Samurai Warriors 2 Empires

There might not be any innovation here, but there's still some fun to be had. Just don't expect much more than what you're used to getting.

Though very much an acquired taste, Samurai Warriors 2 Empires is more or less a godsend for anyone wanting a strategy fix out of their 360. [Issue #23, p.62]

So the only niggle is not that this doesn't sufficiently differentiate itself from previous games in the series. No, the only niggle is that the combat camera angle is too low.

Samurai Warriors 2 Empires takes the hack and slash formula and adds a touch of tactics to the game, perhaps to break up the somewhat repetitive nature of the combat. It certainly works and adds an entirely new level of depth if you are seeking such things.

The game is good enough for what it is supposed to do, but KOEI really needs to start making more dramatic changes with these yearly releases across the board.

Empires is entirely unfocused and excels at nothing.

Until Koei takes the time to enliven the painfully monotonous action, this is one samurai best left an honorless ronin--especially since Empires inexplicably abandoned the two-player Live action of its predecessor. [Mar 2007, p.79]

Once again, the strategy elements of the empires mode do a lot to make up for the mundanity of the aging Warriors combat system, but it's not quite enough.

Ultimately Empires continues Koei’s long-standing "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it" credo when it comes to Warriors games. Which, when you've made the same game nine times in a row, has us adopting the philosophy "been there, done that."

The same old Samurai Warriors game with a bit of strategy pasted between battles. The new features are not enough to draw strategy fans into the fold, but they might just be what longtime fans of the series need to keep going with the genre.

The sequel to the Empires branch of the famed tactical actioner actually adds some strategic elements to the mix, but sadly let down by severely dumbed down combat and enemy AI.

Another sub-par Warriors release, adding only one new mode but demanding 40 dollars. If you're a fan of the series, it may be worth it. Otherwise, pick up one of the older titles cheaper.

If you can get past the voice acting, lack of advancements to the core fighting system, and almost boring micromanagement features, then this latest installment was designed for you.

A decent title, but it doesn’t offer the same visceral experience that gamers became enchanted with eight-plus titles ago. The "empires" portion adds replay and upgrades the hack-n-slash, but it’s tough to dig deep into those pockets and dole out money for a near carbon-copy artfully repackaged.

While the Empires moniker denotes some degree of strategy elements, most of the game falls into the same ol’ button-mashing repetition. You fight large groups of enemies, occasionally killing off a leader, and so on. Basically, this is the same game you’ve been playing for years.

Architecture pops up all over the place, warriors materialize out of thin air on a regular basis, and slowdown is frequent. And the dialogue and voice acting is often laughable. This series needs some serious polish.

You can play Empires, which features great graphics and incredibly dull gameplay, or the original version, which features fantastic gameplay and inexcusably bad graphics. This is a situation that's frustrating to say the least.

A layer of strategy is draped over the hack-and-slash combat: Players can tweak countless variables, from the training of their steeds to the formations their grunts will assume. But no amount of strategic dressing can hide the fact that the game hinges on button-mashing.

It’s very hard to recommend this game, not only do the combination of strategy and button mashing not sit well together, but the game is exactly the same as the PlayStation 2 version.

The definition of average. It's the same game we've been playing for years, and we really, really want to see this concept evolve into true next-gen gaming.

So maybe the battle system and AI still suck, and the graphics look like an original Xbox game. Is that really a big deal? Building up an army and conquering a nation is still fun. Who cares if hundreds of other games do it better?

If this was on a PS2 (which it is) it would look dated. On an Xbox 360 it’s a travesty. If the game was actually any good, the flaws might be just about forgivable, but with gameplay that’s so loose it’s practically dangling off the screen, and a main mechanic that becomes so deeply tedious you almost want to use surrender as your main strategy so you don’t have to go through yet another button mashing hack-and-slash session, this really has very little to offer.

This is something we expect to see available on Xbox Live Marketplace as a pricey download, not a full retail release. Disappointing. [Apr 2007, p.89]

Pretty much a dire, tiresome experience with only one saving grace. The impressive strategy section and length of the empire mode soon give way to the abomination that are the battle confrontations. Leave it on the shelf where it belongs.

Despite the slight visual upgrades, the engine is essentially the same as it was five or six years ago, as is the gameplay, as is the general plot, as is the method of reaching your goal. The tactical advancements are welcome and really do add to the game, but when the game is so bland, that isn’t saying much.

It's bad...Even the Achievements suck. [Issue 18, p.85]

Given that "Samurai Warriors 3" is inevitable, it would be nice to think that the series could develop into something better but, since Koei have refused to even have their hair ruffled by the winds of change, this is about as likely as, well, discovering time travel. There are worse things than Samurai Warriors 2: Empires out there to spend your cold-and-hard on, like chemical weapons or a ticket to watch David Blunkett: the Musical, but truth be told, it would be hard to find as big a waste of money as this on the Xbox 360.