When so many sword fighting games result into button mashing, Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword favors precision and split-second timing. The game becomes unique because of it’s inclusion of honor and swordsmanship.
The story starts out with an evil force kidnaps the land’s princess and you, as the great samurai, must display your awesomeness. A mysterious water sprite helps you by giving your sword the power of the cherry blossom, which doesn’t sound that cool until you use it to turn your blade into a flurry of razor-sharp insta-death for opponents.
On the battlefield, you’re face off against foes in a tight third-person perspective that makes combat feel more personal. When you’re surrounded by an assortment of enemy archers, spear-wielding grunts, katana-toting samurai, bomb-throwing ninjas, and more, you automatically lock on to face whichever foe is currently attacking. They’re nice enough to take turns, rather than charge in all at once, but you can dodge or block attacks and then counter with rapid strikes
Sakura Samurai does a good job of switching up enemy types, their attack patterns, and their toughness. Precision points also encourage you to hone your skill. Dodging attacks at the last second earns you precision points you can trade in for additional coins, though taking damage resets the count to zero. It’s a well-implemented risk-versus-reward system that adds more depth to combat.
