Very loosely based on one of the oldest and most respected novels of all time--Tale of Genji--, this game could have been one of the year's best if it wasn't built around repetitious game design ideas. Let's mix RPG and Action-Adventure and Samurai call it an Action Game. Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 are basically the same levels with light and dark aspects thrown over the top of them. The items you can obtain in either are different, but the level themselves, aside from some additional rooms and a few enemies are the same. The game is short, yes, but it's the story that's a bit too rushed which makes the game seem too fast and too short. The artistry of this game is in the art itself. The soundtrack ranks up there with God of War in terms of sonic delight and the game art is stunningly gorgeous. It's a bloody action game, but it's oddly peaceful and relaxing at the same time. Quite a nice paradox. The swordplay of Yoshi**** is awesome to behold. Graphically, the lighting and lighting effects in this game are breathtaking. It's a bit fuzzy around the edges, but these graphics allow for a pleasant feel to the environments. I'm not too hot on the character switching as it's a nice thing to be anle to play as a different character who looks and feels different, but often I just wanted to play as Yoshi***** and leave Beneki behind when there were some things I just couldn't get at without Beneki's help. That was mildly frustruating and made the game feel repetitious and even boring at times. The challenge of this game lies in the bosses, but they can be fairly easily dispatched with some slight memorization. The true challenge is the Difficult mode that pits you against all the levels without the ability to get better weapons or armor or level up. It's truly hard, but still fun to play. The Normal and Continuous mode took me approx 20 hours to beat, finding all the items in the game...which is some quality gaming time in my opinion. All in all, this is a great game with a lot of potential for next-gen systems. PS2 really can't keep a good frame rate for kamui attacks with 8 or 10 enemies on the screen. I'm eagerly awaiting the PS3 version of this one. I should say that this game smells like Onimusha 3, but control wise and gameplay wise it feels SOOOOOO much cooler and smoother. Recommend for anyone into .Japanese culture or who likes a good 'ol swordfight.
Other Helpful Reviews for Genji: Dawn of the Samurai
Graphics: The graphics in Genji are very good, the feudal japan its very well represented and the particle system its great. If you like Japan mythology, ninjas, samurais than you will feel you are at home when playin... Read Full Review
Genji is very detailed and fun to play. I like the good graphics in it and the action is very cool. It is a challenging game, because you have to fight strong bosses and plan how you want to spend you money, in health, l... Read Full Review
