Genji: Dawn of the Samurai

"Redefining the hack and slash action game`"

With the hundreds if not thousands of action games out there flooding the store shelves, it's often difficult to find something wholly new and interesting. Some games are great, but more of the same. Other games fall short of the high expectations gamers have. All too often, developers turn out carbon copies of whatever is popular in order to get safe money. Alot of games now focus on a particular gimmick, one unique element that sets them apart from other games. While this gimmick is not always a winner, in the case of Genji, it hits the mark 100%.

I've been out of the gaming loop for quite some time now, having cancelled my subscription to a leading magazine after their failure to deliver it to my door. I was busy with other things, so I wasn't too sure what to look for when I went to my local Gamestop trying to find a new game with which to entertain myself. After asking the staff for a suggestion, I walked out of the store with Genji: Dawn Of The Samurai. And I'm glad I did.

The game opens with a beautiful CG movie explaining the game's story and background. There will be more on that in a bit, but for not let's focus on the graphics, eh? This game does not disappoint in the visual department. The character designs are all brilliant. The game's heroes are as cool to look at the hundredth time as they are the first, and even the supporting characters are unique and inventive. The environments are crisp, showing great detail in everything from the sunlight coming through the mountain peaks to the ornate doors in the Heishi temples. Huge, colorful 3-D environments are tied together by a clear, colorful map screen. Chapters are divided by beautiful cut scenes. Animation in the characters' attacks is sharp and your command of the game's battle system is rewarded with brilliant effects and cut screens. The game has no shortage of gore, with enemy blood being routinely splattered against the walls and ground, but the environments are so colorful and alive that you barely even notice.

The game does not have english dub-over, so you must read the subtitles as the characters speak contemporary japanese. I like this kind of setup, but I understand some may not. The game's sound is unremarkable, but if you have a Pro Logic II capable sound system you might disagree with me.

In Genji you can assume to role of one or two heroes, interchangably. You can switch off whenever you'd like, and each of the characters has his own strengths and weaknesses. The hero, Yoshitsune, is very fast and can unleash long combo strings against groups of enemies and somersault out of the way of incoming attacks. The slower Benkei can take down several enemies in a single swing of his giant club or halberd. Also, when exploring different areas, you may come across a ledge that Benkei cannot jump to or an object that Yoshitsune cannot move. When this happens, you must return with the other character to find the treasures which lay beyond. These obstacles never interrupt the progression of the story, however, and you can finish the game using only one of the two characters if you so desire. Additionally, they share the same experience points, so when one gains a level, they both do. Additionally, their weapons and armor often have elemental qualities, which does not come into play particularly often but you can use it to reduce the damage from enemy attacks. These RPG elements make the game deeper and more fun.

The bread and butter of the game's battle system is based upon the use of Kamui, a unique ability that the heroes can use because of the Amahagane stones they carry. Kamui slows down time so that the player can wait for the right moment to counterattack, killing most normal enemies or doing tremendous damage to a boss enemy. As the game progresses you can use multiple kamui to slow down time even more, allowing for easier and more continuous execution of counterattacks. The more successfully you manage to utilize Kamui througout the game, the faster your experience level increases. You can also increase the amount of experience you gain by striking enemies continuously without being hit yourself and even combine this with kamui to raise your gained exp exponentially. A meter in the upper right corner of the screen keeps track of your level of experience growth during any given battle. Use of kamui is the single most important element of the game. Using it successfully against a boss allows you to pick up special items and have the blacksmith create more powerful weapons for your heroes.

The storyline is pretty standard samurai game fare, an corrupt family of samurai is dominating the country and only the hero, Yoshitsune, with his single Amahagane stone, is able to defeat the army of the Heishi family, with their countless Amahagane stones. The storyline does not echo any particular factual point in the history of Japan, but it really doesn't have to. The game is just that good.

I have no complaints about this game. It is the type of game that can easily pull you in for hours at a time. The fun and fast-paced gameplay leaves me always wanting to fight just a few more battles or finish just one more mission. the only negative is that it seems as though it is relatively short, but I can live with that, since it is easily the type of game that I will play through a second time.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/05/05