If you love the PS2 game, you'll love this!

Reviewed by will.bevins on January 14, 2008  |  report this review

I have devoted many, many hours of my life to the Dynasty and Samurai Warriors franchise, and have used numerous hours of my brother's PSP's battery life playing this game. SW: State of War is a lot like playing the original SW plus the expansion pack, Xtreme Legends. It has all the characters of both SW and Xtreme Legends, and the fights are very alike - rapid mook slaughtering plus key objectives. The weapons are similar between games, and the artwork, including the menus, outfits, and maps should be very familiar to a SW fan, but take note that the characters can't change outfits like they could in Xtreme Legends. The statistics are also almost the same, and statistics increase in a similar manner, with one minor addition to character stats and the exciting replacement of Subofficers for bodyguards.

There are significant differences as well, but anyone who has played Dynasty Warriors for the PSP will still feel at home. The large overhead map, begun way back in PS2's Dynasty Warriors 2 and continued in the PS2 Samurai Warriors games, has been replaced by a tactical map that at first glance resembles a card game. Each "card" is a like a chunk of the overhead map. The player's object is to invade, control, and pass through these areas, while at the same time the enemy forces try to meet their tactical objectives. Single-use "Charms" allow the player - or enemy characters - to either help his/her own side, or hinder the enemy on the map. Another major difference is that there aren't items, but instead Subofficers, who are captured during battles. A high-level character can enter battle with up to 4 subofficers, who boots his/her stats, fight alongside the player's character, and may even confer special, sometimes unique abilities.

Of course, if you dislike the Dynasty/Samurai Warriors series of games, your mind probably won't be changed by this game. Some people I know find the fights really tedious. If you have never played any games in the series, I think a better place to start would be the PS2 versions - any of them. The reason: my only beef with this game is its plots. They're very weak. In the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors games, a fan comes to really admire the characters. SW: State of War doesn't bother to flesh them out. Still, having spent WAAAY too long with the characters already, this didn't bother me.