Many gamers today are tired of the old structured format that we have clung to for so long. Since it developed from free-form levels, structured story line has all but kept us captive in recent years, and while they can be enjoyable, many gamers seek action and could care less for the story they sit are forced to endure. Samurai G by UFO Interactive Games contains only simple ninja-slicing action that most can enjoy without any storyline whatsoever. However, is this action without explanation enough to keep the player entertained? Keep reading to find the answer! -Ryan Baxter

Samurai G is simply a game of attacking your attackers and avoiding hazards while trying to collect Tengu’s gold, which possesses the power of Tengu, the war bringer. However, to say that this game has no storyline would be fallacy, but the storyline is easily avoidable and is not pertinent to the enjoyability of the game. You play as a character named Tetsuo, a Samurai attempting to defeat the overlord Fuma, who is sending assassin’s to stop you from completing your goal. These assassin’s are armed with all forms of weaponry, including throwing knives, gliders, swords, and even horses. Spikes litter the ground as well, ranging from small spikes that do a small amount of damage to the player to the later insta-kill spikes. As each level progresses, Fuma sends more powerful enemies to stop you, unless you play on hard mode, in which case all enemies are instantly sent against you.

You must manipulate your running speed in order to coax your ninja opponents back towards you so that you may run up and slice them in two! This can be very difficult as many of the Ninja are much faster than you, and you have more to worry about than the speed of the ninja, such as the throwing weapons you must bat away as they arrive or the spikes that take you by surprise if you are not focused on avoiding them. I great solution to this is simply to collect the Tengu’s coins, which will give you a few seconds of invincibility and make it easier to focus on your enemies without the constant fear of slightly over-powered insta-death spikes. The score is kept in distance traveled, with each attempt having the intention of making it a little farther than the last run.

A word on the gold coins in the game: They contain the power of Tengu, the war bringer. Also, tengu in Japanese mythology are neutral demons who were often depicted as avian creatures, but were later humanized to simply have long noses. These creatures are quite sage and knowledgeable, to point of annoyance, and were sometimes revered as gods or deities. In fact, this is maintained in Japan by the body language for “Know-it-all” which is placing your hand in front of your face as if to grasp your tengu nose. With the overwhelming power of Tengu, it would not be ridiculous to suggest that they have magical objects, such as coins, that grant great abilities to whoever should possess them.

The graphics of this game are rather simple, though the game doesn’t require complex graphics. The simple game structure does not lend itself to complex character models, and the graphics are quite good considering the style of game this is. What we must remember is that this is a game, an experience that mimics life loosely, and this game maintains a nice balance between two pixels on a screen and the slightly creepy realistic models of recent movies. Also, if we take into the account the cost of the game, and scale it according to other games on a graphic:price ratio, this game could hold its own against any modern game. Ultimately, though simple, these graphics go well above what is required.

Conclusion

This game, even without great explanation of the action that it possesses and the reason for it, brings a wonderful sense of action that keeps you interested and striving for the best score each time. Despite the simplicity of the game, it is very well made, with smooth gameplay and an appropriate difficulty scale. Everything about this game is better than it has to be. I could spend hours on end playing this game without tiring (and I have!) There is very little to be upset about with this game, though rage often fills me as I strike my enemy, only to be impaled by a spike in the ground. However, this is simply part of the learning curve, and is worked around in time. UFO Interactive did a wonderful job with this game, and the only problems that I find with this game come from its simplicity, which is quite refreshing at times. And, for the price of $1.99, the game is well worth the money that you spend. It is near impossible to regret getting this game, so what are you waiting for? Go download it today!