Samurai Warriors 3 puts players on Japan’s Sengoku battlefield, cutting through daimyo armies with swords and spears. This version of the hack-and-slash series adds the Spirit Gauge, a bar that lets players cancel attacks into stronger ones depending on its level. From December 2009 in Japan, the Wii game came out internationally in 2010, and it’s the third main entry in the series.
Trailer, via Nintendo Life.
The Spirit Gauge
The gauge is the game’s biggest change from the earlier Samurai Warriors entries. Players build it by landing hits, then cancel certain attacks into more powerful ones. Combined with the Musou attacks, the gauge opens up the “True Musou,” a stronger move that sends enemies flying.
Dojo and Edit Characters
Players can create and edit characters in the Dojo, which also lets them change existing character colors. The new Historical Mode lets players build edit characters and reenact parts of the Sengoku battles. The shop system has been redesigned and folded into Dojo.
Story, Free and Historical Modes
The Story Mode and Free Mode both return, along with the shop system. The Historical Mode gives players a new way to shape the Sengoku period with their own characters.
Takamaru’s Murasame Castle
The Wii version adds a new mode named after Nintendo’s The Mysterious Murasame Castle, which lets players control the lead character Takamaru. Versions for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, without this mode, were released only in Japan.
The Seven New Faces
Seven new characters join the playable roster. Most come from past installments as generic non-player characters. Four characters — Goemon Ishikawa, Gracia, Musashi Miyamoto and Kojiro Sasaki — do not return, though Gracia later comes back in the Moushouden expansion.
Characters Without Stories
Seven characters do not have stories, though the Moushouden expansion gives them stories. Altogether, there are 30 returning characters, for a total of 37 in the game.
A Broader Timeline
The game broadens its timeline beyond the lead-up to the Battle of Sekigahara. Instead it covers the events that came before it, giving players a wider view of the Sengoku period’s military conflicts and political intrigue.
The Scale of the Additions
The new mode based on Murasame Castle is a small addition, and the Historical Mode centers around edit characters rather than offering fully formed missions. The Spirit Gauge and the Dojo offer new reasons to play, but the game’s core hack-and-slash formula is unchanged. The new weapons for returning characters are a pleasant addition.
What’s New, Ranked
- The Spirit Gauge — the game’s biggest change, opening up stronger attacks and the True Musou.
- The Dojo — character creation, color changes and the redesigned shop system.
- The Historical Mode — a new way to shape the Sengoku period with edit characters.
- Takamaru’s Murasame Castle — a small new mode for the Wii version.
- The seven new characters — most from past installments as generic non-player characters.
- Seven characters without stories — though they gain them in the Moushouden expansion.
- The 30 returning characters — plus the new additions, for a total of 37.
The Verdict
Samurai Warriors 3 is a solid, if modest, expansion of the series. The Spirit Gauge and Dojo offer new reasons to play, but the game’s core is unchanged. It’s worth a look for casual players, but veterans of the series may find little that’s truly new.
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