Samurai II: Vengeance Review

By , on October 21, 2010


Samurai 2: Vengeance
Download on the AppStore
5 out of 5

PROS

  • Fun beat'em-up action gameplay.
  • Amazing graphical style with Retina optimizations.
  • Classic samurai movie sound effects.

CONS

  • Graphic visuals - not overly gory, but not for kiddies.
  • Relatively short campaign.

VERDICT

Samurai II: Vengeance may have lost its unique touch controls, but its solid gameplay and amazing artistic style are almost second to none.


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For some the first Samurai title from MADFINGER was a smash hit, for others it was a resounding dull thud, but love it or loathe it their latest release Samurai II: Vengeance builds upon this scrolling beat'em-up and takes it to new heights.

The touch and swipe controls have been replaced with a much more familiar virtual stick and button system and players can combine short and long attacks to recreate the brutal combos from the original title. A dodge button gives your Samurai the ability to quickly blitz his way around the screen or otherwise break an enemy's defense, but smart targeting along with quick-steps can keep your character in the thick of the action without too much effort. As you initiate combos a small indicator will keep track of the buttons pressed, helping you to either break it off early or to switch to another combo smoothly.

The art style of Samurai II borders on some of the best artistic design work I've seen on the platform, with stunningly smooth 3D visuals on the Retina display that look like a living, breathing water-color painting. To compliment the artwork, MADFINGER have also included dynamic background music and sound effects that sound like they're straight out of a classic samurai film.

The biggest disappointment (and perhaps this is a compliment) is that the game feels far too short and should you get absorbed you'll be finished in a couple lengthy sessions. Still, as action titles go Samurai II: Vengeance is quick, dirty and fun to play even if it does leave you wanting for more.

Screenshots

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