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Gameplay, gameplay, gameplay

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Shallow gamers beware: this game has neither the phenomenal graphics or heart-gripping sound of other, more advanced PS2 games (Devil May Cry or Onimusha, for instance). There are several grammatical/spelling errors in an already unimaginative dialogue, and though you are eventually able to play as a female, the game's dialogue still refers to you in the masculine.

The game is also short, with a single play through averaging 1.5 hours (depending on which storyline you choose to follow). This means that you must watch the same cutscenes and go through the same dialogue many times, and there is no way to skip through them (like pressing select in Devil May Cry), so you are forced to sit through the same damn thing again and again.

I'm not going to bother trying to redeem these traits. This game isn't about any of that. This game is completely centered around an amazing battle system. With over 40 swords to choose from, each with 20 or 30 of its own special techniques, there are literally hundreds of different fighting styles. The combat system is extremely difficult to totally master, but fairly easy to learn. Despite all of the above failures of the game, this combat system and its myriad of battle techniques had me coming back time and time again, sloughing through the inane dialogue and storyline to power up my swords and learn newer and more devastating attacks, feints, and throws.

Some critics fail to understand the real point of the game. While it would be good to actually 'beat' the game, it is really a non-issue; the focus is training and powering-up your swords. You are allowed to carry two swords into a game from your outside 'Warehouse' (which is saved as general, global data, not a specific game session). Changes made to these swords, such as upgrades, learned techniques, etc. are all saved when you beat or exit (via the Railroad exit) the game. You can also ask the blacksmith to 'deliver' swords to your warehouse in-game. As you play the game over and over again, you will collect new swords and power up your old ones. The real goal of the game, then, is, in my opinion, to get as many swords as possible up to full strength with all techniques learned.

The Battle Mode (vs. CPU and 2P), once unlocked, provides hours of fun - but only if you've taken the time and effort to build up a good stash of powerful swords.

It takes a while to unlock this game's full fun potential, but it's well worth the effort, in my opinion.

this game kicks [hiney)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: April 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

this game i think is pretty good.yeah its kind of short ,but u have to go through 6 different endings.it also has a multi-player mode. i have beaten the game with all the different endings, got all the different swords ,and all the characters in multi mode.sure it gets boring after a wile ,but u also get to fool around with ur teams the kuro family and adakclan.although it gets boring after awile the fighting makes up for that with all the different moves like cuts ,slashes,throws, and prayries.if i were u i would buy it now because it is only 19.99 used to 49.99 it will probably go baxck up to cause this is a TIGHT [hiney] GAME.

A ground-breaking game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: June 24, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Way of the Samurai is an excellent overall game experience. Following the events of a place called Rokkotsu Pass, you are a wandering ronin who can choose to simply pass through or get involved. It is exactly that aspect that makes it ground breaking, on a console game at least. The story is NOT set in stone. You DO NOT have to get involved. If you do choose to get involved, your level of involvement and the way you get involved are ENTIRELY UP TO YOU. Furthermore, the actions you choose to make will alter the rest of the game in entirety. This is a beautiful, well thought out game design that I think a lot of console gamers have been waiting for.
I say that Way of the Samurai is an excellent OVERALL game because the whole is better than the sum of its parts. The graphics and animation, while occasionally brilliant, are never better than decent. The dialogue and voice acting are utilitarian at best. Even the storyline will seem VERY familiar to anyone who has ever seen "Yojimbo" or any other samurai movie. But the beauty of this game lies in the overall package. The ability to have a major, minor, or non-existant impact on the plotline is brilliant, and makes for endless replay value. Every decision you make during your three day stay in Rokkotsu Pass will affect the next set of decisions you face, kind of like, oh, real life! This game refuses to assume that the player is an idiot, and it will never steer you in one direction or another. If you decide to work for one of the fueding sides and their leader gives you a job, you are under no obligation whatsoever to complete that job to advance the story. Your non-action will have consequences though, and THAT is what is truly genius about this game. Even in a game as great as Grand Theft Auto 3, nothing you could ever do in that game will have long-standing consequences. Kill a few hundred people, blow up a bunch of cars, shoot a bunch of policemen, and you end up arrested or killed, then you pop right back up on the street to do it all over again. Not in this game. For example, the town blacksmith will fix or improve your weapons for you, for a price, of course. But he will not refuse to do the work if you cannot afford it. He does the work, and it is your choice to pay or not. Naturally the blacksmith will not like it if you refuse to pay and attempt to kill you. If you end up killing him, you no longer owe, but you will not be able to fix or improve your weapon for the remainder of the game. Dead people STAY DEAD. Your actions lead to consequences which will affect everything after it. Genius.
It is hard to believe no one has bothered to put this much thought into making adventure games until now, but I for one am very happy that someone has. An excellent experience that no serious gamer should deprive himself of, simply for the sheer scope of it. Highly recommended.

