One of the ending in 3rd game stuck with me to this day. The one where you get close with the villagers, change their minds about you by resolving a situation without violence sacrificing your honor in the process, and later sacrificing your life for a girl you barely knew. The villagers then made a shrine making you their guardian deity, worshipped through generations. It wasn't as epic and climactic as the main story, you didn't get the girl, the villain is still out there and you basically die to him, but there's something special about this ending. Like it wasn't a story, but a myth, a parable told by the village elders to their kids
I became a myth/parable as well as the Demon of Amano. It was the first time I unalived every NPC in a game and it acknowledged me for it. I imagined Fujimori having some heroic dialogue about slaying me since I left him for last. One of the best RPG's out there immersion wise.
Yeah this series is niche enough to me,not many people will talk about it,even the youngster i meet didnt know or want to delve into the series despite ive been recommending them to tries atleast one title
@@Zero_Tester that’s sad I really miss the days of the ps2 era it feels like today all we have is triple a or Indy games and these kinds of games were somewhere in the middle
Way of the Samurai is a special series of my childhood. The late nights of just exploring the many branching outcomes and refusing to look them up on the internet. The heartbreak of accidentally breaking your favorite sword you've carried over from other playthroughs. The memorable characters. Dojima! Don Donatelouse! Those sketchy cats! Beautiful memories. I still go back to the Way of the Samurai games at times. Truly a hidden gem of gaming history.
It boggles my mind that we don’t have hundreds more games of this style. A samurai rpg (or adventure with rpg elements) we saw the response ghost of Tsushima got, and now the new Ass creed is gonna be in Japan (but I’m leery of it) I started learning unreal engine a few years ago because I want more samurai rpg/ adventure games, and I hope to make one or be part of a team that wants to make the same thing
@@SD-kw2bn no I have not, as I don’t have a PS5, but rise of the ronin is the reason I want a ps5 lol. My buddy has it and he loves it. That and ghost of Tsushima 2 if it doesn’t come out on ps4
You would Think after Games like Red dead you would have more westerns or more Pirate games after Black Flag. I would love an open world Acient Rome RPG AC Odyssey in Greece is the closest but I was thinking more along the lines of games like Kingdom come and RDR2 which really feel like living worlds.
>Cool game ive never heard of >Straight forward and informative review > No annoying zoomer loud noise edits Its sad that these are rare traits for a modern video game review but im glad I found this channel
One thing I enjoyed about Way of the Samurai 3 was how it didn't rush you through the story. COuld take jobs, rest, practise and explore without worrying about how many days you have left. The ability to just bow out of a scene you didn't want to trigger was a great addition, and I liked the fact pulling your sword actually didn't always lead to combat but could lead to other dialogue or paths. Also enjoyed the cameo of Zaji the Hawk from Shinibido, as that game and Way of the Samurai were my go to games when I got home from school.
@@SimonMoreal Can get both 3 and 4 on steam. They are bare minimum ports and I would recommend using a controller but run smoothly and have had no crashes.
ive been praising these games for SOOO many years. I feel like they never got the recognition they deserve for their game design. its so unique, replayable, and narratively satisfying.
I was obsessed with WoS1 as a kid. It was the only game similar to Shenmue, which is one of my favorite games ever. Both games also have such a deep and satisfying combat system. The later WoS games kind of drop the ball on the combat side.
Even the wandering music you have in the background is giving me a nostalgia attack. That 1st entry was the perfect game to play while watching Rurouni Kenshin back in its day.
Way of the Samurai is the game I completed the most times and truly such a unique experience I think it's worth forever owning a PS2 for . It feels so alive , it is such a joy to explore and see how a characters death or a slight intervention can have significant downstream effects. When I got the best ending it was after several dozen runs and was truly an absolute joy of an accomplishment. . I never got to play the second one and didn't have great feelings for the 3rd but the first Way of the Samurai is everything I've ever wanted in a Samurai game and a game I've " completed" 70 times and oculd happily complete 70 more. .
I remember one cool thing that you can experience in Way of Samurai 3 which is an encounter and fight against Zaji, a ninja character from another AQUIRE game (Shinobido: Way of the ninja). I can't remember the details but it was a very cool moment and a nice touch. Very great video :)
WotS 3 has such a special place in my heart. It's such a jank and fun mess that doesn't look like you should take it seriously, but after a couple runs I started to care for most of its cast and really wanted to dig into their stories.
