Way of the Samurai 2

"Hallelujah, The Savior has been born, and it's not Jesus."

Introductory Statement.
-Way of the Samurai 2, a game with a small fan-base has finally been released here in the states, after several delays and previews at E3 building up some hype, and alas it is released. Most fans of the original WOTS (Way of the Samurai) would most likely love this instant classic. Many of the ideals and pros about the first game have been updated and remade for your approvals. While a sort of "new" feel to it, the game does make you feel at home as I'll explain in detail with the following sections.

Game Play - 8/10
-I think this game deserves this eight out of ten rating due to the fact that it's an awesome, but it's still not a perfect game, but it's one hell of an experience. The game contains over four-hundred moves to learn, and every sword is pretty much unique in it's own sense. There are quite a few types of sword stances that the swords are used on, such as up stance, where you holds the blade above you to strike down on your enemies. The buttons are the same as in the first game, so no need to feel left out, but they are really simple if you don't know them. Triangle for a vertical strike, square for a horizontal, you can do kicks and grabs if you hold in the R1, etc etc. Everything is pretty easy to get used to once you start, so you should really have no troubles. Moving along ...

Story - 9/10
-The story consists of a certain samurai (you) coming to Amahara, to well save it I guess. I suppose it's just a coincidence, however it plays nice into the game, considering in the first one was much shorter (3 days in game) this one is like a week or two. But it is a great game and will stay in my collection. Personally I like the story, however some may not find it complete.

Sound/Music - 7/10
-I wanted to give this section a full ten out of ten, but due to the voice acting, I just couldn't put myself to doing that. The sounds of your blade cutting through the air and into someones torso sounds dead-on, also the sounds when you walk and all that sound great too. They did a good job on the sound department if it wasn't for that damn voice acting. The music is good as well, sometimes it will get a little bit repetitive, but no complaints here, I like the music that the game plays and think it really helps out of the feeling of the game, to help get you in the mood for it.

Graphics - 8/10
-The graphics are pretty much the same as the first one, but still it looks great as it always did. They re-used some character models for this game, so it feels like you are still in the time period of the first one. Everything looks pretty good on the graphics side and still I have no complaints about them, just about everything looks good from the enemies and townspeople you will encounter to the map screen and general menus. They are all pretty nice and fit the game well.

Closing
-In which I have explained the four major components of the game, and alas must tell you now whether if you should rent or buy the game. Personally, I bought it without a rental and I do not regret it, however I am a huge fan of the first one, and feel at home on this one, it's not very long to beat but there are about twelve endings and unlockable features, and the swords to get. If your a fan of the days of the samurai, you should get this title up for permanent.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/10/04