Summary
- Assassin's Creed Shadows allows players to switch between a ninja seeking revenge and a freed samurai.
- Game recommendations range from realistic Bushido Blade 2 to Afro Samurai's anime aesthetic.
- Ghost of Tsushima is a standout open-world samurai game, offering a choice between noble or stealthy gameplay.
Fans of Assassin's Creed have been waiting for a ninja game for a long time. They probably never thought it would come bundled with a samurai game. After a certain point, players can switch freely between Naoe, a ninja on a quest for revenge, and Yasuke, a samurai in a foreign land. Yasuke is unique in that he was freed from slavery and joined the ranks of Lord Nobunaga, one of the most infamous rulers in Japan of all time.
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While large and imposing, Yasuke is a threat only to his enemies, as he has a soft heart in Assassin's Creed: Shadows. These other samurai in their accompanying games may not be as kind as Yasuke, but they certainly are just as brutal. This selection runs the gamut from straight-up samurai experiences to ones that think outside the box, but they are all solid.
8 Afro Samurai
Defending The Title Of Number Two
Afro Samurai
- Released
- January 27, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- BNE Entertainment, Bandai Namco Studios
- Publisher(s)
- BNE Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
- Genre(s)
- Action
Yasuke isn’t the only black samurai in popular culture. Before Yasuke’s rise in the popular zeitgeist, Afro Samurai tore up the airwaves with a short anime series that was later turned into a game sharing the same name. The strongest samurai in the world holds the Number One headband, and only Number Two can challenge him with that being Afro.
The trouble is, anyone can challenge the Number Two, leading to Afro having to defend his title on his way to the top. The game features cel-shading and stylish action, matching the aesthetic of the anime with a mix of classic samurai-era music blended with hip-hop. It’s a forgotten PS3-era game, but one that still rules even with its flaws.
7 Bushido Blade 2
A Brutal Ninja Vs Samurai Fighter
Bushido Blade 2
- Released
- October 29, 1998
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Light Weight
- Publisher(s)
- Square Electronic Arts, Square
- Platform(s)
- PS1
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
Bushido Blade 2 is a fighting game for the PS1 from Squaresoft, but not in the traditional sense. In this warring time of ninja and samurai warriors, combat is displayed realistically. Players can die with a single hit, making each match sweat-inducing from the second one.
For those who want to polish their samurai or ninja swordplay, this is a great game to play alone through its several stories or with a friend. It’s unfortunately trapped on the PS1, but there are always workarounds.
6 Fate/Samurai Remnant
This Anime Goes To The Past
Fate/Samurai Remnant
- Released
- September 28, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Omega Force
- Publisher(s)
- Koei Tecmo
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Fate/Samurai Remnant is the latest in the Fate visual novel/anime series. This one takes place in Japan, but modern technology is slowly seeping its way into the country. Not only that, but the game has a bit of time distillation that the Assassin’s Creed series is known for.
As a samurai, Iori, players will go through districts, freeing them from tyranny, all while trying to solve a central plot involving mysticism. It’s one of the more forgotten Omega Force games, the Koei Tecmo developer that works on your Musou titles, but it needs a second shot at life.
5 Ghost Of Tsushima
The Holy Grail
Ghost of Tsushima
- Released
- July 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Ghost of Tsushima is the game getting compared to most to Assassin's Creed Shadows, and it’s easy to see why. It’s an open-world game taking place on an island in Japan, Tsushima, during a troubled part of its history. Mongolians are invading, and while the samurai are being beaten down by them, one must rise to face them all: Jin.
Players can go through the game as a noble samurai or cut down enemies from the shadows by embracing the ways of the ninja, which does play into the story. It’s like the dichotomy between playing as Yasuke or Naoe in Assassin's Creed Shadows. Ghost of Tsushima truly is the gold standard of samurai and ninja games in an open-world setting.
4 Katana Zero
A Cyberpunk Samurai Future
Katana ZERO
- Released
- April 18, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Askiisoft
- Publisher(s)
- Devolver Digital
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Action
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Katana Zero is an indie game starring a samurai, but one out of his era. Zero is an assassin, and every stage finds him hunting a new target set in a cyberpunk future. Enemies die in one hit, and players can go into missions either stealthily or brazenly.
Zero has the innate ability to slow down time before executing enemies, too, almost like he has the ability to see the future. What makes this assassinating samurai intriguing is that after every mission, he has a session with a psychiatrist. What's really going on? That's the real hook of the game.
3 Pokemon Conquest
Another Weird Take On History
Pokemon Conquest
- Released
- June 18, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Koei Tecmo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo DS
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, RPG
Pokemon Conquest may seem like a wild pick, but there are reasons to highlight this forgotten DS game. As a female or male samurai, players are partnered with a Pokemon, but instead of taking place in the modern era, the game centers around the warring states of Japan. Battles are tactical, with samurai operating as Pokemon Trainers who can command them in grid-based battles.
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Familiar faces from Japanese history will appear, including Lord Nobunaga, Hanzo, Oichi, Nene, and Mitsuhide, all of whom appear in Assassin's Creed Shadows. Pokemon Conquest is worthwhile because, like Assassin's Creed Shadows, it puts a bizarre twist on history, albeit in a more extreme case.
2 Samurai Warriors 5
A Colorful Take On History
Samurai Warriors 5
- Released
- July 27, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Omega Force
- Publisher(s)
- Koei Tecmo
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Hack and Slash
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Samurai Warriors 5 is the latest entry in the series, which tried a few new things out. Firstly, it de-aged a lot of characters to give the game a more youthful aesthetic, along with brightening up the colors. It stands out from other entries in the series, falling more in line with some of the anime spinoffs like One Piece: Pirate Warriors.
Players can live out their feudal fantasies with characters who appear in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, including Yasuke, Mitsuhide, Oichi, and Lord Nobunaga. The combat is less realistic, but that’s kind of the point of a Musou game.
1 Trek To Yomi
A Black And White Tale Of Revenge
Trek to Yomi
- Released
- May 5, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Flying Wild Hog
- Publisher(s)
- Devolver Digital
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Trek to Yomi is a tale of revenge, and it sets itself apart from other samurai fiction because it's fully rendered in black and white. It's a clear homage to classic samurai films like Seven Samurai, and the grittiness of the screen quality can be immersive.
Players will begin witnessing the death of their family before training to become a lone ronin out for blood. Combat is simple and yet sophisticated, allowing players to dive as much or as little into it as they want, depending on their difficulty level. It's a short trek with some surprising twists as more players get into it.
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