Samurai Warriors 2

Worth Playing

With each installment, Koei and Omega Force are not reinventing the wheel; it's there, and it rolls just fine. They're smoothing it out, steadily working out the bumps and making the whole thing roll much more smoothly.

Play Magazine

A finely tuned beat-'em-up, Samurai Warriors 2 once again drops players into feudal Japan for a series of epic brawls. [Oct. 2006, p.57]

GameShark

For fans of the series, Samurai Warriors 2 is a sure bet, the best of the regular series since Dynasty Warriors 3. For newcomers, don’t be afraid to try this one out, it has a lot of new features and great replay value.

TotalPlayStation

The fact that 20 hours into the game I was still experiencing the same stuff I played 20 minutes after I started means it's not terribly deep. But it's fun and I can't deny that.

GameSpy

Regardless of whether it's been done before and arguably done better, the game is reliable and solid fun.

GameZone

The camera is a necessary improvement, though it's one that should've been done a long time ago. I like the Sugoroku party game, but I wouldn't buy a game bearing the "Warriors" name just to play it.

Game Chronicles

Despite the addition of a Monopoly-based game that you might not play a whole lot of (except to unlock certain characters), it is a fun way of going through a rough history lesson of feudal Japan, although it may not be completely accurate.

Gaming Age

A somewhat major retooling of the combat system has allowed a one-trick pony another chance, as it seems to be a step in the right direction for bringing back those alienated by the milking of ancient Oriental history.

Gaming Horizon

The problem is the hack-and-slash title is mostly a rehash and the AI is unintelligent at best.

PSX Extreme

This game just doesn't have the shine, polish, or refinements we should expect from a third game in a franchise. To be brutally honest, the Samurai Warriors series was never very good, and unfortunately, that's the way it's going to stay.

PSM Magazine

It's fun enough for a while, but even with a friend, the game gets repetitive before too long, so you're probably better off renting this one than buying it. [Nov. 2006, p.80]

Times Online

The graphics are solid and fighting is actually quite impressive, with the special moves giving variety to the hack’n’slash action. Yet all the time a feeling of déjà vu takes away from the action on the screen.

Game Informer

The gameplay really needs an upgrade before I can recommend this series again. [Nov. 2006, p.130]

PSW Magazine UK

Don't expect too many surprises if you've played a Dynasty Warriors, a Kessen or a Samurai Warriors game before, but don't expect this to be complete and utter sh.t either. After 17 similar games, you should know what you're getting.

GameSpot

Like just about every other sequel in Koei's Warriors franchises, Samurai Warriors 2 offers an overly familiar and ultimately mundane hack-and-slash experience.

Cheat Code Central

It can be addicting thanks to the easy control system but keep in mind that what may originally attract you, may ultimately repel you.

IGN

The core gameplay is in serious need of an overhaul, though. We've seen this too many times before and are ready for something new. Couple that with painful audio and visuals and it's hard to find a reason to recommend this to any but the hardest of hardcore fans.

PALGN

Samurai Warriors 2 was a missed opportunity. It had a story, several characters and some multiplayer. Sadly, with low AI, shocking drawing distances and repetitive gameplay, it doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Samurai Warriors 2 doesn't introduce any new problems to the series and corrects a few of the glaring inadequacies of the first game. Nevertheless, it fails to add enough to the series to justify being a full-priced sequel. [Oct. 2006, p.85]

Games Radar (in-house)

All told, Samurai Warriors 2 is several modes of mindless violence and one mode of a Monopoly-like board game. There's nothing new or exciting about this title.

Armchair Empire

For everyone else that got tired of the same repetitive gameplay years ago, there’s absolutely nothing to see here.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Your comrades regularly demand help from the other side of the battlefield, right when you're in the middle of something else. But failing to come in time can blow the whole battle.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Samurai Warriors 2 offers nothing new over any other single-button-mashing sequel. Pass. [Oct. 2006, p.110]

Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

This is virtually the same old hack 'n' slash action that we've been playing for years in the Dynasty Warriors series. Yawnsome stuff. [Nov 2006, p.107]

VideoGamer

One of the dullest and most repetitive games I've played in recent memory. It feels more like a chore then a game, and the lack of attention to many aspects of its design pale in comparison to its greatest omission... it's simply no fun to play.

Game Revolution

With twenty-six unique charaters and as many stories to play through, this is the hands-down, be-all, end-all, motherload of button pushing. The rest of us, however, understand why George Jetson hates his job. Ok, you can stop doing it now.