SAMURAI WARRIORS: Spirit of Sanada
SAMURAI WARRIORS: Spirit of Sanada
Game
Game2021
SAMURAI WARRIORS 5
Developer KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
Samurai Warriors 5 is a hack and slash game by Koei Tecmo, and a reboot of the Samurai Warriors series, part of the long-running Warriors series of hack and slash games published by Koei Tecmo. As a "fresh re-imagining" of the franchise, the game features an all-new storyline, revamped character designs, and a new visual presentation. It was released in Japan in June 2021 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
208 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Oct 13, 2026 · last updated Oct 13, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
80
LovedLoved
136 positive · 35 negative
95% range 73–85%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 136 | 35 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 9 | 1 | 19 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
520 of 628 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
79% recommend · 139 yes, 36 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 175 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (1,293 of 1,577 positive).
Players praise the game's art style and core combat, but many criticize the limited roster and lack of content. [1][2][3][4] The online co-op mode is widely criticized for requiring both players to have cleared missions beforehand. [5][6] Some reviewers note the game focuses on Nobunaga and Mitsuhide, leaving out other fan-favorite characters and stories. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [3]
I really didn't want to have to write this review, because I had high hopes for a game that everyone said was a 'return to form.' The reality is, this is half a game, where they fixed the wrong things and doubled down on the wrong things. They learned the wrong lessons from Dynasty Warriors 9 and Samurai Warriors 4, and it shows. First, let's talk roster. The game ends/cuts off after Nobunaga dies, so fan favorites …
- [16]
Better than Dynasty Warriors 9 at least.
- [1]
After trying out the new demo for origins, I was itching for a warriors game. This has not disappointed in scratching that. The different art style is pretty and the return to basics on mechanics was a nice touch. If you like the older games and want more of that, I'd suggest this as a good purchase.
- [11]
I wouldn't say that this game is necessarily bad in comparison to SW4 or SW2. Those is obviously better games, just as WO4 and WO3, however, I really liked the RPG elements and ability to make nearly ultimate weapons yourself (just to be clear, Rare and DLC weapons is actually LESS powerful than those you can craft). There is so much to level up, so much to grind for, much more than in SW4. But the problem is that …
- [2]
12 hours in over a few sessions, and this game is a pretty satisfying Warriors entry. The art style pops, the music hits well, and every hit feels meaty. There's enough variety in the characters and movesets to keep me happy, and the combo counter and rewards encourage a constant flow of action, which is surprisingly achievable with charge attacks and good route planning on the battlefield. It's a little grindy but …
Summarised from 34 of the 212 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked SAMURAI WARRIORS 5 talk about beautiful art style and satisfying combat; those who didn't talk about limited roster and lack of content. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Samurai Warriors 5 has received "generally favorable" reviews according to Metacritic, becoming the highest rated entry in the series. Famitsu gave all versions of the game scores of 9/9/8/9 for a total of 35/40. The game sold a total of 94,366 physical copies during its first week on sale in Japan (PS4: 55,675/Switch: 38,691) with the PS4 version being the second best-selling game of the week, and the Switch version being the third best-selling game of the week.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 208 · most liked firstAdd SAMURAI WARRIORS 2 to STEAM BETTER than the other SW SERIES, with a little CHANGES that can play it ONLINE CO-OP mode NOT SPLIT SCREEN CO-OP mode, and DO NOT change the whole game , just some GRAPHICS.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's not even the first time Yasuke has been depicted in sengoku-era video games. It's not even the -second- time. I could understand folks missing Samurai Warriors 5 since not everyone's a Musou game lifer, but dude was in Nioh! Both Niohs!
