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In ‘Ghost of Tsushima,’ Sony saves PS4’s best for last
Based on the Mongol invasion of Tsushima island in the 13th century, Ghost follows the exploits of Jin Sakai, a samurai and nephew of the local lord, as he attempts to rally the island’s populace and drive back the invading horde after a crushing defeat at Komodahama beach (shortened to Komoda in the game). The mission structure is similar to FarCry or Assassin’s Creed, with a mix of quests that either advance the overall story, assist one of the game’s primary side characters, clears towns of their occupying forces, earn goodwill with the populace or gain new powers and weapons. Being a samurai game, you’re going to be slicing and dicing your way through enemy crowds using the Sakai family’s heirloom katana but your wakizashi won’t spend much time in its sheath either.
'Ghost of Tsushima' sent its developers to Japanese History 101
It's not often that classic Japanese cinema and modern console gaming intersect, but in Sucker Punch's upcoming samurai adventure, Ghost of Tsushima, the two meld seamlessly. The studio has taken great effort to reproduce the game's setting in 13th-century Japan as accurately as possible and the effect is like playing your way through an Akira Kurosawa film.
'Ghost of Tsushima' shows off gorgeous, brutal combat
We've just gotten our first look at developer Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima. In the demo, we saw plenty of combat, with the player executing parries like we haven't seen since Xbox One launch title, Ryse: Son of Rome. Except, you know, without all the quick-time events. Our protagonist is just as adept at sneaking through the bushes and stealthily taking out guards with his sword, clambering around on rooftops a la the old Tenchu: Stealth Assassins games, and then sinking his blade into hapless foes below.
Team Ninja teases 'Nioh 2' for PS4
As another short trailer began at the PlayStation press event at E3 in Los Angeles this evening, a samurai warrior stumbling through a foggy wood was attacked by a big red demon. The warrior fights valiantly, but his helmet is soon knocked off, showing him to also be a demon, at least in part, with glowing red horns. He pulls them out of his forehead and takes a much more monstrous form. Nioh 2 is announced.
The 'Infamous' team is working on a Samurai game
Sucker Punch Productions, the studio behind the Infamous series, is building a new open-world game set in the mountains of ancient Japan: Ghost of Tsushima. So far, we've only seen a cinematic trailer for the new title, but it gives away a few clues: Ghost of Tsushima is set in 1247, and it focuses on Samurai life and swordplay, featuring a calculating and cruel villain intent on conquering the land. Ghost of Tsushima is a departure for Sucker Punch. Infamous is a decidedly sci-fi kind of story, starring super-powered humans and lots of neon light. Ghost of Tsushima appears to be more serious in tone.
'Chambara,' the split-screen samurai game born in a dorm
College dorms are a strange microcosm of adult life, offering close-quarters friendship, intellectual stimulation and the kind of freedom that comes with a prepaid meal card. Dorm life fosters in-person interaction, usually in tight spaces and on a limited budget. Basically, it's ideal for long multiplayer gaming sessions with a room full of good friends, loud music and fast food. It's no wonder, then, that the idea for Chambara, a samurai-infused local-multiplayer slash-fest, was spawned in the dorms at the University of Southern California.
Engadget giveaway: Win a Samurai Kiwami smartphone courtesy of Freetel!
The Japanese smartphone brand Freetel has finally arrived in the US and leading its stable of handsets is the Samurai Kiwami flagship. This Android phone features a six-inch, 2,560 x 1,440-pixel display, a rear placement fingerprint sensor and a whopping 21-megapixel rear camera. Other perks include 32GB of onboard memory, up to 128GB of expandable storage, a 2.0GHz Octa-core Cortex A53 CPU to keep it thrumming and an approachable price at just $389. It's enough to keep us placated until Freetel unleashes its sleek Musashi flip phone on these shores. This week, the company has provided us with one of the Samurai Kiwami handsets to help get one lucky reader up to speed on what these devices can offer. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning! Winner: Congratulations to Sidharth P. of Jersey City, NJ!
