Everywhere you turn, new sword-fighting games are popping up. Some of them are rehashes (anything that starts with “Dynasty” and ends in “Warriors”). Some are upgrades (Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2). Some don’t quite live up to their cherished legacy (SoulCalibur’s Wii outing).

Then there are the rare releases that stray from the path and try something a little different. Way of the Samurai 3 is one such game. Set in the year 1560 during the Sengoku era, Way of the Samurai 3 is an open-world single-player action game that blends hack-n-slash, single- and multi-character battles with the soul of an RPG.

Have a Slice Day

Way of the Samurai 3’s combat is very easy to grasp, using just two buttons for primary attacks (strong and weak). Enemies can be pushed, pulled and thrown, and of course you have the opportunity to execute an instant kill, which can lead to the state of Chain Kill. Chain Kill gives you the chance to kill many enemies instantaneously, and can further lead to the Glimpse of Death mechanic, which requires you to tap a button quickly (shown on screen) for yet another instant kill.

Players can maneuver around their enemies in somewhat of a targeted stance – it isn’t quite on par with Zelda or Prince of Persia but was clearly inspired by those games. Enemies attack swiftly and forcefully. The AI isn’t great (smart players will learn to block frequently and retaliate quickly to diminish their offenses), but you may have a hard time evading sneak attacks, which can seemingly come at any time during any part of the game. You could be chatting with a local, looking for something to do, when all of a sudden an enemy appears – not necessarily by shouting and by making his presence known, but by stabbing you in the back.

It’s these kinds of moments that keep Way of the Samurai 3 from becoming another dull wannabe RPG. Don’t get me wrong – the RPG aspect has plenty issues that should have been worked out. We’ll get to those later. But how many RPGs have you played where a peaceful stroll can turn into a deadly assault? How many RPGs other than Fable have you played where you can kill just about anybody, even those who are innocent? The idea (and certainly the act) of killing civilians is not great. But having the choice to do whatever, whenever, is what the current generation of gaming has been about. Way of the Samurai 3 does that better than most. It’s not on the extreme level of Grand Theft Auto IV, a game that didn’t really prohibit you from killing anyone. Way of the Samurai 3 doesn’t let you kill children, thankfully, and if people are running scared, you’ll have to move super fast if you want to catch them. Unless their death is necessary, it’s best to let them get away.

A Role You May Not Want To Play

The RPG side of Way of the Samurai 3 is where the game begins to lose its way. Basically, you check the map, find the locals who need help, visit them, and complete the listed task. This can lead to battles, item collecting or a little of both, but in any case, this format doesn’t work. It’s great walking into a lively town that never feels too safe. (Heck, even a horror game like Resident Evil has save rooms that double as a safe zone.) It’s great being able to communicate with NPCs who have more to say than, “Hello, would you like to buy an item?” Having the ability to join or anger enemy groups is also pretty great, though a bit underdeveloped.

But the thought of having to scour the world in search of a key item – or anything else, for that matter – is about as exciting watching water boil. We all know what water looks like. We’ve all seen the bubbles before. That is pretty much what you get with Way of the Samurai 3’s scavenger hunting: boiled water.

Way of the Samurai 3 did get one thing right in the area of stat raising and lowering. If you commit a villainous act and kill an innocent character, some of your Samurai Points (calculated at the end of each game) will be deducted. Weapon creation is an interesting element, though it’s not as inventive or as streamlined as the weapon system in Muramasa: The Demon Blade for Wii. Plus, new weapons require items, and you don’t need another excuse to go searching for them.

Graphically, the game is almost painful. If it weren’t for the number of characters or the size of the environments, you’d swear this was a PS2 game. Even with those elements considered, the texture work is disastrous. Character animations are too clunky for a PS3 game, and despite the large scope of the environments, they look terrible. The whole thing reminds of the visual style that accompanied Dreamcast’s launch titles.

Way of the Samurai 3 won’t be a huge hit with the masses. There are certainly enough annoyances here to keep gamers from wanting to play it. But the combat elements are strong enough that, if you are the kind of player that is capable of mustering some endurance, you should push past the weaknesses and give it a try.

Gameplay: 7.0
Hack-n-slash sword-fighting with more depth than the genre is known for, Way of the Samurai 3 succeeds on a combative level. The RPG features, however, are quite discouraging.

Graphics: 4.0
Given the lack of PS3-quality detail, animations, character renderings and background depth, you'd think Way of the Samurai 3 was related to the Dynasty Warriors series. Nope.

Sound: 5.0
Way of the Samurai 3 may have RPG elements, but sadly, it doesn't have the score of a quality RPG.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
There a few tough moments, but the majority of the quest should be easy for most gamers.

Concept: 7.0
Nothing in Way of the Samurai 3 is fresh. The game tries to be different with its execution, which is respectable, but the results are not entirely memorable.

Overall: 7.0
Not for everyone. Way of the Samurai 3 is positively different from other sword fighters, but its RPG elements might be too much for some players to bear, even those wanting to experience the combat.