Warriors Orochi 2

"A Good Game that Could Have Been Great"

There have already been many games in the Warriors series, each one adding new characters, weapons etc. But with the Orochi series, Koei takes the best from Samurai and Dynasty Warriors to create a different, fun game. The only downside is that it feels a little incomplete.

Graphics: 8/10
Pretty much the same as any of the Warriors games on the PS2. Not bad, but not fantastic. The characters and backgrounds have a lot of detail and don't disappoint.

Story: 2/10
The game's weakest point. Nobody should be playing a Warriors game for the story, but this is just bad. It takes place after the first game where the warriors all defeated Orochi. Everyone is just fighting eachother without any clear motivations. You will probably just end up skipping the cut scenes and blocks of text. If you are looking for a game with great character development and story, look somewhere else.

Gameplay: 9/10
The Orochi series introduces the team combat system. Before each battle, you choose 3 characters and can switch between them on the battlefield. Then you must make your way through the battlefield while accomplishing certain goals. The battle ends when you defeat the enemy commander. For anyone who just wants to vent frustration or cut loose and have fun, this game delivers. You can customize everything from weapons to which map you play on with what armies. For any fan of the warriors series, the team play alone is a good reason for getting this game.

Music/Sound: 5/10
This is a little disappointing. Almost none of the voice actors from previous Warriors games are in this. Everyone just sounds really over the top and annoying at times. The music is mostly generic, but there are a few decent songs that combine elements from both Warriors series. If you get sick of the music just play on mute and play some other music.

Replay Value: 8/10
Once you unlock all the characters and weapons, there isn't much else to do. After that, you may still want to come back to it every now and then to satisfy a craving. It's the type of game you have to be in the mood for, but you can always count on it to do the same thing. It's sort of like Guitar Hero or something, you don't play to beat it you just want to play it.

Overall: 7/10
A good game, but could have been better. Hopefully, if Koei makes a 3rd one, they will fix some things and come up with a better story. But this game accomplishes what it sets out to do. If you are a fan of the Warriors series, it's worth trying out. I want to give this game an 8/10, but something just won't let me. I feel like it was a little rushed and could have been better so that's why it gets a 7.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/02/08

Game Release: Warriors Orochi 2 (US, 09/23/08)