Samurai Warriors 5 (2021)

Samurai Warriors 5 is a game of reductions. In its move to reboot the series it seemingly has gone back to providing as much content as the first entry. A cynic may say they'll likely slowly start to reintroduce these established features like they're new innovations. Innovation… It's insane that while Omega Force continues to do just that. To innovate. To deliver. But only with titles it produced for other people's franchises. When it comes to its own franchises, frankly, the developer is going backwards. Following the disappointment of what Dynasty Warriors became, Samurai Warriors has now joined the club as a shadow of its former self.

Samurai Warriors 5 is a minimised musou that's been stripped back to its most fundamental parts. Perhaps this deconstruction was meant to revitalise interest in the genre, but it sadly leaves it feeling flat and mediocre. Omega Force hasn't forgotten how to make a musou, though; that much shines through in the combat which at times shows flickers of promise. There's just not enough to see and do here, and it becomes repetitive far too quickly. This, coupled with the fluctuating Nintendo Switch performance, makes it difficult to recommend.

Samurai Warriors 5 is a breath of fresh air that breathes new life into the long-running series. The new coat of paint and new mechanics make the game fun to play and pleasant to look at.

Thanks to its addictive combat, involving plot, and even a new venture into a mode that acts as a tower defense game, Samurai Warriors 5 is a very welcome arrival to the Nintendo Switch catalogue in the hack & slash genre.

Samurai Warriors 5 keeps the spirit of combat alive in this follow-up, without managing to stand out enough to feel like a true sequel.