I’ve got several games loaded on my iPad but I can only count a few of them which I was able to finish. Somewhere along the way, I stopped playing most of them right in the middle, either because I got bored or I got stuck in a difficult level. For those games which I was able to finish, one that I really enjoyed and didn’t find any boring moment playing it was Samurai HD for iPad, a great hack-and-slash, samurai type of game with a mix of Japanese manga on the side.
One thing that comes into my mind when I started hacking my way through the game’s different levels was the movie Kill Bill. The game has the spurting red blood and gore decapitation complete with realistic sound effects. But of course, the effect is not as horrid as the movie. The game’s violence carried out through game animation is enough to keep you glued into the game.
Samurai HD for iPad – Gameplay
The game is your typical hack-and-slash, linear type of game. You take control of a Samurai-wielding character who must go through a handful of enemies who will try to stop him from reaching the game’s ending level and finally facing the game’s final boss. As you progress through the game, your character would learn new finishing moves which are obviously cooler than the usual attacks that your character carries out. As you learn these special attacks, your character will execute them randomly as you battle your way through the different levels of the game.
The enemy AI in the game are pretty decent and poses enough challenge. But don’t worry, I’ve finished the game so this means that the enemies are not that hard to defeat. There are certain levels where it would get a bit frustrating to complete. But with patience, you’d defeat it nonetheless.
The game’s final boss is not that hard to beat as well. In fact, all you have to do is to follow this strategy – attack and retreat then attack again until he finally succumbs to your beating.
Samurai HD for iPad – Graphics, Controls and Sounds
One of the game’s best quality is of course the manga-style 2D graphic environment. The game is top-scrolling by the way, so you get to play it only with your iPad in Portrait mode. The game’s character rendering is pretty decent and suits the iPad’s high-resolution display. In fact, the graphics alone will make you play the game from start to finish, if only to find out how the other levels look.
The game only gives you the basic movement controls for moving forward, backward and sideways. To attack your enemy you simply swipe your finger forward or sideways. There are some slow downs at some point in the game, but they are forgivable and would not affect the overall excitement of the game.
Sound effects are pretty decent as well. The hacking and slashing sound of Samurais were nicely done as well as the sound the blade piercing through your enemies’ bodies.
Our Verdict
To put it bluntly, I enjoyed this game and would definitely recommend it if you’ve been waiting for a decent game to play on your iPad. Samurai: Way of the Warrior HD is truly a gem of a game for our beloved iPad. If you’re a big fan of hack-and-slash game, there’s no reason why you won’t get this game. if you’re not, then you might as well check out this game and try playing it on your iPad. You’d love it. Before I forget, let me just say that the game has one flaw – it’s way too short.
Samurai: Way of the Warrior HD is available from the iPad App Store for $4.99.
