10 Best Samurai-Themed Video Games, Ranked

Samurai have always been a fascinating subject used in pop culture; and video games have not been an exception. With their intricate armor, code of honor, and sharp katana, these Japanese warriors make for great stories and gameplay. Be it fast-paced action games set in open worlds, or turn-based strategy games, samurai appear in all kinds of genres.

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With so many great titles, it can be challenging to determine which samurai-themed games are the best. But, some of them are just so much greater than others based on their gameplay, storyline and overall impact on the gaming world.

10 Shadow Tactics: Blades Of The Shogun

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun offers a great stealth game with a memorable cast of various characters set in feudal Japan. There are five playable characters, all with their own unique personalities and skill sets.

The game encourages you to play strategically and look at the entire map as one big puzzle. Determining which character to use for which target and watching them execute their actions successfully makes for hours of fun.

9 Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Muramasa: The Demon Blade is a strikingly beautiful game with hand-painted art and breathtaking visuals. You can choose between two different characters to control, and both the storyline and ending vary, depending on your choice. You are then introduced to a small map, which slowly expands as you progress.

You either play as a young girl possessed by a mighty swordsman, or a young boy with amnesia; both characters will have you going on a journey, fighting off demons, gods, and other enemies, while searching for answers.

8 Katana Zero

Katana Zero is an excellent samurai-themed slash-em-up action game. You take on the role of a nameless samurai assassin with time altering special abilities. Instead of simply dying and having a Game Over scene, time gets rewinded, allowing you to retry the level.

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The game can be finished in less than five hours, and there is even a secret boss to discover, who needs various conditions to be met in order to be unlocked.

7 Nioh 2

Nioh 2 is one of the most replayable PlayStation 5 games, as it offers an incredible amount of character-build options. There are so many different weapons to choose from, as well as stances and Yokai forms. The story begins in the Mino province, and you take the role of a mercenary hunting down Yokai.

You follow the ostracized half-yokai mercenary on his journey, where he meets the peddler, Tokichiro. The two people combine their talents and work together on their shared dream of obtaining some social status.

6 Way Of The Samurai 4

Way of the Samurai 4 is a great action-adventure game, where you take on the role of a nameless rōnin, a wandering samurai. The game is set in the fictional town of Amihama and can be replayed and enjoyed multiple times as it offers ten different endings, allowing you to explore various aspects of the world.

For those who enjoy challenges, there are also four difficulty settings to choose from, which unlock as you progress. As a true samurai, you can also choose to fight wielding a katana, a spear, a gun, or just your bare fists.

5 Total War: Shogun 2

The Total War franchise has released multiple great games, allowing you to recreate many significant battles, both fictional and non. Total War: Shogun 2 lets you take on the role of a clan leader during the darkest age of Japan, the Sengoku era.

You have one ultimate goal, to become the new Shogun. To achieve that, you need to conquer and unite Japan’s islands and slowly build your kingdom by wielding your economic, political, and military power. This great turn-based strategy game can be enjoyed in two-player mode or online against up to 8 players.

4 Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny

The Onimusha series has some great titles, but Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is the best among them, thanks to its stunning graphics, great character designs, and entertaining hack-and-slash combat. You take on the role of Jubei Yagyu, a vengeful samurai, on a journey to defeat the resurrected warlord Nobunaga.

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Thanks to the franchise’s compelling storyline full of intrigue, betrayal, and unexpected twists, it got its own anime adaptation. It would not be surprising if Netflix released multiple seasons covering all the games.

3 Like A Dragon: Ishin

A great spinoff of the Yakuza series and an entertaining stand-alone samurai action-adventure game, Like a Dragon: Ishin is a must-play title. You take on the role of Sakamoto Ryoma, a vengeful samurai on a journey to find his father’s killer. The game is set in the late 1860s, having you play as one of the last samurai as their era is slowly ending.

If you are familiar with the other Yakuza titles, you will see many familiar faces taking on different roles. As it is a remake of an old game, the graphics may not be on par with the newest titles, but the story and gameplay more than make up for the visuals.

2 Ghost Of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima is a great action game, as it combines effortlessly authentic depictions of samurai culture with stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, emotional storytelling, and a vast open world. You are transported to a different time and place, when Japan suffered from the first Mongol invasion.

You take on the role of Jin Sakai, a samurai on a mission to protect the island of Tsushima from the Mongols. His journey is a great tale of honor, duty, and sacrifice. The immaculate voice-acting and memorable characters only add to the authenticity of this experience.

1 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice introduces you to a fictional world set during the Sengoku era in Japan. You take on the role of Wolf, a loyal and skilled samurai who must navigate a treacherous world filled with powerful enemies and complex moral dilemmas.

The game offers stunning visuals and exceptional sound design, with a haunting and atmospheric soundtrack that fully immerses you in Sekiro’s world. It is also a tremendous soulslike adventure for anyone who likes challenges, though the difficulty can be adjusted so that anyone can enjoy the game.

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