Way of the Samurai 2

Way of the Samurai 2

Developer(s) Acquire
Publisher(s)
Composer(s) Noriyuki Asakura
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
Release date(s) PlayStation 2
  • JP October 9, 2003
  • NA May 21, 2004
  • PAL July 7, 2004
PlayStation Portable
  • JP September 3, 2009
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player (main game)
Distribution 1 DVD

Way of the Samurai 2 (侍道2 Samurai Dou 2) is a PlayStation 2 (PS2) action-adventure game released in 2004. It was released on PlayStation Portable only in Japan in 2009.[1]

The game is a prequel to Way of the Samurai.

Gameplay

The player starts as a starving rōnin who collapsed at the gate of a famous trading island-city called Amahara. Soon thereafter, a little girl shares her riceball with the ronin, giving him (or her, depending on the player's choice) energy. A choice appears, introducing the player to the diverse life of a samurai.

Combat

The combat system from the original Way of the Samurai are carried over, albeit with some changes. Amongst them are the inclusion of "stance-breaker" attacks on nearly every weapon, a simplified guard/parry system, and instant kill techniques.

Swords

Many swords have been added from the previous game. Some special swords from the previous Way of The Samurai are available. Way of The Samurai 2 adds two more stances, "Fencing" stance in which the swordsman keep the sword sheathed until it is required to attack, and "Two Hands" stance, in which the player is able to hold two swords at once. Also, there are new weapons installed such as handclaws, and even odachi and bokken.

Enhancements

Dojima from the previous game also makes an appearance, though unrelated to the main plot. Here he still serves as a blacksmith to enhance the player's swords. The stats, however, are simplified:

Also, the "Appraise" feature is able to make the swords upgraded more powerful. Their effects include addition to attack, defense, durability, tension resistance, or a combination of the above. These, however, requires certain conditions to be met, such as number of kills. Some special swords are able to be appraised based on their name.

Factions

There are multiple sides in Amahara.

The first is the magistrates. Headed by Chief Kuroha, the alert and vigilant magistrates arrest anyone they think breaks the law. They do not hesitate to use forged evidence or invent ludicrous reasons. This oppressive rule made them feared by the townspeople.

The second is the Aoto gang. Under the leadership of the "Old Boss" in the past, the Aoto gang upheld chivalry, protecting the people from the exploits of the magistrates. All changed when the boss died. The elections for the new leader have not been done, but a powerful warrior named Hanzaemon stepped in and filled the void, much to the dismay of the previous boss's daughter Kasumi. Now they are a ravaging group of thugs, committing crimes.

The third group is the townspeople. Centered around the brothel of Amakaze, the townspeople's livelihood very much depended on the brothel and the resulting trade that occurs in the vicinity. While they lacked warriors, they do possess enough money to occasionally hire ronin to solve their problems.

Amahara is an island trading post who is allowed to govern its own affairs. However, the Shogunate have been taking an interest in the area. Rumor has it that their spies have safely made their way in, blending with the crowd, and are watching every single movement within Amahara.

Characters

At the start of the game, the character is a Ronin and his default name is Mifune but you can change his name in character screen

Magistrates

Aoto Gang

Amahara people

Soundtrack

The original soundtrack of the game was composed by the Japanese composer Noriyuki Asakura, it was released on May 21, 2003. It consists of 26 short songs that are played within the game.

All music composed by Noriyuki Asakura.

No. Title Length
1. "This World - Land of the Chance Meeting"    
2. "Vicissitudes"    
3. "Walking About"    
4. "The Valley Between Heaven and Earth - The Shadows of Dreams"    
5. "The Valley Between Heaven and Earth - In the Lonely Night"    
6. "Reality and Illusions"    
7. "Scattering Seeds of Chivalry"    
8. "The Boundaries of Pleasure"    
9. "Vestige of the Age of Gods"    
10. "Spirit in Conflict"    
11. "A Gentle Bearing"    
12. "From the Depths of My Heart"    
13. "The Scheme"    
14. "The Sound of Utter Delusion"    
15. "A Number of Omens"    
16. "Quiet Agony"    
17. "Startling Memory"    
18. "Fragmented Thoughts"    
19. "Fresh Bonds"    
20. "After All the Worry"    
21. "The Whirlpool of Transient Life"    
22. "A Pure Soul"    
23. "Hope and No Hope, Escape and No Escape"    
24. "Pressing Forward"    
25. "Discovery"    
26. "Souls Bonded and Split"    

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings63.09%[2]
Metacritic59/100[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge6/10[4]
Electronic Gaming Monthly5.5/10[5]
Eurogamer4/10[6]
Famitsu32/40[7]
Game Informer3.25/10[8]
GamePro[9]
Game RevolutionD+[10]
GameSpot6.3/10[11]
GameSpy[12]
GameZone6.2/10[13]
IGN6/10[14]
Official PlayStation Magazine (US)[15]
Maxim4/10[16]
The Times[17]

Way of the Samurai 2 was met with mixed reception upon release, as GameRankings gave it a score of 63.09%,[2] while Metacritic gave it 59 out of 100.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (2009-08-09). "Way of the Samurai 3 Plus Official". Andriasang.com. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Way of the Samurai 2 for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Way of the Samurai 2 for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  4. ↑ Edge staff (July 2004). "Way of the Samurai 2". Edge (138): 105.
  5. ↑ EGM staff (August 2004). "Way of the Samurai 2". Electronic Gaming Monthly (182): 104.
  6. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (July 29, 2004). "Way of the Samurai 2". Eurogamer. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  7. ↑ "侍道2". Famitsu 774. October 16, 2003.
  8. ↑ Mason, Lisa (July 2004). "Way of the Samurai 2". Game Informer (135): 116. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  9. ↑ Bro Buzz (August 2004). "Way of the Samurai 2 Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro: 66. Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  10. ↑ Silverman, Ben (July 9, 2004). "Way of the Samurai 2 Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  11. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (July 6, 2004). "Way of the Samurai 2 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  12. ↑ Steinberg, Steve (July 7, 2004). "GameSpy: Way of the Samurai 2". GameSpy. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  13. ↑ Knutson, Michael (July 12, 2004). "Way of the Samurai 2 - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 2, 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  14. ↑ Sulic, Ivan (July 1, 2004). "Way of the Samurai 2". IGN. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Way of the Samurai 2". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 88. July 2004.
  16. ↑ Porter, Alex (July 6, 2004). "The Way of the Samurai 2 [sic]". Maxim. Archived from the original on July 10, 2004. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Way of the Samurai 2". The Times. May 29, 2004. Retrieved May 26, 2014.(subscription required)

External links