My Thoughts On Way Of The Samurai 4 (Pc)

[TheErebus.]

So recently, I decided to purchase this game because I love me some Samurai games and the idea behind it is really cool. But sadly, the execution of the game doesn't do it justice.

 

Lemme start off by saying that despite the 30 FPS lock (which is due to the Engine as said by a reviewer of the game on Steam) the port for the game is actually quite good. The framerate is steady, but unfortunately the keyboard controls are a bit of a mess. So I would highly recommend using a gamepad for this one. So do be warned that I will be referring the controls to a gamepad, and not the keyboard. And to my surprise, the port was done by none other than Ghostlight! These were the guys responsible for Persona 3 Portable, which is a very good game.

 

Combat: So this is my biggest issue with the game, the combat is just really stiff and boring. You'd think at first that this is a serious and realistic samurai game. But no, it isn't. It's actually quite a silly game, especially when try to "seduce a random woman". In terms of the combat, it's a lot like Tales of Graces F. And by that, I mean that when you enter a battle, the game locks you down into this one dimensional movement (either straight or back) with your attacks varying depending on the rotation of the Left stick (for example, attacking while pushing the left stick up will result in you doing a jabbing attack, while holding back and doing an attack will result in a spinning attack).

 

You can move freely during battles as well as parry and block, but do to this you essentially just run away from your target and then enter back into your default stance.

 

You have both a series of light attacks and a heavy attack, but they cannot be put together in a combo. So it's either using light attacks or heavy. However, the game has a feature called "Weapon Styles". These are essentially different styles and stances that you can use in combat, and with them comes different attacks you can pull off with different weapons. 

 

You can also create your own weapon, and there are tons of weapons like the Katana, Spear, claws and even revolvers.

 

Graphics:

The graphics aren't very good. This game was released in 2011 and I highly doubt the studio got the funding needed to really up the graphics, and yes, graphics aren't everything but whenever they zoom into a character's face you can really tell how low quality it is. 

 

Story: 

Honestly, this is something that would take days to explain. Because this game has a story that can change at an instant. See, the Way of the Samurai games are all based around choices, but what sets it apart from the other games with this feature (Mass effect, Dragon age etc.) is that you can essentially change the path you go from the very beginning of the game AND THEN go down a completely different path in the middle of the game. Your actions have consequences in the game, and this results in the game being quite re-playable. But then this leads to one of the biggest problems with the game.

 

Extras: 

You have to unlock A LOT in this game by replaying it. That's essentially the main goal of the game. 

From character customization, to weapons, to how tall your character is etc. These are all supposed to be unlocked by getting different endings. And to be honest, I find this to be a horrible idea. At the very beginning of the game, you're gonna see that you cannot make your character how you'd want him to be like. You have to keep replaying the game to unlock these things. 

Now keep in mind that I'm cool with unlockables, they can allow you to set goals for yourself, like trying to unlock that one mask that you really want or you see that one weapon that looks badass, but you have to get X kills with another weapon. This kinda stuff is cool, but when it comes into how we can customize our very own Samurai, you'll be very disappointed with you have to play as. 

 

So my final thoughts?
I think this game (and the series as a whole) has huge potential, but it's limited by the dev team and the publishers who work on it. If this was given to a much better team and with more funding, it could be a fantastic game. Almost like a GTA but set in the Edo period. 

But sadly, I can only recommend this game to the gamers who've played other games in this series. I love the idea, but the combat and the crazy extent on unlocking things just really makes it hard to recommend this game.

[VivaNyanCat]

Did you post this review on steam for the game?

[TheErebus.]

Did you post this review on steam for the game?

No.

[VivaNyanCat]

No.

Why not?

 

It'd be helpful.

[TheErebus.]

Why not?

 

It'd be helpful.

Well I did just now.

http://steamcommunity.com/id/Erebis/recommended/312780

[VivaNyanCat]

Well I did just now.

http://steamcommunity.com/id/Erebis/recommended/312780

Great!

 

Nice review, by the way.

[TheErebus.]

Great!

 

Nice review, by the way.

While I gave it a negative rating, I actually put it at slightly below average (sorta on the line between bad and good). Because the game is kinda fun, but at the same time the unlockables and bland combat really get in the way.

[VivaNyanCat]

While I gave it a negative rating, I actually put it at slightly below average (sorta on the line between bad and good). Because the game is kinda fun, but at the same time the unlockables and bland combat really get in the way.

Makes sense.