Way of the Samurai 4
Encyclopedia
is a video game developed by Acquire
and published by Spike
for the PlayStation 3
. It is the sequel to the game Way of the Samurai 3
. The game offers a mix of story, combat and event scenes, just like past entries. So far it is exclusive to the PlayStation 3
, and no English version has been announced even though Acquire started looking for a Western publisher at least since March 10, 2010.
and choose to align themselves with one of three factions: the pro-government forces, the anti-government rebels seeking to repel foreigners, or the British Navy stationed in the city to negotiate a peace treaty.
who just came into town. There are more customization options than in the last game. Players can choose a youth, a young man, or a middle-aged man.
, while keeping what the fans liked about the series. Acquire promised that it is much longer than previous games, but there are only 10 endings.
Players can fully customize their character such as age, hair, clothes, shoes, accessories; and there will be a wide variety of sword styles and skills that a player can master. The game also features flexible events and cutscenes such as deciding whether you want to explore a cave or just turn around and walk away.
Your samurai's life is set to 1000 (as in way of the samurai 1) as well as the energy meter (added in this installment) that regenerates it if you are hit (This goes for enemies too). However, this only happens if you are stationary or moving away without being hit or dodging. The energy meter grows smaller when your samurai uses sword moves, nightcrawls, or is regenerating health. Food and sleep regenerate the energy meter.
The samurai's "home" that was presented in Way of the Samurai 2 and 3 has been removed. There are now straw blankets in set locations outside (or in the dojo), inns around Amihama where you pay to sleep in, and any bed you can stand on can be used to sleep and recharge energy.
The custom sword-making system first introduced in the 3rd installment
returns.
In addition to normal parts like blade, hilt and grip, players can also add a charm that will give a special effect. The character data will be automatically uploaded and transferred into other players' worlds, where he would appear as a wandering samurai
(NPC), and other players can defeat him to obtain the custom sword that you created.
Swords can now be switched to any stance. Pistol
s and musket
s have been added as weapons.
Players can earn money by going fishing, working as a gardener (trim hedges with your katana
), an assassin (kill people in Tenchu
-like missions), or by flirting with foreign women. There is a mini game called "Yobai" (night crawling) in which a samurai
can romance a woman by sneaking into her house at night, avoiding or knocking out family members, and pulling out the right futon
to find her. Your samurai can practice "night crawling" with most female characters in the game, as long as the requirements are fulfilled.
There is a new "Proof of Life" system. Players' actions affect the game world in the next replay. For example, if players killed a lot of town people in the last game, there will be more guards to hunt them down. Once arrested, your samurai will be sent to the torture
room, where the 3 beautiful Kinugawa sisters will play some hellish mini games with your life. Do a lot of bad deeds and you will find your samurai riding a flaming wooden horse
.
Like Way of the Samurai 2
, there are many foreigners in the game, but unlike the previous game, at the beginning your samurai will not be able to understand what they say (the texts will appear as "?????"). Players can convince the Shogunate to open a school that teach foreign language, and in later games you will be able talk to foreigners.
Players can also open their own dojo
, take on apprentices (by beating NPCs into submission using the blunt side of your blade), and fend off challengers. The reputation of your dojo depends on the number of apprentices, and their quality (having 20 prostitutes and homeless as apprentices does not help much). You can tell any of your apprentices to "follow me", and they will fight along side with your samurai.
costume DLC
pack was offered for free from March 24 to April 27, 2011. After that, it was priced $6. Players need to apply a patch before using any downloadable content.
Acquire (game developer)
is a video game developer based in Japan, mainly known for their Tenchu and Way of the Samurai series.-Tenchu series:*Dimensional Ninja Action Movie: Tenchu *Tenchu: Stealth Assassins *Tenchu: Shinobi Gaisen...
and published by Spike
Spike (company)
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Most of the staff were part of Human Entertainment. Human's Fire Pro Wrestling series is owned by Spike.-Games developed:*Crimson Tears*Dangan Ronpa: Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei...
for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. It is the sequel to the game Way of the Samurai 3
Way of the Samurai 3
is 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....
. The game offers a mix of story, combat and event scenes, just like past entries. So far it is exclusive to the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and no English version has been announced even though Acquire started looking for a Western publisher at least since March 10, 2010.
Plot
The game is set in a fictional port town called Amihama in 1855. Players can create their own samuraiSamurai
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...
and choose to align themselves with one of three factions: the pro-government forces, the anti-government rebels seeking to repel foreigners, or the British Navy stationed in the city to negotiate a peace treaty.
Characters
Protagonist: Like in previous games, the main character is a nameless rōninRonin
A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....
who just came into town. There are more customization options than in the last game. Players can choose a youth, a young man, or a middle-aged man.
Foreign Powers
- Jet Jenkins: aka J.J, a one-armed gun-wielding man from Great Britain, who is the UK delegate in Amihama and a regular at the town's "Rising Sun" casinoCasinoIn modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
. - Laura Rita: Blonde, rich daughter of a British noble. She came to Japan as an ambassador to sign a peace treaty / trade agreement.
- Melinda de Cameron: Woman in golden armour, carrying a claymoreClaymoreThe term claymore refers to the Scottish variant of the late medieval longsword, two-handed swords with a cross hilt, of which the guards were in use during the 15th and 16th centuries.-Terminology:...
. A female knight, captain of Laura's escort teams.
