Topic: Let's compare Samurai Warriors and Samurai Heroes!

Nintendolife already has reviews for both up, but another direct comparison:

_{i'm pretty sure we've already discussed you not posting links to your own stuff on a website you work for. please find other examples or fully express your thoughts in this thread instead -- TBD}

4.5 stars/ 5 vs. 1.5 stars/ 5

Honestly, despite being the same basic idea, there is no comparison whatsoever better the two games. Every source is pointing to the same thing - Samurai Heroes is inferior. Way inferior. Except when the likes of Gamespot and IGN review them, because those guys don't even seen to play Warriors, but mark it on assumption these days.

You just put this entire conversation into one post.

I would be interested to see if there is anyone that prefers Samurai Heroes, and if so, for what reason. I honestly can't see it, but then I may well be blinded by a love for all things Koei.

Honestly I havent tried either of the games but samurai Warriors seemes better than Samurai Heroes based on the reviews and videos ive seen.

Both looks meh. And Metacritic give Samurai Heroes a 6 out of 10, and give Samurai Warriors a 5.7 out of 10

http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/sengoku-basara-samurai-heroes

http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/samurai-warriors-3

So I don't know what to say

Game scores, let alone average game scores, are a terrible measure of a game's quality.

Game scores are picked for one of two reasons 1) deliberately high or low for dramatic impact, or 2) at random because a reviewer "has to" use one.

If you read the reviews of Samurai Warriors, many reviewers missed the point entirely (especially funny over a Gamespot, where the reviewer went on and on about Chinese history... in a review about game with "Samurai" in the title). Samurai Heroes reviews tend to be more accurate, from what I can see.

Critics don't tend to give Warriors games the time of day any longer because they're under the mistaken assumption that each new game is exactly the same as the previous one. From the reviews I can't even be sure that they've played the game at all.

Sean Aaron's review here on NL is pretty good.

I must admit that Samurai Warriors looks better, it probably has a less rate in Metacritic because not enough gys have reviews samurai heroes, I think that samurai heros will be like 4.2 out of 10.

I think this discussion is happening in full force on the SBSH review page . . . As for me, I really wished I had waited in line and played either one of these at the various conventions this year, I thought it would be clear as to which one is superior but now idk.

Cheers Waltz. I saw the trailer for Basara and was really turned off by what appeared to be a total disregard for historical context. There seems to be a complete omission of the sweeping grandure of this historical era in Japan and instead the Sengoku ends up being some kind of grudge match between a couple of figures who look like members of the UFC.

The thing I enjoy most about Samurai Warriors 3 is the different stories and how they interlock. I decided to start out with Oda Nobunaga because of his role in Sakura Wars V of all things which led to my reading a bit about the Grand Unifiers of Japanese history and so I simply had to play through Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu's stories next. I've since been playing through the retainers of these characters and am gradually branching out. Each character is presented with different motivations yet few of them are depicted as evil or wrong in their beliefs.

The gameplay is quite engaging as well, even if the fodder doesn't always pose that big a threat - it's the scale of the thing and the over-the-top nature of your characters moves that makes it so much fun. I also think the way the online aspect works is the best attempt yet to build-in a sort of "online behind the scenes" feature that the Wii lacks due to its more old-school OS-on-the-game-disc mode of operation: you sign on and then your friends can see you online whilst playing the single-player version of the game. I presume this kind of functionality will be in their next console, but until then I don't see why every game with an online mode on the Wii doesn't already work this way.

I agree with all of this 100%

The actual button-mashing part of Samurai Warriors (arguably its least interesting element) is copied almost wholesale by Samurai Heroes, but other than that they are very different games. I too, perfer how open and sweeping the battlefields are, as they do actually feel like battlefields, rather than levels and stages.

And I also like how none of the characters are painted in the black and white "good and evil" that really hurts Samurai Heroes. They're all equally human characters in Samurai Warriors - yes they have different perspectives and motivations, but ultimately they're all trying to do what's right according to them.

On the other hand, in Heroes, Iyasu Tokugawa might as well be God (or, more accurately Aslan). He literally shines light out of his backside. Meanwhile, Oda is literally a demon, and Mitsunami is a psychopath. It's childish, and dull, and it really kills the game if you're even remotely interest in Japanese history (this is why Basara sells less well in Japan than Warriors).

I also discovered Sengoku history through Samurai Warriors, and now I read a lot about it in books and historical accounts. I'm personally most interested in the Hojo clan, and what happened to it (and alied Fuma clan) through the years. There are some really good books out there, if you dig enough.

I dont think Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes is THAT bad. I mean, it's a warriors game made to just play and dont think in heavywihted stories or characters. I really liked the characters because they were simple and were so odd... Just saying that i played Wii and PS3 versions of Sengoku absara: Samurai Warriors and i've been playing it through two weeks and i LOVE it.

