Electronic Gaming Monthly, January 2006:
In this hack-n-slash fest, you are Shinbu, one of the last members of an otherwise buried clan—and the hero of a really dry story. Despite your bizarre Larry Hagman eyebrows, Shinbu, your character model looks really good, even if your voice acting is stilted and scene-chewing.
Nonetheless, you compensate for your shortcomings with fluid, responsive movements and nifty sword brandishing, making sweet combos with these Bugei scroll thingies you’ve collected. Unfortunately, Shinbu, you face infuriating opponents: Either they just stand there and take it like a sissy, or they whale on you relentlessly, which makes your quest a little bit no fun. Plus, weird glitches pop up once in a while, like that time you got a bomb stuck to your head and couldn’t shake it off.
But we’ve got some terrific action going on here, Shinbu, and fast load times, to boot! So, Shinbu, if you can focus on your quest without getting frustrated or letting the terrible music distract you, you might be in for a good time.
