Way of the Samurai 4

Slightly unpolished, but a strange and enjoyable blast from Japan's (fictional) past

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"Way of the Samurai 4" is an action-adventure game set in a port town in mid-19th century Japan. The arrival of foreign settlers has caused tension, leading to the formation of three factions. As a samurai, players must navigate the town, interact with its inhabitants, and make decisions that will impact the story. With a blend of customization, exploration, and combat, the game offers a unique experience with each playthrough.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,155 reviews

story104 positive mentions

graphics23 negative mentions

Engaging and humorous story with multiple endings that encourage replayability.
Deep combat system with a variety of fighting styles and weapon customization options.
Unique character interactions and the ability to influence the game world through choices.

Frequent crashes and technical issues, particularly with the PC port.
Clunky controls and poor keyboard/mouse support, making gameplay frustrating without a controller.
Graphics and animations are outdated, resembling a PS2 game rather than a modern title.

story
490 mentions
21 % positive mentions
76 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story in "Way of the Samurai 4" is characterized by its branching paths and multiple endings, allowing players to significantly influence the narrative through their choices, which enhances replayability. While the plot is often described as quirky and humorous, it can also feel disjointed and lacks depth compared to more polished titles, leading to mixed feelings about its overall coherence. Despite its shortcomings, the game offers a unique experience with engaging characters and a variety of side quests that contribute to the richness of the story.
- “Way of the Samurai 4 is one of my favorite types of games to play—an action-packed game with branching storylines that result in multiple endings through replays.”
- “The story is branching, fairly deep, and at times highly engaging, with clever plot twists, likeable and complex characters to get you invested, and a lot of replayability as you wind your way through the story tree in new ways to see every mission and eventually get the true ending.”
- “The game has a lot to offer in the realm of story as well, each of the varying paths have different tones to them, from the stereotypically dumb and easily impressed British foreigners, to the horribly sadistic statesmen, to the extremely sad storyline of the Prajna's.”
- “The story is mediocre, the characters are silly and bidimensional, the graphics belong in PlayStation 2... but it is fun!”
- “The story isn't the best in the world by any means at all, but learning more through new playthroughs is a treat.”
- “The story and characters are quite cliché and 'standard...' generally you can almost guess what's going to happen next in the plot.”
gameplay
139 mentions
27 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the reviewed titles is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics and notable flaws. While some players appreciate the depth and variety in combat styles and customization options, many criticize the repetitive nature of combat, technical issues, and lack of clear tutorials, which can hinder the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the games offer a unique blend of sandbox elements and player choice, leading to a high replay value for those willing to navigate the learning curve and technical challenges.
- “Kenshi: a sprawling open-world RPG with a focus on sandbox gameplay and base building, set in a post-apocalyptic world inspired by feudal Japan.”
- “The gameplay is superb, the combat is superb.”
- “The combat mechanics are just complex enough to keep things interesting and dynamic -- learning the different styles and how to best react to them is a blast, and just simple enough that you can still do well even after your third jaeger bomb.”
- “Repetitive combat: while multiple styles exist, the core combat mechanics can feel repetitive and button-mashy.”
- “Technical issues: some players report bugs and crashes that can disrupt gameplay.”
- “The fighting mechanics are slow and frustrating.”
graphics
118 mentions
13 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely criticized for being outdated, often compared to those of PS2 or early PS3 titles, with many reviewers noting a lack of graphical options and frequent performance issues such as low frame rates and crashes. While some players appreciate the game's aesthetic and find the visuals acceptable for gameplay, the overall consensus is that the graphics do not meet modern standards and may deter players seeking high-quality visuals. Despite these shortcomings, many agree that the gameplay and content can still provide an enjoyable experience.
- “Ghost of Tsushima: an open-world samurai adventure with stunning visuals and a more serious story.”
- “Compared to Way of the Samurai 3, this one made improvements in graphics and overall just more everything from map size to the number of quests, and everything is so detailed and well designed.”
- “The game looks decent graphically speaking, and the world feels nice and easy to explore while being pretty expansive.”
- “The graphics are horribly ugly in the same way TES IV: Oblivion's are.”
- “There are absolutely no graphics settings other than resolution, and it seems like the developers changed the textures from PS3-level graphics to something that belongs more on a PS2.”
