Way of the Samurai 4 Review

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Way of the Samurai 4 is the fourth instalment in the series, a series of which I was unfamiliar with until playing this game. This game was originally on PS3 and was released back in 2011, which brings up the question: “If it’s been so long until a PC release, then the game has to be as fine-tuned as possible right?”  Well, sort of. I found this game really enjoyable, but it does seem like I would have got the same experience on PS3. So for those thinking this is a remastered game of perfection, then you should possibly turn away, this just seems to be a straight up port. But it is fun none the less.

You start off as a samurai from a faraway land, and you just happen to arrive in the middle of a political war. But from that point onwards, what you do is up to you. Way of the Samurai 4 gives you more freedom than one would expect. Immediately upon your visit to Amihama, violence breaks outs. So you get the choice: you can fight and help, or alternatively you can turn around and keep your clothes clean. If you do choose to fight you can side with one of the factions in this land, however, if you regret your choice you can change your mind and turn against them. You have complete freedom; you can choose whether to take part in any elements of the story if you wish.

As well as all this other variables are thrown in the mix, as each mission type represents different drives for your ending. So you can either make the town into a complete battlefield of chaos, or attempt to be a hero and make the town a place where citizens can be safe. Or if neither option tickles your fancy, you can just make sweet sweet love with the town’s people and run your own dojo. As a result of all the choice, it means you can replay Way of the Samurai 4 to see all the different paths you could have taken. Although this could become slightly repetitive, the game does give you the ability to skip dialogue you have already seen if you’re on your second playthrough. At the end of every playthrough, you’ll unlock items and clothing to access on your next run through the game.

While the graphics aren’t as overwhelming as some of the games that come out today, Way of the Samurai 4 makes up for it with the amount of fun you can have while playing. You get to customise your character to make him or her look as cool or as naked as the game will let you. So if you do choose, you can walk around sporting what I can only describe as a make do nappy and fight bad guys in style. On top of the choice of missions to select, you can also select dialogue option which influences the story and your persona. It really is surprising the amount of influence you have to alter your one of the ten ending available.

Overall, I think Way of the Samurai 4 deserves a 7. It’s a fun game for those who are fans of the swordplay action adventure genre, and there is also a lot to go back and do after playing it once. The amount of freedom is a huge plus point, however, this is a port, so don’t expect 60fps and amazing graphics. It takes a little bit of practice to get used to the combat, but you start having fun almost right away. There is also a hint of Dead Rising in here as the costumes tend to be over the top craziness. It’s worth picking up if you’ve got the funds for it and if you’re up for a lot of fun!

Bonus Stage Rating - Good 7/10

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary PC code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.

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