neutral · AI labelView post →I really didn't want to have to write this review, because I had high hopes for a game that everyone said was a 'return to form.' The reality is, this is half a game, where they fixed the wrong things and doubled down on the wrong things. They learned the wrong lessons from Dynasty Warriors 9 and Samurai Warriors 4, and it shows. First, let's talk roster. The game ends/cuts off after Nobunaga dies, so fan favorites that have been in the game since the first one on the PS2 aren't here.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While being a decent musou game (albeit very bare bones with how little content it got post release), my biggest complaint is simply that this game is yet another case of a developer pursing a new audience while leaving the old audience to rot. This game focuses on Nobunaga's life, which sold me at first. I had assumed Nouhime would have been a large part of this game, but something strange happens: she dies very early on in the game. She dies in the middle of game despite the fact that the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →somewhat disappointed with the lack of content. you only get full stories for nobunaga oda and akechi mitsuhide. so no battle of sekigahara etc. this makes the game seem very short for the pricetag, with the other content feeling like filler. having been a fan of the warriors games since DW3 I find this installment shallow and lackluster.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I would rather pay $60 for Samurai Warriors 2 Remastered at this point.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I haven't touched a Musou game since Dynasty Warriors 6 on the PS3, so I was excited to see how the genre had evolved. While Samurai Warriors 5 makes a hell of a first impression, that excitement quickly turned into disappointment the longer I played. If you’re a returning player or a newcomer, here is what you need to know before buying. The first thing you’ll notice is the "Sumi-e" ink-wash art style. It looks like a Japanese painting come to life. Compared to the muddy graphics of older…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →doesnt have the samurai warriors 4 song that goes "AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAA AAAAA AAAA AAAA AAAAA AAAA"
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Every playable character feel like clones of each other in terms of gameplay. One thing that was synonymous with past Samurai and Dynasty Warriors titles as that each character was very unique. Each had there own specific weapon. You are better off picking a single playable character and sticking with them throughout most of the storymode unless the game demands you play another character. If anything, this game feels like a total reboot of the series meant to draw in new fans.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The worst game in the series. Only follows Oda and missing core samurai warrior characters. I don't just want to play the Oda campaign. Especially for how much it costs, a total set-back for the game series. Yikes.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Better than Dynasty Warriors 9 at least.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yasuke’s a playable character in Samurai Warriors 5 As a fan of that game I’m confused to why people are suddenly upset that he exists
positive · AI labelView post →to the devs: Please add REMOTE PLAY TOGETHER. thank you. id rather have a stupid split-screen and lags via remote play together, than having this weird interpretation of online co-op. playing the same mission twice is just annoying. ----- to the co-op fans: the online co-op mode is not good. it takes about 1-2 hours of playtime before you (and your friend) UNLOCK the online option. and ofc, you both have to own the game, which is expensive. the really frustrating part is, that you can only…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's not terrible, but as a samurai warriors game, it's just not a samurai warriors game... SW games had their own design, but this just feels like a generic dynasty warriors game, but even DW had a less linear play loop...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like this one, but I like 4-2 more and I like 2 the best. There are some downgrades especially in terms of combat feel. The first and the most blatant is the homogenizing of weapon styles. It used to be that SW has each character has a specific weapon (not weapon types) and each one of them has very unique feel to them. You have Nagamasa doing wide sweeps and strong AOEs, you have Nobunaga with his AOE edgy explosions and then you have Oichi doing juggles to 200 goons like nobody's business.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I understand that this is a reboot, but it cannot hold a candle to Samurai Warriors 4, which needs to be brought to Steam. This game manages to achieve its purpose, but its ambition has been cut short (which is ironic, considering the ambitions of its main character). I also understand that fiction will always supersede history in videogames, but a huge disservice was done here to characters like Shingen Takeda and Nobunaga's wife Nôhime in favor of pushing the yaoi storylines. While it is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The list, for those that don't want to click through: PlayStation Plus Extra Game Catalogue It Takes Two (PS5, PS4) Sniper Elite 5 (PS5, PS4) Snowrunner (PS5, PS4) World War Z (PS4) The Ascent (PS5, PS4) Undertale (PS4) SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated (PS4) Melty Blood: Type Lumina (PS4) Dysmantle (PS5, PS4) Circus Electrique (PS4) Dynasty Warriors 9 (PS4) Samurai Warriors 5 (PS4) My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure (PS5, PS4) Fast & Furious: Spy…
neutral · AI labelView post →Eh. This game is fine, but I can't recommend it. It's lacking a LOT of content compared to SW4, hell even SW4-II. Many character have been cut, since the period ends at 1582 at Yamazaki , and even with character cuts there are clones aplenty. Gameplay is good, Hyper attacks got nerfed a bit. I can respect them trying something new with the story. Citadel mode is trash, and you have to play it if you want to upgrade your weapons. DLC is at its most egregious, absolute garbage slop. Not a single…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yes, i did buy Samurai Warriors 5 because it has a sexy ass black pugilist. and i will never hesitate to buy a game if it has a sexy black pugilist.
