Samurai Warriors

Gamezilla!

I thought the PS2 had given up the ghost for pushing graphics to a new level, but I was wrong. All in all, a well worth it buy, no questions asked.

GameZone

For all of you audio purists out there, you will be ecstatic to know that the KOEI has given games the option to listen to the original Japanese or English dialog.

IGN

What it all boils down to is whether or not a button-mashing title is appealing. If so, this is still one of the best ones available. If not, the inherently repetitive nature of the gameplay will be an impossibly high hurdle.

Weekly Famitsu

9 / 8 / 8 / 9 - 34 gold [Vol 792; 20 Feb 2004]

Next Level Gaming

Come on guys and gals, what is not cool about riding around on a horse and kicking some serious ass?

Cinescape

A game that any player can just jump into and have a great time.

Game Over Online

The create a soldier mode that is dependent upon your skill with activities is a fresh spin to the player generated fighter, and the inclusion of RPG-esque elements take the rather tired elements from Dynasty Warriors and injects new blood into the genre.

PSM Magazine

While there are a few flaws, they do not ruin the overall game. The game is just a lot of fun to play. [June 2004, p.25]

Thunderbolt

Don’t expect a revolutionary change to the series; just expect the same fun we’ve experienced before.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Don't be surprised if you find yourself revisiting certain engagements just to perfectly fulfill each of its objectives. [June 2004, p.91]

netjak

Kenshin's first castle invasion mission is one of the most enjoyable experiences I've ever had in this style of game. [JPN Import]

PSX Nation

Just don’t expect to like Samurai Warriors if you’ve had your fill of (or never liked) "Dynasty Warriors".

Cheat Code Central

The replay value is tremendous if you're a fan of the gameplay but you can experience a great chunk of the game with a rental.

TotalGames.net

The game represents an interesting twist on the traditional hacking and slashing themes but at the end of the day, it is still just that to anyone who can't be swayed by some RPG-lite elements and a few more enemies on screen.

Worth Playing

The repetition is quite high, but it plays almost identically to Dynasty Warriors, so it might be a good addition. Still, the total number of levels is rather low, so you can run through a character’s story in less than an hour.

Siliconera

A lot of fun to play. The game captures the spirit of the Dynasty Warriors series and improves on them. Although, the game does suffer from the same technical problems that many old NES games suffer from slowdown and lack of graphical detail.

Inside Gamer Online

The myriad of ways to customize your abilities and interesting additions to the game add some depth – but sadly, the mediocre implementation of some of those elements keep the game a standard hack-and-slash button masher at its core.

GameSpy

Just having new characters to play with is a nice advancement, and I ended up having more fun playing the game than I thought I would.

Game Informer

Merely mediocre in terms of graphics (including the pitiful draw-distance in multiplayer), and simple problems like the inept camera have yet to be fixed. Its strong gameplay manages to squeak out a passing grade. [May 2004, p.97]

Stuff

The tempo of the battle sometimes swings according to the level of each army's morale. Chip away at your enemy's self-esteem by ramming three feet of steel through their guts. Then tell your own troops to buck up. Try complimenting them on their weight loss.

GameSpot

Although the upgrades are certainly a nice change of pace for what has been a fairly uncompromising series of games, the core game is still much the same as it has always been, and as such, Samurai Warriors remains a game primarily for those already enamored with the Warriors franchise.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

A somewhat confusing interface and disjointed midbattle cut-scenes make keeping track of allies and major enemies a chore, occasionally shrouding the path to victory, but otherwise, Samurai Warriors slices and dices. [June 2004, p.102]

GMR Magazine

The disappointment, however, lies in wait for those who expected a greater leap forward and not yet another recycled cash-in. [June 2004, p.88]

Total Video Games

"Dynasty Warriors" and beat-em-up fans will find an exciting experience, however its repetitive nature will soon put off anybody else.

games(TM)

To call Samurai Warriors one of the brownest games ever would be no word of a lie - the lack of colour is arguably the game's weakest area and this, coupled with the repetitive nature of this style of game, can make it feel that much more tedious at times. [July 2004, p.109]

GameSpot AU

Although it offers something different in comparison to "Dynasty Warriors" they seemed to have not strayed all that far from their roots. Presumably they're worried about turning away their current fan base and it is these people who will get the most out of Samurai Warriors.

Boomtown

There have been many games of this type, but Samurai Warriors is undoubtedly the best.

Yahoo! Games

For the uninitiated who favor endless combat over plot, it's also a great place to jump in, since the emphasis is on action and character rather than history.

GamerFeed

The repetitiveness may get to some of you, and there are components in the graphics and audio that are annoying, but they're minor problems.

Playboy

The occasionally mindless, thumb-numbing play gets a helpful boost from a random mission generator and gory hidden death traps that turn enemies into meat skewers. [May 2004]

eToychest

Game play stutters and disappearing goons are more common than they should be in this title, and it might be time for Koei to plan the next title in this series to be for a next-gen system.

Gamestyle

So in effect the new setting, period and additions to the game have made little difference.

Gamers' Temple

Samurai Warriors may fall short in eye candy but with the multiple new characters, weapons, attacks and gameplay enhancements available, fans of the action genre will find the game stable and a load of fun to boot.

GamePro

The core gameplay is carbon copy stuff you've been through before: point to the swarm of guys with the red bars over their heads, keep mashing buttons until they're all dead, find another group on your map, repeat ad nauseum. [June 2004, p.68]

Game Revolution

Despite its addictive quality and nice replay value, this warrior’s creative shortcomings, excessive button-mashing and total lack of A.I. keep it from truly ruling the battlefield.

Play Magazine

The developers deserve credit for tons of on-screen foes, good aesthetics and a nice, high frame rate, but for me, the gameplay grows too stale too fast. [May 2004, p.56]

Edge Magazine

Once the novelty of the new setting and storylines has worn off - there's little genuine inovation to hold your interest. [July 2004, p.104]