Samurai Warriors 3 (Wii Review) by Carl B.

Samurai Warriors 3
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Tecmo Koei
System: Nintendo Wii
Release Date: September 27th, 2010

September 29th, 2010, by Carl B. - Published by Tecmo Koei and developed by Omega Force, Samurai Warriors 3 is the third installment in the Samurai Warriors franchise, which began on the PS2 and Xbox 360 in 2004. Samurai Warriors has always been a traditional beat 'em up with light RPG elements and some strategic planning thrown into the mix. Over the six years the series has been around, has the core gameplay changed much at all?

Similar to every other game in the Samurai Warriors series, Samurai Warriors 3 has players take on the role of 35 different characters as they battle through the historic era of Japan's warring states. In the main story mode of the game, 30 of the playable characters have their own unique story mode. This makes for hundreds of playable stages that players can battle through, along with the several other non-story modes and online gameplay.

With all the different game modes present, the core gameplay mechanics are still the same throughout: hack and slash hundreds of enemies in each level, and battle with a few enemy generals to change the pace a bit. Words that describe the sheer number of enemies in each level aren't exaggerations -- I had over 500 kills two thirds of the way through one of the early levels in the game. Mashing the attack button while in the middle of a horde of enemies is the basic form of combat in Samurai Warriors 3, thanks to the seemingly absent AI in enemy grunts. Not only do enemies run around aimlessly, but ally grunt soldiers don't attack enemies at all; the only AI help players receive are from ally generals. Having so many enemies on screen comes at a cost, as while Samurai Warriors 3 isn't a slouch visually, it certainly doesn't take full advantage of the Wii's hardware.

Disposing of more enemies awards players with experience for their character, which increases their overall level, stats, and grants new combo moves. Unlike combo moves in fighting games such as Street Fighter where players carry out different button sequences to pull off combos, players only mash the attack or special attack button a certain number of times to pull off a combo. Constant attacks will fill the character's Spirit Guage, allowing players to unleash a character specific Spirit Charge attack and wipe out several enemies at once.

Before each level begins, a strategy screen will appear, prepping players on the plan of attack. The stratagems can't be altered like they can in a real time strategy game, however. Along with the standard mission objectives that need to be completed in order to finish the level, there are several Tactical Bonuses that award players with weapons, armor, and other accessories. Players can visit a blacksmith before each level as well, letting them purchase new weapons and equipment and upgrade pre-existing weapons.

The most fun I had with Samurai Warriors 3 was during the online Murasame Castle Mode. In this mode, two players can connect via Nintendo Wifi Connection and fight their way through the mysterious castle, loosely based off The Mysterious Murasame Castle, a Famicom Disk System title co-developed by Shigeru Miyamoto.

The Verdict

Sound
10/15 - Some nice tunes play during intense battles in the game. Voice acting for cut scenes is available in English and Japanese, so players who find the English dub to be awkward can switch to the original Japanese voice over.

Graphics
14/20 - Samurai Warriors 3 does some great things in terms of how many enemies are present on screen at any given time, but the title does take some hits because of this. There aren't any problems with the frame rate, but environments certainly aren't as great looking as a title such as Monster Hunter Tri or Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Appeal
19/25 - There are 35 different characters to play as in Samurai Warriors 3, and 30 of them have their own unique story modes to play through, making for a plethora of stages in the game. The online Murasame Castle Mode offers even more playability to players who enjoy a shallow beat 'em up.

Gameplay
29/40 - Samurai Warriors 3 is very lacking in terms of depth to its gameplay. While there are some strategic moments, light RPG elements, and upgradable weaponry, the core gameplay is all about mashing the attack button and running into hordes of enemies, which lack intelligent AI. In the end it's all good fun, but players who are looking for a little something more won't find it here.

Overall
72/100 - Samurai Warriors 3 offers a great deal of replay-ability with all the different game modes and 30 different stories to play through. The visuals aren't as pretty as other Wii games, due to the large amount of on screen enemies. The title isn't particularly deep at all, but the game is fun despite being a mindless beat 'em up.