Shogunate Forces (Bakufu)
- Kotobuki Hikaru: Chief magistrateMagistrateA magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
of Amihama and a master swordsman. - Shigeru Moro: A magistrate. He cares deeply for his country's future despite his nonchalant look.
- Kinugawa Onsen: An old TairōTairoTairō was a high-ranking official position in the bakuhan taisei government of Japan. The tairō would preside over the governing Rōjū council in the event of an emergency. A tairō would be nominated from among a group of samurai families who supported Tokugawa Ieyasu...
. Father of the Kinugawa Sisters. - Kinugawa Sisters: Mayu, Chika, and Yuri, 3 sisters who love to torture people. They rule the torture room.
- Madara: A mysterious masked kunoichiKunoichiis the term for a female ninja or practitioner of ninjutsu .-Etymology:The term is thought to derive from the names of characters that resemble the three strokes in the kanji character for ; said in the order they are written: ku - no - ichi...
who serves the Kinugawas.
Anti-foreigner Forces
- Retsudo Akagi: Leader of a group of isolationists. Hates Brits, yankee, and all foreigners in general.
- Kogure Jinrai: A quiet guy. Second-in-command of the group.
- Akemi: This gentle young woman is the owner of a pub, which the group uses to gather information. Her real identity is a kunoichi.
Others
- Doujima: Swordsmith.
- Sensei: A female samurai. Same character who appeared in the 1st and 3rd games.
Gameplay
The game is said to have gone back to the basics, with many elements from the first Way of the SamuraiWay 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...
, while keeping what the fans liked about the series. Acquire promised that it is much longer than previous games, but there are only 10 endings.
Players can fully customize their character such as age, hair, clothes, shoes, accessories; and there will be a wide variety of sword styles and skills that a player can master. The game also features flexible events and cutscenes such as deciding whether you want to explore a cave or just turn around and walk away.
Your samurai's life is set to 1000 (as in way of the samurai 1) as well as the energy meter (added in this installment) that regenerates it if you are hit (This goes for enemies too). However, this only happens if you are stationary or moving away without being hit or dodging. The energy meter grows smaller when your samurai uses sword moves, nightcrawls, or is regenerating health. Food and sleep regenerate the energy meter.
The samurai's "home" that was presented in Way of the Samurai 2 and 3 has been removed. There are now straw blankets in set locations outside (or in the dojo), inns around Amihama where you pay to sleep in, and any bed you can stand on can be used to sleep and recharge energy.
The custom sword-making system first introduced in the 3rd installment
Way of the Samurai 3
is 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....
returns.
In addition to normal parts like blade, hilt and grip, players can also add a charm that will give a special effect. The character data will be automatically uploaded and transferred into other players' worlds, where he would appear as a wandering samurai
Ronin
A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....
(NPC), and other players can defeat him to obtain the custom sword that you created.
Swords can now be switched to any stance. Pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
s and musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s have been added as weapons.
Players can earn money by going fishing, working as a gardener (trim hedges with your katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
), an assassin (kill people in Tenchu
Tenchu
Tenchu is the title of a stealth game series of video games originally developed by Acquire wherein the player assumes the role of a ninja....
-like missions), or by flirting with foreign women. There is a mini game called "Yobai" (night crawling) in which a samurai
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...
can romance a woman by sneaking into her house at night, avoiding or knocking out family members, and pulling out the right futon
Futon
Futon is an English word derived from Japanese , a term generally referring to the traditional style of Japanese bedding consisting of padded mattresses and quilts pliable enough to be folded and stored away during the day, allowing the room to serve for purposes other than as a bedroom...
to find her. Your samurai can practice "night crawling" with most female characters in the game, as long as the requirements are fulfilled.
There is a new "Proof of Life" system. Players' actions affect the game world in the next replay. For example, if players killed a lot of town people in the last game, there will be more guards to hunt them down. Once arrested, your samurai will be sent to the torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
room, where the 3 beautiful Kinugawa sisters will play some hellish mini games with your life. Do a lot of bad deeds and you will find your samurai riding a flaming wooden horse
Wooden Horse
A wooden horse is a torture device, of which there exist two variations.The first is a sharply angled device with the sharp point of the angle pointing upward, mounted on a saw-horse like support. The victim is made to straddle the triangular "horse" and place her full body weight on her vulva,...
.
Like Way of the Samurai 2
Way of the Samurai 2
Way 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:...
, there are many foreigners in the game, but unlike the previous game, at the beginning your samurai will not be able to understand what they say (the texts will appear as "?????"). Players can convince the Shogunate to open a school that teach foreign language, and in later games you will be able talk to foreigners.
Players can also open their own dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
, take on apprentices (by beating NPCs into submission using the blunt side of your blade), and fend off challengers. The reputation of your dojo depends on the number of apprentices, and their quality (having 20 prostitutes and homeless as apprentices does not help much). You can tell any of your apprentices to "follow me", and they will fight along side with your samurai.
Downloadable content
A ShinsengumiShinsengumi
The were a special police force of the late shogunate period.-Historical background:After Japan opened up to the West following U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's visits in 1853, its political situation gradually became more and more chaotic...
costume DLC
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
pack was offered for free from March 24 to April 27, 2011. After that, it was priced $6. Players need to apply a patch before using any downloadable content.
See also
- 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....
- 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 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...
- Samurai WesternSamurai WesternSamurai 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....