Post by Elite Seminole on Jun 22, 2003 14:27:51 GMT -5
I decided to check out Way of the Samurai for the PS2 because of my ever-growing obsession with Rurouni Kenshin.
Anyways, this game is extremely unique. There are at least 5 different endings (I've only seen 2 so far). Every single choice you make and every single place you go in any order will effect the outcome. Still with me? Basically, this is a multi-path action game where there are alot of endings.
The storyline is a pretty standard samurai one. Taking place in 1878 Japan, the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate has brought an end to the Age of Samurai. Born to a time that no longer needs or welcomes them, these samurai are a far cry from the heroes and legends that preceded them. This is the story of the way of the samurai in their final days. The journey brings the player to Rokkostu Pass where two factions vie for power and you must decide the conflict. Combat, deception and betrayal are all tools to be used at will.
You get to decide whether you'll join the Akadama Clan or the Korou family, the two factions fighting each other. Or you can choose to join neither of them and just go around town helping or hurting people. But if you do that, the Meijii Government will eventually attack you and the plot will become really exciting after that.
You get to customize the main character. You name him and get to choose from about 5 different faces and outfits as well as which sword to start out with. There is also a really cool head-to-head fighting mode which you can unlock after getting a high score on the game.
The gameplay is very good. Swords will break if you swing them too hard without giving it any time to cool down and there are tons of swordsmen techniques to use like in Rurouni Kenshin. The graphics are also pretty good and realistic.
The biggest problem, however, is the sound. While the music and sound effects are really nice, THERE ARE NO VOICEOVERS! What kind of cheep PS2 game doesn't have voiceovers?! The characters, instead, occasionally make grunting and laughing sounds at the beginning of every message. The dialogue is okay, but nothing special and the characters develop depending on all the choices you make.
The weirdest thing on this game is that when you go to the edge of a map, you are given a choice to leave the pass where the entire game takes place on. If you elect to leave, then the game ends. The pass is actually very small. There are only 8 maps on which everything takes place on.
Overall, this is an unique samurai game where you can choose to be either a good guy or a bad guy. Recommended for anyone who don't mind no voice overs and are into samurai stuff.
GOODS: Great gameplay, nice bonus features like the fighting mode, good music, and multiple endings mean replay value.
BADS: No voiceovers; only eight maps to fight/play on. Games are bit short although there are so many different endings.
BOTTOM LINE: Way of the Samurai is overall a pretty good multiple endings game, but it really could use some voiceovers.
77% (Good)
Anyways, this game is extremely unique. There are at least 5 different endings (I've only seen 2 so far). Every single choice you make and every single place you go in any order will effect the outcome. Still with me? Basically, this is a multi-path action game where there are alot of endings.
The storyline is a pretty standard samurai one. Taking place in 1878 Japan, the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate has brought an end to the Age of Samurai. Born to a time that no longer needs or welcomes them, these samurai are a far cry from the heroes and legends that preceded them. This is the story of the way of the samurai in their final days. The journey brings the player to Rokkostu Pass where two factions vie for power and you must decide the conflict. Combat, deception and betrayal are all tools to be used at will.
You get to decide whether you'll join the Akadama Clan or the Korou family, the two factions fighting each other. Or you can choose to join neither of them and just go around town helping or hurting people. But if you do that, the Meijii Government will eventually attack you and the plot will become really exciting after that.
You get to customize the main character. You name him and get to choose from about 5 different faces and outfits as well as which sword to start out with. There is also a really cool head-to-head fighting mode which you can unlock after getting a high score on the game.
The gameplay is very good. Swords will break if you swing them too hard without giving it any time to cool down and there are tons of swordsmen techniques to use like in Rurouni Kenshin. The graphics are also pretty good and realistic.
The biggest problem, however, is the sound. While the music and sound effects are really nice, THERE ARE NO VOICEOVERS! What kind of cheep PS2 game doesn't have voiceovers?! The characters, instead, occasionally make grunting and laughing sounds at the beginning of every message. The dialogue is okay, but nothing special and the characters develop depending on all the choices you make.
The weirdest thing on this game is that when you go to the edge of a map, you are given a choice to leave the pass where the entire game takes place on. If you elect to leave, then the game ends. The pass is actually very small. There are only 8 maps on which everything takes place on.
Overall, this is an unique samurai game where you can choose to be either a good guy or a bad guy. Recommended for anyone who don't mind no voice overs and are into samurai stuff.
GOODS: Great gameplay, nice bonus features like the fighting mode, good music, and multiple endings mean replay value.
BADS: No voiceovers; only eight maps to fight/play on. Games are bit short although there are so many different endings.
BOTTOM LINE: Way of the Samurai is overall a pretty good multiple endings game, but it really could use some voiceovers.
77% (Good)
