take a few sequential plays to discover the moves of your sword (and that is just one of many). OK, maybe this sort of play is more for hardcore gamers--people who want to explore every aspect of the game, but reviewers who say they played through it once and were dissapointed have not convinced me that they have really played the game.

In WotS you are doing several things at once--in the bigger picture, you are developing your character, learning new moves, getting new swords and improving them. On a smaller level, you are playing through all the permutations of a two day stretch of time in the valley. I think reviewers who have not put this time into the game have only experienced the frustration of a weak starting character, and probably missed the larger picture of character development/sword collection.

4) Boring combat. Well again, each sword has around 20 moves or so, and each sword is different. The combat system is actually relatively deep for a game like this. I'm not saying it is incredible, but pushing/parrying/dodging and awase certainly make this game far more than button mashing--nevermind the game punishes button mashing by destroying your sword. Did other reviewers see the second or third tutorial explaining these things?

5. Bad camera angles. Did anyone notice that the right analog stick can be used to change the camera angles?

6. Bad music. OK, I can't really call this an error, but I've always enjoyed the work of this composer, and I think his music stands out well in WotS. Can't please everyone I guess.

OK, so all those things aside, WotS is a fairly strong, but not faultless game. I'd love to have seen an even deeper combat engine, more areas to explore that actually have inhabitants, and maybe an ability to sell swords. WotS doesn't really need those things, but it might have helped in creating a believable world--where instead you are often forced to remember it is JUST a simulation.

What WotS isn't is a 1 or 2 star game. I understand that it simply isn't going to be for everyone, but if you look back at those reviews, most of the problems stated seem to come from a misunderstanding of the game mechanics (not understanding the save system, not understanding how you play multiple times both for different endings and to build your character.) For samurai fans or fans of Acquire, WotS is an easy purchase, while others should probably rent first--but realize that Way of the Samurai is not a game that rewards you in the first hour of play. Put two to three hours in before you make your decision.

Way of the Samurai is a game that puts you in the clothes of a samurai fresh to the world around him and lets you progress throught he game as you wish. it presents you with a multitude of choices which set your path till the end. Before you start, you can name your samurai, and choose his looks yourself before you immerge in adventure.
This fact about choices needs good thinking. The player can follow a path of honor, kindness, bravery, or ruthlesness and evil. One can even be dowright disgusting, joining a group and then bringing death and destruction to them, before joining another commune. The different times -day and night, also present a change in gameplay. Some quests can only be made in the appropriate time. This gives you further choice in the game. Slashing up people can earn you new and sometimes quite powerful swords, yet this can deplete you honor. When you meet with characters, you can discuss with them, whether you'ld like to slit them up or join them. The game provides you with characters that show some sense. Unlike some other games, if you unsheate your sword in front of someone, they'll run away or fight. In this last cause, you won't be able to complain that you meant no harm. That is why players must think twice before plunging into battle. If the player finds himself too weak to overpower someone, he can sometimes converse with his foe and beg for his life. Yet this will cost your honor.
Way of the Samurai is a very serious game, with none of that hidden powers and magic. It also has numerous real tactcis to sue in battle such as using pushes and kicks to knock a blocking foe off-balance, and parrying, or using an enemy's strength against him. All of this gives you the chance to use cool and realistic counters. You can also try and get used to the enemy's attack, thus getting used to his/her moves and never need to block that particular attack you got used to! In order to get some good attacks, you need to fight and as the enemy is at his last (usually), one can try creating a new attack by using an attack he desires to imporve further. This usally creates a new and better move, such as - single thrust builds a double thrust - and so on.
With all this info, you can get the basic idea of how to survive in such a game.

Way of the Samurai has impressive graphics, with numerous facial expressions, realistic backgrounds complete with different time conditions - morning, early sunset and night. The characters are all well designed, with many details about them.

The sound is also good - a few harmonising tunes while you run around and more heated-up music when you battle. the sound effects are varied and quite good. Yet there is one problem that can pull games back in today's mdoern world of brill videogames. When talking, characters only pull of a "hmm, grr, ah" here and there. There never is full speech. The text is shown in a classic speech bubble.

