a single click. All you need is Adobe Reader.
For use with either a modern browser, or an RSS program.
Samurai Warriors 3 Review
A History lesson that's not quite worth the sore thumbs.
Written by Thomas Worthington, 29 June 2010
Take your seats class. Today we're going to learn about the legendary battles that took place during the Warring States period of Feudal Japan. Your text book: Samurai Warriors 3, your pen and paper: a controller to button-mash your way through it.
Screenshots of Koei's Samurai Warriors 3There's little to differentiate Samurai Warriors 3, one of many spin-offs that stemmed from the Dynasty Warrior franchise, from the many other hack and slashers flooding bargain bins but Nintendo see's things a little differently. After all they've seen to it that the game is published outside of Japan, the same kind of treatment that launched Capcom's Monster Hunter Tri, but can this slice of Japanese history keep us engaged or will we be sleeping in class?
Screenshots of Koei's Samurai Warriors 3From the outset, you'll have a handful of warriors to choose from. Take your pick and relive their epic tales through levels littered with objectives which tend to wrap up levels with a 'kill this target to claim victory' finale.
There are also tactical bonuses and strongholds to overthrow in your spare time between primary objectives but it's easy to overlook these if you're in a hurry although some of the rewards they bestow can help level up your warrior faster or nab you a new weapon for use in combat.
In between objectives you'll slay a bounty of minions, relentless in their numbers but they'll fall like dominos when you take just a handful of swipes - not quite the shining example of the phrase 'strength in numbers'. These foes will not only stand around whilst you take a chunk out of their colleagues but will also sit and admire your handiwork before you stomp them into the ground riding horseback. We recommend those looking for a challenge other than the clock should jack the difficulty up to the highest setting early on and never look back.
When a game relies on one particular asset - in this case combat - as heavily as Samurai Warriors 3 does then you best make sure that it's not only enjoyable but also has a little depth and freshness to it. It's a shame then that I can't find a single positive thing to say about the combat.
There's little need for a dodge or even a guard button. Even the special attacks such as the Musou attack which can only be executed by slaughtering enough troops feel likes unnecessary handicaps that are just for show. The entire combat portion just feels so outdated and rough around the edges that you'll quickly tire from it, something that Samurai Warriors 3 is counting on you not to do.
Thankfully the developer was kind enough to encouraged traditional controls over a total waggle fest even employing use of the Classic and Gamecube controller. If you have these tools at your disposal then it's worth cracking them out if you're going to be jamming sore thumbs.
You are, however, encouraged to use strategy to gain the upper hand by regularly consulting your map although the in-game representation is rather lacklustre but if you can work with coloured dots then by all means you shouldn't need to cut in and out of the action to check out the full 3D representation.
And that, for the most part, is it. You'll slog through four or five levels before seeing a warrior's story through to the end and it's here where the make or break factor for Samurai Warriors 3 is.
Did you enjoy the last three or four hours of game? If you didn't then put the disc back in the case and consider your options. If you enjoyed it then be prepared to enjoy the whole experience again and again!
Chances are if you're a fan of the series then Samurai Warriors 3 is a game that'll just keep giving and giving. There's a serious amount of content packed into this disc and seeing all 37 characters stories through to the end will take you well over the 100 hour mark.
On top of that, the character creator, historic mode and Mystery of Murasame Castle based on the NES classic should give fans enough reason to come back if not for the online co-op play that failed to integrate itself into any of the more prominent aspects of the game.
I could put together a wealthy list of reasons why Samurai Warriors 3 is a bad game among those being the cringe-worthy voice acting (switch to Japanese dubs as soon as you possibly can), the dry environments that lack any character and gameplay that just feels lazy and dated but these are no doubt qualms that fans of the series will set aside in favour of enjoying an established calibre. There's no denying that Samurai Warriors success is down to a well carved out niche that perhaps will never receive the same warm welcome that its homeland might give it.
For a game so deep in its rich culture, the fact most gamers can button bash their way through each scenario with ease seems to undermine the whole appeal of revisiting Feudal Japan. Sure there's a lot to do in Samurai Warriors 3's depiction of "warring states" but when it's all so repetitive and dull, this is one history lesson that you might want to skip.
Score: 45%
