- Slice through hordes of unusual enemies -- wacky things like voltrabots, ninjaroids, and arachnukes.
- Innovative manga shading system draws colorful comic art images & objects in realistic 3D.
- Talented voice acting brings the characters to life.
- Electrifying theme song performed by the Surf Coasters.
Product description
-------------------
Musashi: Samurai Legend helps the legend live on, as you
experience Musashi's latest journey! Called across space & time,
Musashi mus save Princess Mycella and the Mystics to return home.
But he's not alone -- with help from an eccentric but brilliant
martial arts master, Musashi will become the greatest samurai
ever known. With an entire world to save, he has his work cut out
for him!
Review
------
Hardcore Square fans rejoiced when it was announced that the
Brave Fencer Musashi series was coming back. I'm happy to report
that these stalwarts will not be disappointed. In other reviews
in this issue, I've taken games to task for sticking to staid
design and plot clichés. Well, here's the review where I look
like a hypocrite because, while it definitely features some
well-worn concepts and plotlines, there's something oddly
appealing about this game that keeps things feeling fresh
throughout your adventure.
It's mostly down to superb execution. Square has implemented a
character advancement and item system that rivals most full-blown
RPGs. As expected, you can acquire new items and weapons, and
improve your attributes in a number of areas. But what's really
cool is how they've given you the ability to learn attacks from
your enemies (á la Final Fantasy). By locking on to an enemy, you
can instantly gain new abilities with a few well-timed button
presses. It's ingenious, and adds a ton of depth to the
proceedings. The deep and exacting combat is really at the core
of what makes this a great game – especially in the gorgeous boss
battles.
Aside from the combat, I found the story element – while not too
original – very compelling. It's mostly due to the humorous
dialogue, which hits that perfect note of classic Japanese whimsy
and silliness. Little touches like being referred to by my
instructor as "unripe melon" or having an enemy taunt me by
excling "I'm wicked popular!" brought more than a few
chuckles.
While it does have its weaknesses (the levels are a bit generic
and there was a bit too much backtracking for my taste), Musashi
succeeds with great visual style, excellent humor, and rock-solid
gameplay.
Concept:
A gorgeous and well-done sequel to a PSone cult classic
Graphics:
Cel shading is currently out of favor, but this shows how
impressive it can be when done right
Sound:
Great score and funny voiceovers – too bad there's not more of
them
Playability:
Platforming can be a little frustrating, but the combat system is
primo hack n' slash
Entertainment:
Musashi overcomes its weaknesses with charm, style, and great
gameplay
Replay:
Moderately High
Rated: 8.25 out of 10
Editor: Matt Helgeson
Issue: March 2005
2nd Opinion:
I was surprised at how charming I found Musashi to be as an
action game, since it breaks many of the rules that I usually
can't forgive – namely horrendous voice-overs and fairly
repetitious gameplay. Even with these flaws the game manages to
deliver a quality experience, which I would attribute to its
fantastic art direction and entertaining boss encounters. It
reminds of those mindless ninja games I used to play on NES for
hours on end that really weren't that great or innovative, but
delivered a nice serving of mindless hack n' slash with a heaping
helping of the absurd. Musashi isn't for everyone. So I highly
recommend a test drive before a purchase, but those that can look
past its quirky story will be rewarded with a title that is a
nice blend of Square Enix production values and good
old-fashioned fun.
Rated: 7.5 out of 10
Editor: Andy McNamara
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