Back in Time - Genji Dawn of The Samurai- Review

 

  Here we are, with SCEA of Japan's Genji: Dawn of the Samurai for the PlayStation 2. I reviewed the sequel to this on the PS3 years ago, and had to see earlier in the series to find how the story began. This game was released in fall of 2005 on the PS5. At that time I was just about to graduation from college, and enter my career. I purchased many games in that period, but was focused on the upcoming handheld titans in the PSP and Nintendo DS which were releasing. I saw this game at a game store back then, with intriguing art, but it was only years later that I purchased the sequel.

  The setting is in feudal Japan, with warring nations utilizing the power of a clan of beings called the Heishi, which are extremely powerful. They harness the power of crystals known as Amahagane, which imbue the owner super power. You play as Yoshitsune, the father to the sequel hero and son of a great general of the war. Now you embark on a mission to stop a warlord from taking all the Amahagane and destroying the entire clan.

  The fighting system is very interesting, with a light attack for he square button, heavy attack for the triangle button, jump with the X button, and evade button with circle. The right trigger blocks and the left trigger engages the hyper state when you build up your Amahagane meter. The combo system is not fully free flowing, and you cannot freely mix up heavy and light attacks, nor are there a large amount. You will actually cause delay and vulnerability if you try to deviate from the few combos. However, I did uncover some really slick combos with each character over time. Benkei is the side kick to Yoshitsune, and is slow and powerful. He also cannot dodge with the circle button in a conventional way. He charges after a startup period, which can feel vulnerable. The menu has items, limited equipment, and amahagane which are used to expand your stats. As you fight and explore,, you will find pieces of amahagane in areas and on enemies. Every 3 pieces you collect upgrade a stat of your choice, strength, health, or defense.

  I found that fairly early in the game, I used Benkei. This game had lots of exploring and was very interesting, but it didn't have a lot of the out of place platforming that the sequel has. There is an experience system that gets you to level up and what I appreciated was that each level up replenishes health. There are no inns in this game, so in the couple of towns you travel to, you only save and stock up. There is a blacksmith to make weapons and armor, but I found I never had the items and money he needs to make anything. I probably made one piece of armor the entire game.

  As the game progresses, there is betrayal by close companions to the heishi generals, and the kidnapping of the priestess who has the ability to merge amahagane and make them stronger. You can revisit the towns on the map that are now ravished with heishi troops to fight, level up and find lost artifacts, weapons and items. The game had very decent challenge, and varied enemies. The boss fights were not that numerous, but the last bosses were irritating. A foe who you defeated earlier gains power and turns on the heishi for his own purposes and is the final boss. I watched videos online of player doing horrible and beating him, while I struggled, actually playing with skill, which really bothered me. But you have to stat build to stand up to his attacks. And you have to heal alot. On  the 10th try, I finally decimated him. The ending was pretty good, and there is more to play, as new modes and difficulties are opened up. I really enjoyed this title, and will play again. Reminiscent 8/10