Samurai
Showdown has always been a sort of …different fighter. It’s always the one
forgotten when people list their favorite fighting games, and some gamers have
never even heard of the series. I personally enjoyed the series, even if it
wasn’t as much as Street Fighter or Tekken. It had a very unique feel compared
to other 2D fighting games.
With that
being said, I was very disappointed with Samurai Showdown V. I was expecting a
slightly updated look and sound with the classic controls I knew and loved.
After some time with the game it seemed to have taken a step back – every aspect
of the game is far below average. It doesn’t have much to offer, either, aside
from the typical Arcade Mode and multiplayer modes.
Arcade Mode
is what you would expect from any fighter: fight one enemy after another with
some short story sequences until you finish the game. There is also a Practice
mode with a good amount of options to tweak so you can practice just the way you
want. This way you can practice your moves on an opponent that won’t fight back,
allowing you to perfect your strategy for when you head online.
Samurai
Showdown V features an online mode where you can hop on Xbox Live and test your
skill against other samurai around the world. Since fighting games are based on
competing, adding the online function was a great idea. For gamers like me that
can’t find someone to fight locally, the ability to challenge other players
online really saves the replay value of a game for me, as well as other gamers
in my position.
One thing
you notice from the very beginning is how low the quality is on things like
text, backgrounds, and sprites. Everything seems to have a really rough edge,
like it belongs on an older game system. At the end of the Xbox’s lifespan one
would expect a 2D game to look pretty crisp I would think. The backgrounds are
appropriate, but still could be improved. We were seeing beautifully animated 3D
backgrounds back on the Dreamcast, why can’t we have them on our Xbox?
The sound is
a mixed bag, featuring some very moody and appropriate music as well as tunes
that don’t fit at all. Some characters have great sound effects for their
attacks, while others have an annoying sidekick that emits unbearable squeals
during the entire fight. So at times I loved it, and other times I couldn’t
stand it.
There are
plenty of fighters to choose from in Samurai Showdown V, each with their own
unique feel, weapons, and attacks. Samurai Showdown does a great job of
providing diversity in their characters. Each character has a different speed,
jump distance, dodge speed, and size – not many fighting games feature this kind
of variety in their playable characters. There are 26 characters in all, and
each one has 4 different costumes.
The gameplay
in Samurai Showdown V is very deep, and beginners are going to have a hard time
at first. If you’re familiar with the learning curve in Guilty Gear, Samurai
Showdown is similar. There are not only moves to learn for each character, but
other strategies that all characters share. Once you get a good feel for the
game the fights become very entertaining, but at first they may feel slow and
frustrating.
Samurai
Showdown V is a fun game, but not fun enough to overcome its flaws. I would have
a hard time recommending this game to anyone that isn’t already a fan of Samurai
Showdown, but if you enjoy 2D fighters and have patience I believe that you
could enjoy this game. I consider myself a fighting game fan with patience, and
I still had a hard time seeing through the bad graphics and annoying sound.
Maybe if there were more gameplay options, unlockables, or any other objective
to work toward the good would outweigh the bad, but I’m afraid in this situation
it just doesn’t.
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Gameplay: 6.5
Samurai Showdown
is a series with a steep learning curve, and the gameplay mechanics are very
different from most fighting games, so it doesn’t always give off a good first
impression. If you take the time to learn a character the game can be a lot of
fun, but not a lot of gamers will do that if they don’t like the gameplay to
begin with.
Graphics: 4.0
I never like to
say this about any game, but Samurai Showdown V doesn’t look good at all. The
character sprites are extremely rough around the edges, the animations are a bit
choppy, the backgrounds are plain, and it just isn’t appealing to look at. It
doesn’t look horrible, but bad enough to distract from the actual gameplay.
Sound: 6.0
As I mentioned
above, this was a hard shot to call. Some of the music is perfect, while other
songs seem way too out of place. And while some fighters sound great, others
will drive you bonkers.
Difficulty: Hard
Even on the
easiest setting new players can have trouble with this game. The learning curve
is what makes the game difficult, and it may take the player some time to get
used to the controls.
Concept: 8.0
Bringing online
to a Samurai Showdown game was something the series needed. It can be hard to
find a fellow SS player, so having a place where they can all get together and
play is a great thing.
Multiplayer: 6.8
Multiplayer saves
the day! Having a competitive buddy to play with can make any game bearable, as
long as you’re both into it. Plus, with Xbox Live being the main focus of SSV,
multiplayer is what steals the show here.
Overall: 6.0
Unless you’re a
big fan of Samurai Showdown, be careful with this one. Even if you love 2D
fighting games, this one is not like Street Fighter or Guilty Gear. Samurai
Showdown has its own distinct flavor, and it can sometimes be too sour if you
aren’t expecting it.