Robot and samurai face off in an awesome sword duel
Used to be that if you wanted to become an Ieyasu master and swing a katana around with reckless abandon, you'd have to spend years training your mind, body and spirit in preparation as well as subscribe to a strict Bushido, or "warrior's code." These days, you really just need a Motoman-MH24 industrial robot and some basic programming chops. As part of its centennial anniversary, the robot's manufacturer, Yaskawa Electric Corporation, teamed up with modern day samurai Machii Isao to see whether man or machine could better wield a blade. Great, so now they can drive ATVs, climb stairs, dodge obstacles and even respond to emergencies. But will they ever truly know how to love? Oh wait, yup.
A Samurai class is coming to Black Desert
Black Desert is getting a new Samurai class in its next Korean update, according to MMO Culture. Little is known of the archetype at this point, though the site speculates that we may see some "Samurai-type skills like Yasuo's [from] League of Legends."
Massively Exclusive: MapleStory adds samurai Hayato
The pantheon of MapleStory characters has just admitted a newcomer to its ranks -- the legendary samurai Hayato. Having lost his clan to the evil forces of Oda Nobunga, Hayato seeks vengeance. Weakened by his mysterious appearance in the Maple World, he must regain the knowledge of his fast and powerful sword combos in order to fight off the invading forces of Oda. In this exclusive video, watch Hayato battle through ninjas and face Oda Nobunga himself in order to stop a dark ritual and save the princess. [Source: Nexon press release]
Eden Eternal adds Samurai class, PvP arenas, and dungeons
Eden Eternal's latest patch lands today, and Aeria Games is adding quite a bit of content to the free-to-play fantasy romp. There's a new Samurai class, a revamped territory wars mode, and a new monster battle arena designed for PvP encounters. The Samurai is a DPS class that uses a katana to slice and dice foes at close range. The class also features a number of buff abilities as well as a heavy-hitting Asura slash airborne attack. In addition to the territory wars tweaks and monster arena, Aeria is also adding two new dungeons to Eden Eternal. The instances are designed for level 60 heroes, and each features new bosses and gear. More info is available at the game's official website. [Source: Aeria Games press release] %Gallery-120523%
TUAW's Daily App: Samurai II: Vengeance
We'll start with the obvious: Samurai II: Vengeance is one of the best, if not the best, looking games I've ever seen on the iPhone. It is simply gorgeous, with a unique, cel-shaded look filling out incredible 3D worlds. I'm excited for Epic Citadel's progeny, of course, but this one's in a class all its own in terms of the graphics. It's just amazing. The gameplay isn't quite as astounding, but it's still quality. You play a samurai who (surprise!) is looking for vengeance and has to hack and slash his way through hordes of bad guys. Attacks are combo-based, and controls are responsive enough, given that they're based on overlay buttons, to pull off the attacks you want. Enemies are somewhat repetitive, but in an action game like this, that's kind of the way it works. And speaking of action, things can get kind of gory. Sometimes, by attacking just right, you'll up and chop a guy's head off or even slice him in half. That might be offputting if you're a more casual gamer, but what did you think was going to happen if you ran around swinging a samurai sword? The game is US$2.99, and when you consider that includes both iPhone and iPad versions as well as Game Center integration and a survival mode, Samurai II: Vengeance is a bargain at twice the price. Definitely pick it up, if only to wander through the game's world and marvel at the way it's all portrayed.
Gears of War art director makes an Unreal movie pitch
Epic Games' Jerry O'Flaherty, art director for the original Gears of War title and once-reported director of the upcoming Thundercats film reboot, recently put together a unique pitch for a film tentatively titled Samurai. Well, okay, the film itself doesn't look too terribly unique (it's like 300, but with more wakizashi), but the fact that almost all of its backgrounds and special effects were created using the Unreal Engine sets it apart from most modern cinematic projects. O'Flaherty explains in the pitch's description that it was created "with the intent of sharing all of the environment assets ... between the movie and the game." Seeing as how the pitch was shot with zero budget in two days, this simple proof of concept (posted after the jump) could lead to an even greater influx of cost-efficient video game-to-short film adaptations. Hey, don't give us that look! Those can be pretty good on occasion.
