Warfare in gaming is typically simplified into a tale of good versus evil with the player getting to triumph over the bad guy in the end. Rarely is history that black and white when closely examined, but the atrocities of combat are easier to justify when it’s deemed noble in nature. Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada takes the road less traveled in gaming, as it presents feudal Japan in a much more realistic view. Clans were fighting for what they believed in, mostly in terms of unifying Japan, and if that meant conflict then they weren’t afraid to test their convictions.
Unlike other games in Omega Force’s Samurai Warriors series, Spirit of Sanada follows the story of one specific family. Players begin the lengthy story by playing as family patriarch Masayuki Sanada, a legendary tactician that became notorious for his switching allegiances, and eventually play as his two sons: Yukimura and Nobuyuki. This focused narrative helps the game out an incredible amount, as it helped me become more invested in the events of feudal Japan. Past games were hard to follow at times, due to it focusing on over a dozen clans battling it out, while this manages to tell a more impactful story. What hasn’t changed is the core combat, as it builds upon Samurai Warriors 4‘s gameplay. Players still slice their way through hundreds of enemy soldiers with ease as they mash out impressive looking combo attacks, ride their horse (or panda!) over visually uni...