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Samurai Warriors 3
Newly merged Koei Tecmo had an impressive number of titles in their TGS lineup this year, but only a handful of them are slated to make the westward journey. One such game is Samurai Warriors 3, part of a series that travels back in time to feudal Japan and explores the constant state of civil war and power struggles indicative of the period.
The original Samurai Warriors followed the plight of a country at war under Nobunaga Oda’s rule. The sequel focused on a specific battle, that of Sekigahara. Samurai Warriors 3, exclusive to the Wii, will explore the bonds formed between major players of the time, giving a more personal perspective to the game. The narrative will follow powerful lords Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Leyasu Tokugawa. We already know how they interact with their subordinates, but how do these rival warlords interact with each other? Bonds between old heroes and young heroes will also be explored, including Ujiyasu Hojo, Yukimura Sanda, Kiyomasa Kato, Muneshige Tachibana and Kaihime.
Koei used TGS as an opportunity to debut four new and returning characters, but promised that over 35 samurai and ninjas will be ready to fend off entire armies come launch day. Not only will each character have unique moves, but will have their own expanded story, drastically increasing playtime.
The tactical action title follows a similar formula as its predecessors, pitting one warrior against waves of attackers, charging him or her to hold their ground and ultimately taking out the enemy officer. Special attacks include the Musou “Kaiden” attack, as well as a massive combo attack employed with the “Eigi” technique. The “Rengi” gauge fills by downing enemy troops. Once full, the warrior can execute the two above attacks. Eigi prevents opponents from hitting the player with a standard attack, allowing them to chain together combos unfettered. A filled Rengi gauge also allows the player to use the powerful Musou move.
Making its debut on the Wii, Samurai Warriors 3 will come bundled with a custom black Classic Controller Pro. The title doesn’t take advantage of motion controls, instead opting for more traditional gameplay.
The graphics impressed and the character designs left nothing wanting, as is custom with Koei’s loosely historical games. The textures, colors and other details were a pleasant surprise on Nintendo’s console.
Koei revealed that friends will be able to play together in all of the game modes, including story, trial and Murasame Castle mode. Expect Samurai Warriors 3 to ship sometime 2010.
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