You just unlocked some core memories for me, I remember playing these as a kid on the PS2. All I remember from Tenchu is the scary tigers, and I had no idea there was so much replayability in WotS. Never played the later games, but I would love to see a re-release or something.
I love WOTS 3 a lot, also my favorite game in the series. I love the story, the countryside setting, the OST, the characters, the spooky nights where the streets are empty except dogs, drunkards, crazy murderers and ghosts, the story's twist and turns, the cathartic true ending... I love it all. Same as you I didn't vibe with WOTS4. Too comedic, and the moment I realize you can't kill any of the named character in the early part of the story, I was like "This sucks." Though still I hope there will be a new entry someday. Great video!
What a GEM. Way of the Samurai 2, one of the first games I picked up for my PS2 back in the day. This game was released only in english, french and german here in europe. Being spanish I had to improve my english to understand what was happening and discover the different endings. To this day I still mention it. This and Gothic 2 are the games that helped me become proficient in english when I was a teenager.
Way of the Samurai 3 also got an updated re-release called Way of the Samurai 3 Plus but sadly its Japan only. They really added a ton of more stuff to unlock, you can even get more 4 more companions like Itsuse which is neat.
I remember spending countless hours on this game trying to figure out every scenario and pathway. Had a very complex fight system but satisfying style.
I remember first stumbling on way of the samurai 3 years and years ago and playing it on my shitty laptop at the time. It was unlike other games I've played and hooked me like crazy until I got fed up with it 😂. Seeing this show up in my recommend and being reminded of the series really makes me wanna replay 3 and play through the others. And for that you got my thanks.
The best thing about Way of the Samurai 4 was that styles and techniques were independent from the sword, like in the first three games, to perform a certain style with certain moves you had to use a sword that used that style, but in #4, you could switch between styles no matter which sword you used. Other than that, #3 is the best one.
I own the first entry for PS2 and gave it a few tries. The freedom overwhelmed me. On the first few tries, I never located the safe room to save my game, so if I died, I had to start all over again. If for whatever reason I killed any thug, the guards would be on me everytime. I never got far, even if it was 2-3 hours long. But I want to get back to it eventually. I had no idea even the first encounter had that many outcomes! Surely a unique saga.
I remember renting the first game from Blockbuster and wondering why the credits appeared so quickly. Took me a few hours to realize how many different ways I could play it lol.
I grew up playing and still love WoTS (as well as Genji, Kengo series, Ghost of Tsushima, Bushido Blade, etc) so much and am currently developing with gbdk to create a gameboy game in the style of WoTS meets Kengo. It marries my lifelong love of older video games, samurai lore and ancient wisdom.
Wow! I'm glad to know there is another video explanation about the Way of the Samurai series. As for the series itself, I really like the environment and story in WotS 1.
Way of the Samurai was the first ps2 game I ever got to fully play, I was 13 and it blew my mind. Just walking around and watching the world exist no matter what you do was mind blowing.
4th comment here. Dude i thought you're like a super famous youtuber here. Your production quality is really great, and so is your editing. I watched this with a bowl of Miso. Totally warmed throughout the video. Not too boxy and restrictive but relaxing and wanderign like the Tenchu.
I loved that game especially 3. It was hilarious and kinda scary at times but every choice made you discover new things. The combat could be unforgiving but damn I loved learning new styles.
I’ve loved these games since I was a kid and they’re genuinely such great games that it makes me sad there isn’t a remastered bundle of all the games together
I can't tell you how important the first two games were for me. I must have played the first one 100s of hours. I pray for the day we get a super modernized version of this game.
I loved the first one. I was young when it came out and I remember after playing it several times, I went to play it one day and when I turned it on, I seen a multi-player mode and couldn't believe it. I had no idea how I had gotten it but it was my favorite part of the game once I unlocked it.
i'm very glad to see that someone has made this video. through the years i've used this as a really good example of branching narrative dynamics that allows player to proceed along some of the branches or entirely pass by without participation as the world turns.
I'm really happy to see that there's lots of other people who played and still remember it, while watching your vid, I remember when I played it on PSP and PS2, and later on PS3, I'm that kind of guy that gets a bit emotive by simply hearing the classic songs in the video haha. Also thanks for showing Katana Kami, never even heard about it, and definitely will going to buy that along with 3 and 4. And also I remember grinding for the best stats for the perfect "Kubirabasara" in 2, was so locked on it that I even had a dream with the game haha, so much fond memories.
