Coming
this fall from SCEA and Game
Republic, the unique martial arts title Genji: Dawn of
the Samurai looks to offer a unique blend of action and strategy for the console
gamer. Set in feudal
Japan, the game follows two young martial
artists with unique abilities as they face off against hordes of supernatural
foes who attack from all directions. They’re swordplay is quite powerful, and
each character has a variety of standard moves. However, what sets the game
apart are the special attacks, known as the Eihn, which allow them to chain
attacks and take out multiple foes with a few quick button presses. Read our
hands on preview to find out why Genji: Dawn of the Samurai looks to be an
impressive title, with action and depth.
Based
on the classic 11th Century Japanese literary work Tale of Genji,
considered by many to be the first novel, this upcoming release from SCEA and
Game
Republic
promises an authentic martial arts experience
for players. Set in 1149 AD, Genji: Dawn of the Samurai follows the adventures
of a noble Samurai warrior named Yoshitune on a quest to rid
Japan
of evil clan named the Heishi. The Heishi have
ruled the citizens of Kyo with an iron first, and banished the formerly
respected Genji clan as well. They have become quite adept at keeping the
citizens at bay thanks to their use of powerful ancient stones. With his
faithful companion, Benkai a large monk at his side, it’s up to Yoshitune to
battle the Heishi’s forces, liberate the citizens of Kyo and restore the good
name of his clan. The setting is brilliantly realized on a number of fronts, and
its this attention to detail that is the most exciting aspect of the game. Every
aspect of the game world, from its architecture to its’ subtle seasonal
changes, adds to the realism. The visuals are excellent and the natural
environments make the atmosphere in Genji: Dawn of the Samurai feel very much
alive. The design has a fairly linear structure, but still offers players the
opportunity to explore a richly detailed game world filled with excitement and
danger. The gameplay itself is straightforward and players should be able to get
right into the game thanks to its’ intuitive, easy to understand controls and
interface. The tactics and weapons you use are both powerful and authentic with
the swords and other weapons acting realistically. You can also increase your
skills by defeating enemies and earning level-ups. The action switches between
the two characters frequently, allowing for plenty of variety, with numerous
cinematic cutscenes allowing the story to flow naturally and extensively between
battles.
As the
game begins, you are given a quick tutorial on the ways of the Kumai, which is a
special ability that allows you to strike down multiple opponents with a single
move. This is quite effective if you can get the timing down. It’s a
relatively simple process once you get the hang of it, though it will probably
take some practice. You enable the Kumai move by press the L1 button. The action
then switches to another perspective, where time slows down and the environments
blur around you. Once this special ability is enabled, you have to press the
square button at a certain moment as enemies attack you. You can then chain
these together to take out the next opponent. While you may not be able to use
this in every encounter, the move is best used when you’re surrounded by
multiple opponents. The action is relentless giving you little room to breathe
between battles, but the complexity and strategy behind each battle gives Genji
plenty of depth, with multiple moves to master. The levels offer a good mix of
standard enemies, which are easy to attack, and tougher bosses and sub-bosses,
which can become epic battles. The level of difficulty looks to offer a solid
balance between thumb bruising action and strategy. The battles unfold at a good
pace, though occasionally, the sheer number of foes makes it difficult to figure
out which opponent to attack first. The enemy AI ranges from predictable for
most standard foes to quite challenging for some of the more elaborate boss
encounters, this should make Genji a solidly entertaining title. It’s
accessible controls and simple means most players should be able to jump right
in. However, it won’t be just another hack and slash, since the deep upgrade
and customization options should add depth to the title
While the basic moves and weapons should do a fairly good job of cutting through
enemies, players will be able to purchase numerous upgrades and items as they
progress through the game. Each of the characters has a unique fighting style
and moves set, which adds even more challenge. The game’s upgrade system is
quite extensive, and allows you to add to your character’s attributes can be
enhanced with additional strength, defense and health points, in addition to the
more standard weapons, armor and strength. In addition, players will be able to
track the characters’ growth and changes throughout their adventure, with
additional cinematic sequences that add to the game’s overall depth.
From an aesthetic standpoint, Genji stands out from the pack by offering some of
the more robust environments seen on the PS2. The look and feel of the world is
quite believable throughout, and the worlds change and mutate with the seasons,
adding to the realism. The character designs are excellent, with many featuring
elaborate feudal era costumes that seem alive with detail. You’ll face a
variety of human and demonic foes, though the consistency of the design makes it
seem believable throughout. The motion-capture was performed by one of
Japan
’s leading swordfight composers, which adds
to the intensity of the battles. For character movement and capture, the
developers enlisted the aid of Ken Watanabe’s stunt double from “The Last
Samurai” film, which should add to the game’s overall intensity. The
game’s music and sound effects seem to blend perfectly with the feel and
pacing of the action, making Genji sound as good as it looks. Since most of the
action takes place in a third-person perspective, players won’t have to spend
a lot of time fussing with the camera controls. However, the perspective changes
frequently enough so that you won’t feel like you’re playing through a
series of static backgrounds and, the numerous cinematic cut scene do an
excellent job of fleshing out the story and bringing the characters to life. The
voice overs are in Japanese, with subtitles, and the music is excellent, with
the classically Japanese score setting the mood and pacing effectively. With
more than 30 missions included in all, this looks to offer plenty of action.
Disappointingly,
Genji won’t include any multiplayer or online modes, which is a real shame
since the accessible controls and fast pace would make it an ideal candidate. In
addition, the graphics, while smooth and detailed, seemed to suffer from some
jaggies. The game also has a few camera issues, with some angles that made it
difficult to position your character in relation to enemies. There is a lock-on,
which helps to mitigate this to some degree. While these problems seem
potentially significant, they don’t look to be serious enough to detract from
the overall experience and might even be cleaned up somewhat when the final
version ships. Based on our impressions of the preview disc, Genji: Dawn of the
Samurai looks quite impressive, with fast action, fluid controls and plenty of
depth that should satisfy fans of the genre. The game’s excellent production
values, gorgeous environments and, smooth character animation further add to the
appeal of this title. This looks to be one of the better samurai titles on the
PS2 to date, since it mixes the action-orientation of games like Onimusha with
the depth and authenticity of the Dynasty Warriors franchise, while creating a
unqiue vibe all its own. Genji looks quite impressive at this early stage, which
good looking visuals and solidly entertaining gameplay making it one of the more
promising developers at
Game
Republic
and SCEA this year.
Genji - Dawn of the Samurai
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Game Republic
Platform: PlayStation 2
Genre: Martial Arts
Release: September, 2005
