Way of the Samurai 2

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From Gamespot

 

Way of the Samurai 2 Updated Hands-On Impressions

 

Though we just took a look at Way of the Samurai 2 at E3 last week, we recently sat down to check out the game properly (in a quieter environment, in other words). After a brief play through the initial part of the game, we found a pretty enticing mixture of surprisingly deep combat and some interesting adventure-like mechanics as well.

 

You'll begin Way of the Samurai 2 by customizing and naming a ronin--a masterless samurai--and then stumbling into the beleaguered village of Amahara. Our samurai defaulted to the name "Mifune," and we were able to select from a handful of heads and dress styles to modify our character's appearance a bit. Though only three of each head and dress style were on offer to begin with, there were empty slots in the select screen, so presumably you'll be able to unlock more in case you play through the game more than once. We also had the option to choose various swords and items, but since this was our first time we had to go with the default sword. Again, it seems like you'll be able to open up new items for use with a new character as you play through the game on your initial run.

 

The basic setup of the game is pretty straightforward. You're presented with a static map of Amahara. With this map you can move a cursor around to different locations, such as various neighborhoods and the local magistrate's office, and then jump straight to them. Each location is populated by a smattering of hapless townspeople as well as agents of Amahara's two opposing factions, the magistrate's office and the Aoto gang. You'll be able to talk to these people to gain clues about what's going on with the political climate, and they will also let you know of tasks that will earn you money. We even wandered into a local restaurant and ate a meal to replenish our strength. Then, dishonorably, we fled from the building without paying (We had no money!) and disappeared into the night.

 

Way of the Samurai 2's storyline is spread out over a period of 10 days, and time will actually pass fluidly as you play. One day is broken up into five time periods, starting with early morning and ending with late evening. A small flower indicator is located on your HUD, and you can tell how deep into the current time period you are by how many petals are left on the flower. When you're about to roll over to a new time period, a petal will light up to indicate the change. This time passage will probably figure into the events of the storyline, though we'll have to play more before we can say exactly how this will happen.

 

The combat mechanics in the game are a little more complex than we had been able to observe at E3. In addition to the standard horizontal and vertical slashes, blocking, and throwing, you'll be able to parry incoming enemy attacks by hitting the block button and the right direction on the stick (based on the enemy's swing). If you parry successfully and you're quick enough, you'll be able to deliver a powerful attack to your defenseless enemy. You can also do a guard-break attack that will neutralize the enemy's block, although this move takes a long time to execute and leaves you open to attack in the meantime, so you'll have to use it strategically and sparingly.

 

Way of the Samurai 2 surprised us with its interesting storyline and accessible combat. The game has an appealing, open-ended feel that made us want to explore Amahara and see exactly what we could find (and who we could fight). The game is due out in June, and we'll bring you more on it in the coming weeks.

 

Anyone else psyched?

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From ps2.IGN.com

 

Capcom and Acquire's Way of the Samurai 2 is a combination of role-playing, sword slashing, and exploration. Set during the last days of the samurai, the game allows characters to pick and choose from a small variety of appearances to customize their own disciplined adventurer with a mysterious past, whom they'll then use to do things like stab and slash people.

 

The game itself is billed as a sort of Bushido Blade meets Knights of the Old Republic, only with a go anywhere twist. Like KOTOR, choice is made by performing actions and directing conversations. For instance, continually disrespecting a member of a specific faction will ultimately lead to disapproval, disgrace, and even combat, while continually working for a certain type will bolster your reputation within that circle and disassociate your character from other factions. Of course, the easiest way of going about influencing people and making friends is to just kill folks with classic third-person sword slashing and rudimentary combination strings.

As a traveler in the town of Amahara, gamers will have to choose between one of three factions, or choose their own side. But first, and at the heart of the game is this basic choice: good or evil. Will you kill the local magistrate or side with them and combat the hapless peasants of the town and their Yakuza overlords? Or, should you just wander aimlessly about slaughtering children and the rest? These are the finer points of Way of the Samurai, the points we decided to explore.

 

In the following article you'll find the tales of two distinctly different samurai. One, the noble but extremely bored Ivan decided to follow a virtuous path that ultimately ended rather badly. The other samurai -- foul and dark -- was led by Chris Roper into a seedy underworld of prostitution, child endangerment, and the random chopping of local peasants. Click on either the left image for the good or the right image for the evil story. Both are fairly amusing and even interesting.

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Continued from ps2.IGN.com

 

The Good.

 

Ivan's Tale

Name: LeTron Jehovah

Occupation: Noble samurai baby saver / teacher of deaf slave-girls.

Sex: A man of bushido has no functioning genitalia.

Hometown: Serene mountain village (with stream).

