Genji: Days of the Blade - PS3

Genji: Days of the Blade is the sequel to the PS2 game Genji (Genji: Dawn of the Samurai outside of Europe) and continues the story of the adventures of Minamoto Yoshitsune as he defends his clan, the Genji, from the unwanted attentions of their mortal enemies, the Heishi. As in the first game, Yoshitsune will be accompanied on his adventures by the warrior monk Musashibo Benkei. In addition they will be joined by a warrior priestess called Shizuka and the mysterious Lord Buson.

Days of the Blade takes the form of an action adventure game with a heavy emphasis on combat: think God of War set in feudal Japan instead of ancient Greece. Each of the four characters has their own set of abilities and weapons. Yoshitsune is an agile all-rounder with two swords and a Prince of Persia wall-running trick that can come in handy. Benkei is a huge tank of a man who wields a club-like weapon that was apparently made from a tree trunk. Shizuka is a quick yet weak fighter who makes use of a weapon known as a Fleck - a ‘circular blade on a string’ affair. Finally, Buson wields a priceless double-bladed spear-like sword that he uses by twirling as well as stabbing. He can also project a shockwave from his weapon for a ranged attack.

As the game progresses, each fighter will collect weapons and equipment to help the party on their way. Healing herbs and protective crests are single use items that are collected by smashing crates and jars and can be used at any time. Weapon-boosting Mashogane is collected by killing enemies who have used the crystalline fragments to raise their own fighting prowess, and is spent on upgrading the damage inflicted by your weapons. more