Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends Review

March 20, 2008 - As
much as I appreciate the fun elements in Koei's Warriors games, I have
to be straight-forward with this one: if you've played any of the
Dynasty Warriors or Samurai Warriors games in the past, you've played
this one -- especially if you played Samurai Warriors 2 (Check our original review).
As many gamers know, the Warriors titles always stick with the same
basic button-mashing formula and bring little else to the table. That,
unfortunately, seems to be the case here.

If you've never played any of these titles before, let me spend a
moment on the basics. Xtreme Legends has you guide a character through
simple environments set in feudal Japan, hacking away at hundreds of
enemy soldiers. Each battle usually has a certain set of conditions for
winning, and you move from stronghold to stronghold dispatching enemy
officers and ensuring victory for you and your army. Combat typically
revolves around the basic alteration of two different attacks,
complimented by a special Musou technique that clears large numbers of
foes.



But as far as Warriors games go, Xtreme Legends is a bit of an odd
case. It's actually expansion content for the original Samurai Warriors
2, but delivers this content in a very convoluted way. Xtreme Legends
is only available on Xbox Live for 2400 Microsoft Points (US$30) and requires
the original game, even if you're only interested in the expansion
content. By contrast, PS2 owners get Xtreme Legends on a separate disc
that can be played without the original.

The expansion content in question includes a handful of new characters
(and their respective story modes), a few weapons and attacks, two new
difficulty levels, a raised level cap and the addition of the Mercenary
Mode. This Mercenary Mode uses the exact same battle mechanics you'll
find throughout the rest of the game but is structured in a more
episodic fashion, where you work your way up through missions and hire
other soldiers, accomplish special tasks, etc. It's a fine addition but
ultimately gives more of the same.

As is usually the case, Xtreme Legends works just fine if you're a fan
of button-mashing. Although there is a very basic combo system
integrated into the title, the grand majority of your time will be
spent pounding away at one or two buttons, with the occasional trigger
thrown in for good measure. Fans of the Warriors franchises will feel
right at home and I imagine that this is the kind of content they
enjoy, but I think everything here feels incredibly stale. The added
content does very little to bolster the already repetitive formulas
embedded within the original.

I'll admit: this guy is pretty cool.


In Xtreme Legends' defense, I definitely enjoy the RPG elements
contained within the combat. Having the added incentive of uncovering
new weapons, hiring new guards and especially leveling up your
character to ridiculous proportions always makes a game more enjoyable
for me. But when the combat is so uninspired, it's difficult to develop
a keen interest in the experience as a whole.

If you're really curious about getting your hands on more content for
Samurai Warriors 2, I can assure you that it only adds more of the same
stuff you already played. In fact -- as far as I can tell -- some of
the new characters have stories pulled directly from the scenarios
found in the original game. It all feels bland.

And of course, there's the pressing issue about the delivery method.
You're paying around thirty bucks for this content. But I question how
likely it is that 360 owners will still have a copy of Samurai Warriors
2 lying around from about a year and a half ago. In light of these
circumstances, I don't consider Xtreme Legends to be a particularly
enthralling deal.
Closing Comments
Xtreme
Legends is just more of the same, on top of an already repetitive and
mostly overused concept. I can understand why some gamers still enjoy
the various Warriors franchises (especially those RPG attributes) but
Xtreme Legends doesn't offer that much for thirty dollars. If you're
desperate to add on to your Samurai Warriors experience, go for it.
Otherwise, pass on this one.
IGN Ratings for Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends (X360)



RatingDescription

out of 10
4.0	Presentation Xtreme Legends seems somewhat pricey for such little content -- content that requires previous saves/discs to be fully explored.
5.0	Graphics As is the case with some of the other Warriors titles, Xtreme Legends doesn't push the platform quite that hard. Bland textures and pop-in are commonplace.
4.5	Sound Once again, terrible voice acting dominates this title. The music has a charming Eastern flair to it, but it can be repetitive.
5.0	Gameplay More of the exact same button-mashing and mindless running about that you've possibly come to expect. Expanded content is lackluster.
6.5	Lasting Appeal As I mentioned above, the RPG elements definitely add depth and longevity to the experience, but I find it ultimately unfulfilling.
5.0 Meh	OVERALL (out of 10 / not an average)