 

  With grim determination to do boundless good, I gracefully stepped off my boat and set one of my disciplined, heavenly feet onto the once peaceful lands of Amahara. It was my noble intention to soon run the local riffraff out of town and single-handedly thwart the nefarious ways of some kind of demonic ninja or super-tentacle-pig, or whatever. Instead, I found myself starving and unexpectedly befriending a small, inept, mute girl with an affinity for providing strangers with rice cakes. Fueled by hunger, I tossed aside pride and let the little one nourish me with her rice (in cake form).

Hero that I am, I then felt obligated to defend her honor and life when a group of fat thugs bumped into her, claiming she broke one of their fat-tacular legs. A true samurai jumps at any chance to ruthlessly cut down fat villainy, so I used gimpy deaf girl as an excuse to paint my sword an extra deep shade of red. After dispatching her assailants, I found myself with a new unwelcome leech clinging to my cool, broody mystique. Next thing I know I've gone from heroic samurai to senseless keeper of farting hospital patients and the savior of many ill-fated babies, carelessly left in a variety of this "town's" local hotspots.

 

I swear to goodness, never have I been to a village where so many children get kidnapped so frequently. What happened to the good days when parents leashed their children to posts and lashed them if they spoke or moved? Now all I do is find babies, daughters, sons, and even the occasional "escaped worker." Come on! I'm a samurai warrior of light who has traveled far to reach this town. I have a mysterious past! It's a line I've used often in my many wanderings across Japan and I've never been so disrespected that I was ordered by an employer -- who should be pointing me to some evil dragons -- to go fetch a dude who skipped out on his lunch break for a couple hundred dollars. So yeah, I eventually find this guy in Numata-Cho milling about by one of them bag-headed monks who insists on getting a free beating. So I tell the dude, "Yo, I understand your plight, but please get back to work. There's a bounty on you." And he's all whining about it so I'm like, "Them's the breaks." Then he just ran off. Can you believe that? Running from a samurai warrior who strives to defend the honor of the just and all those other weak bitches of the world. What nerve!

 

The next day I go back to Amakaze-Cho where my employer and mute slave girl friend live. I get to talking to my little gimpy sidekick and find out the girl can't read. Right, it isn't exactly dragon slaying, but why not teach the girl how to write and maybe give her enough sense to leave this landfill of a town. Turns out she's owned by some kind of supreme prostitute, and if I want to teach her how to read and write I have to pay the lead whore 1000 dollars and a stick of incense... Right... Since I already promised the child I'd tutor her, I figured I'd go back to my new employer to earn some extra cash -- enough to pay the super hooker and buy some incense, anyway. My boss was apparently a little disappointed with my performance regarding fetching the truant. Now he wants me to battle in some kind of "deathmatch" at the local shrine, no doubt in homage to some backward pagan god these seaside peasants worship. But who am I to judge? I've pretty much had it with this town. I whip out the trusty sword of burning death and cut the insolent guy down with a flurry of strikes. Long past death, I keep him propelled in the air wriggling back and forth and screaming like an angered cat. Turns out the guards aren't too big on this, so I get to chopping them up too.

 

One hour and 30 bodies later, I figure I have enough money to purchase the incense and pay the hooker so that I can teach that mentally deficient girl the difference between an apple and a cow. Unfortunately, nowhere in this town is there any incense available. I've totally had it with this place. I'm a samurai hero, not some PTA attending, substitute teaching, baby fetching, deathmatch participating peon. If mute girl wants to read, she's just going to have to get hooked on phonics like everyone else because I'm getting the hell out of here and finding me a ninja-dragon to kill.

 

The Evil.

 

Chris Roper's Tale

Name: Mi So Hournee

Occupation: Scraggly wino / murderer / stealer of rice cakes.

Sex: Heartless android.

Hometown: Compton.

 

  I have traveled for many, many moons. After walking across sand, snow and Buddha knows what else, my journey was near an end. My canteen was nearly empty of my fallen foes' blood and I was out of flesh, so rations were low. I feared the end was in sight…

But lo, for some little girl saved my life. She found me fallen, weary and nearly dead, and was kind enough to feed me a rice ball. Or should I say stupid enough, because the thing tasted so bad that I nearly took off her head for feeding me such manure. Had she stood more than a few inches closer to the end of my blade, she would have found a fitting end. But she was not to be my first victim in these lands. I must now catch my bearings…

 

Aug. 21st, Morning -

I was confronted this morning by three fat men wearing masks in the middle of the street. They were babbling something about this or that, and I wanted to hear nothing of it. The only way to shut their mouths was to remove them from their faces.

 

Before I was finished taking the life from my first victim, a woman stopped me. I was always a sucker for the female form, especially those who know how to handle a sword. She grasped it well… I had plans to replace her sword with something of my own, but she got away before I could show it to her. I will meet her again, this I vow. Kyojiro, you will be mine.

 

Aug. 21st, Afternoon -

I made my way to the Aoto Gang's headquarters, the supposed place where I would find this mysterious woman. A few guards stood before my prize. They stand no longer.

