Samurai Warriors: Extreme Legends
- October 25, 2004 07:45 AM PST
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With four new characters Dynasty/Samurai Warrior junkies have something to chew on until the inevitable sequel.
Being a close cousin of the medieval China-based Dynasty Warriors series, it comes as no surprise that Koei has developed an Xtreme Legends for Samurai Warriors. Providing a familiar array of features to keep the most fervent of fans going on the franchise until the next offering, it also hints at what's to come in the almost inevitable Samurai Warriors 2.As the original, the game is set in medieval Japan, with warlords battling to reach Kyoto and become Shogun. Playable this time around is Hideyoshi Hashiba (later known as Hideyoshi Toyotomi), a vassal who had the ignoble nickname of monkey; Yoshimoto Imagawa, famous for his defeat at Okehazama; Tadakatsu Honda, a loyal and trusted vassal of Ieyasu Tokugawa; and Ina, a princess known for her defense against invading Tokugawa armies.
Much like Dynasty Warriors Xtreme Legends, the game allows players to get an additional (6th) weapon level, increase their stats above the previous max caps, and more Power Up Items and Skills. In addition, players can power-up their weapons by paying a blacksmith or purchasing items from gold earned in the survival mode. Tweaks have been made to gameplay as well--the Musou meter in two-player mode is now separate instead of being linked as the original. A new battlefield of Komaki-Nagakute has been added as well.
Playing an early build, the new characters fight as they look--Hideyoshi is a quick hitting but vulnerable character akin to Masamune Date, Tadakatsu has big powerful sweeping attacks that mop up the weaker enemies. Ina has four regular slashes that easily connect to a multi-hit combo, and Yoshimoto, who was the most entertaining of the new officers, mixes his sword slashes with Kemari ball attacks--infusing a needed dose of humor into the game (Kemari was an aristocratic version of hacky sack during feudal Japan).
Keen fans of Samurai Warriors will also notice Nagamasa Azai in a custom suit of armor as opposed to the generic outfit he wore in the first--perhaps a subtle hint of a Samurai Warriors 2 in the pipeline (with him as a playable character).