Vana'diel's Feast of Swords returns to Final Fantasy XI
Amidst all of the Final Fantasy XIV news, it would be understandable if players had a bit of a harder time remembering what holidays are coming up in the venerable Final Fantasy XI. But it would be very sad to miss out on this one, the time-honored Feast of Swords that gives everyone a chance to swing wooden blades at animated samurai armor. It might seem a bit odd to have such a holiday presented as foreign in a Japanese game, but that's always been one of the oddities of the setting. Per the custom, there's a short fiction piece detailing the lead-in to the event, which continues the trend of Final Fantasy XI's moogles being portrayed as inscrutable meddlers. The holiday proper begins on April 27th, with the usual procedures. Talking to an event moogle gives you a special blade, and finding a moogle in one of several zones lets you enchant the blade to hunt the local armor. You won't be able to fight anything else, but it's all worth it when you slay the creature and get your ever-coveted cosmetic event rewards. In short, it promises to be fun times for adventurers of all levels, although possibly less fun for animated samurai armor.
Samurai of Kuroda granted a cybernetic upgrade
Looking for a techno spin on the traditional, the Samurai of Kuroda have become assimilated into robot territory. They dance, they drink, they wield a great spear and use it to skewer flesh when you're not looking -- probably. Look for the creations at IREX 2009 and then after at RoboSquare in Kyushu. If you can't make it out, or want a preview, take a peep for yourself after the break.
The Digital Continuum: Week two of vacationing in Vana'diel, part 2
You see, when you attack in FFXI, it locks you into a slow walking animation. Grouping in FFXI takes so very long, that often times when you get a group together one or more of the members have to leave for some reason or another.
The Digital Continuum: Vacationing in Vana'diel part 2
Since my static group is only around level 10 -- and it only took me around five hours to hit that mark thanks to Fields of Valor tasks and a smoothed leveling curve -- I decided to switch from Warrior to Monk for a little while. br> Never underestimate the power of having one character who can switch between all available classes, at least after earning the advanced ones at your discretion.
Dream of Mirror Online takes it all the way to 64 in their new patch
Most games choose to stop their leveling content at round numbers, like 60, or 70, or 80. Dream of Mirror Online, however, doesn't feel bound by those limitations. They're pushing their content all the way to level 64, and we can't blame them. We've always felt that 64 was a good number that brings back good memories. 64-bit game consoles, Nintendo 64, GoldenEye...We see what they did there. They wanted to bring back our fond memories of GoldenEye as we played their game.Anyway, today's patch adds two new major quests to the game, as well as a few new items for everyone to collect. We're looking forward to grabbing the samurai goodie bags ourselves. If you're interested in getting access to level up to 64, then talk to the Tiger Demon in Eversun suburbs. Once that quest is completed, your character will have access to level up to the brand new cap of 64!
Director talks up Muramasa: Demon Blade
When it was announced that Oboro Muramasa Youtouden was headed to North America (under the name Muramasa: Demon Blade), we got all kinds of excited. Not only does the game have a wonderful style all its own, it also looks like a great 2D experience in a world crowded with 3D games. During a recent interview with 1UP, the game's director Jyouji Kamitani answered questions dealing with the origins of the game, the motion controls players can expect and the playable build that will be available during the upcoming Tokyo Game Show.Hit up this link to read the full interview.%Gallery-33431%
The whereabouts of Saihai no Yukue's screenshots
Advance scouts on the field have reported back their findings on Koei's approaching force, Saihai no Yukue (The Baton's Whereabouts). In addition to receiving valuable intelligence on the army's troop strength and supply routes, we have also learned that the Omega Force-developed title will be an "adventure" game!According to intercepted communications, Saihai no Yukue will see an overseas release in Q3 2008 and will focus on 17th century samurai Ishida Mitsunari as he leads Japan's Western Army against rival and Eastern Army commander Tokugawa Ieyasu, also known as "the portly dude with the pipe."Our spies have send back photos of the game's formation, which we've filed in our classified gallery below! Is it just us, or does it look like Ishida, the guy in the background, has been wading through a knee-high river of blood? The way he's raising his fist, it looks like he's pretty angry about it. "These pants are dry clean only!"%Gallery-27407%[Via Koei Warriors]
