Samurai Warriors PSP review 8-4-2009
Why am I reviewing a game that is over 3 years old? Well, it was just released as a downloadable title on the Playstation Store a few weeks ago and that is when I picked it up. With the PSP Go on the horizon there are going to be many more games released for download, so expect to see games from different release points. The game is $14.99, roughly the same price as buying it new from a third-party seller on Amazon so it's not expensive. So how is the game on the PSP?
For those that don't know, Samurai Warriors is a spin-off series of the Dynasty Warriors series. While Dynasty Warriors took place in China, Samurai obviously takes place in Japan, but the games are pretty much the same. Mash buttons and kill lots of guys to build your guy up and go to another level where you mash buttons and kill lots of guys. Not a whole lot to it, and it hasn't really progressed much in the years since Dynasty Warriors 2 on the Playstation 2. For some this is good, for some it's bad. I can't speak for you, but personally I love the simplicity since it reminds me of the old-school brawler/hack-n-slash games of yesteryear.
Now I was just referring to the console games, on PSP it's a bit of a different story. Instead of just running around a massive level killing the guys, it is broken up into smaller sections as you take turns on an overhead map. I wouldn't consider this a turned based strategy game by any means, but that's what it feels like at first. After you move to your designated square you are given something along the lines of “kill as many guys as you can in 60 seconds” or “kill the Major.” Based on your performance in this bite sized battles you will earn a number of spaces you can move, much like rolling a higher number on a die in a board game. Do better, move further. This actually adds a bit of strategy to the game, and as I mentioned, makes it better for something you are playing on the go so you aren't stuck in the middle of a fight always whenever you may need to shut the game off. At first I hated this concept, but as I got used to it I learned to love it and found myself losing hours of my time unlocking more guys and leveling up my guys more and more. There are quite a few characters to unlock and there is both a story mode and a free mode. The story in the console versions was done through cut scenes, but this one is done through text only. I would knock points off for this if it weren't for the fact that I really just don't care about the story and end up skipping anyway. I want to get to the mass killing! Yes, I sound like a psychopath with that statement, but if you've ever played these games, you'd know what I mean.
Another aspect in the console versions that was great was doing 2 player co-op. Sadly, this is missing from this version of the game. I did not get to try out the multiplayer for myself as I do not know anyone else with the game and it does not support game sharing, but upon reading reviews on IGN and GameSpot it does not sound like I am missing much. It sounds like there is very little actual interaction between players and it's more like you are just playing at the same time trying to get a better score. Sounds boring to me, even if it does support 4 players.
Graphically this game was rather impressive to me for a PSP game. The “Warriors” games are not the best graphically, but they do pack a lot of guys on screen and keep things running smoothly. While there are not as many on screen in this version as the Xbox 360 version, that is to be expected due to the major difference in hardware power. The draw distance is also much shorter, but it's about what I expected from the PSP, especially a game that was released over 3 years ago.
My last complaint is the control. For the most part it works well, but there are times that your guy gets turned around and the camera doesn't swing around. There is no right analog stick on the PSP so there is no way to control it (some games let you use the d-pad if you're using the analog to control the guy, but in this game it let's you use both, so no camera control.). The only way to get the camera to swing around is to hit the block button (left shoulder button). This works ok for the most part, but when you're in the middle of a combo it will not work and that includes your special attack. What's worse is that sometimes the game acts like enemies do not exist if they are not shown on screen even if they show up on the map.
In the end, as I said before, I found myself really getting hooked on this game and playing for hours at a time and always wanting “one more battle” and “just level up just one more time.” Which is the sign of a game that is enjoyable, especially for the nice price of $14.99. Now once I've unlocked all the guys, beat the story mode with all of them, I can still play free mode for a bit but I will most likely be done with this game and want to move onto the next game, but that is still a long way away. I won't be able to sell it since it's a download, but I think I can live with that considering how much use I will get from it. Bottom line: don't let the change in gameplay scare you away if you're a fan of the series, try it out and have some smashy fun on the go.
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