Sword of the Samurai is an action game that was developed by MicroProse for the DOS platform. The game was released in 1989 and is a mixture of action, adventure, role playing and arcade elements.
The game is set in Japan during the Feudal times during the 15th century. The goal of the game is to become the Shogun of all of Japan. At the start of the game, you will choose what clan you want to be part of, your name, and your clan’s specialty.
You will have to work your way up by first becoming a daimyo by earning the respect and favour of the current daimyo. You will have to compete against other samurais. All samurais have different attributes, abilities and even properties. But more than gaining all these properties and abilities, you must maintain the highest level of honour and integrity as these characteristics have a lot weight in Japanese society. A samurai is ranked based on the samurai’s honour. This is based in the Bushido code. There are some underhanded methods that a samurai can do to gain in the game but these methods will only work in the samurai’s favour if he is not caught. If he is caught involved in sneaky actions, then the
samurai’s honour is tarnished and this can have an effect on the samurai’s ranking and game. The samurai may even be forced to commit suicide which will result in his properties being given to his heir.
Once you become a daimyo, your goal is to conquer different provinces until he earns the title of Shogun. You will now engage in war tactics and strategies. It will be your responsibility to choose what provinces to conquer.
At the end of the game, you will be given the length of your dynasty based on several factors that can affect the success of the dynasty. Some dynasty can last for centuries while there are also dynasties that are not expected to last for very long.
The game features good graphics and even better sound effects. The game really brings you to 15th century Japan. The game play is also varied and provides a player many, many hours of gaming fun. The game is simply engaging and fun. It has all the good elements of a fantastic game: the right level of difficulty, good graphics, great game play and other factors. It so well-made, that this game will continue to provide entertainment to many more generations of gamers.
