Samurai Warriors 5
Not the Nobunaga you knowbunaga
The Samurai Warriors series, Dynasty Warriors’ little brother, turns over a new leaf with this fifth entry. This reimagining of the historical hack-andslash boasts redesigned characters and a captivating new visual style. The toon shading and 2D anime-style effects complement the outlandish nature of the action, while a smattering of ukiyo-e visuals (think Hokusai’s Great Wave) and the way the soundtrack’s electronic elements have been stripped back to emphasise the flutes and plucked strings give the game a stylish traditional feel.
This time there’s a particular focus on the Oda clan. While that narrow angle echoes Spirit Of Sanada (which followed the Sanada clan), there’s no free roaming in the town, exploration missions, or titbits like fishing. Instead, it’s more of a blend of the clan-centric concept with the usual Samurai Warriors fare (large-scale battles), all now in its shiny new coat.
This centring on the Oda clan is by far one of the biggest departures from series’ tradition, with repercussions that might not go down well with veteran players. The roster is pared back (though still a respectable 37 strong). There’s no Yukimura or Masamune, nor any other figures who aren’t appropriate for this earlier-than-usual setting, and there are no custom characters. Fighters are divided into main and supporting ones – the latter are villains or individuals like Nobunaga’s brother Nobuyuki, lacking full movesets and unplayable in the main story. This is where you’ll find most of the new ones, though there are some exciting fully-fledged ones, like African-born samurai Yasuke.
ODE TO ODA
Nobunaga and Mitsuhide are at the centre of the main routes in Musou mode, but battles regularly let you choose between multiple characters, and bonus battles give others some time in the spotlight. Supporting Musou mode is Citadel mode, composed solely of defensive battles enabling you to gather materials to upgrade buildings that carry over between modes, as well as increasing bonds between characters for extra events beyond the core narrative.
In addition to the usual attacks and speedy Hyper Attacks, new ultimate skills cover things like recuperation skills, which give a JRPG edge, provide effects like attack buffs, and are supported by a skill unlock system. You don’t just learn new combos, but moves that could shape your
Blends the clan-centric concept of Spirit Of Sanada with the usual Samurai Warriors fare.
whole approach. Levelling up weapon proficiency and attribute inheritance further means you nail down a unique playstyle, and you can equip any character with any weapon, so if you want to be Nobunaga unifying the land with a kotsuzumi drum you totally can.