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Samurai: Way of the Warrior Review
Submitted by JamieO on Wed, 09/16/2009 - 17:10
Guide Daisuke Shimada, the wandering samurai, in clashes with mercenaries and hunt down the cruel and malicious Hattoro, to deal sweet samurai vengeance for his downright mean execution of Lord Uegi. Win back Lord Uegi's stronghold and perhaps, in a shower of blossom and blood, win the girl.
TiG update Thursday 17th September, 2009.
In the case of this Samurai: Way of the Warrior review, timing has been unfortunate. Almost to the very day that this review was submitted live on TiG, Mad Finger Games released its 1.0.1 update rectifying most of the issues mentioned in this review, specifically the game balance for chapter 3. Therefore, iPhone gamers have no excuse to not check this out now and anyone buying the 1.0.1 version will also get the bonus of an increased frame rate per second, to become engrosed in the lavish Sengoku period battles.
Mad Finger have also confirmed to TiG that "we are close to submit "major" update to Apple, where controls are improved, fighting is more fun and bosses behave a little better.. We added global leaderboards and new Dojo..." Mad Finger Games (17th Sept, 2009). This is excellent news and we will keep a keen eye out for these additions.
However to be fair, TiG were still able to complete the 1.0 version of , and had lots of fun playing it in its original state. It is good to know that Samurai: World of the Warrior is getting better and better.
If gamers quite literally brush up on the controls, they will be hacking and slashing away with the very most badass of warriors.Anyone after a challenge don your Vulcano shaped Jingasa and un-sheaf your katana. You are going to love this game.
Graphics
Samurai: Way of the Warrior is bright and bloody, it presents a form of cell shading in its graphic style, with subdued colouring and instantly striking play areas. The visuals have a marvelous sense of perspective, bamboo shoots and Japanese arches lurch upwards out of the screen. Projectile blood splats fly up from decapitated or sliced in half enemies, leaving red blotches splattered on to the screen. The attention to detail is impressive, dead mercenaries remain scattered in the same blood drenched state that they were disposed of; there are no fading or disappearing bodies in this game. Light shines down through pagoda windows, highlighting meticulously animated sword battles. The blade in Samurai: Way of the Warrior has been lethally sharpened and limbs will fly.
Throughout the seven chapters the visuals make a transition from bright early levels to darker red stone floored prisons and danker enemy territory, reflecting the change in challenge on the later levels. Chapter 2's foreground clouds are striking, and bright blue lily pad lakes contrast against the violence. The art design is stunning, particularly considering Mad Finger Games are relatively unknown as gaming crafts people (check their site to read more about their heritage Madfinger Games ).
The only slight issue apparent is that Mad Finger Games have been so attentive with presenting the background into foreground object perspective, that structures can occasionally obscure an enemy’s position. On one occasion a water channeling foreground bridge obscured the view, although this did not have any major detrimental effect on the gameplay.
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Audio
Soft pipes, bamboo flutes, hand tapped percussion and heavy plucked Sanshin banjo metal strings, are a perfect fit for a game with a Sengoku setting and Samurai: Way of the Warrior does not disappoint. The music drips with Japanese atmosphere and oriental ambience. At times liquid beats drip-drop organically and then collide into a symbol's clash, as harsh pitched eerie melodies set the scene.
Blood squelches or squish and Daisuke yells out with every thrust, as his hasty feet pitter pat across stone way paths. Enemies are differentiated by their fortitude, the furious battle cries of the game's chieftains are easily distinguishable from minor enemy shrieks. The pace of the music suits a slower game, this does not have upbeat arcade type tunes. It is atmospheric, but not exactly rousing for the action packed samurai clashes.
However, chapter 3 picks up the paces of the beats, with quicker strings and the drums become a battle march. It is of note that despite initial enjoyment of the audio, when it became apparent that the difficulty had spiked and the same part of a stage was constantly repeated, the audio began to grate. However, this is more reflective of frustrating gameplay, than a critique of an effective soundtrack.
Gameplay
TiG is a big fan of Catchphrase style 'say what you see' video game genres. There could not be a more specific and to the point game type as a 'Run and Gun' game and Samurai: The Way of the Warrior is the epitome of 'Hack and Slash'.
You are not playing Samurai: Way of the Warrior, Mad Finger Games are playing with you. Do not become deceived by easy early chapters, with enemies who stand still and await your oncoming carnage. At first you may seem lost and become stuck at padlocked points of progression. However, the gameplay centres on the basic rule of massacring every enemy in the area, before you are permitted to move on. At first it was frustrating wandering aimlessly, seeking out one puny mercenary who was hidden amongst flora beside a hut. The areas are not vast, but the player can not continue until they find the missing warrior. TiG advice is to thoroughly check the environment for all enemies, before you move on. It is common gaming knowledge that in most game instances, backtracking is not fun.
The actual sword fights are fun, though. They are brutal fun. Attacking repeated multiple enemies in succession can build huge 18 hit combos. However, hitting brick walls in Chapter 3's ramp up in difficulty was not fun at all. Red Jingasa samurai hat wearing enemies became unexpectedly tough, and far more of them must be dispatched, before you unlock the exit blocking pad lock.