- “The graphics are subpar; don't expect some AAA stuff here, it only runs at 30fps.”
humor
93 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in "Way of the Samurai 4" is characterized by its whimsical charm and a blend of lighthearted, often absurd elements, reminiscent of the Yakuza series. While many players appreciate the quirky characters, hilarious dialogue, and offbeat scenarios, some find the sexual and violent humor questionable. Overall, the game is not meant to be taken seriously, offering a mix of goofy Japanese humor and campy storytelling that can be both entertaining and polarizing.
- “Whimsical charm: the game embraces a unique blend of historical setting and lighthearted humor, making for a memorable experience.”
- “There are a lot of enjoyable characters and sometimes hilarious dialogues, and seeing the way Japanese game devs imagine Europeans is just pure gold.”
- “The character customization in this game opens up a ton of hilarious possibilities, and having your goofy idiot character show up in cutscenes acting serious is part of what I genuinely enjoyed.”
- “While Way of the Samurai 3 was a more or less historical sandbox, Way of the Samurai 4 adds very Japanese elements (read: shamelessly ridiculous and not funny at all) to the game at every nook and cranny.”
replayability
85 mentions
47 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game offers exceptional replayability, featuring branching paths and multiple endings that significantly alter the narrative based on player choices. While each playthrough is relatively short, the variety of combat styles, character interactions, and story outcomes encourage players to return for new experiences. Overall, it is designed with replay value in mind, making it a highly recommended choice for those who enjoy exploring different gameplay routes.
- “One aspect that makes this game stand out is the fact that you will face various choices and branching paths that lead to one of the 10 possible endings of the game, giving this title a good amount of replayability.”
- “The replay value in this title puts quite a number of triple-A titles to shame, with how many choices you can make and how many endings there are to find; you can easily find a day or two's worth of content in here.”
- “This game provides you with a rich world with endless possibilities, promoting tons of replay value and varied missions.”
- “Each playthrough is over rather quickly, but the replayability comes from having character stat and item persistence between each playthrough, as well as simply doing different things and acquiring different endings (including the incredibly elusive 'golden path' ending) in a game with a fairly large amount of choice and consequence.”
- “The replay value in this title puts quite a number of triple-A titles to shame, with how many choices you can make and how many endings there are to find. You can easily find a day or two's worth of content in here.”
- “The story is branching, fairly deep, and at times highly engaging, with clever plot twists, likeable and complex characters to get you invested, and a lot of replayability as you wind your way through the story tree in new ways to see every mission and eventually get the true ending.”
grinding
40 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly when trying to obtain specific weapons or upgrades. While some enjoy the depth and customization options available, the overall sentiment is that the grinding can detract from the enjoyment, leading to a gameplay experience that feels monotonous and drawn out. Players note that achieving 100% completion can require an overwhelming amount of time dedicated to grinding, often overshadowing the game's other elements.
- “However, the gameplay loop has aged quite a bit and feels too grindy.”
- “If you want to make a good sword you have to grind tediously; if you want to max your combat skills in a specific martial art, you have to grind tediously; if you want to make enough points to unlock everything, you have to grind tediously.”
- “For a game with so many different endings and possibilities in the story, they thought it was necessary to throw tedious grind into a game that really didn't even need it to begin with, boosting what might be 20-30 hours of content into 50-100 hours of all grind.”
music
36 mentions
25 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting issues such as tracks not looping, audio cutting out during gameplay, and inconsistent sound balancing. While some praise the soundtrack for its ability to create a phenomenal atmosphere, others find it forgettable or marred by technical glitches. Overall, the music contributes positively to the experience, but significant audio bugs detract from its potential enjoyment.
- “The characters, story, and music are all perfect to create the phenomenal atmosphere this game does effortlessly.”
- “Soundtrack is awesome!”
- “I think a lot of the sound design is good, with solid sound effects and a pretty excellent spaghetti western/samurai soundtrack that would make Morricone proud.”
- “The music also likes to cut out, and your character warps sometimes because the game can't keep up.”
- “Music also just ends and doesn't loop, making some long fights really awkward.”
- “Crashes were an immediate problem from the title screen, followed by horrid audio issues with sound effects either not playing or playing at the wrong volumes, music not playing at all, playing extremely quietly, or only playing once and then stopping when it should be looping.”
