Way of the Samurai 4 (PSN)

[Lekon]

Currently up on PSN: Way of the Samurai 4. Download only title.

After about an hour in, I can safely say, it's even more insane than all the other 3. I just don't know where to start. Combat's the same goodies we always knew, though now weapons and weapon styles are seperate, so any sword style works with any sword, any spear with any spear style, etc.

Let me just say what's happened on my first play through.

Some dudes in red fired a cannon into a crowd.

A young British lady had me escort her to a tea shop, where I beat up some samurai hitting on her.

A guy just bet his life on me winning a tournament. If I lose, he dies, if I win, he gets all three of the local magistrate's daughters as his wives.

I hit a dude with a fish in the middle of town.

A wife wanted me to go break anything I could in a mansion because she just didn't like the place.

A clothing shop owner worked all three stations of his shop by running around with arms above his head to whichever station you were at.

Oh, and I started my own dojo. This is just my first playthrough. It seems each time you make a new game, old stuff carries over. Kill a lot of constables? More crime in town next run. Start a language school? It stays!

The game is batty, and so far? Quite fun. Feel free to discuss it here folks!

[Lekon]

Okay, this game just went weirder. Turns out any accessory in the game can be used... anywhere. You can change the body part an item is on, and once you've bought an item once, you can use it a number of times. Size is also changeable.

So. Say you want to wear three pairs of glasses to cover your face? Easy.

Or you could, say, use two tooth picks made huge to be "Fangs" and a giant toothpick through the head to be a saber toothed unicorn samurai.

GOTY material.

[Xerxes]

PS3 downloadable only title? Grumble grumble grumble.


Edit: I do love those crazy stories though. That tempts me.

[Lekon]

Originally Posted by Xerxes

PS3 downloadable only title? Grumble grumble grumble.


Edit: I do love those crazy stories though. That tempts me.

If it helps, the combat feels a lot better, and the game also has a Dark Souls like invasion system. Namely an NPC version of you wanders the worlds, and tries to kill people as a Duelist. Others from other worlds come after you. Kill them, get their stuff, PROFIT!

[JayK47]

I enjoyed Way of the Samurai 3 for a little while. Not a huge fan of having to replay the game over and over and over again. Seemed like no matter what, I really didn't get much better at it and no matter what paths I chose, it would take me to the same place. A game that, for me, heavily relied on walkthroughs. And in the end, I still didn't get to accomplish certain story arcs to my liking and wound up giving the game away.

So I have several questions:

1. Is it the same over and over again gameplay with a ton of different ways to finish the game?
2. Did they improve graphics, interface, and/or combat? 3 was lacking in these departments.
3. What is the DL only price? Not a huge fan of DL only, especially on consoles where there are hardly sales or price reductions. I hope it came out at a reasonable price. Not $60 basically.

[Lekon]

Originally Posted by JayK47

So I have several questions:

1. Is it the same over and over again gameplay with a ton of different ways to finish the game?
2. Did they improve graphics, interface, and/or combat? 3 was lacking in these departments.
3. What is the DL only price? Not a huge fan of DL only, especially on consoles where there are hardly sales or price reductions. I hope it came out at a reasonable price. Not $60 basically.

1. WOTS has always been the sort of "Groundhog Day" thing. IN this case, it's still you redoing the world, but this time around, time doesn't actually advance unless you do a plot point or sleep, so you can spend hours at "noon, day 1" if you want just doing side stuff like building your Dojo.

2. Yes. Yes. Yes. Combat feels a lot better, and now weapons and styles are completely different. So you can get good with a style you like and then if you find a new, awesome sword, no problem, can just use it (Or use bare hand. or use guns later on too). The journal now tracks all quests, events, story arcs, and side missions, telling you just where to go. Graphics are a little better, and dear lord there's a ton of character creation weirdness

3. $40. It's a full game, but online only in America. There is a European version on disc (That should be region free) if you want a physical copy. I'm not sure of the reasoning.

So far, I'm on a second playthrough (still doing easy) but it feels a fair bit more fun than WOTS3. The online invastions are a nice, and strange touch. Hell, I just met the Revenge Horse today.

I'm mostly screwing around with the Dojo at the moment, haven't yet made my own swordfighting style, but that'll come later.

[JayK47]

Thanks. When I get the time I may pick this up. No hurry with it being DL only and with a mountain of games in my queue.

[Xerxes]

How long is one play through? O_o

[Lekon]

Originally Posted by Xerxes

How long is one play through? O_o

Depends! You can restart anytime you die, but as I said, time doesn't actually pass until you see/do an event (or sleep). In my case, the first play through got a bad ending, and was about 4 in game days. The event calendar shows several entries, leading me to think there's quite a few more days if your ending doesn't suck.

[Lekon]

Originally Posted by Xerxes

How long is one play through? O_o

My second playthrough, where I knew a bit of what I was doing, and got a real ending, was 7 hours, 30 minutes. This was without touching the Dojo, mind you.

This playthrough let me unlock pistols and a fencing fighting style. Woot.

[Acidpoptart]

I'm glad you posted this. Never heard of it, but it sounds amazing/batshit crazy. Definitely going to look into this.

[evilgoodwin]

What's this now? I might have to look into it.

[Acidpoptart]

Watched a game play video... Weird.

[Lekon]

Originally Posted by evilgoodwin

What's this now? I might have to look into it.

Quick version: Download only (in the US) game that is the 4th in a long running series of Samurai GroundHog Day simulators. You have certain events that play out depending on your choices, leading you (eventually) to an ending, then you go back with all you've unlocked, and try it again to see what you can change.

What changes: All weapons (unless you die) stay with you, able to be retrieved later. All your cash gets put in a safe box, all your items as well. Unlocks can be bought with Samurai Points between playthroughs (Hair color, new difficulties, etc). Samurai points come from being... well, samurai like.

That said, it's on the level of Yakzua crazy in the side quests, weird mini games and the like. The character customization starts simple, then gets weird quick.

Case in point: any accessory you wear can attach to any part of the body (head, either arm, either shoulder, etc) Also, you can have an item be in different states when you're weapon sheathed, or weapon drawn. This is how what looks to be a tooth pick in one of my character's mouths turns into a giant halo of floating wood above him whenever he draws his sword. (Six toothpicks all in the same spot, changed so when drawn they float above the head in a halo.)

[Lekon]

Updates.

So far I've learned:

Bikini Cat Girl Ninjas like to attack Dojos

Guns are reloaded by using a whetstone, and blade oil gives guns infinite ammo.

You can use reverse blade on a gun somehow, and make the bullets non lethal.

Not all fighting styles are created equal, or with equal names. Some styles such as Sexua Iai fighting sound almost as dirty as "Nightly Pleasures Swordfighting"

I can't make up anything stranger than what is already in this game, seriously.

[TheSilentDeath]

You are also forgetting the fact that I believe that the female British knight has a last name of Megamelons...

[jpublic]

Do want. Waiting for sale. $40 is too steep for my liking right now.

[Abyssion]

This game sounds too crazy to pass up... so I bought it... not that I need it. But it sounds fun!

[Vigil80]

Originally Posted by jpublic

Do want. Waiting for sale. $40 is too steep for my liking right now.

I'll be waiting for it to hit a PS+ discount. Might even make it to free eventually.

[jpublic]

So, my brother got this for me. I tried my first game, and I was having fun until I died for no reason I can rightly figure out. I was wandering around at night trying to buy some damned Onigiri, and a Duelist was attacking some Pranja.

So I killed them all, and then as I was walking away, my character suddenly died.