Samurai Shodown V Special

Samurai Shodown V Special is a remastered and expanded version of the fifth installment in the popular brawler series. The publisher of the franshise, the SNK company, handed the development to Code Mystics. The title was released for PSV, PC and PS4, among other platforms. Unlike the original, released for consoles in 2006, Samurai Shodown V Special is characterized by high level of brutality, known from the arcade version.

Mechanics

In Samurai Shodown V Special you observe the action from the side. The game offers a selection of playable heroes, among which there are both characters from the fourth installment as well as some brand new ones. Despite the fact that the combat system is based on the classic formula, the developers introduced some minor changes.

While in combat you must keep an eye on two gauges: Sword Gauge stands for the power of your strikes (it drops when you attack your opponent and rises when you switch to a defensive stance), while Rage Gauge is charged when your character receives damage – when that one is full, you gain some advantage, including extra power of strikes. An essential role is played by special attacks, spearheaded by Weapon Flipping Attacks (you can use them after filling the Rage Gauge) and Concentration One (which results in slowing down opponent’s moves). A separate note should be made to the so-called Overkill Moves, i.e. exceptionally brutal attacks, which usually finish a battle – they are local counterparts of Mortal Kombat’s fatalities.

Game modes

Just like the original, Samurai Shodown V Special can sport a variety of game modes. The core of gameplay is the story mode, which features the events from before the first game in the series. Besides, there is also the Versus Mode, in which you can challenge another player, as well as Practice Mode, where you can work on your fighting techniques. Unlike the original game, Samurai Shodown V Special allows players to fight online duels and it also features a special art gallery.

Technical aspects

Samurai Shodown V Special for PSV, PC and PS4 is characterized by eye-pleasing 2D graphics, which resembles the good, old original. The only noticeable change is the resolution adjusted to wide screens.

Last updated on 28 August 2017