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Sword of the Samurai

in library

4/5

( 35 Reviews )

4

35 Reviews

English
5.995.99
Why buy on GOG.COM?
DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.
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Sword of the Samurai
Description
Enter Japan in the Age of Warring States. At the center of this role-playing, action-adventure simulation of combat, statesmanship and intrigue, you are a samurai warrior struggling for Honor. More important than life itself, Honor is crucial to achieving your ultimate goal: unifying the country und...
User reviews

4/5

( 35 Reviews )

4

35 Reviews

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Product details
1989, MicroProse Software, Inc., ...
System requirements
Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10, 1.8 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 7 (co...
Time to beat
1 hMain
-- Main + Sides
-- Completionist
1 h All Styles
Description
Enter Japan in the Age of Warring States. At the center of this role-playing, action-adventure simulation of combat, statesmanship and intrigue, you are a samurai warrior struggling for Honor. More important than life itself, Honor is crucial to achieving your ultimate goal: unifying the country under your noble rule.

In Sword of the Samurai, you will be part of the culture of feudal Japan, and you must learn to live by its rules. To succeed as a samurai, you must think like the samurai. Learn when to leave your sword in its sheath, when to draw it - and what to do with it once it’s drawn. You will fight duels, lead troops on the battlefields, and defend your family against assassins and kidnappers. If you are courageous and honorable, you may advance to become the head of your clan, and warlord of your province. If you master diplomacy and generalship, and outmaneuver your rivals, you may even become Shogun - absolute ruler of Japan. But remember that in all cultures power corrupts - and those who seek absolute power don’t always play by the rules.
  • Unite all 48 warring provinces in common allegiance to you, and earn the title of Shogun, military ruler of all Japan.
  • Computer-controlled opponents make decisions based on your actions -- and on the actions of other rival characters.
  • Vindicate yourself in duels against rivals who would like nothing better than to diminish your Honor.
  • Furious melee action against multiple warriors takes place in castles, villages and rice paddies.
  • Real-time battles involving infantry, cavalry and muskets on battlefields that vary with every conflict.
Goodies
manual map technical supplement
System requirements
Minimum system requirements:

Please be advised that Windows 10 operating system will receive frequent hardware driver and software updates following its release; this may affect game compatibility

Please be advised that Windows 10 operating system will receive frequent hardware driver and software updates following its release; this may affect game compatibility

This game is powered by DOSBox.
Why buy on GOG.COM?
DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.
Safety and satisfaction. Stellar support 24/7 and full refunds up to 30 days.
Time to beat
1 hMain
-- Main + Sides
-- Completionist
1 h All Styles
Game details
Works on:
Windows (7, 8, 10, 11), Linux (Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04), Mac OS X (10.7)
Release date:
{{'1989-01-02T00:00:00+02:00' | date: 'longDate' : ' +0200 ' }}
Size:
16 MB

Game features

Languages
English
audio
text
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User reviews

Posted on: November 19, 2015

Styer27

Games: 31 Reviews: 2

Just a below-average game today

Not as good as people make out, i see alot of people becoming very frustrated with this game after reading 5 star reviews, 5 stars ... really?? cmon lads, lets reserve the maximum stars for the games that really are ... AMAZING! Its a game to play once or twice, burn a few hours, learn about feudal Japan, and what it took to rule, but thats it. It was good when it was released, years ago, but i cant see anyone actually playing this game longer than a few hours, you will die early learning the cumbersome controls, you will be directed to make repetitive choices over and over (not another tea drinking session!) and when you do finally get the hang of it, the game is all too easy and unrewarding. The ease at which you can muster troops and defeat provinces later in the game due to poor AI made it extremely boring for me. The positive aspects of the game are the initial wanderings and sword fights (which are actually very challenging and interesting) but they soon lose their luster once the AI weaknesses are exploited. I was literally winning even the hardest of sword-fights with a well timed left-right swing, and considering the AI would always walk into them, it got old fast. Check it out if your after a bit of gaming nostalgia, other than that, in today's gaming world, it has no place. Maybe if they remade it, removing some of the horrible mini-games and improved the AI, then it would be a great game.


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Posted on: March 7, 2014

brabandere

Games: 32 Reviews: 1

Fun way to immerse into japanese culture

I loved this game back in the days, I even got some friends to try it out in college! - is not easy to sell an old game with dated graphics to a mid 2000 crowd unless the game is really fun. It has strategic, rpg and action elements. The last two are extremely important to your advance during the first stages of the game. As the game advances it becomes more and more of a wargame. Somehow, sword of the samurai succeeds at blending all these elements for a thoroughly satisfying gameplay. You will learn about honor the samurai way with this game!


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Posted on: June 26, 2021

SquidKamer

Verified owner

Games: 703 Reviews: 8

Hidden Gem

I bought it while on sale cause it looked interesting. Glad I did, I spent hours straight playing it after it installed. Its an older game but has aged very well. The Mini games and politics are fun. Its like some old dos version of Mount and Blade but with Ronin Samurai. Raise your army, do side quests, and conquer the surrounding land with your army. Grow old, retire, and let your son take on your legacy to try and become Shogun of Japan. That is if he hasn't been kidnapped by ninjas... (RIP Kenshiro, soon to be avenged by his brother, Kenshi) It is a simplisitc game, but I think that makes the replayability addicting. Very easy to jump in and get into. Even has decent joystick support. It's well worth your time and money. Pleasantly surprised a game from 1989 can surprise me in 2021.


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Posted on: July 11, 2024

Raziug240

Verified owner

Games: 341 Reviews: 1

Surprisingly Entertaining

I've put in about 4 hours of time as of writing this review. In the first hour I fumbled with the controls to figure out what does what. 2nd hour I read the manual and tech manual that's included and able to now play the game without a hitch. My first play through was dismal, I attempted to get married 3 times and failed. My sword trainer kept beating me to a pulp since I had no idea how to swing my katana. I've lead good men into battle and had them utterly destroyed cause I didn't know any of the battle stances for campaign warfare. I tried to marry (again) another vasal lord's daughter but was denied, gracefully might I add. I was then demoted to a disgrace of a retainer by my hatamoto so I plotted revenge by trying to bring shame and dishonor to the next vasal in line for promotion by *attempting* to assassinate an envoy that was having a sleep over at his place, and failing that and getting caught. So naturally the only way to redeem my idiot self is to commit to the sepuku and redeem my family's honor, which I had none all the time to be honest. All of this was on the easiest mode by the way. Second playthrough, after RTFMs, I was reincarted as true samurai of honor. My name is Weilan, I serve my master, Lord Shimazu, amongst my 3 other retainers. While Sanada was out trying to court every matchmaker's suggestion, I was at my estate, studying the blade. While Eisei is out playing hero trying to take back the bridge in Higa, I was honing my strategy against insurmountable odds for battlefield warefare. I rescued monks from bandits, I've won 15 of 15 duels against other swordsman that would dare challenge me, bringing them an honorable death, "life is as fleeting as a flower in spring", truly. After a succesful life, having a wife who bore 3 sons and 2 daughters, I was old and became a hatamoto myself, but the life of a samurai was harsh on my bones, I retired from the world and my heir, my son, Buntaro, took my place instead. 10/10 would samurai again.


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Posted on: March 10, 2014

Kamamura

Verified owner

Games: 1470 Reviews: 54

Superb game!

The technical execution is simplistic and limited by today's standards, but the core gameplay is excellent, the atmosphere is spot-on and the parts of the game are extremely well glued together. Professional game design at its best.


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