Koei Tecmo’s Samurai Warriors 5 was announced during the latest Nintendo Direct, but fans of the franchise may not have recognized the title as part of the series, at first. Samurai Warriors got its start in 2004 on PlayStation 2 and Xbox as the Sengoku-period spin-off from the long-running Dynasty Warriors franchise. The Samurai Warriors series separated itself from its predecessor with changes to the gameplay, but it was its darker presentation and style that really set it apart.

In the early period of the franchise, Samurai Warriors‘ tone stood out from Dynasty Warriors. With a comparatively muted color palette and less vibrant environments, Samurai Warriors presented itself as a more grounded hack-and-slash title. The portrayal of its roster and presentation of its story followed suit, creating a more compelling narrative by comparison to the earlier Dynasty Warriors games. This style followed the series for a decade, and while the graphics eventually saw a change, the storytelling stood its course.

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Samurai Warriors 4 marked a change in the direction of the series’ art style, with livelier colors replacing the muted, dark battlefields and costumes of earlier games. Samurai Warriors 5 looks to be continuing this evolution, taking the new vibrant art style a step further – seemingly with an intention to reimagine the franchise.

How Samurai Warriors 5 Reimagines The Series For A New Generation

The Samurai Warriors 5 announcement trailer showcased graphics and promotional art that take on a more inky, cel-shaded look. The softer graphical style contrasts previous games and separates itself further from the first three titles of the series. Gameplay appears to be affected, too, with attacks carrying a more stylistic flair in their execution, taking some of the strides seen in Samurai Warriors 4 a step further. Samurai Warriors 5‘s story seems to also be taking notes from one of the series’ spin-offs, as well.

Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada was a spin-off centered entirely on the Sanada Family, with a story mode focused on the life of Yukimura Sanada. The Nintendo Direct showcase noted a focus on Nobunaga Oda and Mitsuhide Akechi in their roles during the Sengoku period, which indicates a shift from the daimyo-centered stories of the main games to the more compact and focused narrative style of Spirit of Sanada, complete with character designs that appear younger than the two characters have ever been in the franchise.

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On Twitter, Koei Tecmo said Samurai Warriors 5 “marks a fresh, re-imagining of the franchise, including an all-new storyline, as well as revamped character designs, and a stylish new visual presentation.” The change in focus to the conflict of Nobunaga and Mitsuhide, along with the many stylistic changes made, make the latest title in the franchise almost unrecognizable from its previous installments. Fans of the series will get more of a glimpse at what’s in store – including a release date – during a special stream on February 25, 2021.

Samurai Warriors 5 is expected to launch this summer on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.

Source: Koei Tecmo America/Twitter

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Lawrence Maldonado
(122 Articles Published)

Lawrence Maldonado is a writer, editor, and lifelong video game nerd born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He has edited an eBook for a voice actor in video games while also having done work as a Community Editor for a video game company. On the side, he would write articles and blogs about video games and the industry in general, leading him to cover games on Screen Rant as a freelance writer. Currently, he can be found wandering the realm of Eorzea while venturing to be the very best like no one ever was. His favorite video game of all time? The answer changes almost daily.

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