There probably isn’t a game as highly anticipated to return as the weapons-based fighting game franchise that is Samurai Shodown. After more than a decade since its last installment, warriors can now draw their blades and embrace death as the latest edition of Samurai Shodown is now available on consoles.
Samurai Shodown returns in a brand-new game that faithfully reproduces the mechanics and atmosphere that contributed to the success of the franchise. Among other features, this new edition adds high-end visuals and gamepla,y and a revolutionary Deep Learning AI that learns from players’ game actions and patterns to create CPU-controlled “ghost” characters.
The new Samurai Shodown story is set a year before the very first Samurai Shodown installment, which was released in 1993. With this new game's launch comes a diverse roster of 16 playable characters, 13 of which are returning fan-favorites and three are brand new warriors, who all cross paths to fulfill their destinies. Joining the 13 series veterans in the weapon-based 2D combat are Darli Dagger, Yashamaru Kurama, and Wu-Ruixiang.
A Season Pass is available, which includes several DLC characters. These bonus characters will be released in the months to come, particularly Rimururu, Kubikiri Basara, Kazuki Kazama, and Wan-Fu. Fans who purchase Samurai Shodown before June 30 can receive the Season Pass free of charge.
In addition to the traditional Versus Battle Mode, the competitive fighting game offers a range of modes where players can master their weapons, including:
- Practice Mode
- Players can learn the ropes in a tutorial and hone their skills in training mode.
- Online Mode
- Friends and foes alike can battle online in a variety of competitive modes.
- Story Mode
- Players can witness each character’s unique journey through 18th century Edo-period Japan as a new disaster threat looms over the land.
- Battle Mode
- Host to a variety of challenges including Versus, Time Trial, Survival and Gauntlet modes, players looking to test their skills will be pushed to the limit here.
- Dojo Mode
- After enough matches have been played, players can compete against their own ghost, other players’ ghosts, and then share their ghost data to online leaderboards.
“We have been overwhelmed by the positivity of our fans over the past several months and would like to thank each and every one of them for making the return of the franchise come to fruition," Yasuyuki Oda, SNK Lead Producer, shared in a press statement. "Further to today’s launch on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, we’re now looking forward to being part of the Evolution Championship series this August and we could not be happier to be part of one the biggest competitive fighting game events in the world. Please expect to hear more from us in the coming months regarding our future plans for esports and Samurai Shodown!"
Samurai Shodown is now available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with future releases set for Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, and Google Stadia.