The way the options affect the first game, is one of the most in-depth systems ever implemented yet. It’s so deep, it really set the bar for me as a kid for what games could be.
The first Way of the Samurai was the only game I know that implemented the concept of time in a semi-openworld game. You can't participate in every events in the world. You make choices and miss out of very important events that might have changed alot of things. The first Way of the Samurai is still one of my favorite games of all time. It is the first game that taught me about choice in life that can change outcomes drastically.
One thing I loved about the first game was how if you really wanted to, you could kill the blacksmith. I also liked how, since the game was perma-death and you'd lose whatever you had on you (including swords collected from previous runs) if you died, you could have him send one sword that you really wanted to keep hold of to your collection.
Ironic that Accquire came together in 1994 - Same year i was born In my entire life of gaming i can honestly say WITHOUT A DOUBT that Way Of The Samurai is the greatest game series ever made and most likely ever will No game iv ever played in 30 years has even come close to Way of the Samurai
I played WotS1 and was blown away by how reactive the game was. It felt like future of video games. Also, I agree I didn't vibe with WotS 4 either, despite trying twice. I think I need to try WotS 3 now.
I played the original Tenchu on PS1 back in the 90s, the first true 3rd person stealth game I ever played. My annoyance was that, after spending my time watching guard movement patterns from a rooftop so I could get perfect undetected kills, the final boss fight was almost always a face to face battle - not stealthy at all. Only in one level could you assassinate the final boss.
Yeah in the first game you could unsheathe your sword which gets the npcs anxious, then sheathe it back and they start dissing you, and you get to not respond to their prompts, which provokes a different response. Fun times.
Way of the Samurai is one of my most favorite games from my childhood and I've played all 4. It especially felt special playing the first one around the same time I started watching Samurai Champloo
I'd be thrilled if they came out with another one. I remember playing The Way of the Samurai 3 back in the day, and it blowing my mind. I'm definitely gonna have to start a playthrough again. It's been a long while.
I played the first Way of the Samurai game religiously back in the day. I spent countless hours getting all the swords and doing every scenario. Until one day, my friend Mike stayed the night at my house and broke both of my maxed out swords, that I used to play hard mode with, while I was sleeping. I pretty much quit the game after that. Over 20 years later I still bitch at Mike for breaking my swords.
I’m glad these games are getting discovered. In my opinion, WOTS paved the way for a lot of the traditional Japanese inspired action games we have today (Ghost of Tsushima, Nioh, Rise of the Ronin, etc.) It was one of those goofy yet dramatic games that hooked you in once you played it. Plus the replay value further adds to it.
This games is my childhood and as i got old and played ghost of tsushima i remembered this game as well both were true definition of a true samurai tribute games.
Ive never heard of this series before, and your rundown of each was truly excellent! I really want to go and explore each one, with faults and successes, and see all they have to offer! Unique games such as these are rare to find since they take a lot of work to make and carry a ton of risk for the developers, so it’s beautiful to see that so many of them came out! Thank you for sharing them with us! Time to go play them!
Awesome video. I love how it covered so much while being straight to the point. 4 has been sitting in my steam library untouched for years, but after watching this I might start with 1 lol
Awesome break down on Way of the Samurai bro! I played the life out of these games growing up. Especially the first entry. I remember my cousin would come over for some vs mode battles. It was a blast at the time, and still today! Keep the content rolling in man
Thanks for such an interesting and useful review, I already want to try part 3. I used to try 4, but I wasn't carried away by it and now I understand why.
hell yea, someone finally giving a shout out to way of the samurai!! if your into these Aquire styled short but meant to be played sandbox games, I also Highly recommend the akibas trip games (also made by Aquire) as well as Kenka Bancho (sadly only the 3rd game badass rumble got an eng localization but its still worth a playthrough or 5)
Fun fact but in way of the samurai 3, attacking the peasants at the very start is the most adequate reaction given the time period, in sengoku era peasants would often come to the battlefields in order to loot the bodies, those looters were infamous for finishing off any injured or left behind soldiers to get more loot, it's just your character being cautious and playing it safe
I'm so glad to finally see people talking about these amazing games. I've wanted them to get the same boost in interest the Yakuza series got a few years back.
