Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)**Before we delve any deeper, I'm going to address my raw star rating on this game. For those unfamiliar with games like Dynasty Warriors 6 be aware that both fans and haters of this style of game (more on that later) offer very polarized opinions and mine is likely no different. I strongly recommend that if you aren't pretty sure what to expect from this game already that you download the PSN demo, read reviews and weigh it against your own interests, or rent the game. I clearly think it is a very good and fun game from my rating but I will be the first to admit that it isn't for everybody.**
General:
Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes (Sengoku Basara 3 'officially') is one of many games in a series. Only a small handful of these games have made their way stateside, and there's also an anime, but I can't comment on this particular series as a whole outside of that. Samurai Heroes is the first of the series I've played. With that said in the most basic way of looking at the game it's a 90% copy of just about any Dynasty Warriors game you may have played only with a heavy handed dose of Capcom stylization. You'll find effectively the same controls, the same subject matter as the Samurai Warriors games, the same concept as the Dynsasty Warriors games in general, effectively the same interface, and the list goes on.
Hold on, what does that mean? I've never played any of these games you keep talking about! Well what the Dynasty Warriors games are in essence are action games with RPG elements in which you assume the role of a historical figure (Dynasty Warriors: Gundam excluded obviously, same idea though) and guide your way through historical battles. I don't pretend to be a historian, and can't comment on what degree these elements have been exxagerated, but I'm relatively certain Saika Magoichi never engaged in melee combat with a 4 tube rocket launcher in the 1500s. Basically any named character, battle, location, or faction can be Googled and some parallels can be drawn from there though. Saika Magoichi for example was in fact well known for utilizing firearms. The way these battles take place is that you assume the role of your hero and wade through armies of infantry, advanced soldiers, and ultimately other famous characters. Various games have employed their own mechanics but the game has typically been about hunting down objectives relative to the specific battle and defeating the enemy characters all the while plowing through hundreds of fleshy experience piñatas. As you advance your character gains new weapons, combos, and in typical role playing style your basic characteristics increase. That's the gist of a Dynasty Warriors game and that's the heart of what you'll also find in Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes.
So what sets this game apart?
Combat:
Dynasty Warriors games have, for as long as I remember, employed a combo system consisting of hammering on square a set number of times and utilizing a special attack by throwing a triangle in there. Sengoku Basara's combo system isn't all the much more difficult, and honestly maybe even easier, but it's about the same. Each character has 4 basic attacks, some of which aren't available immediately. Individual attacks have pretty varied use so it isn't necessarily about stringing them all together with other attacks but in using each attack when appropriate. Some obviously do combo together but others perform best by themselves. The input for these attacks is pretty simple but there is nuance in using them which may involve tapping or charging a command to get a certain effect. It isn't really all that conducive to indiscriminately mashing buttons but you will be using your basic attacks the same way a lot once you find out what works. These attacks all level up which increases their effects in various ways.
In addition to your basic attack there are also special attacks. Each character eventually gets 3 of these but doesn't start with any. These behave in different ways but I haven't seen one yet that's particularly useful in terms of combo usage. They're powerful attacks that you simply use in a one-off manner by pushing R2 from what I've seen. Saika Magoichi (whom I've played the most) for example has one which targets numerous enemies with a rocket launcher which is rather powerful, but it takes a bit of time to use so it leaves the player vulnerable.
Lastly there are Basara arts and Hero time, which again if you've played Dynasty Warriors can be directly compared to Musou attacks. Basara arts are your super attack, they do massive damage to large number of enemies, and can only be used when you have a full Basara meter. Each character only has one and it's used simply by hitting circle. While your Basara art itself won't change, in activating it near an ally you can receive various buffs. Hero time is kind of the same idea; once your Hero bar fills you can enter in to Hero time. It isn't an attack itself but everything will slow down and you will do more damage. Using both the Hero time and the Basara art together is considered an 'Ultimate Basara Art' but again it doesn't really change, it just hurts a lot more. In true Capcom style, both have a very over the top feel to them and are a lot of fun to see happen.
Progression:
The game unfolds over a battle map of Japan. Between battles you can see which territories you've conquered and what your enemies have. You don't really have unlimited freedom in where you go, you're generally only given a couple of choices, but there are branching pathways in how you undertake your campaign. There's an interface which can be pulled up to see which paths you have taken and which remain to be unlocked. From this an individual play on any given character can have numerous outcomes in terms of what allies you acquire and what battles you fight.
As you finish battles your character will be granted experience based on their performance. Having high hit combos, lots of kills, taking over enemy camps, and various other factors all contribute to a fluctuating amount of experience. Unlike Dynasty Warriors you must win a fight to actually advance in skill as all rewards are only applied once a map is finished. At the end of battles you're also awarded materials for crafting, weapons from character kills, and the occasional accessory. I've already mentioned that as your character levels they gain new attacks and further advancement to those attacks, but you also have the option to equip your character with different weapons (more powerful versions, not different entirely) and accessories. Accessories can be gained from battles sometimes but they may also be crafted outside of that using your acquired materials and a fee of zenny which you'll also get from battles.
Graphics:
It's not winning game of the year for graphics any time soon, it's pretty obvious this is a slightly improved Wii game, or maybe the other way around but at the end of the day this isn't stacking up against a AAA PS3/360 title. This is fine though, even the best looking game of this type was never all that pretty. Environments are repetitive, character models lack facial definition, and rendering in general is pretty downplayed. Fortunately this game is just kind of crazy; everything is very explosive and stylized. Not that I'm a stickler for graphics ever but it goes a long way in forgetting the shortcomings of the graphics when the character models are imaginative and the combat itself is really fun.
Story:
The story varies depending on your character and choice but you're not going to find anything memorable. It probably won't be long before you're skipping cut scenes by some combination of the cheesy dialogue, mediocre at best voice acting, or a complete disinterest in the story. Honestly if you demand a lot from the story of a game then Sengoku Basara and/or Dynasty Warriors are not the series for you. No Japanese audio track is available.
Conclusion:
Ultimately this game is a knock-off of Dynasty Warriors and even more specifically this game is sort of what Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce could have been if it wasn't so terrible. Granted I don't know which series came first but I feel confident in saying there isn't a single element of this game which isn't more enjoyable than the majority of Dynasty Warriors games, and I love pretty much all of them. To the uninitiated you will be facing hours of mindless slaughter so it's important to ask yourself if that's something you enjoy but this is a very fine example of this style of game should you choose to give it a shot. Even at full price Sengoku Basara is still cheaper than most of the other recent PS3/360 Dynasty Warriors games.
Pros:
Cheap
Lots of fun
Lots to unlock
Local multiplayer
Cons:
Corny dialogue/story
Limited playable roster compared to DW
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The producer of Devil May CryTM 4, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, brings you the newest installment to the BASARA series, Sengoku BASARA: Samurai Heroes, on the PlayStation®3 and Wii. A fun, action-packed and accessible title set during a tumultuous period of Japanese history, Sengoku BASARA: Samurai Heroes follows players as they fight their way to the dramatic battle of Sekigahara. Players will take control of more than a dozen samurai heroes, each wielding their own unique weapon, in huge battles against hundreds of opponents that grow ever more challenging. On their journey to the final battle, players will learn how to unleash spectacular BASARA Arts and utilize Hero Time to wipe out as many enemies as possible.
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