Berserk and The Band of the Hawk Reviews
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is a game made for fans; Musuo and Berserk. Berserk fans will pick at the intricacies, or lack thereof, in the story mode and Musuo fans will lament it for the lack of innovation and shallow offerings. It’s a hard sell for either market, but for what it is worth; I did enjoy seeing the characters come to life on screen and flying through levels in the berserker armour.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is a fantastic hack-and-slash for Berserk fans, and a good one for any other action fans.
A bloody romp, a fun time with no brainpower required. One good story followed by one not so good story and literally infinite side content. Fans of the Warriors series will get exactly what they expect, plus extra entrails. Fans of Berserk will likely get a kick out of sundering enemies in two as the black swordsman as well as the host of accompanying characters but may be disappointed that some story details fall by the wayside.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is mindlessly repetitive, but its combat is still somehow addictive enough to be an enjoyable action game with a dark-fantasy story that stays true to its source, most suitable for fans of Berserk. It even left me craving to try out new characters in Endless Abyss Mode. But it desperately needs more challenge and variety to carry it through its campaign, especially considering you can't bring a friend with you.
As an introduction to the world of Berserk, this would be a great title to play, as it definitely piqued my interest to read the original manga. For those burned out on musou titles, I’d say this is still a game to look into. Much of it is familiar, but the structure it provides manages to turn a quickly-tiring style of gameplay into something more engaging.
Despite repetition issues, Berserk and the Band of the Hawk combines its memorable story with Musou-style gameplay to produce a fun package for both fans and newcomers to the series.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is Omega Force's latest Warriors-styled experience based off an anime. The brutal nature of the battlefield feels right at home as you move from one fight to the next with the once-young man named Guts exploring his life through its veritable rollercoaster of ups and downs.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk doesn't do much special compared to other Warriors games, but it's a fun romp for fans of the series or Koei Tecmo's Warriors titles.
I enjoyed this game more than I did the last set of proper Dynasty Warriors games. There was a better connection with the characters, even though I was unfamiliar with the anime. It found a way to tell a much better story from the source material and make it a great experience overall as it focuses on a smaller group of characters. There are still a few hiccups in frame rate and draw distance, but this game is doing a lot with what the PS Vita has to offer.
Overall, Berserk and the Band of the Hawk provides the rich story that fans of the manga and anime will certainly appreciate. Unfortunately, the feel of the gameplay itself captures the unique nature of each character, but never feels like it shares the same soul as the series it’s based on.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk, like its source material, isn’t for everyone, but underneath its many flaws lies a solid core combat system and a great campaign mode that does a good job adapting the long-running manga to fit the Dynasty Warriors structure.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is the pinnacle of musou games, as far as I’m concerned. Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have experimented with the formula for years, and everything they’ve learned and perfected has led up to this game. Berserk Musou gives you the addictive, outrageous hack-and-slash combat musou games have had for ages. It gives you the unique characters and varied mission structures that musou games have only had in the last few years. And on top of that it gives you a gripping, mature, and masterful narrative that a musou game has never had. Until now.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is not only one of the best Musou titles to date, it’s the first license to truly fit the mould effortlessly.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk's fate is to be branded as yet another not-so-great initial effort from Omega Force. While the release does get a decent amount right – the story mode is nicely done in places and the fundamental combat mechanics are super satisfying – it stumbles on several fronts. Again, we're left with a Warriors game that's begging for a much improved sequel. Fans of Berserk will enjoy bathing in the blood for a good few hours, but it's hard to ignore the cracks at this sword's core.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk doesn't capitalize on the Dynasty Warriors formula as well as it could have, but its incredibly dark and engaging narrative makes it a unique experience. Dynasty Warriors fans will likely be satisfied with what it has to offer in the gameplay department, but if you're tired of that particular brand of hack 'n' slash then this will do little to change your mind.
Anime's most well known hack-and-slashing mercenary joins gaming's most prolific hack-and-slash series with mixed results.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is, as Musou games go, undeniably enjoyable and satisfying. The Berserk franchise fits the “Musou” style very well and the Berserk story gives a depth and a length that the genre generally lacks. Omega Force and Koei Tecmo’s decision to use established franchises for its recent Musou titles was a great move and Berserk was definitely a great choice for its latest collaboration. While the game isn’t breaking any new ground, fans of either the “Musou” series or the Berserk franchise will certainly enjoy Berserk and the Band of the Hawk.
Do you want to slice some demons into little meat chunks as a troubled badass, and perhaps missed out on the great Dreamcast and PS2 renditions of Berserk? Get Band of the Hawk. Seeing the story continue past the Golden Age is enough for an enthusiast to buy in. Otherwise, wait for the price to match what's being offered.
Berserk: Band of the Hawk is a pretty good fit for the Dynasty Warriors formula. It keeps up the story's tension with a dramatic mission structure, and doesn't shy away from the source material's mature themes.
Berserk and The Band of the Hawk is a button masher’s dream, but it doesn't bring much new to the Warriors template beyond putting players in Guts' shoes for action.