Orochi A-Go-Go Gone Portable
Warriors Orochi 2 takes the best of KOEI's Dynasty and Samurai Warriors games, mashes 'em together and gives it to you on the go with few compromises.
Published: August 30, 2009
I don't know why I've grown so defensive over the years of the Warriors series. I, like the many, many people who still play the games, understand that little has changed over the years and that, despite that, the games continue to sell. Why? Because for guys like me that just want to turn my brain off and do some hacking and slashing, Omega Force's version of it is still the best way to get the thousands-killed itch scratched.
With the original Warriors Orochi, though, KOEI at least took steps toward doing something more with the franchise -- namely throwing dozens of characters from both franchises into a mash-up to end 'em all. It worked, though, and made for a ridiculously meaty experience. Warriors Orochi 2 on the PS2, then, was more of an iteration in true Omega Force form.
That's not to say the game wasn't solid, but it wasn't as big a move forward as the original release. The same can, largely, be said for the PSP version of things, but if you haven't played a Warriors game in a while, this is unquestionably the most content-packed version you're going to find anywhere. There's literally months of stuff to play through here, filled with four different story campaigns, Dream Mode scenarios, tag-team matches, Survival and a straight-up VS Mode (which harkens back to the series' roots as a regular fighter before it became about slogging through thousands of enemies). The PSP version takes all the content that was in the PS2 release, adds in Japanese voice support (finally!), two new playable characters (flowing-garbed San Zang and ass kicking monk Benkei) and a dozen new Dream Mode scenarios. In short, it's packed to the gills with goodies.
And the best part? It was done with little to no compromise. This is a full, console-level release, just done on a portable. If the idea of being able to carry around the biggest Warriors game in the series' history (seriously; there are ninety-six playable characters) in your pocket doesn't sound at least mildly exciting, you've likely already moved on.
For those that haven't, though, this represents a massive amount of stuff to plow through. To help balance out the ridiculously huge roster of characters Omega Force implemented a class-based system for the fighters, each with their own advantages. Power class fighters won't be phased by hits from things like arrows when they're in the middle of dishing out pain, Technique warriors can syphon off a bit of the Musou Gauge to augment what would normally be a Triangle Button-ending combo for something a little more powerful and Speed classes can leap out of the fray and air dash away.
Since you're allowed to mix and match characters from the Wu, Shu, Wei, Samuari and Orochi character rosters (though in very limited ways at the beginning), you can build a team that will soldier on through particular scenarios with very categorized abilities. It sounds minor, but when you factor in the host of different weapons, abilities that can be attached to those weapons, power upgrades, the ability to spend points earned in any mission in to upgrading anyone you've unlocked so far to help them level up or gain new abilities, plus a pool of special powers like increased speed, faster meter charge rates and the like that are shared between your three warriors, things quickly get excessively deep.
With the original Warriors Orochi, though, KOEI at least took steps toward doing something more with the franchise -- namely throwing dozens of characters from both franchises into a mash-up to end 'em all. It worked, though, and made for a ridiculously meaty experience. Warriors Orochi 2 on the PS2, then, was more of an iteration in true Omega Force form.
That's not to say the game wasn't solid, but it wasn't as big a move forward as the original release. The same can, largely, be said for the PSP version of things, but if you haven't played a Warriors game in a while, this is unquestionably the most content-packed version you're going to find anywhere. There's literally months of stuff to play through here, filled with four different story campaigns, Dream Mode scenarios, tag-team matches, Survival and a straight-up VS Mode (which harkens back to the series' roots as a regular fighter before it became about slogging through thousands of enemies). The PSP version takes all the content that was in the PS2 release, adds in Japanese voice support (finally!), two new playable characters (flowing-garbed San Zang and ass kicking monk Benkei) and a dozen new Dream Mode scenarios. In short, it's packed to the gills with goodies.
And the best part? It was done with little to no compromise. This is a full, console-level release, just done on a portable. If the idea of being able to carry around the biggest Warriors game in the series' history (seriously; there are ninety-six playable characters) in your pocket doesn't sound at least mildly exciting, you've likely already moved on.
For those that haven't, though, this represents a massive amount of stuff to plow through. To help balance out the ridiculously huge roster of characters Omega Force implemented a class-based system for the fighters, each with their own advantages. Power class fighters won't be phased by hits from things like arrows when they're in the middle of dishing out pain, Technique warriors can syphon off a bit of the Musou Gauge to augment what would normally be a Triangle Button-ending combo for something a little more powerful and Speed classes can leap out of the fray and air dash away.
Since you're allowed to mix and match characters from the Wu, Shu, Wei, Samuari and Orochi character rosters (though in very limited ways at the beginning), you can build a team that will soldier on through particular scenarios with very categorized abilities. It sounds minor, but when you factor in the host of different weapons, abilities that can be attached to those weapons, power upgrades, the ability to spend points earned in any mission in to upgrading anyone you've unlocked so far to help them level up or gain new abilities, plus a pool of special powers like increased speed, faster meter charge rates and the like that are shared between your three warriors, things quickly get excessively deep.