I loved this game when I was a kid. I always tried to get different endings, but for some reason there were some that I could never get. Upgrading your swords, not paying and killing the smith was something I often did too lol
I played the original Way of the Samurai on PSP while i was travelling in a train. I didn't know anything about it, i just installed some games that had swords in it and tried it, i couldn't believe how good it was, i played it over and over discovering new things about the world and different endings to all the storylines, it made the long-ass train ride a lot more bearable.
@@HarbingerOfMorningWood Shenmue is way better than way of the samurai plot wise. Stop the bullshit. The first and second aged but still are engaging. The third is ass but the way of the samurai are genuinely ass from 1st to 4th lmao
Love Way of the Samurai. It was truly a game where choices actually mattered. Tenchu and Tenchu 2 are two of my favorite games of all time. I miss pure stealth games.
I still play this WoTS 1 in my PS2 and had a lot of laughter running away from Suzu when you saved her from Tsubohachi. Men, she just goes after you like playing "catch me if you can"! Did this too with Inokashira but the village is too small to run.
Small correction! There is 14 endings in Way of the Samurai 2, not 10. There are multiple versions of different endings.
One of the ending in 3rd game stuck with me to this day. The one where you get close with the villagers, change their minds about you by resolving a situation without violence sacrificing your honor in the process, and later sacrificing your life for a girl you barely knew. The villagers then made a shrine making you their guardian deity, worshipped through generations. It wasn't as epic and climactic as the main story, you didn't get the girl, the villain is still out there and you basically die to him, but there's something special about this ending. Like it wasn't a story, but a myth, a parable told by the village elders to their kids
I became a myth/parable as well as the Demon of Amano. It was the first time I unalived every NPC in a game and it acknowledged me for it. I imagined Fujimori having some heroic dialogue about slaying me since I left him for last. One of the best RPG's out there immersion wise.
I always sold the villager ❤
@@alexanerose4820that's so cool! So you can choose to be either the hero or the villain?!
I’m honestly just happy to see I wasn’t the only person that played these games
There are dozens of us. I still remember trying to save the resturant and getting my ass kicked lol
Yeah this series is niche enough to me,not many people will talk about it,even the youngster i meet didnt know or want to delve into the series despite ive been recommending them to tries atleast one title
@@raogzero1842 I was just so surprised to see this pop up on my recommended feed I have never met someone in person that played these games
@@Zero_Tester that’s sad I really miss the days of the ps2 era it feels like today all we have is triple a or Indy games and these kinds of games were somewhere in the middle
I played anything with samurai in it.
All i dream of is a new way of the samurai 😢
It'll disappoint you.
We kinda have that already, with Yakuza/Like a Dragon: Ishin, Ghost of Tsushima and Rise of the Ronin
@@TooToo246 except none of those are anything like Way of the samurai
@YourSaddestDeer Ishin is the closest one but it doesn't scratch the imsim itch that way of the samurai does
@@TooToo246 all of those games are not the same as way of the samurai
Pulling out the sword feels like someone watched The Office episode where Michael constantly pulls out a gun every improv session.
Way of the Samurai is a special series of my childhood.
The late nights of just exploring the many branching outcomes and refusing to look them up on the internet.
The heartbreak of accidentally breaking your favorite sword you've carried over from other playthroughs.
The memorable characters. Dojima! Don Donatelouse! Those sketchy cats!
Beautiful memories.
I still go back to the Way of the Samurai games at times. Truly a hidden gem of gaming history.
Love Way of the Samurai. Wish we could have more games with a focus on a small but detailed world and player freedom.
This is my dream game to be honest. If I got to make one.
Try Yakuza 0
Try Gothic 1
@@haekalsz4062
Yakuza is a linearly focused game with non-interactable cutscenes, what the heck are you talking about?
Well, there is Alpha Protocol, it fulfills the player freedom desire in terms of choice. A detailed world? Not as much
One of my favorite and only games as a kid. This series does not get talked about enough. The vibes of the first game were just so good.
Vibes?
@@MrTakeYoBitsh Common word thrown around when one isn't able to explain something in a convincing manner.
