Samurai Shodown

Samurai Shodown (2019) still feels like the game it was when it was released on the console last year. The gameplay is sharp and the essence of the classic series is still very much intact, including its unforgiving brutal nature. The big upgrade with this release is the visuals, which look much sharper on PC than on consoles.

Samurai Shodown is the reboot the saga needed and one of the best modern fighting games. It has what is needed to become a competitive title on a par with the best games in the genre. It doesn't have much content for those who enjoy single player, but it has a solid base and a balanced and original combat system.

One of the best entries in this classic 2D fighting saga. Maybe the set of fighters available is a bit lacking, but the game has an incredible array of options and game modes and the fights itself are very technical and spectacular.

While disappointing in terms of content, Samurai Shodown's fighting mechanics alone are enough to make this a solid recommendation. As long as you don't care about not having an actual story mode or tons of unlockables, and if you feel brave enough to enter the unforgiving online portion of SNK's niche fighter, be sure to check this out.

A revamped classic comes PC within a year of its launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This version is virtually identical to its console counterpart, but with longer load times and fewer players in online mode.

Samurai Shodown delivers an intense, compelling gameplay and offers some really nice characters, but in terms of content the game is a bit poor and the netcode is not smooth as we expected.

Samurai Shodown is another worthy entrant into the PC world of beat’em ups. The reasonably short story that plays out is lacklustre, but the action - particularly when playing against others – more than makes up for it. The playing poster isn’t huge, but it does allow for more familiarity with each of the combatants and their skills. With a simple control scheme, some wonderfully vibrant settings and an array of game modes, Samurai Shodown does most things right. Now, if you will excuse me, I’m heading back to the dojo to kick some more ass.

Samurai Shodown is a breath of fresh air to the series, because of its choice to make the battles more of a duel and not a button mashing frenzy – and I respect that. With each character feeling different enough to make your mind race with possibilities of offensive and defensive strategies, it almost fails because of the timing system.

Samurai Shodown is a great fighter that looks beautiful, and deserves a much bigger audience than it has - but as of right now, there aren't enough players online to satisfy fighting game fans, and there isn't enough singleplayer content for more casual fans. The new characters that have been added since launch are great, but Samurai Shodown still feels like a game that needs an overhaul. I still have my fingers crossed that the future of Samurai Shodown and SNK will be bright, but I still have my doubts.

An excellent fighting game fine-tuned for tense, thrilling bouts. While the fighting is always fun, its feature set is slim, with only a handful of modes that don't stray far from the core gameplay. If you're looking for a fight, you've found a good one, but don't expect a big story mode or much side content.

Samurai Shodown finally appears on PC, delivering the same tension-filled face-offs that fans enjoyed on console. Lengthy load times and mediocre online components sully the experience a bit, but SNK's weapons-based fighter is a fun and strategic fighting game.