Good action RPG, but better 2 player

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 21, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The single player RPG mode is good fun, especially if you like Samurai movies like Yojimbo or Seven Samurai. I call it RPG mode, because there is a lot of dialog and then you make choices that affect the outcome, but the game is action oriented and the only thing with 'stats' is your sword. The game is very faithful to that genre (er... except for that one guy with the giant afro). You'll cut down hordes of warriors and duel against some very skilled opponents. The outcome is based on the choices you make and your skills with the sword. You can play as a heroic character or a backstabbing villain, or just go with the flow and take on whatever comes your way. You might make a difference for this town, or you might 'die like a samurai' fighting to the death amidst a sea of enemies (I almost prefer the latter). The more times you play through the RPG the more plot twists and intrigue you'll find. The only issue that I really had with it is that the dialog is slow because you can't do anything to skip along faster than it automatically displays.

All of that is cool, but the best part of the game is the 2 player fighting mode. It's more fun than all the others I own (tekken tag, virtua 4, soul blade, capcom vs snk, mutant academy 2). Unfortunately it isn't enabled when you start, you have to unlock it by playing RPG mode. That doesn't take all that long though, about 3 or 4 hours only. Then you have a really great 2 player fighting game. You can combine any weapon with any character and change their fighting style based on that weapon. There are around 60 weapons and 30 characters that you can unlock, which gives you a huge number of combinations to play with. The detail in the fighting system and the number of moves available is fantastic. The moves are all realistic, there's no shooting fireballs, or lightning punches. You also aren't as constrained in your movement as most games. You can sidestep or circle easily, really run around the area, jump up onto a table or knock your opponent back so he trips over it.

Great game!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User

When I first read about way of the samarui, I instantly knew I would buy this game. Although, I usually rent games before buying them. The first time I played it, it was sooooooooo fun. So was the second, third, fourth, and fifth time. I beat it so many times because it is a very short game. But there are also so many paths for you to take its not even funny. The saving system sucks. If you save and quit (which is the only option since it says "save and quit".) and load up your game again, it will delete your game you just saved. Therefore, you have to keep playing until the next save point, or else you will have to start the game over. Although that is a very big deal and was partially the reason I didnt buy it, you really dont need to save. Yeah, the game is that short. Depending on the path you take, it could be very long. The game can get VERY repetitive after playing it a couple of times. But it is just so addictive. Plus there is no voiceovers. It isnt that big of a deal, but it surprised me to see that a playstation 2 game dosent have voiceovers. The music is really cool, especially the battle music.In my opinion, the overall value of this game is excellent! (There are six different endings, and i still have only gotten two after the five times Ive played;) There isnt much to unlock, but there are a few. Like two play vs. mode. (You can fight against a friend, or against a comp.) About three heads, and three clothing styles. I think you should rent it first and see if you like it. This is a great game, and everyone should play it sometime.

Great Sword Slashing Game!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is really good. I got it for christmas and 'been playing ever since. It's got O.K graphics and gameplay. The best thing is fighting. At the start you create yor player (you unlock more and more accesories as you play the game). There are six different endings, which means the games are pretty short. There are lots of differnt kinds of swords. It has also got 2 player fighting (you unlock it as you play).
Overall, this game is good when it comes to fighting.
Jolly

Now this is a great game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 21, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is an excellent game. One warning up front, the save system is very silly. In this game you interact with the other characters and you chose from different endings. Basically once you start a game you have to finish it (takes about 1-2 hours) or walk out. Saving really isn't that necessary.

