Way of the Samurai

Way of the Samurai, known in Japan simply as 侍 (Samurai) is a 2002 action adventure game for the PS2.

Game cover

Admittedly it may not seem like a very good game at first, but judging it too quickly would be a mistake.
This is not, like most gamers might be used to, a linear game. And in fact, by only doing one play-through, it would appear to be extremely short, and almost completely lacking in story.

This is a perfect example of a game with a tree-branch structure to the story.
The choices you make, from the beginning of the game effects how the story develops, ending in 6 possible endings (7 if you count just leaving the village mid-game).

Also, people do things at places regardless of what you are doing, so to figure out what people do, their motivations, and who they really are, you need to play through the game multiple times, being in different places at certain times.

Main screen

The game takes place in a fictional outpost town called Rokkotsu Pass in 1878, after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and the start of the Meiji reformation, during the Satsuma Rebellion.
A time when it became illegal to be a samurai, not a very good thing for the protagonist; a Ronin named Kenji, who just arrived in Rokkotsu Pass.
As such most endings are not very positive, and the one(s) that are is quite hard to achieve.
Indeed the game's back even declares "Die with Honor", and it might be the best ending to hope for.
You are of course free to do almost anything you like, including just randomly slaughtering peasants.
Your actions will of course effect how people react to you, and your rating at the end of a play-through, so doing so will most likely earn you the title of "Random Slasher", which is one of 13 possible rankings.

The first choice in the game is whether to rescue a girl being kidnapped, or ally with her kidnappers.
Of course, doing nothing is also a choice.

Kenji arrives in the middle of a power struggle between two factions of samurai, with the commoners stuck in between, suffering the consequences. This makes the premise quite familiar for anyone who's seen the classic Kurosawa movie "Yojimbo" (1961).
(For those interested the 1964 movie "A Fistful of Dollars", starring Clint Eastwood, was an almost complete rip-off (scene by scene) of Kurosawa's movie, but set at the Mexican border, during the "Wild West" era.)

The game takes place during a 2-day period, each split into: Morning, Evening, and Night.

You have a basic set of moves that are available with all weapons, consisting of a regular attack, a strong attack, a block, and a kick. There are numerous variations and combinations of the basic moves available depending on the particular sword equipped at the time. By defeating opponents or collecting special items you can also unlock special attacks and combinations specific to each weapon. There are also several different fighting stances, depending on the particular sword equipped, each of which comes with its own fighting style.

This is the only installment in the series so far that offers a versus mode for 2 players.

Each of the swords available in the game has several attributes which influence its effectiveness in battle. These attributes can be enhanced using special items found in the game, or by visiting the in game swordsmith.

Sharpness:
Attack strength, increases/decreases the amount of damage caused when an opponent is struck with the sword

Flexibility:
Defensive strength, increases/decreases the amount of damage suffered when the player is struck by an opponent

Durability:
Sword strength, increases the amount of heat the sword can generate before breaking (heat is generated by striking or blocking, and displayed using an on-screen meter)

Life:
Increases/decreases the total number of the players hit points.

Unlike games with somewhat more realistic fighting, like Bushido Blade or Kengo, both you and the enemies can take quite a lot of damage before being fatally wounded, sometimes leading to quite long fights, especially when attacked by multiple opponents.

People also react to you if you draw your sword, and might feel threatened and attack you, so it's generally a bad idea to run around with your sword drawn.

This is a rather overlooked gem of a game, for reasons explained earlier, and it can be yours for between €8-25, depending on quality.

I actually sold this game back in the day, and for way too cheap. I really regret that.