Samurai Warriors 4: Empires Reviews
Both a great action game and a really fun strategy game, 'Empires' might not appeal to most 'Warriors' fans, as the new elements can seem intimidating and almost jarring when put next to the combat, but for those who put the time in, there's a lot of complexity and fantastic ideas to be found here, making this one of the best 'Warriors' games to date.
Ultimately the success of Samurai Warriors 4 Empires rests on how well it has been able to merge action and strategy together, and while I feel this veers strongly on the side of action, compared with even the Dynasty Warriors Empires series, there’s still enough thinky stuff to do between battles to add nuance to the overall experience. For that, Samurai Warriors 4 Empires has become my preferred Samurai Warriors game, though I would strongly recommend people play one of the previous Samurai Warriors games to get a proper feel for the characters and setting before digging into the more abstract and cerebral experience on offer here.
If you are a fan of the Dynasty Warriors or Samurai Warriors games, I think you should give this one a go. The new strategy sessions in between missions is enjoyable and the easy-to-learn combat is the same as it has always been.
Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is a good step in the right direction, with a lot more depth and strategics thanks to the Politics Phase. But the gameplay itself is still the same compared to the original and the graphics have not improved either.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Samurai Warriors 4 Empires is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it’s the same great 3D hack and slash action you’re used to, with more options to busy yourself with. On the other, it’s the same hack and slash action you’ve played before, with more options than may be necessary. This title itself is a solid addition to the series, but franchise fatigue could see Koei Tecmo's Warriors falling on their own swords.
If you’re already a fan of the Warriors series, this game is just more to love, and the strategy game on top of the battle system is a great addition to already solid gameplay. However, if you’re burned out on the series, there isn’t much here to make it worth coming back to.