positive · AI labelView post →Let's just say, nostalgia is one hell of a drug, so much so that I snatched SW5 up as soon as there was a sale, and I have to say it was far from a mistake. Of course, there are some things that hold back the game from its fullest potential, but first, the good: One versus thousand combat, what more is there to say? SW5 puts you in the shoes of historical Sengoku era figures, and pits you up against insurmountable odds. There is no greater rush than cutting through hordes of peons, dueling…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let's start to say, it is a Koei game, it never almost never changes, besides a few things here and there. Feels like a Fast and Furious movie: you know it is fast, you know its action, but expect some absurd things here. I've been playing the musou series since the early 2000s. Yes, I'd recommend this game, but the game is very flawed there are a few things to consider before playing/buying. Let's begin our review: -The campaign, is the worst of any in the musou series; its 2 main…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After trying out the new demo for origins, I was itching for a warriors game. This has not disappointed in scratching that. The different art style is pretty and the return to basics on mechanics was a nice touch. If you like the older games and want more of that, I'd suggest this as a good purchase.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Im familiar with the WARRIORS series, and i like it a lot, the game so far is really fun. but i have one thing to say about the co-op option is that it`s terrible and extremely stupid, as you can only play together if BOTH of you have CLEARED the map in question already, even in citadel, or free mode, which defeats the point of going through the game together
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →12 hours in over a few sessions, and this game is a pretty satisfying Warriors entry. The art style pops, the music hits well, and every hit feels meaty. There's enough variety in the characters and movesets to keep me happy, and the combo counter and rewards encourage a constant flow of action, which is surprisingly achievable with charge attacks and good route planning on the battlefield. It's a little grindy but that feels ok for a Warriors game, and my tastes have changed over the years so…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game seriously needs an English Dub
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →PlayStation Plus Free Extra And Premium Games For July 2023 Revealed. - It Takes Two -- PS4, PS5 - Sniper Elite 5 -- PS4, PS5 - Snowrunner -- PS4, PS5 - World War Z -- PS4, PS5 - The Ascent -- PS4, PS5 - Undertale -- PS4 - SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated -- PS4 - Melty Blod: Type Lumina -- PS4 - Dysmantle -- PS4, PS5 - Circus Electrique -- PS4 - Dynasty Warriors 9 -- PS4 - Samurai Warriors 5 -- PS4 - My Little Pony: A Maretime…
neutral · AI labelView post →PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | July 2023. Sony have announced the next batch of PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium games coming to the service. ****PS Plus Extra**** It Takes Two - PS4 & PS5 Sniper Elite 5 - PS4 & PS5 Snowrunner - PS4 & PS5 World War Z - PS4 & PS5 The Ascent - PS4 & PS5 Undertale- PS4 SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated - PS4 Melty Blood: Type Lumina - PS4 Dysmantle - PS4 & PS5 Circus Electrique - PS4 Dynasty Warriors 9 - PS4…
neutral · AI labelView post →Really love the soft reboot of the series. Overall gameplay are fun, something you could expect from a Samurai Warriors game (2 characters switching on a stage, Hyper attack, etc). There are 39 new characters (2 of them are mature version of Nobunaga Oda and Mitsuhide Akechi). And there's like 16 weapons in total, which you guessed it, some character have shared weapon with each other (read: cloned movesets). Similiar to Dynasty Warriors 7, some character will have a preferred weapon and it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game, enjoyable. However, the old Samurai Warriors 2 Empires was infinitely better with all the tactical and strategical options and also, I do not like how exaggerated the combat is in the latest Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🔴Live Quest Notification A New Year has arrived, and so will new games. The first Wednesday Warriors of 2025 begins with Samurai Warriors 5. First playthrough begins as we look into this modern reimagining of the Sengoku Era Warriors game. www.twitch.tv/yamishirokami #Vtuber #ENVtuber #Vsky