stability
22 mentions
14 % positive mentions
-9 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly on Windows 10. Players have experienced black screens, frame drops, and unresponsive controls, leading to frustration during gameplay. While some find the glitches amusing, many recommend caution due to the frequent technical problems that hinder the overall experience.
- “The game runs great without any crashes or glitches.”
- “I haven't experienced any stability issues; everything runs smoothly.”
- “The performance is solid, providing a stable gaming experience.”
- “I loaded the game, got to the main menu, selected new game, and nothing loads—just a black screen. I tried some troubleshooting and nothing worked, so I, of course, refunded it thinking it was a bad port.”
- “Game contains crashes that prevent you from even playing. I spent the total playtime attempting to work around glitches that the game knowingly addresses and discusses, but none of the solutions can assist in letting it run properly.”
- “As entertaining as it could be to play through, I'm not willing to sit around and wait for the constantly freezing dialogue scenes to unglitch themselves, anywhere from 2 to 5 minute freezes that can happen multiple times per scene.”
optimization
16 mentions
25 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
31 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing smooth performance and decent graphics, while others report frequent crashes and bugs that hinder gameplay. Although compatibility modes and recent updates have improved controls and performance for some, many still find the port lacking, particularly in terms of stability and overall polish. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be a significant issue, affecting its reception and playability on PC.
- “Could run the game flawlessly on Windows 10 by activating compatibility mode with Windows 7 and disabling fullscreen optimizations.”
- “It's a proper port of a PS3, decent optimization too.”
- “Since my initial review, they have added keyboard/mouse optimization which has improved it significantly.”
- “I also cannot forgive the dev for forfeiting a sequel because the sales and review of this PC port is not good due to poor optimization and bugs.”
- “- not optimized for PC, clumsy controls.”
- “Voice stuttering, 4-year-old graphics, awkward actions... not to mention the game was already in a pretty bad shape when released via PlayStation 3 years ago.”
emotional
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate its ability to evoke strong feelings and deliver touching narratives, others find it lacks depth and emotional investment. Notably, certain endings are described as tear-jerking and impactful, contrasting with more lighthearted or dark outcomes. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with serious themes, eliciting a range of emotional responses from players.
- “This game was one of the few that made me cry emotionally; it hurt me to see them die, so I swore to go to those responsible and destroy them.”
- “About a dozen wildly different endings, some are amazing, some are lackluster, one in particular is actually a tear-jerking heartfelt masterpiece, and a few others are just plain dark and dreary.”
- “If you enjoy anime like Gintama, you will love this; a funny game that can have very serious scenes drawing out strong emotional responses without making it seem out of place at all.”
atmosphere
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique and calming qualities, enhanced by fitting music and a well-crafted story. While some note that the graphics feel outdated, the overall ambiance, especially for fans of samurai themes, remains engaging and enjoyable. The shift to a more upbeat tone has also been positively received, adding to the game's vibrant atmosphere.
- “The characters, story, and music are all perfect to create the phenomenal atmosphere this game does effortlessly.”
- “The game’s atmosphere is unique and calm.”
- “Though I'm not very far in, the color, music, and all-around atmosphere is more fun.”
character development
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is mixed, with some players noting significant growth in characters during the best ending, while others criticize the reliance on stereotypes and subpar character design. Overall, the character designs are seen as lacking compared to previous titles, leading to a perception that the narrative and character arcs could be improved.
- “But in the best ending, you get a lot of character development.”
- “The character design and settings are the real stars here; everything else could have used an update from the previous games.”
- “Either way, they still stand up to scrutiny right now, and the character design for J.J. is impressive.”
- “Characters: definition of stereotypes across the board, and some of the worst character design I can imagine at times.”
- “The character designs weren't as good as in some of the other games, either.”
- “I've seen better story and character development in hentai games.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, suggesting that the developers are prioritizing profit over the quality and longevity of the series.
- “It is clear that Acquire was looking for a quick cash grab from a dying series.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, prioritizing profits over player experience.”
- “I can't believe how many microtransactions are crammed into this game; it ruins the overall enjoyment.”