This game was peak
It boggles my mind that we don’t have hundreds more games of this style. A samurai rpg (or adventure with rpg elements) we saw the response ghost of Tsushima got, and now the new Ass creed is gonna be in Japan (but I’m leery of it) I started learning unreal engine a few years ago because I want more samurai rpg/ adventure games, and I hope to make one or be part of a team that wants to make the same thing
Have you played rise of the ronin it’s pretty good the combat system is great
@@SD-kw2bn no I have not, as I don’t have a PS5, but rise of the ronin is the reason I want a ps5 lol. My buddy has it and he loves it. That and ghost of Tsushima 2 if it doesn’t come out on ps4
Have you tried skyrim with sex mods
@@caralho5237 I couldnt get em to work lol so if ya have a tutorial I'd greatly appreciate it
You would Think after Games like Red dead you would have more westerns or more Pirate games after Black Flag. I would love an open world Acient Rome RPG AC Odyssey in Greece is the closest but I was thinking more along the lines of games like Kingdom come and RDR2 which really feel like living worlds.
>Cool game ive never heard of
>Straight forward and informative review
> No annoying zoomer loud noise edits
Its sad that these are rare traits for a modern video game review but im glad I found this channel
Bro: "Cool sword, unsheathe it."
Me: "No, are you crazy? We're in town."
One thing I enjoyed about Way of the Samurai 3 was how it didn't rush you through the story. COuld take jobs, rest, practise and explore without worrying about how many days you have left. The ability to just bow out of a scene you didn't want to trigger was a great addition, and I liked the fact pulling your sword actually didn't always lead to combat but could lead to other dialogue or paths.
Also enjoyed the cameo of Zaji the Hawk from Shinibido, as that game and Way of the Samurai were my go to games when I got home from school.
Man i gotta get my hand on the 3rd one. I have only played the 4th one and hated its time limit.
@@SimonMoreal Can get both 3 and 4 on steam. They are bare minimum ports and I would recommend using a controller but run smoothly and have had no crashes.
The first game was a large chunk of my high school life. Fond memories, for sure.
ive been praising these games for SOOO many years. I feel like they never got the recognition they deserve for their game design. its so unique, replayable, and narratively satisfying.
I was obsessed with WoS1 as a kid. It was the only game similar to Shenmue, which is one of my favorite games ever. Both games also have such a deep and satisfying combat system. The later WoS games kind of drop the ball on the combat side.
My first WoS is 2,the little mute girl storyline was the one make me engrossed with the story
How did you feel about Shenmue 3 after the long wait?
Even the wandering music you have in the background is giving me a nostalgia attack. That 1st entry was the perfect game to play while watching Rurouni Kenshin back in its day.
Way of the Samurai is the game I completed the most times and truly such a unique experience I think it's worth forever owning a PS2 for . It feels so alive , it is such a joy to explore and see how a characters death or a slight intervention can have significant downstream effects. When I got the best ending it was after several dozen runs and was truly an absolute joy of an accomplishment. .
I never got to play the second one and didn't have great feelings for the 3rd but the first Way of the Samurai is everything I've ever wanted in a Samurai game and a game I've " completed" 70 times and oculd happily complete 70 more. .
Its those games that youll forever remember as "wayyyyyy ahead of its time"
I remember one cool thing that you can experience in Way of Samurai 3 which is an encounter and fight against Zaji, a ninja character from another AQUIRE game (Shinobido: Way of the ninja). I can't remember the details but it was a very cool moment and a nice touch. Very great video :)
Oh man, Way of the Samurai 3's one of my all time favorite games. So happy to see a series retrospective in my feed! Subscribed
WotS 3 has such a special place in my heart.
It's such a jank and fun mess that doesn't look like you should take it seriously, but after a couple runs I started to care for most of its cast and really wanted to dig into their stories.
i only just discovered the series like two or three months ago thanks to a gameranx video, but they are fantastic games
I love that game also wish I got all the ending
You just unlocked some core memories for me, I remember playing these as a kid on the PS2. All I remember from Tenchu is the scary tigers, and I had no idea there was so much replayability in WotS. Never played the later games, but I would love to see a re-release or something.
I love WOTS 3 a lot, also my favorite game in the series. I love the story, the countryside setting, the OST, the characters, the spooky nights where the streets are empty except dogs, drunkards, crazy murderers and ghosts, the story's twist and turns, the cathartic true ending... I love it all.
