Developers at Acquire, whose past credits include the Tenchu series of games, are the people responsible for the action-adventure title Way of the Samurai. As a masterless samurai, you happen upon a small village embroiled in a violent conflict between two clans. The part your character plays is entirely up to you; the branching storyline makes provisions for the samurai to choose to join either side in the conflict, or simply to aid the villagers, if and when needed. During conversations with the local populace, youre presented with a number of different replies and your choices will alter the demeanor and attitude of the other characters. Action-and-consequence plays a vital role in the game and hastily made decisions can greatly affect the duration of your stay in Rokkotsu Pass. Adding to the characters enigmatic nature (your actions largely define his personality) is the players ability to customize the overall look of the samurai before beginning the adventure.

During combat, your character is capable of performing a wide array of attacks and blocks, the resulting effectiveness of which is determined by the timing and attack stance. Pressing a directional button along with the block button can cause an opponent to overbalance or stumble, creating an opening in which to strike. A combination of quick and strong attacks, jumps, and blocks lead to the discovery and mastery of more powerful moves. However, the weapon you currently wield affects the moves youre capable of performing in combat. Each weapon is rated in various categories, from durability to attack power. The former is represented by small blocks in the lower corner of the screen. Repeatedly clashing blades with an enemy will eventually cause the weapon to break. A blacksmith in town will repair or upgrade weapons for a price, though he too is affected by your actions and a loose tongue can leave you with no one to fix your damaged blades.

The save system breaks from tradition in that your saved game is actually deleted from the memory card once you load it, preventing players from reloading past games should they be foolish enough to get killed. Upon completion, additional robes and faces can be unlocked with which to customize your samurai. A battle mode, which allows two players to fight against one another, can also be unlocked.

Features:
* Branching story line develops according to your actions
* Use a host of different weapons and spaecial attacks during battle
* Master timing-based techniques and blocks to grow more powerful.