What is old will become new again! Warriors Orochi 4 is coming back in 2020 as Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate. You know that “second verse, same as the first” from “I’m Henry VIII, I am?” Well, I suppose you could say this is something like that. But why would it be so similar? And what sets Warriors Orochi apart from all of the other Omega Force Musou games out there? Michibiku is here to help with that.
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In Warriors All-Stars, there are 28 different characters for players to use. Some are incredibly familiar faces who have been around for years, like Dead or Alive’s Kasumi or Ninja Gaiden’s Ryu Hayabusa. Others are slightly less famous, but fans of Japanese games will be aware of the Atelier series’ Sophie or Toukiden’s Oka. But stowed away among these mostly memorable heroes are a few who aren’t as famous as the others. Wondering who they are? Michibiku is here to help!
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Opoona 2 is the return of everyone’s favorite Wii star, Opoona, making a long-awaited appearance on modern platforms. There are some quirks to his return, but there’s no doubt about it: Opoona is back and here to stay.
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I’ve always found it interesting how periods of Japanese history and certain figures develop such rabid fanbases overseas and abroad. I imagine it would be like finding out the teenage girls of the United States suddenly had developed an Abraham Lincoln fixation, reading books based on his life and going through visual novels depicting his rise to power. It’s why Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada is so fascinating to me. This isn’t just a game for people who adore the Sengoku period of Japanese history, but who also happen to be big fans of the Sanada clan.
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What do you think about first when the Musou series comes to mind? The battle system is always at the forefront for me. I think about the dozens of playable characters that I’ll send hacking and slashing across massive battlefields. Even though I enjoy any and every opportunity to see characters interact with each other in social situations, the fights always feel as though they are at the forefront. Yet, when it comes to my first four hours with Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada, the personal touch feels like the most notable part of this project.
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It’s only a weird idea to turn Dynasty Warriors into a turn-based strategy game until you think about it. After all, it’s been done before with the long-dormant Dynasty Tactics series! Though Musou games are about fast-paced action, they’re also about big battlefields, huge casts, tactical advances and grinding for levels and loot. And those are the sorts of things you also see in games like Disgaea.
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The long line of Omega Force’s Warriors games has included lots of attempts at incorporating more strategy into the formula. After all, when Koei Tecmo isn’t making Musou releases, it’s crafting deep strategic simulations like Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Nobunaga’s Ambition, and — at least in Japan — both types sell very well.
What makes Samurai Warriors 4 stand out from the pack is its board game-like approach, making your decisions fewer and simpler but also giving itself the time to make those decisions more meaningful.
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Arslan: The Warriors of Legend, out this week, is the meeting of two worlds: the fantasy crusade-era manga/anime series The Heroic Legend of Arslan and the hack-and-slash battlefield franchise Dynasty Warriors. Interested in checking it out? Here’s what you should know about the release.
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Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires is far from the first Warriors game on the Vita, but it’s definitely the latest: its port released for the system on November 24. We’ve been putting it through its paces, and we’re here to tell you what it’s about.
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