In Way of the Samurai 4, you must take on the role of a master-less samurai looking to establish yourself in this conflicted land of opportunity and uncertainty. Set in he humble port town of Amihama during the mid 19th Century, several years after the arrival of the "black ships" from the West ended Japan's long history of cultural isolation. It is up to you to decide which faction to support in an almighty conflict amongst the region's three powers, and so direct the course of Japan's history.
Ultimately Way of the Samurai 4 is a hard sell to anyone who is not already a fan of the series, and indeed even some fans may be put off by the radical shift in tone and humour.
Deserving praise for encapsulating the sort of Japanese-themed action RPG shenanigans that PC owners rarely glimpse, it's nonetheless fair to say that Ghostlight's latest is far from perfect. For those willing to forgive its more archaically-rooted foibles however, Way of the Samurai 4 very often proves to be a hugely entertaining prospect while providing...
For all its shortcomings, Way of the Samurai 4 manages to be captivating. It taps into that collective interpretation of Japan as mysterious comedic badass, which—while terrible for various reasons—is incredibly appealing.
An open-world samurai adventure with an interesting structure and a lot of personality that is, unfortunately, not very good.
It lacks polish, but the freedom found in this samurai adventure may be worth a look.
