Xbox 360 vs. PS2

The only real differences between the Xbox 360 version of the game and it's PS2 sibling are multiplayer via Xbox Live, an obvious graphical superiority and Xbox Live Achievements. On the presentation side, players will get High Definition support and digital Dolby 5.1 support. The game also offers 5 save slots and some unlockable achievements.

For multiplayer there's the new Vs. Mode, which lets players race to defeat a boss on two separate maps. Players who compete online will also have a score that rises and lowers as you win or lose "ranked" matches, Those who want to practice online can do so with regular "Player" matches which don't affect scoring. The three rankings will be "Score Ranking," "Streak Ranking," and "Weekly Ranking." Finally, KOEI promises that there will be unlockable content that you can download like special Vs. skills, special gaurds and mounts.

Final Thoughts

Samurai Warriors 2 is a fun game, though much like many of the sports game franchises on the market, KOEI is delivering an incremental release offering some nice new features and changes that make the gameplay more fluid. It's obviosu that this latest game in the Japanese side of the Warriors series is looking for the hearts and minds of its fan base. Will the new changes and additions be enough to satisfy fans of the first game? We'll let you know in September when the game lands on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2. You can learn more about Samurai Warriors 2 by visiting www.koei.com .