I always seem to be the odd-man out when it comes to KOEI’s action strategy titles. Sure, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors are essentially the same game series with a handful of distinctions between them, and changes seem to come only in small increments these days, but fans – myself included – keep coming back for more. The Empires series has its own set of problems with fans and reviewers because it combines elements – for better or worse – that fans of the other series don’t particularly like.
Those fine folks want action and don’t want all the maps and strategy elements mucking things up. And the game just doesn’t hold a candle to KOEI’s other venerable strategy series Romance of the Three Kingdoms because it lacks that series’ exhaustively deep strategy elements.
But for gamers that want something right in the middle – a little strategy, a little diplomacy, a little resource management, and a lot of well planned action – the
Empires series truly is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I count myself amongst the latter camp – I love Samurai Warriors 2: Empires for mixing all these elements in varying degrees to give me something that is entertaining, slightly tactical and fun. SW2 Empires is far from perfect, and is found lacking in a number of areas, but it is fun if you can get your head around what the game is all about.
In the game you choose a lord to reunite feudal Japan through a number of historical battles against the country’s most prolific leaders of the time. You’ll do this province by province, tackling armies, capturing enemy officers and adding them to your ranks and using special skills that give you everything from gold for your war efforts to learning new battlefield maneuvers. As you use your head and your might to subdue these provinces, you’ll gain the attention of the emperor who will reward you for your hard work with a higher rank. At the end of it all you’ll reunite whatever provinces are on the map under one rule – yours.
Like any game made by KOEI, as you defeat more and more enemy soldiers and officers you and your camp will gain experience, new weapons, horses and access to all sorts of nifty skills and extras that range from diplomacy to the ability to hire officers locally.
The gameplay is well paced, broken up into various stages from fife management, to diplomacy, to deployment and then to war. At the end of all these phases is a massive battle phase, which is ultimately what traditional Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors fans really want.
The combat is there and is the key focus of the game, but first you’ll have to learn the intricacies of each phase and be smart enough to take advantage of it all while at the same time saving enough money to pay your troops.
While the strategy elements aren’t all that deep, mastering them makes the game a heck of a lot easier than just pushing through to the combat phase like some kind of crazy warlord. You’ll start out by choosing your fife, picking your officers and then jumping into the two phases of the game. The first is the strategy phase where you’ll use policies to strengthen your army, keep your people happy, earn money, engage in trade and a thousand other little activities that give you an advantage. After this phase is the battle phase where you’ll organize your troops, move them where you need them and get ready to attack, defend or help out an ally. From there the battle begins and you’ll be tossed into the familiar world that you have seen a thousand times in KOEI’s other games.. with a few differences..
In the Empires games, you don’t have bodyguards – you have generals and lieutenants. These officers are there to take commands and command their own forces to capture key points on the map. Sure, you can force the officers to accompany you and defend you, but it’s kind of hard to capture multiple points on a map when everyone has to play wet nurse to the almighty lord and master.
