Koei has been a niche player in the video game market since 1988. The overwhelming majority of their offerings in this nearly 20 year span have been confined to strategy games involving the unification of feudal Japan or China. I have great memories of hours spent with Kessen or Nobunaga’s Ambition. It seems as if these two titles represent a time when Koei hit their stride, and since that time Koei has not kept pace with the evolving video game market. Samurai Warriors 2 Empires is a game that does not excel in any one category. The strategy has been all but eliminated from this title and the combat is a ho-hum button mashing experience. It’s often said that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but adding dull game play, poor graphics, and mindless battles equals a sub par game in every case.
Speaking as someone that has skipped the past several Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors games, I’ll assume the reader has done so as well. The ultimate goal of Empires is to militarily unite 16th century Japan under one warlord. You accomplish this by enlisting officers and building armies for your subordinates to control. This is a turn based game in which each season per year represents a new turn. Each turn is divided into 3 phases; Strategy, Battle and Warfare. In the Strategy phase you will recruit officers and soldiers, build improvements to your fiefs, conduct trade or forge alliances. The Battle phase shows who is attacking whom, and gives you the opportunity to attack one of your rivals. The Warfare phase is skipped if you are not attacking or you do not need to defend one of your fiefs (pieces of land). This process continues on and on for 50 years (200 turns) until you have united the main island of Japan by conquest and subjugation.
In the Strategy phase you will enact the policies that you see fit. Empires uses a system of Policy Cards, and the number of fiefs controlled limits the number of cards that can be played. Each card represents one action, such as enlisting troops, building defenses, meeting with the peasants or increasing the harvest of your fiefs. You, as lord, can issue a decree and play one card to enact it. By consulting with your officers and accepting their recommendations, you can often play two cards where a decree would have allowed you to play only one. Obviously this is the better choice provided your officers supply recommendations that help you meet your goals. Consultation also has the benefit of increasing an officer’s loyalty when you enact his suggestions.
Once you’ve completed the Strategy phase, the Battle phase begins. This screen consists of a map denoting which lord controls any given fief. Arrows are drawn to show which lords are going on the attack. It is at this screen where you will choose to invade a rival’s fief or defend one of your own. If you have established an alliance with another lord, you may be asked to send one of your officers to help your ally with an attack or defense. If you are going to battle you will be taken to a screen that will allow you to select up to 3 generals and 3 lieutenants with which to wage war, as well as 1 general and 1 lieutenant to serve as reinforcements.
