Samurai Shodown

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"SAMURAI SHODOWN is a fighting game that offers both single-player and multiplayer modes, including online play with Xbox Live Gold. This pack includes the main game, four DLC characters, and three retro 3D costumes. The series, known for its blade-wielding battles, has been popular since its debut in 1993 and now returns with high-end visuals and gameplay."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 526 reviews

gameplay50 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

The game features a unique and methodical combat system that emphasizes strategy and footsies over flashy combos, making it accessible for beginners.
The visuals and art style are stunning, with beautiful character designs and environments that enhance the overall experience.
The game has a diverse roster of characters, each with distinct playstyles, and offers a nostalgic feel for long-time fans of the series.

The online experience is severely lacking, with a dead player base and poor netcode that hampers competitive play.
The game requires an always-online connection, which limits its usability for offline play and can lead to frustrating experiences if the internet is unstable.
Many characters are locked behind DLC paywalls, making the full experience expensive and less accessible for new players.

gameplay
113 mentions
44 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Samurai Shodown is widely praised for its blend of simplicity and depth, emphasizing strategic, high-risk moves over complex combos, which makes it accessible yet rewarding for players. Reviewers highlight the game's beautiful art style, solid mechanics, and a diverse character roster, though some express frustration with the online experience and lack of content. Overall, it is considered one of the best fighting games in recent years, appealing to both newcomers and veterans of the series.
- “I unironically think this is the best fighting game ever made, from a gameplay and mechanical perspective.”
- “The tempo, the style, the sound, the visuals, and the gameplay are flawless to my senses. It keeps me very contented to lose or win, simply improving with synonymous satisfaction solo.”
- “Samurai Shodown combines the best aspects of fighting games with simple gameplay and few mechanics.”
- “But the unique gameplay, the lackluster single-player content, and the lack of online players make it tough to recommend.”
- “The gameplay itself is solid, but the game is dead; nobody is playing it.”
- “While most of the genre has moved to heavy combo-focused gameplay, Samurai Shodown emphasizes individual attacks, with each attack carrying weight.”
graphics
68 mentions
54 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style and beautiful visuals that evoke a traditional Japanese aesthetic. While some players find the graphics to be a significant improvement over previous titles, others feel they appear dated compared to contemporary fighting games. Overall, the visuals are generally considered appealing, though there are criticisms regarding shading issues and a lack of customization options.
- “The art style is great, creating some of the most colorful and gorgeous looking stages I've ever seen, with my absolute favorite being Mikatagahara Field.”
- “Beautiful art, beautiful graphics: best fighting game in a long time.”
- “The graphics aren't the highest fidelity, but the entire game is designed with a beautiful ukiyo-e aesthetic that makes you feel like you're playing a Japanese painting.”
- “The devs did improve the graphics, but it was apparent their in-house game engine wasn't going to do them any favors in the long run.”
- “Graphics are so outdated... it's sad because the fighting system is interesting.”
story
52 mentions
15 % positive mentions
79 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story mode in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the character backgrounds and dialogue, while others criticize it for being simplistic and lacking depth compared to other fighting games. Many noted technical issues, such as bugs and the inability to continue from where they left off, which detracted from the experience. Overall, while the visuals and character insights are praised, the mode is often seen as a missed opportunity for more ambitious storytelling.
- “Wow, peak of Japanese storytelling.”
- “The story mode is actually pretty decent compared to how other fighting games do it.”
- “The characters are full of life and personality, each with their own style and story.”
- “The only single player mode this game has is story, and it's trash.”
- “The game is pretty and super fun, but the developers were quite lazy when it comes to the story mode... other fighting games like MK and SF raised the bar by quite a lot, and Samurai Shodown didn't even bother... lazy texts with a few videos.”
- “There's a story mode, but that means you have to constantly skip the long story stuff.”
music
34 mentions
56 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to capture the essence of feudal Japan and enhance the gameplay experience, while others criticize it for being weak or lacking energy compared to previous titles. Many players appreciate the variety in the soundtrack, which includes traditional and orchestral elements, but some feel it falls short of the original games' memorable compositions. Overall, the music is seen as a significant aspect of the game's atmosphere, though opinions on its quality vary.