neutral · AI labelView post →TLDR: Bland all around and lazy design and implementation. This is the most generic hack n slash of the SW franchise with zero soul to it. Skip this and do not support the direction this game is being taken in. Longer version: Samurai Warriors 5 is the latest installment of the hack n slash warriors franchise. This iteration focuses on the story of Nobunaga Oda and Mitsuhide Akechi. If you've played previous entries, you will be familiar with the story. What I don't understand is why this is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →From a review standpoint I am extremely conflicted. On one hand the game has some of the best flow/combat in the series, a new art style that works, all around good features and mechanics. On the other hand the game is extremely easy from having to do the side objective to fighting officers, there was not much of a challenge. Then some of the laziness with the story where the scope was smaller but still didnt feel as fleshed out and some characters need different models through the game to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Enjoyable but not a mainline entry, it's like Spirit of Sanada it only focuses on 1 characters life 2 technically but it's focused on Nobunaga's story which isn't what the series is about at all. get it on a deep sale or only if you're a diehard samurai warriors fan. I'd rec Samurai Warriors 4 then 4-2 since 4 focuses on the clans and 4-2 is Character based
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's fine, the redesigns of the characters don't do it for me, the new character designs lack character. Not a big fan of the new weapon exchange system either, maybe this might be a decent title for newer fans but honestly i'd rather go back to older titles despite they might be a little more clunky and worse graphically but they make up for it with better character stories and diverse gameplay.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Samurai Warriors 5 and Dynasty Warriors Origins have legit been the only exceptions I can think of, every other game is a "wait for a PC port/port to newer consoles" type beat
positive · AI labelView post →I have just finished Musou story for both Nobunaga and Mitsuhide and I have to admit that despite I enjoyed their stories yet I felt regret for buying this game. This title focuses entirely on them as such only having two Musou storyline whereas other major lords only have one battle available for each of them like Kenshin. As for Ieyasu and Hideyoshi who plays important roles in later period do have more than one battle but they didn't have adult mode like Nobunaga and Mitsuhide, they also…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →toxic yaoi at its finest. good game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a well made game, I enjoyed it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's not really like the other SW games as it's more of a prequel tot he series and focuses largely on Nobunaga Oda and his path to becoming the "Demon King" (events prior to the SW series and the Nobunaga's Ambition franchise). It also has more of a comic art-style look but the gameplay is largely similar except there are only 30 playable characters (a little over half of SW 4). It's still a good, deep game but it's really meant for Nobunaga fans and not casual players.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →mitsuhide is now vergil from the devil may cry series
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Huge fan of Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors game series. I played all of them. The SW5 though is a bit of a change, it has a great story as always but the change in the characters design is meh. Not a big fan of that change, I like more the characters design from SW4. Another minus will be the fact that you can see the game was meant to be on consoles as the camera is a nightmare especially if you play with a keyboard & mouse. Other than this is a great game as always and I do hope to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wouldn't say that this game is necessarily bad in comparison to SW4 or SW2. Those is obviously better games, just as WO4 and WO3, however, I really liked the RPG elements and ability to make nearly ultimate weapons yourself (just to be clear, Rare and DLC weapons is actually LESS powerful than those you can craft). There is so much to level up, so much to grind for, much more than in SW4. But the problem is that you basically have only Story Mode (and Free Mode after you clear any chapter)…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Okay now that I have context: I was approached by editors to review licensed musous (including Samurai Warriors 5 and Age of Calamity) because I deeply knew the genre, which I appreciate, but I also feel like you SHOULD be able to review a musou game -- esp. a licensed one -- w/out being a fan.
neutral · AI labelView post →Maybe the best Samurai Warriors !!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Official character designs from Samurai Warriors 5. More art from the game: www.creativeuncut.com/art_samurai-...