Same as you I didn't vibe with WOTS4. Too comedic, and the moment I realize you can't kill any of the named character in the early part of the story, I was like "This sucks." Though still I hope there will be a new entry someday.
Great video!
I liked the one with the little girl you save and protect.
@@cheshire_skatkat9093
So 2?
@@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051 yeah it is. Looked it up.
@@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051 yes
What a GEM. Way of the Samurai 2, one of the first games I picked up for my PS2 back in the day. This game was released only in english, french and german here in europe. Being spanish I had to improve my english to understand what was happening and discover the different endings. To this day I still mention it. This and Gothic 2 are the games that helped me become proficient in english when I was a teenager.
I absolutely loved playing Way of the Samurai 1 & 2. So many hours, so many swords and so many endings. Great games. Thank you for this video.
Way of the Samurai 3 also got an updated re-release called Way of the Samurai 3 Plus but sadly its Japan only. They really added a ton of more stuff to unlock, you can even get more 4 more companions like Itsuse which is neat.
I loved this game. The branching story paths/ choices were so unexpected.
I remember spending countless hours on this game trying to figure out every scenario and pathway. Had a very complex fight system but satisfying style.
I remember first stumbling on way of the samurai 3 years and years ago and playing it on my shitty laptop at the time. It was unlike other games I've played and hooked me like crazy until I got fed up with it 😂.
Seeing this show up in my recommend and being reminded of the series really makes me wanna replay 3 and play through the others.
And for that you got my thanks.
exactly calming and intense plus wholsome ambiente for its technical limitation
this game is so well done
I stoppedthe video at the 1:28 mark and went to go get it!~!
Awesome, I hope you enjoy it, it's such a cool game
I loved this franchise as a kid, glad to see someone taking the time to talk about it.
The best thing about Way of the Samurai 4 was that styles and techniques were independent from the sword, like in the first three games, to perform a certain style with certain moves you had to use a sword that used that style, but in #4, you could switch between styles no matter which sword you used. Other than that, #3 is the best one.
Ps congrats on the response you got from this video!! That is also a sign that we want more samurai games!
I own the first entry for PS2 and gave it a few tries. The freedom overwhelmed me. On the first few tries, I never located the safe room to save my game, so if I died, I had to start all over again. If for whatever reason I killed any thug, the guards would be on me everytime. I never got far, even if it was 2-3 hours long. But I want to get back to it eventually. I had no idea even the first encounter had that many outcomes! Surely a unique saga.
Was playing rise of the ronin and was reminded of the way of the samurai games
Wow. That first scene really blew me away with how open it is.
Man that soundtrack was made from the heart… rip to the great underrated games
I remember renting the first game from Blockbuster and wondering why the credits appeared so quickly. Took me a few hours to realize how many different ways I could play it lol.
I grew up playing and still love WoTS (as well as Genji, Kengo series, Ghost of Tsushima, Bushido Blade, etc) so much and am currently developing with gbdk to create a gameboy game in the style of WoTS meets Kengo.
It marries my lifelong love of older video games, samurai lore and ancient wisdom.
thanks for bringing these games to my attention, subbed
Wow! I'm glad to know there is another video explanation about the Way of the Samurai series. As for the series itself, I really like the environment and story in WotS 1.
The only youtuber I know that's keeping WOTS alive!
We Way of the Samurai fans need to stick together and demand 5!
I was feeling weird and bad for comino to this game every time I can because they're all very unique. Glad to this video showing up
Way of the Samurai was the first ps2 game I ever got to fully play, I was 13 and it blew my mind. Just walking around and watching the world exist no matter what you do was mind blowing.
4th comment here.
Dude i thought you're like a super famous youtuber here. Your production quality is really great, and so is your editing. I watched this with a bowl of Miso. Totally warmed throughout the video. Not too boxy and restrictive but relaxing and wanderign like the Tenchu.
This made me double check the sub count, crazy they have less than 1k subs. For sure giving him a sub
I loved that game especially 3. It was hilarious and kinda scary at times but every choice made you discover new things. The combat could be unforgiving but damn I loved learning new styles.
Never thought I would see a video essay about this franchise. You are doing God's work! Ty
I played all four of these games religiously from childhood til I was a teen. Such a good series.
I’ve loved these games since I was a kid and they’re genuinely such great games that it makes me sad there isn’t a remastered bundle of all the games together
I can't tell you how important the first two games were for me. I must have played the first one 100s of hours. I pray for the day we get a super modernized version of this game.
