A long and wonderful story owned by the ages of central Japan, and a journey to the first with the most wonderful warriors in history. The samurai has always been an endlessly compelling way to inspire many stories and bring them into the world of movies and fairy tales, and video games are no exception here. However, if you are looking for these stories to bring to life in your own world, the next question may come to mind. What are the best samurai games out there? Well, let me tell you in this list.
For this list, we will try to compile games whose story is limited and focus more on the experience of being a samurai. Games like Nioh 2 and Ghost of Tsushima. These titles were set during periods when the samurai was prominent, most of which distinguished themselves by highlighting their abilities to bring details of that era to players.
Samurai Warriors
- Developer: Omega Force, Koei Tecmo
- Publisher: Tecmo Koei
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
While Dynasty Warriors may be the most popular or at least identifiable “one vs. all ” game, we can share together some great details provided by Samurai Warriors, making it one of the best games Heroes by Koei worked on. Yes, this also includes Persona 5 Strikers.
Samurai Warriors 4 comes with a new layer of detail that seems more reminiscent of a painting from the ages of Japan, giving the battlefield a much needed vibrancy, especially when the square is filled with many enemies that you must fight them all.
Ghost of Tsushima
- Developer: Sucker Punch
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entry
- Platforms: PS4 and PS5
We must begin our journey in this article with Sucker Punch’s masterpiece. Ghost of Tsushima is a great example of interpreting the story and the story it will give you. The character Jin Sakai played by the players will teach you the meaning of being a true samurai, on a journey of revenge and vengeance, away from the world of treachery and the armies of the Mongols.
We cannot deny Ghost of Tsushima as one of the best samurai games in the gaming world: exploring the beautiful island of Tsushima is excellent in itself, but the sword battles and the abilities you can gain along your journey to the game, is what made this title a distinct and also technical experience.
As Jin Sakai, the last surviving member of the Sakai clan and one of the few surviving samurai after the Mongol invasion of Tsushima Island, you are faced with difficult prospects of survival and have to make an impossible decision: Abandon the law of samurai honor in favor of victory in this difficult battle.
Nioh 2
- Developer: Team Ninja
- Publisher: Koei Tecmo, Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Platforms: PC, PS4 and PS5
It was only a matter of time before samurai culture was combined with the Souls type of gameplay, and Team Ninja’s Newh series did an incredible job of adapting the difficult gameplay method of this type and placing it within samurai adventures, forming a masterpiece that you can try.
Of course, the fiendish monsters that have plagued Newh’s world help set the tone for the Souls game. The difficulty of progress and struggle can often force you to learn new plans and take advantage of some of the acquired skills. All of this is presented by the world of Nioh 2 with its tremendous enemies and wonderful world.
While the series hasn’t been around for long, especially compared to other games on this list, Nioh 2 has proven to be the best so far in its own style. Players design their own characters and explore a fictionalized version of the Japanese Sengoku period, especially using Yokai Shift’s new ability to transform into powerful forms. However, this does not mean that the ordinary Yokai villain will go down without a fight.
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
- Developer: Capcom
- Publisher: Capcom
- Platforms: PC, PS2
For many gamers and even spectators, there is a certain attraction to the spectacle of samurai warriors out of their time and time. Onimusha 3 may be the most prominent example of this transition in the game world, where the Samanosuke sword moved to modern Paris. He still has legions of demons to deal with, but now he is faced with the task of eliminating them in front of the Eiffel Tower instead of historical Japan.
Meanwhile, in the strange and exciting story of Onimusha 3, Jacques Blanc (played by actor Jean Reno) was relocated to Japan, to face many demons. The game may have tried to replace some roles, especially in an attempt to manipulate time.
As samurai games go, Onimusha 3 is still present for many PS2 fans, as it is ultimately one of the beautiful memories of that platform.
Zero Katana
- Developer: Askiisoft
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Platforms: PC, Xbox One Switch
A new adventure and a new guy in the list of the best samurai games, where players will take the role of Zero, the mysterious assassin who is trying to advance through difficult stages, and a handful of enemies. Katana Zero has a somewhat different gameplay, as it is a 2D game that we are used to before, but it tries to improve the basic gameplay concepts and use it better.
Katana Zero follows the one-shot formula promoted by games like Hotline Miami, which creates a satisfying ring when trying to beat a stage that can’t be beaten naturally. However, you do have some tools in your arsenal that are useful for this type of stage, such as the ability to reverse bullets with the Katana sword, or slow down time to prevent all projectiles from getting in your way.