 

Inside the headquarters, a large group of men met me. I wanted to take their heads, but they talked so much I couldn't concentrate on my killing. Instead, they offered me a job. I listen to no man, but the job was of the kidnapping variety. Weighing the two opportunities, I decided to embark on the kidnapping now and take their lives later. My canteen was reasonably full, anyway.

 

I am to find a woman named Kasumi, daughter of the Aoto Gang's previous boss. I always had a thing for the boss' daughter.

 

On the way out of the headquarters, I crossed a few more guards. My sword was hungry. Only I remain.

 

I made my way to Shikano to find Kasumi. A few Aoto thugs were trying to get in on my job and I wasn't about to share my prize. They were quickly dispatched.

 

Unfortunately for me, I didn't have to force Kasumi into anything. Though she was reluctant, she decided to make her way to the Aoto Gang's headquarters to deal with this situation herself. In disappointment, I only find pleasure in death. A few of Shikano's citizens cheered me up on my way out.

 

Aug. 21st, Evening -

I must rest. I shall enter the sleep known as Rest of the Intoxicated Mantis, wherein I shall pass out for 24 hours, no less.

 

Aug. 22nd, Evening -

This evening, I decided I must journey to the nearby Amahara Shrine. If there are people vowing their allegiance or praying to any being around here, it must be me. These blasphemers paid the price and their kin shall know my name and pass it down as legend with the hatred of 1,000 gods. Be it in disgust, fear or other, all will know my name.

 

After painting the shrine with the blood of non-believers, I made my way to Kakinuma-cho. My reputation has begun to precede me in these lands as many guards drew their swords upon my entrance. My work is beginning to show, and I am pleased. Those guards no longer hold swords, but will soon only hold up gravestones.

 

Further into town, I came across a magistrate. I wondered if he had ever tasted his own blood. This would be his first and last taste. I do hope he liked it. I know I did.

 

Aug. 22nd, Late Night -

I've come to realize that I need a sundial.

 

After having the pleasure of sending the last magistrate to his grave, I realized that killing him was much more satisfying than killing women, beggars and common citizens. While that's good fun, it's just not a challenge anymore. In order to provide myself with something that would help me grow as a warrior and cause as much chaos across the land as possible, I made my way to the magistrate's office.

 

Upon entering the gates, my first victim approached. He asked me, "Is there anything you would risk your life to protect?" Being as I still had to give that thing to Kyojiro before I die, I simply answered, "Yes." Then I took his head.

 

I soon came across a man who asked me if I wanted a job. I immediately thought of Kyojiro and answered yes, but then realized he wasn't talking about that. I then took his head and place it next on top of the magistrate's. I decided to build a snowman out of human heads, so I needed another victim. It wasn't long before I found one, and then another, and then another. It was a large snowman.

 

After I was finished, I realized that the magistrate's office was quite a complicated place. The bodies made it easy for me to find my way out, but I shall often wonder how anyone else might manage to find their way out.

 

Aug. 23rd, Early Morning -

Wandering for blood led me to Numata-cho. I encountered a girl who told me that her father was dying. She said that a rice ball would help him greatly.

 

As I had attained no rice balls in my journey, aside from the wretched meal that I was first served in this land, I could not offer her one. Being the kind soul that I am, I decided that rather than forcing her to have to watch her father perish, it would be more humane of me to kill her and end her misery. Also, I figure it will make a nice surprise for her father when he meets her upon entering Hell.

 

Aug. 23rd, Morning -

I shall again attempt the Rest of the Intoxicated Mantis. It has served me well in the past.

 

Aug. 24th, Morning -

There was a man standing outside of my sleeping quarters. Although it was not wet and I could smell nothing, it was still possible that he urinated on my welcome mat. I ended his life for such treacherous an act.

 

A monk with a basket on his head was standing nearby. After hearing the screams of my supposed-urinating victim, he said, "I was once a samurai. I killed many and reveled in their fresh blood." I let him live.

 

Since I have not claimed Kyojiro for my own yet and made her grasp my sword, I made my way to Amakaze-cho in search of a whorehouse. After seeing the women on the street and assuming what the local working ladies looked like, I decided I needed a few drinks first. Unfortunately for me, none of the local pub owners would let me in to have a drink. Unfortunately for them, they're all dead now.

 

It shall rain blood in Amakaze-cho for many moons, and upon its next dry spell, I shall return.

 

Aug. 27th, Evening -

There is much work to be done, but after killing many, many people in the city of Amakaze-cho for many, many days, I must rest. After awakening from my deep sleep, I shall hunt Kyojiro until she is mine. Intoxicated Mantis, I await your spell once again…

I've already placed my pre-order for this game. $10 down, plus the $10 coupon I have for EB, this game is going to cost me next-to-nothing when I pick it up. Sweet!

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EDIT: Wrong game