Samurai Warriors 2 Review:

Samurai Warriors 2 is an epic hack-n-slash title. You have the ability to unlock 26 playable characters (24 characters playable in story mode). Those who like enjoy the button-masher genre, will appreciate the extended amount of game time Samurai Warriors 2 offers for those on a quest to get 26 characters to level 50 and obtain each of their best weapons (like me ).

SW2 offers 4 playable modes: Story, Free, Survival, and Sugoroku. Story mode is where you take your avatar though 5 stages revealing your avatar’s role in the story of the warring Japanese states. This is the mode that you must complete to unlock the majority of the available officers and a bonus stage. In Free mode you are able to play with any of the characters you have unlocked in practically every scenario. In survival mode, you are able to see how far you can advance within a castle of infinite floors. Sugoroku mode is mini game similar to Monopoly. I am disappointed with the lack of a officer creation mode, especially since it was available in the previous Samurai Warriors.

In SW2, you have the ability to develop your officers through gaining levels, acquiring skills, and obtaining weapons. Skills can be learned by defeating enemy officers, or purchased at the shop. Weapons have 4 levels of quality and can be upgraded to increase your officers attributes. The level 4 weapons can only be obtained on the hardest difficulty levels, upon fulfilling certain conditions. Some of these conditions are overwhelming and frustrating, as they can demand your presence in multiple locations on the battlefield simultaneously.

Each character has a string of attack combinations they can employ, which expands as the character increases in level. Many combinations have special utilities in combat, such as stunning effects, attacking all enemies in a radius, and triggering an elemental effect from a weapon. Also, each character has two unique special abilities they can use in combat. Some of abilities are pretty worthless, while others are really useful.

SW2’s storyline is surprisingly intriguing. The story revolves around Japanese lords, contending for the goal of unifying Japan. Each character’s storyline intertwines with one another’s characters storyline. The overall storyline varies depending on your character, but maintains a general consistency. However, my opinion of the SW2 storyline is bias; as I am interested in Japanese culture.

SW2 is an enjoyable title; although those who are not fans of the genre will probably be bored of the redundant game play. SW2 offers the amazing ability to allow the player to single handedly destroy hundreds of enemy troops. Also, In-game objectives also add an element of strategy, which can be used to turn the tide of a battle. Those who have enjoyed previous Koei titles will want to pick this one up.

I have been fortunate enough to possess all three of the current generation consoles, and this my general analysis based off of my experience using them. I know this entry probably would have been more useful when the Wii and PS3 were first released, but oh well…Please note that this analysis does not provide technical specifications for each console, but rather information regarding their general usability. Also this analysis will not include each console’s online gaming capabilities, simply because I do not participate in online console gaming.

Wii:

The Wii’s motion sensitive capabilities offer a truly unique and enjoyable gaming experience. I was skeptical at first, but I admit that using actual movements make gaming seem much more engaging. This unique gaming style seems to appeal to non-gamers, which makes the Wii the ultimate party console when guests are over. Also, the Wii takes backwards compatibility to the next level; you are able to play classic NES, SNES, and N64 titles, in addition to all Game Cube titles.

I do have a few minor grips about the Wii. My biggest concern is the lack of hard drive. Although, this is no big deal if you have a limited to moderate game library and don’t install many classic titles. The Wii’s motion detection is usually accurate; however the range isn’t as far as I would have hoped.

Considering its motion innovation, backward compatibility, and reasonable price, the Wii has a lot going for it. I look forward to new ideas that developers will use when creating titles tailored for the Wii. On the same token, it might be difficult for developers make certain titles for the Wii; as existing franchises are generally tailored for traditional gaming consoles. The future of the Wii will be a very interesting one to behold.

Xbox 360:

Launching much earlier then its competitors, the Xbox 360 has had to time to develop a formidable game library. This is a substantial advantage, as the Xbox 360’s competitors only have a couple of handfuls of titles currently available. Another advantage that the Xbox 360 offers is a detachable hard drive; you can move all of your data from one Xbox 360 to another by loading your profile.

The Xbox 360’s main drawback is its backward compatibility shortcomings. I have over 30 Xbox titles, and I can play less then half of them on my Xbox 360. Furthermore, I have yet to find a way to transfer my old Xbox data into my Xbox 360 (I don’t think it’s possible, however if anybody knows how to do this, please let me know). As such, I’m unable to retire my original Xbox.

The Xbox 360 is a force to be reckoned with in the current console war, mainly because of its extensive library. I will admit I use my Xbox 360 more then any of my other consoles, simply because I have more games for it. Additionally, there are some exclusive Xbox titles that must haves.

PS3:

The PS3 is by far my favorite gaming console. First of all, all of my PS3 titles look amazing. It’s also a nice bonus to have a blue ray dvd player (Blu-Ray dvds look phenomenal). The PS3 controller’s ‘Six Axis’ capabilities are a cool implementation, that add depth to certain titles. Also, I am impressed with the backward compatibility of the PS3. I have over 30 PS2 titles and a handful of PS1 titles, and I’m able to play them all on my PS3. Furthermore, with an additional accessory, I was able to store all of my PS1 and PS2 data on my PS3 hard drive.

The are very few things I can complain about concerning my PS3. My main concern is that the controllers can sometimes lose connectivity. However, this is easily remedied by plugging them in. Also, it would be nice to have a detachable hard drive, in case my PS3 crashes on me one day.

Unfortunately, the PS3 is losing the current gen console war. However, the PS3 is in it for the long run, and the majority of it’s must have exclusive titles have yet to drop. I am looking forward to what developers will be able to do with the PS3s superior hardware in the future.