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
Game length provided by HowLongToBeat
Posted on: February 7, 2016
saibot216
Verified ownerGames: 183 Reviews: 9
Fun to a point
Very fun game with so much going on! My only issue is the limited amount of options during your turn, but the game is still fantastic regardless. Can't believe I waited so long to try it out. The soundtrack is pretty awesome too, like borderline EBM at some points. Love the art too!
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Posted on: February 17, 2021
Pydnachar
Games: 187 Reviews: 3
immersive and challenging masterpiece
this game is a deep dive into the mindset of medieval the japanese warrior elite during an age of crisis. after decades of gaming, this is the first role playing game that pushed me to actually role play (rather than just behave like myself). it compelled me to internalize the aspirations and concerns of my lord, estate, and dynasty. this is not an easy game at first. reading the manual and/or focused practice through trial and error is essential for success. the effort expended makes accomplishments in the game feel all the more rewarding. at first i worried that the controls were sticky or unresponsive, but after hours of trying and playing and learning it finally *clicked.* newcomers may be turned off by the challenging controls (particularly in duel combat) or the difficulty (even on the easiest setting it took days of effort to become Shogun), but for me it all heightened the stakes and danger - and, like a growing samurai lord, i eventually mastered it through trial and error and focus, all the while balancing my moral duties. some visuals look dated (unsurprising for a 3 decade old title) but in other areas it holds up beautifully even today - the melee combat pixel art is gorgeous, for example. as simple as some of the mini games might appear, the context and stakes made them some of the most exciting action sequences for me - like rescuing my kidnapped son from a manor full of guards. while wounded. not for everybody. a lessen in stoicism and virtue (of a particular sort). clearly made with love by people who took to their task with a samurai's level of resolve. i never played this as a kid (i discovered this game in 2021) so nostalgia doesn't factor into my feeling that this game is a nearly flawless masterpiece.
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Posted on: May 19, 2022
corq365
Verified ownerGames: 206 Reviews: 1
A fun game that things happen in
A really fun game, the appeal to me comes from climbing up the ranks and the combat. The controls are fine but the duels have weird perspective that takes getting used too. Luckily the training mode exists for each type of encounter so you can practice before doing a run. The army scale battles are nice and simple. The number of units is based on size of area you control and tax. The types of encounters you have are based on what and how you play. You can sneak into another lords house, have another lord sneak into your house, fight bandits in the field or random towns and fight off farmers that are angry at you taxing them to high on your own land. This is controlled from a top down perspective with arrows and a katana. Almost reminds me of playing gauntlet. The reasons you become an enemy with someone is whatever reason you come up with. Kind of just based on what you want to do, you just respond to their actions. Certain lords are just more annoying or bad at certain encounters and you can engage them how you like. You can also just help them out or have tea with them. You can just hang out with a lord for like ten minutes and be good to them if you think their cool and they can help you and tell you things. The game is really simple and it almost lends itself something like a sandbox game with the amount of ways to handle a problem. The story doesn't exist and it's just how you want to handle those problems as they happen or make problems. Things just seem to happen in this game, you will fill in the blanks and make something from nothing on your own and handle it your own way. The sprites look really cool, the music doesn't get annoying, and the plot is whatever you decide. It also isn't overly complex for what it is which almost lets you pick up and play this due to the gameplay variety. If you are okay with the amount of player choice and lack of true story it's fun to waste hours here.
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Posted on: November 29, 2021
Duskerin
Games: 213 Reviews: 3
Introduction to PC Gaming Immersion
I had been playing this on my old x486 PC, back in my childhood years. I don't remember any game close to addiction as this. Simple game-play, decent graphics, close to real action. Definitely the game of my life, at least until someone make better yet. The game follows you as retainer of a clan. There are four attributes define you (and your family) : Honor, Generalship, Swordmanship, Land. For example: Oda Nobunaga might maximize three latter but the first one he failed to comply, hence he eventually didn't make a shogun then. And, yes you can married and have pedigrees over your clan. That makes the game so wonderful. I definitely suggest you try it out and buy the game afterwards you'd been satisfied.
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Posted on: September 3, 2022
Wolfram_von_Thal
Verified ownerGames: Reviews: 50
A masterpiece of storytelling & gameplay
Sword of the Samurai is a brillant experience that really catches the nuances and features of the historical era it depicts. There are many different gameplay elements but all of them blend into the overarching narrative of the game, nothing feels out of place or articifial: You'll travel on a big overland map, you'll fight battles with armies, you'll rescue victims of kidnap, fight against bandits and rebels, duel with legendary samurai, talk your points on the courts of lords. You'll try to create a dynasty by marrying into one of the houses (and thus being able to "reincarnate" in your offsprings if you die), gain as much honor as possible (by fighting alone against enemies or doing heroic deeds) and with some luck gain the title of a Shogun. With reaching this title, the game changes again as now you are more powerful and have a bigger influence on things, compared to the low Samurai you are at the start of the game. It's just sheer brillance how much elements were packed in this handful of kilobytes and it's a real masterpiece of storytelling and gameplay. I'd also like to mention that the graphical presentation is masterful, mimicking classical Japanese art and thus enormously boosting the immersion of the game. A shame there has never been an attempt for a remake. This game more than deserves it.
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