The game forces you to cease being complacent. In chapter 3 it adds a prerequisite to learn the fidelity of the controls. At this point it becomes essential to spend time experimenting with the touch screen, attempting different timings, or deciding where to position Daisuke to counter enemies. Immediately any previous random screen swipe mashing had to stop and after an hour of failed experimenting in the same chapter, frustration set in. Progress seemed to hinge on desperately attempting to connect the vital first attack, before enemies sliced Daisuke. For subsequent attacks the timing made sense, but the enemy persistently connected with that game wrecking first hit. Frustration also resulted from approximately seven accomplished enemies being present to fight in one section, making the challenge seem insurmountable. Consistently killing four soldiers was futile, it made no difference to progress, because five first hits from enemies completely drained Daisuke's energy bar. Less frustrating is the fact that the environment does not contain hazards, so you will not be falling off wooden rope bridges to your death in this game.
There were moments when the 'try harder' death screen reared its ugly head, so much so that this reviewer was tempted to 'try harder' at throwing the iPhone out of the window. TiG were heard exclaiming "why did Mad Finger not include a block option, a choice of difficulty levels, environmental health supplements to boost Daisuke's energy bar, or an option to level up his experience!".
However, perseverance definitely reaps rewards and the secret of success is in the way in which you input the controls. Once controls are mastered, chapter's 3 and 4 actually became too easy and the game finally settles in to its most balanced difficulty level, on the final two levels.
The first boss battle against General Kumo was a disappointment, he crumbled far too easily as a worthy opponent, and he simply had a different coloured Jingasa hat to the lesser enemies. Later battles with Orochi and the dastardly Daimyo Hattoro proved to present more entertaining foes and increasingly fitting combatants for a samurai warrior. These boss fights did not require any specific understanding of attack patterns, or weak spots, though. They were not massively different to battling it out with Hattoro's average lackey.
TiG pre-warns readers of the potential in hitting a brick wall with this game's difficulty. Mad Finger Games are obviously developers that relish pulling off a gamer's 'Tiger whiskers'.
Control
In regard to 'hack and slash', the title of Samurai: Way of the Warriors's publishers/ developers is a fitting description of how to control the game. Mad finger mastery is a must, yet again it is "say what you see". Initial impressions are that the controls are cumbersome. Drag in the direction which you want Daisuke to run, hold your finger on screen and he will follow, attack enemies by dragging your finger over them and then swish the directions for Daisuke's sword swipes. Occasionally a wayward swipe would brush over the combo icon and open its menu, disrupting play. This was not a major interruption, though.
In actual fact the controls are highly effective, they simply demand practise and without ruining too much of the game, TiG will offer advice. Do not just consider timing, think more about rhythm. Your finger is swishing the sword, take into account the motions your arm would make if you were swinging it. There are plenty of unlockable combos, as well. For example 'Night Storm' requires a swish to the right, then left and then back to the right.
The best advice TiG can administer is to quote Mr. Miyagi. He said "Show me paint the fence".
Lastability
Samurai: Way of the Warrior consists of seven chapters, which average approximately an hour and fifteen minute play time. This depends upon how skilled the gamer is, their levels of patience and it does not include the entire hour in which TiG spent stuck on chapter 3. If you find yourself enjoying the story, TiG suggests that you play until completion. It is worth completing to find out exactly how the story ends up.
The game does provide incentive to unlock new combos and check them out in the Samurai Skills menu. It also has an enemy rush, score chase option, in the Dojo mode. However, it is the version 1.0 release of the game and TiG has some suggestions for possible updates.
A score attack could be made available on each individual chapter. Currently progression is a constant flow through the story, you can not dip in and out of specific chapters, even if you have already completed them. It is a shame that Mad Finger have made such an effort in the variety of visual design, that they do not allow gamers the simple pleasure of replaying their favourite stages. Currently gamers must work through the entire story.
Value
The price at the date of review (16th September, 2009) is £1.79, which is a completely fair price point, not just for the amount of game available to play, but also to experience the care, attention, detail and fighting fun contained in this title.
Presentation
After a slightly long initial load screen, the title screen appears and it is clear what to expect from this game. The image depicts swords, slicing and slaughter as Daisuke Shimada skillfully slices an enemy's skull away from his brain. Think of a particular scene in Hannibal, add a dash of comic humour, and you will have a good idea of this game's approach to presentation. Cut scenes are hand drawn with deliberately untamed, sketched strokes and water colouring. They are annotated through comic book texts boxes and convey the story well.
One small stand out of Samurai: Way of the Warrior is its unique one minute animated 'help' demonstration, explaining everything from basic control principles, to screen information bars and combos. This was such a simple and effective way to explain an iPhone game's dynamics, TiG hope that other developers incorporate it too. It is a preferable method to static, tap to progress explanation screens, although there would be no harm in a game incorporating both methods.
