Jack is back! If you’re confused as to where it lands in the timeline, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time splits off from the Season 5 episode, where Ashi and Jack flee through time to deal with Aku once and for all. Instead of following the events of that finale, Aku meddles and traps Jack somewhere between time. Separated from the woman he loves, Samurai Jack is forced to relive past battles in this game and fight his way back to her.
Even though he’s reclaimed his magical sword, Jack’s going to need more tools at his disposal. These familiar faces have weaknesses we can exploit. There are several ways to acquire melee weapons. I literally tore the limbs off a giant beetle and ended up with a sweet scythe that sliced like a hot knife through butter. Jack found a morning star at one point, perfect for crushing bones. I’ve stolen several from enemies and received some as gifts from the Scotsman, his daughters, and Rothchild.
For those hard to reach combatants, you’ll want to get your hands on some ranged weapons. My personal favorites are the shuriken. Those ninja stars really fly from my fingers. But sometimes a bow and arrow or a handgun might be more appropriate for the task at hand. For instance, the bow is ideal for those hard to reach emperor medallions, since you can manually target with it.
It’s important to note that your weapons can and will take damage. Whenever you spot Da Samurai in your vicinity, make sure to pay him a visit. You’ll want to check the status of your weapons and see if they need repair. I lost two bows to poor weapon maintenance. I pushed them too far and they broke, vanishing from my inventory and leaving me with a bundle of arrows.
Da Samurai also offers special weapons training. Spending gold on this service increases the stats for the selected weapon class and unlocks new moves. So far I’ve focused on improving my sword and spear attacks.
Another way to boost your mojo is to invest skill and bushido points wisely. The most devastating blows lie within the skill tree. Maxing out all three trees might be a bit of a grind, requiring some back tracking and completing challenges. You know you’re going to push Jack to his limit. Have every available tool in my belt for that final Aku battle? Don’t mind if I do.
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is the best fanservice game I have played in a while. Getting to visit Jack’s journey in a playable format was more enjoyable than I expected, and there’s a secret ending hardcore fans need in their lives. You can purchase the game on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Steam, and the Epic Games Store right now.