Dont think that deserves so bad reviews.

Again, it probably depends on whether you have an interest in Japanese history, or you're just looking to beat stuff up. Heroes is ok from the latter perspective, but it is completely lacking in any compelling content beyond that.

Also, I prefer the art style of Warriors games. Weird looking freaks on wooden flying carpets just don't do it for me.

I'm playing SAMURAI WARRIORS KATANA (Wii) at the moment.

It's some sort of railshooter/railswordfighter with RPG elements. I bought it a year ago for cheap (12€) but now that I properly started it I am hooked. Yes, the sword controls could be better but there was no Motion Plus out at the time. It's not realistic sword movement, but it's decent (I have lots of practice from DRAGON QUEST SWORDS which worked in the same way.) The game has MANY stages with lots of surprising gameplay elements: Some stages are controlled like a 4-way-dungeon-game. In some stages you have complete control over movement so it's not a railshooter anymore. And you get new weapons like bow&arrow and a rifle or a lance and other weapons and ironically they all work much better than the Katana ("First Generation Wii-Sword"-controls). The audiovisuals are decent. Graphics could have been better but they do the job. Music is partly great but mostly it's that modernized pop with old japanese instruments mix and I hate pop. The voice acting is the usual Japanese quality in all major cutscenes (you can also switch to English).

Best thing about the game which makes it addicting and replayable: The better you are in a stage, the more gold and better rank (S,A,B,C,D) you get. With the gold you can level up your skills or weapons, and buy items. So if you get stuck on a stage, you can always repeat the easier stages to grind for money to level up your skills (strength, defense, luck, etc.) and aim for a higher rank. The gameplay is pretty much just like DRAGON QUEST SWORDS and RESIDENT EVIL: THE UMBRELLA / DARKSIDE CHRONICLES.

If you can get over the awkward sword controls, and like "railshooters" with RPG elements, and find it cheap, then it comes recommended.

I'm interested in Samurai Warriors 3 now and I'm willing to buy it when I completed Samurai Warriors Katana.

PS. I have no idea what Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes is, but I will look into it later.

I just want to make sure you realize this game is directly based off an anime. Koei didn't just say "Hey, screw the Three Kingdoms, let's make crap up!"

I'm kinda interested in Warriors: Katana, if only because i am a fan of Dragon Quest Swords. Thanks for that write up - sounds very interesting!

Liam, Heroes is from Capcom, not Koei, and regardless of where Capcom got the source material (I am familiar with the Anime, mind you, and I don't like it for the same reasons I don't like the game), I personally (and it seems like quite a few others out there in the world) find that source material objectionable.

It would be kinda like taking Abraham Lincon, giving him spiky red hair, and cybernetic arms so he can hold four guns at once, and then setting him out on a quest to kill as many dudes as possible. The latter half of that is ok enough for a game (Samurai Warriors), but the former half is going to put off a lot of people who might have otherwise enjoyed the game (Samurai Heroes).

i would play the ever-loving hell outta that game.

I played more of SAMURAI WARRIORS KATANA today and it is even better now:
Strategic fighting, intertwined storylines, horse racing, treasure hunting, item logistics,
about 60 very varied missions, a weapon forging system, 2 player versus mode, Mii support,
additional gameplay modes (minigames), 4 save slots, and a video trailer for another Koei game.
Pretty good for just 12€.

WaltzElf, if you liked Dragon Quest Swords and got to grips with the sword fighting mechanics, then you have no trouble enjoying Samurai Warriors Katana. Personally I really liked DQS (I rated it a 7/10), but SWK might be better (I'm halfway through) and it's almost an 8/10.
The main positive aspects that make it better than DQS is that there's more diversity in gameplay and controls and more stages. The stages are shorter than the ones in DQS, but DQS has only 10 stages and this seems to have 60 stages. It's a personal thing, but I like more shorter stages.

Anyway, Nobody here with both Samurai Warriors Wii games?
If I like SWK will I like SW3?

Samurai Warriors 3 is an entirely different game to SWK. There's no guarantee you'll like both. The only common elements are the historical background.

Otherwise, there's no point in even comparing the two.

I dont think so. Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes is the THIRD game of the Sengoku Basara series. The first Sengoku Basara was considerably cut an "addapted to occidental market" and was named Devil Kings and all the characters had name changes so they didnt resemble any historical people.

That anime surely is based around the first Sengoku Basara.

I was originally interested in it, but the controls sounded a bit borked. After reading your experience I might give a try though.

I think Koei's doing some nice stuff for the Wii. Their Mahjong Taikai game is probably the best console version of mahjong I've played.