PixlBit

Thousands of enemies await you in this fully-voiced, stereoscopic 3D Warriors title.

It’s safe to say that by this point you’ve at least heard of the Warriors series. It has been around for years and has seen countless iterations, each only slightly altering the core hack-and-slash gameplay. The upcoming 3DS title, Samurai Warriors: Chronicles doesn’t appear to be an exception; however, players will be able to experience the most complete Warriors game on a handheld console to date, thanks in large part to the capabilities of the 3DS system and the large 2GB ROM size of the 3DS game cards.

Though the hack-and-slash gameplay is the centerpiece of this series, the allure is the ability to lay to waste thousands of enemy soldiers, as a singular tour de force. Through use of a variety of moves, players of all skill will be empowered to defeat the hordes of enemies. According to Hisashi Koinuma, the man in charge of the Warriors series, the game has been designed to be beaten by mashing just a single button, but more advanced players can utilize the full range of attacks to more quickly and gracefully defeat their enemies.

Koinuma’s team has also taken extra steps to ensure the accessibility of the title to all crowds. Rather than tying the player to a character from history, everyone will have a choice between a generic hero and heroine that can be customized and leveled. Previously, players would be bounced between various historical characters as the game progressed, each of which kicked players off with base stats that needed to be leveled up. By players wholly owning their character, they can now more easily progress, continuously becoming stronger while staying familiar to the player.

The touchscreen should further simplify things, allowing an easy switch between warlords on the battlefield. This simple switching mechanic should be easy to execute and will quickly provide four different strategic locations on the battlefield. This enables use of tactics like target setting and battle skill, which assist players in completing the mission at hand.

Though players aren’t tied to historical figures as they have been in the past, the story and setting is still steeped in history and depending on choices made during the quest, they will be able to experience different facets of the overall historical picture portrayed.

Based during the Sengoku era of Japan, things start in the year 1546 with the Kawagoe Night Battle. The game chronicles the decline of the Toyotomi Clan after the triple alliance of Ujiyasu Hojo, Yoshimoto Imagawa and Shingen Takeda. Leading straight up to the start of the Edo period, things culminate in the summer campaign of the Siege of Osaka in 1615.

30 scenarios are set in this block of time, with 40 historical warlords from around Japan, each representing a different region of the country. Completing the scenarios will give players a small history lesson, as well as a unique outlook on the events from the perspective of life on the battlefield.

The 3DS hardware and features have afforded Chronicles a number of opportunities that distinguish it from past games in the series. First and foremost, the gameplay and cutscenes are now in stereoscopic 3D gameplay and cutscenes. Given the expansive levels, this feature should help players gauge distance to their next target.

Both StreetPass and Spotpass have been put to use, with StreetPass offering the ability to form an army and use their weapons to battle against passerbys. This will also allow players to trade weapons, which will have an effect in the quest, as will the results of the battles. Furthermore, as you conduct StreetPass battles, you will receive undisclosed in-game benefits. SpotPass will offer additional downloadable scenarios.

The 3DS WiFi connection is also put to use, allowing players to download additional scenarios, earn rewards and enhanced weapons via virtual battles, and view other players’ history.

3DS game cards are much larger than those used for the DS, which has allowed Tecmo Koei to include a fully voiced experience, complete with elaborate cutscenes. Historically, these have been excluded in favor of saving space. Game cards also lack seek time, which means that data can be called up instantly. This has allowed the team to include mid-battle voice acting in the thick of the action. Fans of the series will be glad to hear that none of the voice work has been recycled from past iterations.

Samurai Warriors: Chronicles clearly does not lack in content and by all accounts, appears to be a complete entry in the series and a big jump over past handheld iterations. Players can grab the title on launch day, March 27, alongside their new 3DS for a suggested retail price of $39.99. Be sure to check back after launch for PixlBit’s review on the latest in the Warriors series.