March2015
Review Toukiden: Kiwami (PlayStation 4)
It oni gets better
Toukiden: The Age of Demons was and still is a great adventure on the PlayStation Vita, but it's been made a bit obsolete by its follow-up, Toukiden: Kiwami. Not quite a sequel, Kiwami includes the entirety of the original game, plus a slew of new chapters which continue the story after the events of The Age of Demons. As such,...
Review Bladestorm: Nightmare (PlayStation 4)
Over the hills and far away
Originally released during the PlayStation 3's earlier years, Bladestorm remains a bit of an outlier as far as Koei games are concerned. Unlike Dynasty Warriors, the series that the publisher is perhaps best known for, Bladestorm is about conquering historical battlefields with brains rather than brawn. Taking on the...
February2015
Review Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires (PlayStation 4)
Empires of the Sun
Trying to describe Dynasty Warriors' spin-off Empires series is a difficult proposition, even to someone who's familiar with the franchise's main instalments. At their core, the games are the same, in that gameplay still involves hacking and slashing your way through entire armies in a bid to conquer China, but it's everything...
October2014
Review Samurai Warriors 4 (PlayStation Vita)
More than a slice
Warriors titles have enjoyed a good run on Sony's underappreciated handheld, with ports of recent releases proving to be decent alternatives to their home console counterparts. At times, portable play suits the hack and slashers better, as you can jump in and out of battle at a moment's notice. The only consistent problem is that...
Review Samurai Warriors 4 (PlayStation 4)
Ronin around at the speed of sound
The Samurai Warriors franchise has always played second fiddle to sister series Dynasty Warriors, especially over here in the West. Where the latter is now up to its eighth main instalment, without counting any spin-offs, Samurai Warriors has only just reached its fourth incarnation. To the inexperienced, there...
September2014
Review Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate (PlayStation Vita)
The handheld ultimatum
These days, publisher Koei Tecmo is all but forced to shove its Warriors games onto handheld consoles. With portable devices ruling the Japanese market, it makes perfectly logical sense, and what kind of musou fan would turn down the opportunity to wreck thousands of enemies on a small screen from the comfort of a seat on the...
Review Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate (PlayStation 4)
A good sssstarting point
Warriors titles may be having a decent critical run of late, but even that doesn't help the fact that this year has already had its fair share of titles from Koei Tecmo's slash-'em-up franchises. We've had Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn, and now we've got Warriors...
June2014
Review Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn (PlayStation 3)
"Amuro, I'm doing something extremely wicked"
With the indie gaming boom and so many big publishers trying their hands at projects that are somewhat different from the norm, it can be surprisingly refreshing to play something as single-minded as Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn. There are no immediate details to ponder – you just climb into a...
March2014
Review Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition (PlayStation 4)
Generation X-treme
"What's the deal with Dynasty Warriors?" is a question that's echoed every now and then across the gaming sphere. To say that it's a divisive property is an understatement – this is a franchise that's in possession of a rabidly loyal core fanbase, while each new instalment receives wildly varying review scores that range from...
Review Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition (PlayStation Vita)
Han-held
Sporting a name that's almost as ridiculous as its core gameplay, Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition consists of both Dynasty Warriors 8, which released on the PlayStation 3 last summer, and the Xtreme Legends expansion, which can also be purchased separately as a standalone title on Sony's ageing console. The latter...
February2014
Review Toukiden: The Age of Demons (PlayStation Vita)
SlayStation Portable
Toukiden: The Age of Demons tells the tale of a world engulfed in war between rampaging demonic hordes – known as Oni – and humanity's last hope of survival: Slayers. This overarching narrative paves the way for gameplay that's undoubtedly similar to Capcom's popular Monster Hunter franchise – but with the addition of a...
August2013
Review One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 (PlayStation 3)
Pieces of eight
Last month saw the release of Dynasty Warriors 8, the latest instalment in the seemingly never-ending hack and slash series. This month, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 arrives on Western shores, bringing with it more vast, hectic battles to sink your bloodied weapon of choice into. You’d be forgiven for being worn out on Warriors...
July2013
Review Dynasty Warriors 8 (PlayStation 3)
Xiahou done
There comes a time when you begin to ask yourself why you’re still playing a series of games that has somehow spawned eight main iterations and countless spin-offs while retelling the same old story over and over again. What could possibly be keeping your interest in a franchise that has done almost nothing but stick to its guns for...
February2013
Review Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires (PlayStation 3)
Far more than pushing square
In many ways, Dynasty Warriors' long running Empires spin-off series is more refined than the set of original games that form their basis. Typically, they add in new characters, weapons, and stages, overhaul a few mechanics, and overlay everything with relatively simple strategy elements. Indeed, Empires games are known...
