The camera actually hurts the visuals and scale of combat by being zoomed in too close to get a good sense of what’s going on around you. I’m cool with the game going with quantity over quality in the visual department since it really is cool to see a over a hundred guys running towards you, but it’s off-putting when objects are zoomed into during cutscenes and look like they still have to load- except they already have. The combat animations are wild (in a good way) and the hero designs are fantastic, but those are hampered by textures that look 7-10 years old, questionable camera, and a frustrating UI. Presentation is something I struggled with a bit while playing Samurai Warriors 4-II. Perhaps these were things covered in previous games, perhaps not, but either way I was left scratching my head a few times. I appreciate being given the chance to see the personality of the samurai I’m playing as, but there are still a fair number of things that were either lost on me, or just weren’t explained very well. The stories are fairly well done for a hack and slash, but also aren’t going to win any awards for writing or depth. There are 12 different mini stories available to play, each with their own little arc that’s tied to some degree to the others. Instead of focusing on macro-level clan vs clan combat for control of Japan, this entry into the franchise keeps things a bit more small scale and focused. While there is an admittedly fun Survival Mode that lets you mindlessly blast through increasingly difficult levels of enemies, the focus of Samurai Warriors 4-II is definitely the story. There’s usually enough flash and mayhem that there just isn’t time during fights to feel bored between the enemies and timed objectives you’ll be dealing with anyways.
SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 II PC REVIEW SERIES
For better or for worse, it’s stayed fairly true to what made the series popular in the first place. Fans should know by know what type of games this is and what the combat is like. I do concede that after a while I was wishing there was a bit more to the combat to keep things from getting stale during longer play sessions. Instead of trying to capture the real life extreme depth and complexity of traditional Japanese warfare, Samurai Warriors wants you to feel like a god, empowering you with theatrical combat abilities that can take out dozens of peons at a time. The idea is still the same as it’s always been. It doesn’t seem like there would be a ton of draw for someone who already played through the main release a year ago, but for people like myself who were late to the party this seems to be the edition to jump on.ĭespite 2015 being the 10 year anniversary of the first Samurai Warriors game, those familiar with the general ebb and flow of even the early Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors franchises are going to feel right at home almost immediately. Instead it’s something in the middle, an alternate-universe version of the game in which many things, such as basic gameplay, character models, and certain missions remain the same, but are delivered through a campaign that is structured and flows a bit differently. It’s also not simple re-release or “game of the year” situation that collects released DLC or other content either.
Despite the what the “II” in its name might imply, it’s oddly not a sequel to Samurai Warriors 4. Before discussing anything else, it’s worth clarifying what exactly Samurai Warriors 4-II even is.