The controls are standard, and yet not easy to get used to since as the camera changes so do the controls. This doesn't seem tough but in battles movement is limited as your enemy slashes at every chance.

The game has one major problem - it can be finished in a matter of 2 - 3 hours, and sometimes in one go! It also has an extremely dreary save system. After you complete a particular situation you are given the choice to save. Yet if you save you must quit, and if you reload the data will be erased! This means that if you do some mistake you won't be able to fix it by just loading. If you die and lose your swords, you can feel bad all you want since you'll need to start FROM THE BEGINNING! This means saving isn't worth if you plan to carry on. Yet the game provides a surprising amount of replay value. There is a total of around 40 different blades, including boss weaponry of which two are not even swords, and you can only carry three at a time. This sort of gievs the player a lust of finishing the game with new swords to use. This is because once you play again you can choose from the sowrds you collect. And since there are so many choices, the player has quite a lot to do.
This also has to do with the game's ending, rating and point systems. According to the path you follow built from your choices you get a particular ending. After finishing the game, you are rated. if you rate low, you are given more tutorial choices and a few points.If you rate highly you are given more points, and as you collect points you are given new clothes and heads to choose from at the beginning. But that's not all! The game's two-player mode allows you to use a multitude of different characters and you need to choose from your collected swords to fight. This gives you a furhter want for new weaponry. As you collect points, you also get new characters to battle and use! All this is what presents addcition to this game.

Even though it's really good, this game is not what every gamer would like. Think carefully before you decide to add it to your collection.

Just a little warning to those of you who are thinking about buying this game, if you do not like Samurai things this game is not for you. This game is great. The graphics are much like the graphics in Kengo: Masters of Bushido. The game play for this game is really good too. There are about 5 different endings that you can recieve by beating the game a certain way. You can also pick up new weapons along the way. There is a 2 player mode which makes it even better, mostly so that you can show your friends who is the better man. The only thing this game lacks is Save Points. There are not that many places where you can save your game. Also the saves are not like the normal saves you have on the rest of the PS2 games. The saves on this game are more like so that you can go do something then come back. The reason I say that is because you can only load that file once. Other than that one detail this game is REALLY good. So I would say get this game if you like Kengo, or any of the Tenchu series.

Shallow gamers beware: this game has neither the phenomenal graphics or heart-gripping sound of other, more advanced PS2 games (Devil May Cry or Onimusha, for instance). There are several grammatical/spelling errors in an already unimaginative dialogue, and though you are eventually able to play as a female, the game's dialogue still refers to you in the masculine.

The game is also short, with a single play through averaging 1.5 hours (depending on which storyline you choose to follow). This means that you must watch the same cutscenes and go through the same dialogue many times, and there is no way to skip through them (like pressing select in Devil May Cry), so you are forced to sit through the same damn thing again and again.

I'm not going to bother trying to redeem these traits. This game isn't about any of that. This game is completely centered around an amazing battle system. With over 40 swords to choose from, each with 20 or 30 of its own special techniques, there are literally hundreds of different fighting styles. The combat system is extremely difficult to totally master, but fairly easy to learn. Despite all of the above failures of the game, this combat system and its myriad of battle techniques had me coming back time and time again, sloughing through the inane dialogue and storyline to power up my swords and learn newer and more devastating attacks, feints, and throws.

Some critics fail to understand the real point of the game. While it would be good to actually 'beat' the game, it is really a non-issue; the focus is training and powering-up your swords. You are allowed to carry two swords into a game from your outside 'Warehouse' (which is saved as general, global data, not a specific game session). Changes made to these swords, such as upgrades, learned techniques, etc. are all saved when you beat or exit (via the Railroad exit) the game. You can also ask the blacksmith to 'deliver' swords to your warehouse in-game. As you play the game over and over again, you will collect new swords and power up your old ones. The real goal of the game, then, is, in my opinion, to get as many swords as possible up to full strength with all techniques learned.

The Battle Mode (vs. CPU and 2P), once unlocked, provides hours of fun - but only if you've taken the time and effort to build up a good stash of powerful swords.

It takes a while to unlock this game's full fun potential, but it's well worth the effort, in my opinion.