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AtomYoshitsune Eiyuuden
aka The Story of the Hero Yoshitsune.
After millions of copies of Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors titles were sold in Japan alone From Software decided to jump on the bandwagon. Better known for making Armored Core games and Tenchu Kurenai, From Software is a new contender in the hybrid strategy-action genre. Their story has its roots in Japanese history. You’ll be playing as Yoshitsune who was the leader of the Minamoto clan in the military era of 1100’s feudal Japan.
In the history books Yoshitsune was known for being a good leader in battle. However, in the game you’ll throw out most of the tactics for mastering Yoshitsune’s skill with the blade. The actual gameplay is really similar to any other hack and slash game out there. Yoshitsune can jump by pressing X and do a basic jumping attack. He can also do a decent number of combos by alternating between basic attack (square) and a hard slash (triangle). Playing a character with a handful of moves is OK for part of the game, but you really need more moves than these to keep the game interesting. By the time you’re halfway through the game you will have seen all the gameplay it has to offer. The combo system doesn’t get anymore advanced or challenging. In fact you can’t even customize it or learn new usable skills like in similar titles.
In lieu of not being able to customize Yoshitsune’s own attacks you’re able to customize everything else around him. At the start of the level you can select from a couple of generals, each with different abilities. Generals tag along with you like advanced body guards. Yoshitsune can even give them commands by holding down the L1 or R1 button to activate the general skill menu. This will allow you to call up skills you assigned earlier. Each general can learn more skills by obtaining skills scrolls hidden in each level. Of course different generals can learn different skills, so it takes a tiny bit of thought when preparing for battle. Most of the time you will want a powerful close range fighter and a long distance archer on your team. This combination offers the most balance in the game. You can use your close range fighter as a shield when you’re low on life. The archer plays a more offensive role, launching arrows on oncoming troops.
Battles take place on large open fields. Unlike other 3D action games there is a specific and typically narrow path to follow. Since the game forces you along a certain path, you’ll always fight the same groups of enemies in the same places. Enemy encounters are a constant stream with a few troops at a time. In Yoshitsune you don’t want to be surrounded. A couple of hits will easily finish you off. Also enemy warriors won’t drop dead after one or two hits. There is a bit more realism in between swordfights. Each individual encounter feels slightly more intense in comparison to the large scale battles that Dynasty Warriors players are used to. If you are quick enough to knock a troop on the ground you can do an impale move for an instant kill.
The Story of Hero Yoshitsune is visually appealing in style. The environments and movies have a tranquil feel to them. Each massive battle takes place in a large outdoor environment. While these areas are nice to look at they are full of invisible walls or in other cases poor clipping. The unclear boundaries and sometimes hilarious clipping errors puts the game in a mediocre graphic level. The game does suffer from jagged edges. Most notably you’ll see the spiky grass. On the plus side the game has a unique style to it and the characters in Yoshitsune look good. The in game videos aren’t too bad either. Some of the little details like pink leaves blowing in the wind and subtle character expressions make the FMVs stand out.
If you’re looking for a hack and slash game The Story of Yoshitsune shouldn’t disappoint. A simple combo system makes the game accessible and the hints of an in game story will keep players engaged. What separates this game from other top tier titles are a couple of details. There is the lack of a progressive combat system. This means that most gamers will get sick of the same gameplay rather quickly. Worse of all is the lack of a two player system. I can imagine that this game would be a blast to play with a friend, but no such mode is available. Just don’t have your expectations high and enjoy the simple ride that From Software has made for you gamers out there.
Import Friendly? Literacy Level: 4
All of the menus and level goals are written in kanji. This could make playing the game difficult, if it wasn’t more instinctual gameplay. Even if you only have a glimpse of what is actually going on, the Story of Hero Yoshitsune can still be fun to play.
US Bound?
Currently this game in unannounced. It seems unlikely that this game will be brought over due to localization issues.
+ Pros: A dramatic tale told in between swordplay.
- Cons: Too slow to be an action title and not enough depth to be a strategy game either.
Overall: The Story of Hero Yoshitsune does a fair job of blending drama and fighting. Now if it just had a better combo system and a faster gameplay engine we would be somewhere.
< Screenshots >
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