The cool part is the 50 or so swords and other weapons and the 200 moves that go with them. You learn the moves as you use the swords. One bad point is that if you die you'll lose your swords, so practice your moves and get good before playing a game on hard mode.

It takes a little practice to get good at the fighting but you'll learn surprisingly fast and fairly soon, you'll be a serious samuri. Also, during the game you can modify your weapons.

This game has lots of replay value, and you get enough new items and perks to keep you playing for quite a while. This is a game I'd recommend buying, even at full price. A keeper

Run Forrest, run!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: September 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game at the store. I'm not at all impressed with it. I was expecting a realistic game like Bushido Blade, but with a good plot. It ain't. The game is anachronistic and you do a lot of "hack, hack, slash...hack hack slash". I still play it but only to finish it. The save system is screwy. I lost my game for some unknown reason. This game ain't Tenchu, it ain't Bushido Blade. There is no feeling like a Samurai. They might as well have made this a 2D scrolling action game. The best thing about this game is the intro...and it don't get any better after that. I wish I could have rented the game. I won't even give this game away cuz I might lose a friend.

I enjoyed it...kind of

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: April 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I've spent many hours playing this game. And that makes me want to curl up into the fetal position and cry, because those are hours I will never have back. They weren't BAD hours, by any means. There were even times I became so captivated with reaching a new ending that I would play it the same way over and over. I know. I'm an enigma.

Don't buy this game. Rent first, then buy if you must. Makes a good gift for the terminally ill, because they'll be dead before they realize what a waste of time it is. It sure took me a while.

But here's a rundown of the pros:

Engrossing, multi-plot storyline (w/ six endings)
Ability to choose sides
Ability to double-cross those morons and CHANGE sides
You can kill anyone you want (even innocent bystanders)
And who said there's no multiplayer? You have to unlock it.

Now the cons:

PS1 quality, RPG-style, caption-only cutscenes (say that three times fast!)
Some lame characters (at least you can kill them)
What happens in a given location is dependant on the time of day in the game. This means that if you don't make it to a specific place on time, you lose your chance at that part of the story.
Almost no ability to save
The game is short
The people in the *&^%ing "Station" get really annoying really fast.
Too few options of things you can say (sometimes it's just the same answer reworded)
Some opponents are just too hard--at least for me
Some fights get repetitive
Graphics are sub-standard
Rotoksu Pass is TINY...there's nothing to explore

It's fun for a while. Maybe $20 is worth it if you like this kind of game, but I bought it for fifty freakin' dollars! I have a family to support!!! Well...no, I don't, actually. I've spent too much time playing this game for that.

AS IF I WERE TOSHIRO MIFUNE-SAN

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: June 04, 2002
Author: Amazon User

right away i'll admit..i was excited about this game months before it came out.(yes i am partial to all things samurai)
upon playing this for the first time; it lived up to all my expectations...it is a true samurai simulator.
here is a brief synopsis....you play the part of a wandering samurai(ronin) the look,name and sword of your ronin are of your choice,and you earn other options as you play the game.
on your travels you enter "rokkotsu pass" and this is where your scenario begins.
the scenario of this game never changes,however the events and the ending are entirely up to you. the game may seem short at first, but i have gone through it six times and each time it has been different.
the combat is very similar to "KENGO-MASTER OF BUSHIDO" in fact if you were a samurai fan i would recommend having both games as this seems a progression of "KENGO" where kengo concentrated on creating a samurai "WAY OF THE SAMURAI" picks up after you have become a master.
"samurai" also follows a grading system...similar to TENCHU...so it is hard to believe this game would ever become tiring as the replay value is extremely high.
with this said...if you are a samurai afficionado this is a must buy, if you think you are interested in samurai....this is a must buy. If you are not familiar with samurai RENT "KENGO" and "SAMURAI".....then watch SANJURO,YOJIMBO AND SEVEN SAMURAI. AND REMEMBER- "HONOR AND INTEGRITY COME BEFORE ALL ELSE"

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