This article was originally published in Italian on Thegamesmachine.it in 2016.
Arslan Senki, or rather The Heroic Legend of Arslan, is nothing more than a series of light novels—there are 15 of them as I write this!—created by the prolific Japanese novelist Yoshiki Tanaka. The author is one of the most respected figures in both the sci-fi and fantasy genres in Japan, known for weaving intricate narrative plots that have been adapted into various comic books and animated series. Much like the ever-popular George R. R. Martin, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire (the saga that gave birth to HBO’s Game of Thrones), the setting of Arslan is based on real historical events, albeit with some artistic liberties taken to add an immortal, subtly fantasy-like charm to the adventures of the young prince. The inspirations are numerous, drawing from both Chinese history—the foundation of the Dynasty Warriors series—and Persian history, in a whirlwind of large-scale battles, betrayals, intrigues, and charismatic heroes capable of matching the legends that have lasted through the ages.
While in the West, fantasy-themed novels are adapted into TV series and, ultimately, video games by Telltale Games, the situation in Japan is a bit different. Arslan: The Warriors of Legend is not a direct adaptation of the comic, but rather draws from a recent animated adaptation, created in the unmistakable style of the creator of the shonen series Full Metal Alchemist, which was brought to Italy by Panini several years ago. In Italy, however, the Arslan anime adaptation remains one of the many products of the web 2.0, a result of recent licensing agreements between the Bologna-based publisher Dynit and VVVVID.it, a streaming video portal that has been handling several anime series in simulcast with their Japanese broadcasts for just over a year. It is, of course, not an “anime license” as significant as those in the Bandai Namco portfolio, and most likely very few people are familiar with the original material on which the production is based. However, like many other musou games, this iteration from Omega Force is easily accessible to anyone who wants to return to swinging their fists on vast battlefields, while occasionally using their brains. Repetita iuvant?
Without further delay, just press the joypad to bypass the title screen, and you immediately find yourself commanding cavalry in the midst of a battle between the Persian army and the Lusitanians. After just a few minutes, a couple of anime sequences, and a particularly eager voiceover, you’re quickly able to follow the events without suffering from the typical slow pacing of Japanese scripts. After all, we’re talking about a musou game, where brainless action is almost a Zen dogma. Anyone looking to dive deeper into Arslan’s story can easily turn to the well-done animated adaptation directed by Noriyuki Abe, who also directed Yu Yu Hakusho and the acclaimed GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka—not just any run-of-the-mill productions.
The gameplay in Arslan: The Warriors of Legend is exactly what you’d expect from a Dynasty Warriors title, with a few welcome tweaks just to give the illusion that it’s not just a re-skinned product. The usual clash of blades through strong and weak attacks can be extended by switching weapons during the initial onslaught, chaining together combos of rare effectiveness—at least when compared to the recent history of the series. By sacrificing a small portion of the special move bar, players can perform a unique technique depending on the character: some unleash unstoppable strikes, others split to land multiple blows, and some perform impressive jumps, allowing them to scale vertically on maps with elevation changes. This choice ultimately differentiates the large roster of fighters, who over time gain access to an equally impressive array of weapons and offensive tools. There are also recurring blue areas on the battlefield that trigger “Mardan Rush”—devastating attacks carried out by the hero in control and their squad of archers, infantry, or cavalry following them. These are largely scripted solutions that force the player into specific areas to advance in the story, but when used properly, they provide numerous advantages, especially when additional kills are chained while focusing on the primary objective.
Missions are structured around objectives, and for each task, there’s a timer displayed to encourage the player to act quickly. In fact, the only challenge posed by the game—especially on normal difficulty—is to gather the highest ratings in a race against time. This doesn’t necessarily diminish the strategic potential of Arslan: The Warriors of Legend, as the strategy is found in the character customization menu.
The art of combat goes beyond swordplay, and while basic, there’s still a system of upgrades based on collecting cards inspired by the heroes and locations featured in the epic of the platinum-haired Persian prince. By equipping and fusing different cards, players can gain additional bonuses, thus enhancing their warriors without the need for typical JRPG-style grinding. Unfortunately, the fusion system’s mechanics are not always clear, and rather than experimenting, it feels like players must rely on luck when spending precious rank S cards in the digital cauldron.
Despite this, customization is also reflected in the ability to alter combo chains for equipped weapons, and even assign them elemental affiliations to exploit enemy troop weaknesses, facilitating the progress of your comrades in the heat of battle. Finally, in the Story Mode, players can find recipes that can be used in Free Play to boost the player before a mission. These elements adorn a typical action framework that, despite its flaws, remains quite underdeveloped. The limitations of the hack-and-slash system are evident in often clumsy and unconvincing combat, especially in the occasional boss fights, where the game should ideally shine. A shame, considering the development team’s efforts in customizing the warriors.
Lastly, it’s worth saying a few words about the technical aspects, which Koei Tecmo has heavily promoted in recent months through trailers and promotional illustrations but ultimately proved rather disappointing. The most visually convincing version is the PS4 one, featuring good fluidity and cel-shading character models that are pleasant to the eye. Everything else, however, belongs to not one, but two generations of gaming past, with frequent pop-up phenomena, model clipping, laughable environments, and a lack of variety in the soldiers on the battlefield (ironically, a problem that also plagues the low-budget CGI of the anime adaptation). The high points are the occasional cinematic sequences that use the game engine and more or less replicate the anime’s direction, as well as the special move effects of the heroes, which are, as usual, a dazzling display of power capable of launching dozens of enemies away.
Arslan: The Warriors of Legend is unlikely to be considered one of Omega Force’s best products, but with a narrative better than usual and an anime license that holds some value (at least in Japan), the Koei Tecmo product remains a pleasant variant in the same vein as recent crossovers from Square Enix and Nintendo.
