Way of the Samurai 2

like i said if you like samurais and swords, or just looking for a game with adventure get this one


Far more complex. Not for the young children   July 15, 2004
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I have owned the American version for about 1 week and I have been actively playing the game getting to several endings. I loved the first one. This one is far more complicated.This game is definately not for young children. There are themes here such as drug use, sex, and lots of violence. For the adults buying this game. Now back to the review although this game was far more expansive with many different characters, outfits and scenarios this game also has alot less fighting in most of the jobs that you must aquire to get money to buy goods. You start out by finding things like lost people, packages, or you have to strong arm people out of money. While this was a change of pace from the first one I found some of the jobs a little tedious often times boring. You have to complete several "find the baby/package/person/ before you get to the more complex jobs. So this is far from hack and slash. Its alot more talk and find and occasionally fight. Which is fine but along with the dialogue that I must put up with every time I start a new game it can get annoying.


Not a 5 yet!   July 13, 2004
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I LOVED the first game, simply adored it! This one promises to be bigger! It isn't bigger, about the same. The only thing that really changed is that you can carry two swords later in the game. My only gripes are that you can't go anywhere or do anything (ie..You can't just kill anyone and change the story etc..like Morrowind) Another thing that I didn't like is that there aren't any pastures like the first game where you can just walk through and level up etc.. other than that the game is almost identical to the first but with new characters and more swords. Not a 5 yet but its getting there, lets hope for a Way of the Samurai 3 and hope it fixes the gripes I mentioned.


a letdown from the original   July 12, 2004
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Way of the Samurai 2 is an open ended, "choose your own adventure" style game featuring samurai in the late Edo period in Japan. As such, it is more like a prequel of the original rather than a sequel. Like in the first game, it has a short adventure with many possibilities and many endings and storylines. It is not made to be beat once, but rather dozens of times.

As a fan of the original Way of the Samurai, I was much anticipating this release. And while I still enjoy playing Way of the Samurai 2, I must admit I found it to be somewhat of a letdown, and rather disappointing.

Way of the Samurai 2 has some improvements over its predecessor. Amahara is larger than Rokkotsu Pass, and so is the adventure. However, it is still quite short. Fighting is more challenging (though this can be bad too), and the game now features real voice acting (though this can be bad too). It has more cutscenes and more endings than before. There is an additional stamina attribute. And there is an RPG-esque repertoire of wearable items that you can buy and sport. There are also new sword types (i.e. fencing). And the annoying game save mechanism from the original has been fixed (best improvement).

However, more has gotten worse than better. Fighting is more challenging, but it becomes so that there is only one effective way of fighting (parrying), which makes fights slow, boring, and repetitive. This is a major blow to the essence of the game. Fights in the original one were more stylish. Another major blow is the removal of the versus mode. This was like a standalone game, not as good as Soul Calibur, but fun nevertheless. And now it's GONE. And the voice acting? Terrible!! I'd rather have the text with the grunts as before, believe it or not.

Graphics wise, the original wasn't that good, but for its time it didn't look that bad. Now that there has been virtually no improvement whatsoever, graphics look dated.

It was also disappointing that you cannot walk through different areas, you are forced to warp through a map screen, and the story, though good, is not as well put-together. There are times and places where nothing happens, and you are left wandering around doing repetitive things and not sure where to go, only to find out later you could have slept those off.

So, balancing out the good and the bad, can't help but to be disappointed, though the game is still worth a play if you liked the previous one.

If you are new to the series, stay away, or try out Way of the Samurai 1 instead.


Decisions, Decisions...   July 10, 2004
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Of all the choices you need to make in Way of the Samurai 2, the easiest would undoubtedly be whether or not you should buy the game at all. And in case you haven't inferred by the rating I've given it, the answer is YES!

As a masterless samurai in feudal Japan, you find yourself collapsing before the town gates of conflict-ridden Amahara. Brought to by an amiable young girl, you discover the troubles of the little town: two malevolent forces are trying to take control of it, and another still is plotting in the shadows. Caught in the middle are a bunch of well-to-do people who call Amahara home. It's up to you to decide whose side you will lead to victory... if you even stay at all.

The gameplay is simple at heart. You traverse the town of Amahara and make choices that decide the fate of its inhabitants. As you make these choices, you will come to rely on your handy weapon(s), whatever it may be, to cut down various opponents who stand in your way between peace in the town or its fiery downfall.

Way of the Samurai 2 presents a larger, more non-linear game than its predecessor. The sizeable Amahara is presented on a map for you to select areas on, as opposed to the previous town, in which you merely travelled across various parts by foot. With the inclusion of this bigger playground, a greater combination of events is achieved and, thus, a greater number of choices. The two day 'time limit' of the last game has more than quadrupled to a whopping ten days, each of which has been divided into five sections, making each ripe with possiblity.

The fighting is much improved as well. The most notable addition is the Instant Kill. Depending upon whether the enemy uses a vertical or horizontal strike, you can catch the opposition off-balance and inflict a single, fatal blow. This aids in the offing of the numerous underlings you will face. One cannot forget all the new weapons at your disposal. From Musashi's good ol' double sword technique to spears, your ronin's repertoire of weaponry is more varied than before.

The create-a-character feature still exists; though not exploiting the Eye-Toy, like Tony Hawk Underground, which allowed you to map your own face onto a character, it still gives enough room for you to make your own distinctive assassin (should you choose that path). Added in this installment is the ability to buy accessories to further express your own style. Feel like slaughtering thugs wearing a giant Bunny Head? Be my guest! Want to wear an eyepatch to give yourself that "ARRRRRRRRRR I'm a pirate!" feel? Sure! My only gripe about this feature is that for some reason, you can only wear one thing at a time, even if they belong on different parts of the body. So if you want to pair up your Eyeglasses with Shoulderpads, you're out of luck. Maybe next time...

The story itself is immersive enough despite not being the next Metal Gear Solid. You really feel the gravity of your choices in every event that they trigger like when... eh... you should find out for yourself, lest I spoil the fun to be had.

Be warned: this is a niche game. There is a reason why gamerankings.com has a 66% or so average on this from professional critics. But please take my word on this; Way of the Samurai 2 is a much more accesible game than, say, Harvest Moon. If I could sum this up for most people, I'll go ahead and say this: "Grand Theft Samurai." Sure, this undermines this game's own flair and design, but it makes it that much easier to convey the message of its astounding nonlinearity.

If you passed up the first game, I don't blame you. It was short, limited in its paths, and the graphics were blah.
But with Way of the Samurai 2, all its shortcomings have been remedied and now there IS no doubt: YOU MUST GET THIS GAME. I never rave in my reviews, but I'm making an exception for this. Missing this game is missing an experience.