I loved the first one. I was young when it came out and I remember after playing it several times, I went to play it one day and when I turned it on, I seen a multi-player mode and couldn't believe it. I had no idea how I had gotten it but it was my favorite part of the game once I unlocked it.
i'm very glad to see that someone has made this video. through the years i've used this as a really good example of branching narrative dynamics that allows player to proceed along some of the branches or entirely pass by without participation as the world turns.
I'm really happy to see that there's lots of other people who played and still remember it, while watching your vid, I remember when I played it on PSP and PS2, and later on PS3, I'm that kind of guy that gets a bit emotive by simply hearing the classic songs in the video haha. Also thanks for showing Katana Kami, never even heard about it, and definitely will going to buy that along with 3 and 4.
And also I remember grinding for the best stats for the perfect "Kubirabasara" in 2, was so locked on it that I even had a dream with the game haha, so much fond memories.
The way the options affect the first game, is one of the most in-depth systems ever implemented yet. It’s so deep, it really set the bar for me as a kid for what games could be.
The first Way of the Samurai was the only game I know that implemented the concept of time in a semi-openworld game. You can't participate in every events in the world. You make choices and miss out of very important events that might have changed alot of things. The first Way of the Samurai is still one of my favorite games of all time. It is the first game that taught me about choice in life that can change outcomes drastically.
One of my favorite ps2 games. My older brother got it when I was maybe 14, and I played it so much.
Seeing more Way of the Samurai videos makes me really happy.
Love your style. Subbed
One thing I loved about the first game was how if you really wanted to, you could kill the blacksmith. I also liked how, since the game was perma-death and you'd lose whatever you had on you (including swords collected from previous runs) if you died, you could have him send one sword that you really wanted to keep hold of to your collection.
The first game was so good. Weapons actually had collisions unlike many modern games.
Ironic that Accquire came together in 1994 - Same year i was born
In my entire life of gaming i can honestly say WITHOUT A DOUBT that Way Of The Samurai is the greatest game series ever made and most likely ever will
No game iv ever played in 30 years has even come close to Way of the Samurai
I'm a minute and half in. How have I never heard of this game this sounds rad.
I played WotS1 and was blown away by how reactive the game was.
It felt like future of video games.
Also, I agree I didn't vibe with WotS 4 either, despite trying twice. I think I need to try WotS 3 now.
the first game is one of my all time fav games
I played the original Tenchu on PS1 back in the 90s, the first true 3rd person stealth game I ever played.
My annoyance was that, after spending my time watching guard movement patterns from a rooftop so I could get perfect undetected kills, the final boss fight was almost always a face to face battle - not stealthy at all. Only in one level could you assassinate the final boss.
Yeah in the first game you could unsheathe your sword which gets the npcs anxious, then sheathe it back and they start dissing you, and you get to not respond to their prompts, which provokes a different response. Fun times.
My favourite game all the time until now. Because is really fun to explore and collecting weapon/swords
Way of the Samurai is one of my most favorite games from my childhood and I've played all 4. It especially felt special playing the first one around the same time I started watching Samurai Champloo
I'd be thrilled if they came out with another one. I remember playing The Way of the Samurai 3 back in the day, and it blowing my mind. I'm definitely gonna have to start a playthrough again. It's been a long while.
Finally, someone talks about this amazing franchise, and actually sits down to analyze it.
I played the first Way of the Samurai game religiously back in the day. I spent countless hours getting all the swords and doing every scenario. Until one day, my friend Mike stayed the night at my house and broke both of my maxed out swords, that I used to play hard mode with, while I was sleeping. I pretty much quit the game after that. Over 20 years later I still bitch at Mike for breaking my swords.
I rented the first game like half a dozen times when I was a kid. Didm't know there were sequels until years later.
I’m glad these games are getting discovered. In my opinion, WOTS paved the way for a lot of the traditional Japanese inspired action games we have today (Ghost of Tsushima, Nioh, Rise of the Ronin, etc.)
It was one of those goofy yet dramatic games that hooked you in once you played it. Plus the replay value further adds to it.
Omg I played the first one when I was a kid. I totally forgot about this game.
My favorite games in ps2! Part of my childhood! Those days were perfect and so peaceful. Hope they make a new version for new consoles!
