Samurai Warriors 2 Empires

"A superior Beat 'Em Up / Strategy game to Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires in almost every regard."

Like Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors also branched off into an "Empire" franchise that featured strategy elements as well as the typical hack 'n slash game-play. Since I'm trying to build up my XBOX 360 Gamerscore, I'll be critiquing this version instead of the one for the PS2. Onto the review..

Story 6/10

If you aren't familiar with the story-lines of the characters, you're only going to get a brief dose of the personalities and motivations through the cut-scenes and in-battle dialogue. The endings bring about more closure than those featured in Dynasty Warriors 5 Empire - even though they're nearly identical for each character you beat the game with. Overall, this area could have used some work - but I'm playing a beat 'em up / strategy game and not an RPG - so I won't rail on the lacking presentation too hard.

Graphics 9/10

The visuals are noticeably improved from that of Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires - with better looking and less rigid level design and even the map getting an eye-candy upgrade. The character models sport more detail, the masses of bodies seem to function more fluidly, and there are more everyday objects to destroy in the battle environments. The special attacks are presented in a more stylish, somewhat Anime-esque context - with the screen going into a close-up of the character's face with lots of fire and lightning effects present. If you and another friendly character are both powered-up, you will see an electrical charge bond between them - which isn't simply a cosmetic effect. You can combine your attack with up to two other buddies to unleash of storm of fiery fury upon whatever unlucky chumps around positioned around you. There are a couple problems that arise though: there seems to be more pop-up than in Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires, as I had to accustom myself to watching reinforcements simply materialize out of thin air in almost every battle. The map is also much more confusing than it should be - with the various tunnels and subterranean routes invisible until you approach them, and lots of dead-end land masses to find yourself cornered in. However, I am still shocked to see how well the game handles me riding a horse around in circles within a crowd of enemy soldiers - racking up kills without any kind of lag or corruption of the opponent A.I. Even taking into account those flaws I mentioned earlier - Samurai Warriors 2 Empires is probably the best looking Koei of its time.

Sound 8/10

I don't think the soundtrack was quite as good, but it works well enough for me and I never got annoyed by the music. The voice overs, while still limited to the English language, are much better aside from one or two cases. Kenshin's vocal actor seemed to be spot-on for the character he was providing for, and most of the other ones sound at least average in quality. The sound effects sound a little bit better as well, possibly because Samurai Warriors (at least in this game) comes off as more serious in the area of violence. I mean, the horses scream as you cut them and their riders down in the midst of battle.

Control 9/10

The characters still start off unbalanced (I had to switch characters a few times before I found someone I could become comfortable with), but eventually everyone grows powerful enough to select for any occasion. The horse riding portions go on much smoothly than in Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires - and I actually started using my mount more than the on-foot method of brawling. You still end up taking cheap hits sometimes, and navigating the map can sometimes be more confusing than it should be.

Game-play 8/10

The game-play is much the same as Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires, although there have been a couple of significant changes. The items have been removed, and while I was fond of them in the past games - you now earn/purchase little plates that once equipped, remain on that character forever. So, you'll no longer be needed to slap on an orb or fang necklace before running out to conquer a territory. The training aspect to improve character stats is more involved, featuring a variety of tasks that can doll out rewards for up to 8 officers at a time. You can also hunt for mounts instead of earning the saddle item, which allows you to select a certain horse and level them up much like a normal soldier. Another addition (correct me if I'm wrong) is the system which allows disgruntled officers in your army to seize control of a fief in your empire and control it and its forces in a coup de'tat. While I'm not exactly thrilled my minions betray me after I invest so much time in maintaining them - it does add an element of realism. The biggest change, however, to the system established by the Empire franchise - is the inclusion of army formations. You earn different formations by fighting battles, and then have to decide what battles are worth their use and when exactly you want to employ them. Some improve defense, others increase everyone's attack, and so forth. The formations are a major part of the battles - with an inferior formation enough to drive a winning side back into a stalemate or even utter defeat. It is a double-edged blade in the area of enjoyment - because even though it may screw up my advancement in battle - it also makes overpowering a smaller force that much easier. In addition to formations, you can also unlock tactics by consulting with your officers in the strategy phase of the map. This allows you to use things like a squad of musketeers, or slowing down the enemy march, and even forcing the enemy to even his or her numbers with you before the start of the battle. This further adds to the strategic element of the game, and makes the "Empire" element of the game feel less tacked on. Overall, with the exception of the somewhat confusing map and less interesting 360 achievements - Samurai Warriors 2 Empires is a better game than Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires.

Replay value 8/10

First off, I'd like to say I thought the method of achievements was better in Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires. It gave me a reason to stockpile officers until my ranks bulged, and I could unlock the majority of the accomplishments in a single rental. On the other hand, the mission structure for the various campaigns is more distinct than Dynasty Warriors 4 Empires - so it feels like I'm actually in a different role rather than rehashing a similar event. Other than that, nothing is different (Free Mode and Create-and-Officer are still around) and it will take you AT LEAST two weeks of dedicated playtime to unlock everything and fully develop all of your officers.

Overall 8/10

As I mentioned earlier, with the exception of a couple of gripes - I found Samurai Warriors 2 Empires to be a more involved, better looking and sounding, and further innovative strategy / beat 'em up game. I think it is worth a rental to most owners of the XBOX 360 and probably worth purchasing for beat 'em up enthusiasts and Dynasty/Samurai Warriors fans. loyalists. If you have both a PS2 and an XBOX 360, I also believe spending a couple of bucks more on this version is a sound investment - since it features better graphics, the 360 achievements, and more likely less slow-down and a better frame-rate since it is running on stronger technology. Either way, at least try the game out.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/18/07

Game Release: Samurai Warriors 2 Empires (US, 02/27/07)