neutral · AI labelView post →Samurai warriors 5 refocuses the series on the life of Nobunaga Oda and his vassals, especially that of his eventual assassin, Mitsuhide Akechi. Because of this focus, this game does not showcase the whole of the grand story of the Sengoku Jidai, where the previous games did. This will lead some to think that you are not getting as much content as in previous games. However, this game does indeed have the same amount of content in terms of level count, because the focus on Nobunaga allows for…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The capturing area made me thrown back gaming style likes Dynasty Warriors: Gundam.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Samurai Warrior 5 is fun. What I like the most is the graphic and the art. It is so beautiful and mesmerizing. I like the new R1 attack system and the generalization of weapons. The storytelling is also very beautiful. That being said, there are quite a few areas that need to expand or rework. The game focus on Nobunaga and Mitsuhide and stop there. It makes the game feel incomplete. Where is the continued unification by Hideyoshi and Ieyasu's takeover? More side stories are also preferred.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really underrated Musou game. Great story, gameplay and some of the best animations in series. 10/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We need positive things today. Tell me what game you are currently playing,what book you're reading, or what music makes you happy right now. I'm currently playing Samurai Warriors 5, not because it's a brilliant game, but because it's silly and mindless. Sometimes that's the best thing.
neutral · AI labelView post →got the game, started it up, it ran fine. Got busy with life, came back and have a much better computer now. Its crashing every 15 minutes. A week past refund date so stuck, was hoping to refund it, couldn't so stuck with it and they're stuck with a review
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10/10 Game i got the deluxe version when it was on discount. IMO it is worth it to buy the deluxe edition, u can pass the stages a lot quicker and get your achievements fast. i am currently on a grind as of this moment almost at 100% to this game almost there. - Good story-line - Good Combat Controls - Good Art-style Animation Designing - Good Character Designing - Easy to Understand - Well Explained Tutorial for Newbies - Does Have Lot of Cut-scenes But Can Skip - Has 3 Modes to play -…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Samurai Warriors 5 has all the makings of a great game, but can't manage to stop shooting itself in the shoot, getting stunlocked and shooting itself in the foot again. The devs are lucky musou players go in expecting the comforting jank, boneheaded decisions, and mindless button mashing. The core game here really is fantastic. Beat up thousands of enemy soldiers, hunt down enemy generals, capture enemy bases to stop spawns, and deal with the ever changing situations of totally realistic…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been a fan of Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors even back when it was a side scrolling fighting game. And this game made me get back into this genre of games. So fun to mow down hoards of enemies while also trying to best the time and challenges. And for this game, so happy to play as one of S.W.'s most recognizable warriors and the story behind his character. Even though some cut scenes are rough around the edges and you don't get too much variety of weapons as the previous games…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love the new graphics style, which makes this amazing warriors title ageless!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's good musou game, the art style switch seems to be the right call. the roster was a bit lacking but it's so fun to play. I like it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First of all why does these games never go on sale?? WTH Koei greedy ♥♥♥♥♥, anyways there are some good things with this reboot: i like the art style withe cell shading(reminds me of DW Gundam 3 please give me those games on pc) the copy move sets is very mixed and they don't feel good, honestly a lot of the mechanics in this game just kinda feel.....off? It all looks pretty but i find myself getting bored after a few hours. The soundtrack in this game feels forgettable, i personally don't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Disappointingly Dull: Samurai Warriors 5 Falls Short of Expectations As a long-time fan of the Samurai Warriors series, I had high hopes for Samurai Warriors 5. Unfortunately, this latest installment left me sorely disappointed and questioning whether the franchise has lost its edge. One of the most glaring issues with Samurai Warriors 5 is its lackluster gameplay. What used to be fast-paced and exhilarating battles now feel sluggish and repetitive. The combat mechanics, which should be…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Combine real Japanese history with fun anime nonsense, simple real-time tactics, and easy-to-learn, hard-to-master combat using multiple heroes and fighting style, and you get a fantastic game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The best Muso game since Age of Calamity and Dynasty Warriors 8. Gameplay, graphics, music, story, and presentation are all top-notch. As a huge DW 8 fan, I can tell you this game feels even better at times. And that's saying a lot. This one's real, so believe the hype!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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