- “Fighting has the greatest soundtrack for a fighting game I could imagine, capturing the feeling of feudal Japan in all its majesty and beauty, and most of all, its brutal violence.”
- “The art style, characters, music, and intense and fluctuating pace of every match create an engaging experience.”
- “The music is just superb, setting a pleasant tone for battle and enhancing the overall gameplay experience.”
- “Simply an amazing game; the only negative is the lack of music. It's either bad or nonexistent.”
- “This game's music sounds like low-energy ambience.”
- “They used some of the original music's melody, but it's so lifeless and dull.”
optimization
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as framerate drops and stuttering, particularly on higher-end hardware. However, after multiple public betas and updates, many users now report that the game has improved considerably, offering a fantastic experience with better performance and quality-of-life changes. Overall, while initial optimization was poor, recent updates have made the game much more playable.
- “After over 4 public betas and a lot of improvements from both the SNK dev team and Code Mystics, the game has finally arrived at a point where it received numerous quality-of-life changes, as well as fixes to performance issues coupled with hardware requirements.”
- “Game is fantastic, looks fantastic, and it's extremely well optimized.”
- “Otherwise, the game will change the settings on every launch, reverting to what your PC could do if the game was optimized better.”
- “Trash, the game won't even open without proper launch commands, and the performance is garbage on an i5 13600k and 2070 Super.”
- “There are a lot of problems with the game's optimization.”
- “Framerate drops, stuttering, and input lag made a first-to-20 that would have otherwise been a great time feel like a slog.”
stability
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability has been criticized for frequent visual glitches, crashes, and freezes, with users reporting a generally unstable experience. While the second beta showed some improvement, issues like feeling "underwater" and ongoing bugs, particularly with rollback support, remain prevalent. Many players are hopeful for future updates to enhance stability.
- “There were visual glitches everywhere and characters would have heart attacks mid-round.”
- “The second beta, while a lot less buggy, felt kind of like I was underwater the entire time.”
- “So... first of all, it just doesn't run very well; you'll experience crashes and freezes here and there.”
character development
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-25 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is praised for its unique and well-executed designs, models, and animations, particularly within the samurai era setting. While most characters are well-received, one character, Iroha, has drawn some criticism despite her enjoyable playstyle. Overall, the character designs contribute positively to the game's appeal.
- “I'll give this game a positive review frankly because I love the character designs in this game (they're quite a lot more unique than you'd think), plus the whole samurai era setting, and the slower, more methodical gameplay with its parries and disarms.”
- “The character designs, models, and animations are pretty well done.”
- “The new character designs are nice.”
- “The character designs, models, and animations are pretty well done as well.”
- “Wouldn't mind picking up the soundtrack, and it's got solid overall character designs (except Iroha; I find her pretty cringey despite loving her playstyle).”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing voice acting, particularly that of Amakusa, and the comedic inconsistencies in attack animations, such as Baiken's finishers. Players find the game entertaining when played with friends, and the irony of a two-year-old game being on discount adds to its humor. Overall, the game successfully incorporates lighthearted elements that enhance the multiplayer experience.
- “Man, Amakusa's voice is hilarious.”
- “Offline is very funny to play with friends.”
- “The game being on discount for a week is hilarious, when it's two years old.”
replayability
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the game's replayability could significantly improve with the introduction of rollback netcode, which is expected to enhance gameplay and attract a larger player base. Additionally, having distinct stories for characters could further enrich the replay experience.
- “In my opinion, it would be best if they are playable and have their own story in this version.”
- “Once rollback comes out, the game will be much more playable and will hopefully attract more than 10 players a day.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its impressive graphics reminiscent of "Ultra Street Fighter IV," contributing to a strong overall experience, though some users note a lack of video options.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world with stunning visuals and sound design.”
- “The game's ambiance perfectly complements the gameplay, creating a captivating experience that keeps you engaged.”
- “With its rich environments and detailed graphics, the atmosphere truly enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.”