The Warriors titles have always been innovating and changing slowly over time. Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is something different and new for the Samurai Warriors franchise. The Empires brand in the Samurai Warriors universe has been absent for over nine years. Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is a revamped mix between Samurai Warriors 2: Empires and Samurai Warriors 4.Samurai Warriors 4: Empires uses the events depicted in Samurai Warriors 4 and provides alternate pathways by using the historical backdrop for its strategy focused gameplay. Players can either take part in the two gameplay modes, Conquest, and Genesis, in order to unite Japan or the colony of their choice.Players start off with three Scenarios, but additional ones can be unlocked upon completion. Conquest Mode is for players that want a set-in-stone goal and want to play the game with more historical accuracy.
Genesis Mode is a mode where the player can adjust scenarios to their own heart’s desire. In Genesis Mode, players are able to change the characters of any area, add custom characters, and change history.Custom characters can be applied to Conquest Mode too, but the leaders of your society remain the same. Essentially, you have less control of putting your custom characters in charge.
Genesis Mode is just way more fun if you like being creative in your story mode. One issue with the “Modes” in Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is that there is no “Free Mode” which was in past Dynasty Warriors: Empires and Samurai Warriors: Empires games. There is a two player cooperative system which can be fun if you want to play with a buddy too.Gameplay in Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is completely different compared to Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires. If you are coming away from that game, you will not see too many similarities other than normal attacks and “Musou” attacks. The in-battle gameplay mechanics plays similar to Samurai Warriors 4. It is fast and intense.There is strategy within the battlefield and castle walls in Samurai Warriors 4: Empires.
Inside the walls, you can build your castle structurally bigger and add a Dojo, shops, strategy compartments and more to improve your livelihood. I liked the change from DW8: Empires to this setup because it is different.
It isn’t the same tacked on content, annually.A player can also select main commanders, two for each strategic department, and one Magistrate, your leader’s main subordinate who advises you on what actions you should take. There is so much to do within the castle that it makes me feel sometimes feel overwhelmed.
It is a very good feeling. Another game that seems to have influenced Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is Nobunaga’s Ambition. There are banners which can influence an extra 30% of troop growth or 10% of extra crops for your next time window. Sometimes a player will get more than extra influence with a banner such as 20% rice and 10% strategy growth. Some of these elements and more may seem similar for some players to Nobunaga’s Ambition.The game also contains an array of gameplay features such as marriage, training, and hot springs.
I know it's not what your looking for, but I ended up returning dynasty warriors 8 empires on console. My last empires game was samurai 2, and 8 just didn't feel right to me. I know the fact that there was no english helped, but it just didn't feel right to me. As far as vita is concerned, I'm as curious as you are. This video is unavailable. Watch Queue Queue. Watch Queue Queue.
In battles, Battlefield tactics and placements can make or break you as you have a limited amount of time to defend or conquer. I often found it hard towards the beginning of the game to defeat or overtake the main base or commander in time. Players must surpass each small base in a connected line in order to be able to conquer the main base or commander.A nice strategy element is the ability to send specific officers to protect you, conquer certain bases, or defend your homeland.
One tiny complain I would make though, is that the only way to play as more than one character is to strengthen the bond between the two of you. It is quite annoying if you create a cast of characters in “Create a Character” mode and then are only able to use your main character and one or two others. In the next game or an update, the developers should make it that you can quickly switch to another character with the push of a button.The graphics in Samurai Warriors 4: Empires are absolutely beautiful. The hair seems like it could be the only thing that needs updated on some characters, but as a whole it’s gorgeous. There is also no screen-tearing or issues with freezing. I noticed both of these issues in Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires. “Create a Character” mode is a nice feature that is a little different than Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires.
As nice as it is to easily create Sephiroth or Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII, it would be even better if we could create characters from the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden series easier. There are virtually sometimes no costumes that fit in the realm of other games’ universes. There should be at least more options to create game characters from the publisher’s other franchises.
You may also carry over characters from Samurai Warriors 4 and Samurai Warriors 4-II which is a nice feature that wasn’t available in SW4-II.One very last complaint is the horseback riding. The horses look fine, but they act all wonky. I noticed this problem in SW4-II as well.
When calling for your horse, way more often than not, it will run back in forth or around you instead of going right to you. In the last Dynasty Warriors game, I had no issue with this and the horses would come right to me and let me go on them with no problems. Instead, you have a blind horse who is more stupid than the guys in the movie, Dumber and Dumber.Overall, Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is a great addition to the Warriors’ Empires series. It has amazing graphics, great strategy, and some of best gameplay thus far.
It does have issues such as no “Free Mode” and idiotic horse trainers, but the gameplay makes up for it by being fun and original.Rating – 8/10: Fast, fun, and anyone who is a fan of Samurai Warriors or Dynasty Warriors or Nobunaga’s Ambition will love it.
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March 2023
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