Official Score
Overall - 80%
80%
Another thing is the lack of much to do with your created character. There are a lot of options for to customize a character but they can only be used in survival and free mode. I know it's hard to add something like this to story, but without it, I didn't see the need to make a character or use it. Just a missed opportunity in my opinion.
Samurai Warriors 4-II is the newest iteration of Tecmo Koei’s Warriors series. Is the game worth picking up? Or is it just another Warriors game with a few new characters? Check out this honest game review and make your choice!
Samurai Warriors 4-II Honest Review
Samurai Warriors plays just like most of the other Warriors games. You are a hero thrown onto the battlefield tasked with killing countless enemies and generals. At first this is easy, but it quickly gets more challenging with stronger troops, generals and obstacles to overcome.
You play during the Warring States era of Japan and get to see the conflict from a few different factions. Each of these factions will have a few unique battles and battles that you end up playing over and over again. For instance, you will often attack the Hojo castle when you play most of the center factions. You just end up playing it from a different perspective. Thankfully these only happen once or twice during a factions playthrough. These missions will help you learn about the history of each factions, and let you try new characters.
This game actually forces you to play the main characters for the campaign as well as a partner of your choice. You will be playing two characters during each battle. This is a smart move, it lets you get around the battlefield much quicker and learn multiple characters per faction. If you decide to do local co-op you both play one character, the first player still uses the main character. Quick note on couch co-op: the enemies sometimes disappear when there are too many on screen, during single player this is a non-issue.
I will say that Combat doesn’t feel like it has evolved much. It’s still a lot of square mashing with some triangles thrown in, or triangle mashing with squares thrown in. The combat works for this type of gameplay but I would like something more. Each character has their own unique special ability that they get when they charge up their special meter. All characters also have an R1 move, which is something new for me. These are hit and miss to be honest and I didn’t use them often.
Your characters still level up but now there is a skill tree. Basically you can improve your stats and skills by using Tomes and leveling up. These tomes can be bought or earned on the field by killing officers. They don’t load you up with them so powering up a single character can take some time. I do have to commend them on the in game economy. Most games where you earn money, you get to a point where you are loaded with nothing to buy. This game has you upgrading weapons, mounts and buying tomes at a good price. I was constantly running out of cash trying to buy everything.
You can earn gold and levels in a new mode called Survival Mode. Basically, you are climbing a tower doing various objectives to clear each floor. These range from killing units and officers, to doing something within a certain amount of time. You can even use a created character here if you really wanted too. The higher you go, the more difficult it gets and the better your rewards will be. This part is a bit grindy and I don’t know if a lot of people will actually make it to the top.
The game looks great on PlayStation 4. The detail on the armor and weapons actually had me pretty impressed at times. The environments are hit and miss but they don’t detract from anything. The game is Japanese-dialog only for those of you that care about something like that. The music is typical Warriors music, kinda funky but fitting.
I do have to knock something that kept getting on my nerves. As you play a level you will get bonus objectives that can get you gold or loot. The problem is they literally stop the game and point out what needs to be done. At first you are like, “Oh cool, I won’t miss these now”, but as 3-4 pop up in a row it really messes with the flow of the game. The option to turn it off would be fantastic.
Another thing is the lack of much to do with your created character. There are a lot of options for to customize a character but they can only be used in survival and free mode. I know it’s hard to add something like this to story, but without it, I didn’t see the need to make a character or use it. Just a missed opportunity in my opinion.
Despite the flaws, this game is still really fun if you are a Warriors fan. If you are wondering if you should step back into the Warring States period with Nobunaga or not; the answer is yes.
