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Japan is burning.
The fires of war have spread to all corners of this island nation as feudal lords vie for control in the latest of the Empires series, this time based on Samurai Warriors 2. For those unfamiliar, this means taking the role of one of these lords, plotting and planning by playing a number of policies to build up your own personal army, and then unleashing them against your neighbors in large scale brawls. Claim their territory, and you'll be able to play more policies and field more trash-talking generals. Don't worry if you haven't given it a spin before, since there's plenty of informative help screens to guide you through the ins and outs, which can be turned off for the experienced.
Formations are the only truly new element of SW2E, but they can and often will mean the difference between total victory and utter defeat. They work much like the familiar powerups that boost attack, defense, or speed, but they enhance your entire army, which can make tactics like Neutral Start much more effective. Also, more powerful formations cancel out lesser ones. So if your opponent is running around in a Fish formation to boost his attack, you can rain on his attack boost by playing Wheel. The fact that you can't play these at any time, but have to wait for formation points to slowly accumulate during the match, adds even another layer of strategy. This is supported by all the improvements that have been made under the hood.
There's a large amount of character improvement to be had here though, from raising up their stats, buffing up their chosen weapon, to earning passive skills.
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For starters, the AI in SW2E kicks ass. A big problem with the previous Empires (and Samurai Warriors 2) was your general allies begging for aid from the smallest scratch, and they got scratched up a lot because it seemed the moment they weren't under your direct control, they forgot how to fight. My main strategy in DW5E was sending all my generals in one direction and heading solo in another, and I'd still take over more forts than they did. Well, that's all changed. Send a single general after a unguarded base, and it won't be long before they report a capture. Send two warriors after a single enemy general (aside from their lord) and he's good as dead. Sic seven allies against a powerful lord that can kill you in five hits, sit back, and watch him feebly wave his weapon around as he's juggled into a grave.
Admittedly, it's not nearly as fun when you're the one being juggled, which sadly happens a little too often. That proves the enemy AI is no slouch either. Expect to be outflanked while three generals keep you pinned down. Expect for your formations to be cancelled out by more powerful ones. Expect tactical assaults like ambushes, stealthy ninja attacks, and the charge of the dreaded cavalry. These guys have replaced ice archers and even musketeers as enemies you don't ever want to face, unless you like being knocked down over and over with almost no chance of standing up. If there's an advantage to be had, the enemy will exploit it on the harder difficulties. The overworld AI also tends to be more aggressive, hitting other empires where they're most vulnerable. Shoring up your defenses becomes less of an afterthought, and more of a key to survival.
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