Samurai Western
Encyclopedia
Samurai Western is a PlayStation 2 game released in 2005. The player assumes the role of a samurai
named Gojiro Kiryu, who travels to the Wild West
in search of his brother, Rando.
Although it was not particularly emphasized either in the game's marketing or in the game itself, Samurai Western is actually a gaiden
(side-story) entry in the Way of the Samurai
series.
In a two-player game, the second player controls Ralph the gunman. Ralph is unable to deflect bullets (though he is also able to dodge and roll) or engage in melee combat in the same manner as Gojiro, but is instead equipped with a gun that allows long-range attacks. He also has the ability to perform punches that instantly floor an enemy and deal a small amount of damage. Two additional guns can be unlocked for Ralph through beating the game, increasing his usefulness as a backup player.
to find and kill his brother, Rando, who came to the United States some time before. Upon his arrival, he finds the region under the tyrannical rule of a local Tycoon named Goldberg, whose hired thugs have left the nearby settlements virtual ghost towns. Although initially uninterested in these happenings, Gojiro is nonetheless drawn into conflict with Goldberg's forces as his warrior's code demands that he do the right thing and help the people being hurt by the tycoon. After learning of a connection between Goldberg and his missing brother, a final confrontation lingers.
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
named Gojiro Kiryu, who travels to the Wild West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
in search of his brother, Rando.
Although it was not particularly emphasized either in the game's marketing or in the game itself, Samurai Western is actually a gaiden
Gaiden
is a Japanese-language word meaning "side story" or "tale", used to refer to an anecdote or supplementary biography of a person. This use of gaiden is commonly used in popular Japanese fiction to refer to a spin-off of a previously published work that is neither officially considered a sequel nor...
(side-story) entry in the Way of the Samurai
Way of the Samurai
Way of the Samurai is a PlayStation 2 action-adventure game released in 2002.Set in 19th Century Japan, the player takes on the role of a ronin who wanders into a remote village and becomes involved in a conflict between rival clans...
series.
Gameplay
Samurai Western does away with the adventure elements present in the main Way of the Samurai games, and instead is comprised purely of action. The game is divided into stages, with the goal of each being to defeat the dozens of enemies that appear within. The game can be played alone, or simultaneously with a second player. The game has multiple difficulty levels, ranging from Normal to Insane.Combat
In a single-player game, the player takes control of Gojiro the samurai and utilizes various types of swords to defeat enemies. There are dozens of swords available in the game, which allow you to fight with five different sword styles. The basic maneuvers of each sword are similar, consisting of a quick combo, powerful charge move and aerial attack. However, each sword style offers unique abilities. In addition to the abilities given by each style, Gojiro also has the innate ability to dodge bullets, and even use his sword to deflect them. By defeating enemies Gojiro can fill a meter which, when full, allows him to enter Master Mode. Once activated, Master Mode greatly increases Gojiro's abilities, allowing him to dispatch enemies in a single blow.In a two-player game, the second player controls Ralph the gunman. Ralph is unable to deflect bullets (though he is also able to dodge and roll) or engage in melee combat in the same manner as Gojiro, but is instead equipped with a gun that allows long-range attacks. He also has the ability to perform punches that instantly floor an enemy and deal a small amount of damage. Two additional guns can be unlocked for Ralph through beating the game, increasing his usefulness as a backup player.
Plot
The game takes place in America in the 1800s, in the area known as the Wild West. Gojiro Kiryu, a samurai, has arrived from JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to find and kill his brother, Rando, who came to the United States some time before. Upon his arrival, he finds the region under the tyrannical rule of a local Tycoon named Goldberg, whose hired thugs have left the nearby settlements virtual ghost towns. Although initially uninterested in these happenings, Gojiro is nonetheless drawn into conflict with Goldberg's forces as his warrior's code demands that he do the right thing and help the people being hurt by the tycoon. After learning of a connection between Goldberg and his missing brother, a final confrontation lingers.
Characters
- Gojiro Kiryu: The main character who recently arrived in America from Japan in order to find his missing brother Rando. Stern and tacit, he is driven only by his pursuit of honor and the warrior's code.
- Ralph: A mysterious gunman who quickly becomes an ally of Gojiro, providing him with information and help in fighting Goldberg. He is, in reality, a U.S. Army officer tasked with the mission of gathering information necessary to bring Goldberg to justice.
- Rando Kiryu: Gojiro's older brother. Once an honorable samurai, he was defeated in combat by a gun-wielding enemy, causing him to lose faith in the traditional mode of combat to which he was familiar. As a result, he abandoned both his homeland and samurai ways, coming to America to master the use of guns himself.
- Claudia: An attractive woman who runs a local saloon. The current situation of the town has left her in a sour mood, causing her to be unfriendly to strangers. She is a friend of Rando, and after meeting Gojiro can not understand the conflict between them. She tries unsuccessfully to convince them to mend their relationship without the use of violence.
- Anne: A teenage girl who resides in a local Ghost TownGhost Town"Ghost Town" is the title of a 1981 song by the British ska band, The Specials. The song spent three weeks at number one and ten weeks in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. Addressing themes of urban decay, deindustrialisation, unemployment and violence in inner cities, the song is remembered for...
. As all of the adults of the town had been captured and forced into servitude by Goldberg, she is left in charge of taking care of the town's children. Gojiro comes to the aid of her and her charges several times.
- Donald: The sheriff of the town. Overweight and somewhat dimwitted, he has a good heart and is intent on dispensing justice to his town. After an initial misunderstanding with Gojiro, he becomes a friend and ally. Coming to greatly admire the honorable samurai way, he aspires to become one himself.
- Goldberg: A ruthless tycoon who rules the region with an iron fist. Obsessed with creating his own utopiaUtopiaUtopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
in the American West at any means necessary, he has hired many thugs and outlaws to do his bidding.
See also
- Way of the SamuraiWay of the SamuraiWay of the Samurai is a PlayStation 2 action-adventure game released in 2002.Set in 19th Century Japan, the player takes on the role of a ronin who wanders into a remote village and becomes involved in a conflict between rival clans...
- Way of the Samurai 2Way of the Samurai 2Way of the Samurai 2 is a PlayStation 2 action-adventure game released in 2004. It was released on PlayStation Portable only in Japan in 2009.The game is a prequel to Way of the Samurai.-Gameplay:...
- Way of the Samurai 3Way of the Samurai 3is a video game made by Acquire, released by Spike on November 13, 2008 in Japan for the PlayStation 3, and later ported to the Xbox 360. It is the sequel of the PlayStation 2 games Way of the Samurai and Way of the Samurai 2....
- Rising Zan: The Samurai GunmanRising Zan: The Samurai GunmanRising Zan: The Samurai Gunman is an action-adventure game developed by UEP Systems and published by Agetec for the PlayStation in 1999. The story is notable for its mix of both eastern and western idiosyncrasy, most notably in the protagonist Zan , who has traits of both a Japanese samurai and a...