Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi

Being a huge fan of Capcom, Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi was a game that I was always interested in, and I have dabbled in the series before. What we are looking at here today is the second release of the fourth game in the series, the ultimate version that was made to offer a more complete kind of experience. After screwing around with the game and having a great time doing so, I really wanted to share my thoughts on it and let you know why I thought that this was so much fun.

Beat The Devil Out Of It!

That is a little Bob Ross reference for you there, but it is kind of fitting when talking about Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi. You see, this is a popular series in Japan that has spawned an entertainment empire with games, books, shows, merchandise, and so on. However, for some reason, Capcom has never really seen this as having any value in the West, and we have only had two games in the series released over here. The first game in the series was released over here as Devil Kings by Capcom on the PS2, but the only other Western released entry was Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes for the PS3 and Wii, which was technically the sixth game in the series!

My Kinda Place

The Feudal Japan setting of Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi is very cool, but this game is packed with characters, some of whom I am familiar with, but for the most part, I did not know what was going on here with the story. There apparently is a fan translation of this game out there, but I was able to still get through it and just enjoy the vibes of playing as these badass samurai-style warriors as I hacked and slashed away at all kinds of enemies that wish you dead! This is pretty cool stuff, and it makes me wish that Capcom had localized this in its original form, as Devil Kings was edited very heavily from the original Sengoku Basara story.

Warriors Come Out To Play!

Hey, if you want to go and play Rockstars, awesome, The Warriors game, more power to you! However, there is no denying the fact that the gameplay of Sengoku Basara 4: Sumerag is very similar to the Dynasty Warriors series. This is a hack-and-slash kind of game where you progress through the stages and just smash your way through hordes of enemies. One of the things that I really like here is that on the surface, this is a pure button masher, but you are actually rewarded for changing up your attacks and keeping your combos going! This makes the combat even more fun, and there is a real smoothness to the way that the game plays, which just makes it even more fun. There are tons of characters to choose from to, so it is fun to mess around with the roster and see which one suits you best.

Russian Roulette

The most fun addition to the gameplay in Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi is something that I am not sure is in the previous games or any of the Dynasty Warriors games either. There is a roulette system to the gameplay, where when you reach an area that you have to clear out, a wheel will spin along the screen, and what it lands on will give you some kind of modifier for the battle ahead. This was such a fun twist and added a real sense of randomness to the battles. If you are someone who finds games like this a bit too repetitive and button-masher-like, this mechanic could be just what you have been looking for. I hope that this is something that shows up in one of the Warriors games in the future.

Pros:

• This is one of the best hack and slash Warriors style games!
• The combat feels great, and there are many unique characters
• The roulette system was fantastic and very exciting
• I loved the Feudal Japan setting of the game and the series

Cons:

• This never got a Western release, so there is no full translation
• You do have to like hack and slash games to appreciate this

Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi is an action-adventure that takes the player back to the times of feudal Japan. Choose your extraordinary fighter and set out to explore the game's open world. The story and plot are based on real historical events of the Sengoku period. However, unlike reality, the characters in the game can use elemental abilities and ninjutsu techniques.

Pros of the game:

• Extensive list of characters, each with a unique set of skills
• Free movement on locations in the open world