Way of the Samurai 3

 Xbox 360
Way of the Samurai 3 Image
Metascore
55

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 21 Ratings

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  • Summary: Take the role of a samurai and choose your own path, blazing a trail of honor, loyalty and respect or one of villainy, corruption and greed. The canonical series, best known for its high level of freedom and play style is back, with improved features, graphics and new game play mechanicsTake the role of a samurai and choose your own path, blazing a trail of honor, loyalty and respect or one of villainy, corruption and greed. The canonical series, best known for its high level of freedom and play style is back, with improved features, graphics and new game play mechanics sure to please fans of this enduring series. The Butterfly Effect - With over 15 different endings, every action you take will cause a change of events to occur, allowing for multiple outcomes and replay-ability. Every action has a reaction and the following consequences open up new paths to explore. Weapon Customization and Abilities - Craft your own unique weapons from over 200 different parts and materials, creating the ultimate weapon that suits your taste and fighting style. Create lethal blades, spears, pole axes and more while discovering new abilities and skills with increased use. Become a master of one or of many! Reward System and Samurai Rating - Performing different feats will reward a player with Samurai Points and a Title, which in turn will unlock new features and characters within the game. Fight honorably in the way of the samurai, live your life as a bandit or strive to uphold the government. These choices will net different points and values, encouraging multiple play throughs to unlock all features and content. The Pen Can Be Mightier Than The Sword - Fight your opposition with force or take the diplomatic route, using subtle gestures like the unsheathing of your sword. With extensive dialogue tree, weapons combo systems and more, this hybrid title delivers on multiple fronts. [UFO Interactive]… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 22
  3. Negative: 6 out of 22
  1. Cheat Code Central
    76
    As it is, it’s a fascinating combination of different gameplay elements, and it works surprisingly well. Anyone who likes swordfighting, the freedom of an open-world, and the opportunity to shape a story would be well-advised to pick it up.
  2. Gamer.no
    70
    Games ten times the size can't offer half of the options Way of the Samurai 3 brings to the table. The game definitely has its notable and at times serious flaws, but if you dive into this enchanting world, you'll be greatly rewarded.
  3. Official Xbox Magazine
    65
    Despite the awful visuals and crummy combat camera, watching the world react to your different play styles makes this short story a satisfying feudal tale that's worth seeing through. [Dec 2009, p.80]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. Vandal
    58
    Every series follower will be pleased with the results, an update of the same proposal of PlayStation 2. Unfortunately, newcomers won't get much satisfaction, and will probably give up the game before finishing it.
  5. Gamestyle
    50
    Way of the Samurai 3 is another instalment in a gaming oddity and one that is hard to recommend on the basis of game play. If you are searching for something off the beaten path or seeking your own Kurosawa adventure than it may hold some value.
  6. Gamereactor Sweden
    50
    There really aren't too many good samurai games out there, and unfortunately, Way of the Samurai 3 isn't going to change that. It isn't all bad with a good story and a lot to do. The production values are extremely low budget though, and the graphics is amongst the worst we've seen this generation.
  7. D+PAD Magazine
    20
    Unfortunately, Way of the Samurai 3 left us bored, uninspired and desperate to play something or, rather, anything else. The game fails to live up to even the most basic standard of quality, offering an archaic play style that falls short of even the most charmless of current-gen titles.

See all 22 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 1 out of 2
  1. SpoonJuggler
    Apr 11, 2014
    8
    An underrated gem. I've been trying to find a reasonably realistic samurai game and this one absolutely delivered. Fun, challenging combatAn underrated gem. I've been trying to find a reasonably realistic samurai game and this one absolutely delivered. Fun, challenging combat with so many different stances to choose from, each one with a customizable move set. The strongest aspect of this game is it's open-endedness. There's a whopping 28 different endings and to top it off, infinite new game plus so you get to keep your XP, your items and your weapons every time you start a new playthrough.

    Of course there's a few flaws. The graphics are really outdated, even for a 2008 title. Personally, i don't really care about graphics but i recognize that it might be a deal breaker for some.

    The only major shortcoming of this game is it's size. The map is ridiculously small for an open world game, if you can even call it that. There's a total of 8 regions and each region is fairly small or to put it bluntly, really small. There's no room for exploration at all. After visiting each region only once, you'll know the whole map like the back of your hand.    … Expand
  2. VLG
    Aug 23, 2023
    3
    WOTS 2 is one of my favorite games of all time, so i had to check this one. And it was terrible.