The general gameplay of Samurai Warriors revolves around its simple fighting system. Choose one of the available characters (of which there are 5 at the start) and dive on in, via a very Japanese intro (unique to each character). With no in-game instructions and sudden explosion of enemies, this is very much a case of "in at the deep end, see if you can swim". With a button (square) for your basic attack, another button for a power move (triangle) and a third for a super move (circle - cross is used for jump), dispatching the first wave of enemies is a relatively straightforward affair. Push your controller (left analogue stick) towards the enemy, bash the buttons. Once you get a little way into the map, however, the enemies get bigger, tougher and smarter - so it's time to figure out some more advanced moves...

The combo system utilised in Samurai Warriors is, like the basic bash'n'slash moves, easy to get to grips with. Which is good, because the manual makes it seem far more complicated than it is. Simply combine your basic move with your power move button in one of a few different sequences and voila - a varied and powerful system. The simplicity of this system means that you don't need to know which combo you are going to use when you start it; simply branch out as your needs dictate. This feasibility adds a lot of fluidity to the fight scenes and means you don't end up slashing away endlessly at the scenery. Thumbs up here. Another strength of this system is that each character is markedly different - a combo that works well in a given situation for one character might mean certain death at the hands of your enemy for another. It's good stuff and adds a lot of playability and replayability to the title.

In addition to the main "Story Mode", as already described, there are several extra modes to keep hardcore players amused. Free Mode allows you to choose a level and mix it up without a story to side track you, New Officer mode lets you create and train a new character (including multiple levels of RPG-style character leveling and customisation), Challenge Mode drops you in any one of a number of scenarios to see if you can survive, Versus Mode mode gives you the chance to "dance" with a friend (local console only, no netplay) and the always-amusing "Survival Mode" chucks and endless legion of enemies at you. You will die, there is no doubt. The real question is how many of them will you take with you?

The RPG elements seen in the New Officer mode are well implemented and not only rewards good fighting with expanded character options but it punishes poor technique by reducing your attributes in misused skills. You don't block during battle? Expect your defence stat to take a dive. This combination of enhancement and detraction means that, by the time you finish the training, you'll have a character that accurately and closely represents the way you play the game.