Samurai Warriors 4: Empires Reviews

Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is ranked in the 44th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Mar 14, 2016

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.

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8.5 / 10.0
Apr 1, 2016

It’s been years and several sequels, but where Samurai Warriors was the perfect game for me in my early teens, Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is the perfect game for adult me

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8 / 10
Mar 11, 2016

After releasing the fantastic Samurai Warriors 4, things slowly started to go downhill for Koei’s flagship franchise. Instead of continuing to innovate, it felt as though developer Omega Force decided to take a breather, letting its guard down as stagnation began to set in. This is definitely the return to form fans were no doubt hoping for.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 11, 2016

Samurai Warriors 4 Empires breathes life into a tried and tested formula, helping even the most hardcore Musou fans find something refreshing to experience.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 11, 2016

Samurai Warriors 4 Empires is a nice change of pace for those who want more to the Warriors franchise than just hack and slash. Not that the hacking and slashing isn't fun, but the addition of the strategy elements makes it and even better game and one that is a blast to play.

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4 / 5.0
Mar 14, 2016

Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is not a flawless experience.

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Gamers Heroes
Johnny Hurricane
Top Critic
8 / 10
Mar 28, 2016

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.

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Mar 28, 2016

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.

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8 / 10
Mar 26, 2016

Samurai Warriors 4 Empires offers a great experience in the long running franchise, and stands out with the strategical aspects that the resource system and empire-ruling simulator provide. At first glance it might be annoying, but after a short while it becomes very charming and gives life and personality to the game in a way that would otherwise be difficult. The possibility to create characters is also a neat feature, and it gives the player the option of playing as a character they feel comfortable with, both visually and mechanically. This makes Samurai Warriors 4 Empires a game that is easy to recommend to fans of the franchise.

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7.5 / 10.0
Mar 30, 2016

Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is an interesting addition to the original games. It doesn't necessarily improve upon or replace them but offers a similar-but-different experience. Anyone who's long since burned out on Samurai Warriors 4 probably won't find Empires to be different enough to renew their interest, but newcomers to the genre or those who passed on Samurai Warriors II will find enough to like here. It lacks some of the addictive style of the classic Warriors games but makes up for it with increased tactical depth. It all comes down to defeating thousands of enemies by using absurd magical powers and even more absurd weapons, and that is where Warriors excels.

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72 / 100
Mar 11, 2016

For what the game has to offer, it’s a solid entry in the Samurai Warriors series, but should be seen as complimentary to Samurai Warriors 4 and 4-II.

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Mar 11, 2016

It may not be a big change on a fundamental level, but Samurai Warriors 4: Empires does enough differently to warrant fans to come back for another round of hack ‘n’ slash fun.

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7 / 10
Mar 11, 2016

Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is another solid spin-off, but veteran fans may feel a little let down by some of its streamlined gameplay. However, its dynamic nature is usually enough to make up for its lack of depth. Watching your clan grow and your allies form various bonds with one another is an addictive way to spend a few hours, and Samurai Warriors' great combat system is always standing by for when you're ready to crack some skulls. This latest entry isn't quite an unstoppable empire, but it's definitely a force capable of planting its flag firmly on your free time.

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7 / 10
May 9, 2016

Deciding who to take into battle and what formations or strategies you will use can mean all the difference between victory and defeat

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7 / 10.0
Mar 21, 2016

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.

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6.5 / 10.0
Mar 29, 2016

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.

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Mar 11, 2016

Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is fun, but scattered. It's a decent diversion but it's complexity and lack of transparency will keep you from being hooked.

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6 / 10.0
Mar 11, 2016

With a larger focus on strategy and a handful of smaller new features, Samurai Warriors 4 Empires will certainly appeal to veteran fans of the series but it simply just hasn’t evolved enough to ensnare wayward players or newcomers to its overly well-worn brand of tactical combat.

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Drew Leachman
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Mar 17, 2016

Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is a decent Musou game that is distracted by the Empires lure. It makes up for it with tons of options, even when the tutorial doesn’t really show them off. For the Warriors fans that are looking for hack ‘n slash with small RPG elements involved, I’d say go for standard Samurai Warriors 4. It is a much more condensed game that is a lot of fun to play. People looking for more strategy in their Musou games can find it here, but keep in mind, many of the strategy elements can come across pointless after a while.

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6 / 10.0
Mar 11, 2016

It’s been several years since the Western countries last saw a Samurai Warriors Empires release. It appears that the core of this entry is solid, with a few new strategic elements thrown in. Samurai Warriors 4 Empires is definitely an entry for hardcore Empires fans — with the same repetitive combat, and even reused graphics and audio assets, this release will not do much to convert anyone who isn’t already heavily invested in the series.

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