This games is my childhood and as i got old and played ghost of tsushima i remembered this game as well both were true definition of a true samurai tribute games.
One of my favorite games of all time. Probably top 3, definitely top 5. Thanks for the nostalgia!
Ive never heard of this series before, and your rundown of each was truly excellent! I really want to go and explore each one, with faults and successes, and see all they have to offer! Unique games such as these are rare to find since they take a lot of work to make and carry a ton of risk for the developers, so it’s beautiful to see that so many of them came out! Thank you for sharing them with us! Time to go play them!
Thanks mate, now I definitely know what I'm going to play again! 💪😎 These games are really awesome. Fingers crossed they make a new one.
I remember playing tenchu as a little grosshopper and it was the good old days.
How have I never heard of this?! A Samurai Immersive Sim!! Ummm dream game!
Oh man that soundtrack brings back memories
Awesome video. I love how it covered so much while being straight to the point.
4 has been sitting in my steam library untouched for years, but after watching this I might start with 1 lol
Awesome break down on Way of the Samurai bro! I played the life out of these games growing up. Especially the first entry. I remember my cousin would come over for some vs mode battles. It was a blast at the time, and still today! Keep the content rolling in man
That's awesome to hear, and I really appreciate the comment!
the first game was so ahead of its time. such a vibe
Also a 2003 TMNT and Revenge of the Sith games shoutout? A man of culture I see.
This is one of my favorite game series of all time thank you for doing a video on it. It was good. Way of the samurai 3 was my first
Thanks for such an interesting and useful review, I already want to try part 3. I used to try 4, but I wasn't carried away by it and now I understand why.
hell yea, someone finally giving a shout out to way of the samurai!! if your into these Aquire styled short but meant to be played sandbox games, I also Highly recommend the akibas trip games (also made by Aquire) as well as Kenka Bancho (sadly only the 3rd game badass rumble got an eng localization but its still worth a playthrough or 5)
Fun fact but in way of the samurai 3, attacking the peasants at the very start is the most adequate reaction given the time period, in sengoku era peasants would often come to the battlefields in order to loot the bodies, those looters were infamous for finishing off any injured or left behind soldiers to get more loot, it's just your character being cautious and playing it safe
That’s a good point, haha
All I ask is for Spike Chunsoft to put all the games in a collection and make new one. These games were so genuinely fun.
I was just talking about this game! i couldnt remember the name. A full remake of this would be amazing
Played number 3 a long time ago, wish they'd remake it now they you've reminded me about it.
This is one of those game concepts that I'm just blown away that no other developers have taken on.
This was my first rogue like - like. I can't believe the PS2 was capable of stuff like this.
I'm so glad to finally see people talking about these amazing games. I've wanted them to get the same boost in interest the Yakuza series got a few years back.
I loved this game when I was a kid. I always tried to get different endings, but for some reason there were some that I could never get.
Upgrading your swords, not paying and killing the smith was something I often did too lol
I played the original Way of the Samurai on PSP while i was travelling in a train. I didn't know anything about it, i just installed some games that had swords in it and tried it, i couldn't believe how good it was, i played it over and over discovering new things about the world and different endings to all the storylines, it made the long-ass train ride a lot more bearable.
That sounds like such a cool way to come across the game.
It’s like a cross between Kingdom Come Deliverance and Shenmue.
Those games have actually good plots. Way of the samurai is way too goofy
@@hennyspiderman9974KCD is goofy as hell😭
@@hennyspiderman9974 I can tell you’ve never played shenmue or haven’t played it in years because you think it’s good
@@HarbingerOfMorningWood Shenmue is way better than way of the samurai plot wise. Stop the bullshit. The first and second aged but still are engaging. The third is ass but the way of the samurai are genuinely ass from 1st to 4th lmao
at times but the Quest with Johanka is amazing and really hits hard.
I played this game countless times with different sword builds, character paths. So open ended for such a simple game
Imagine rd2 but samurai 👀
👀
And character customization 👀
Love Way of the Samurai. It was truly a game where choices actually mattered. Tenchu and Tenchu 2 are two of my favorite games of all time. I miss pure stealth games.
I still play this WoTS 1 in my PS2 and had a lot of laughter running away from Suzu when you saved her from Tsubohachi. Men, she just goes after you like playing "catch me if you can"! Did this too with Inokashira but the village is too small to run.