Graphics: Shattered Samurai can definately receive bragging rights towards it's graphics quality. The game has some excellent looks to it and pulls it all off with true Japanese style and flavor. So why didn't it get a perfect score? Well I docked points for almost one reason alone, the CMS. In the original release of SS it had an incredible CMS, great imagery and well put together. Then for some reason in the "Complete" version it was removed and replaced with a half quality one. A CMS is nice, but if it is so ugly that you would rather see the default menu screen you know you've done something wrong. Black dots abound around the menu options, which just makes it look sloppy and cheap. Custom systems are great, but if you're going to add them and do them poorly you deserve to have points docked.

Graphics Final Score: 16/20

Playability: The most important part of any game is where you determine whether or not it bores you to the point of shooting yourself in the head. Shattered Samurai hosts an ABS that doesn't dissapoint. People complain about the "you can only attack one square away from the enemy, no closer" thing. But personally I found that it made the system more enjoyable and it made it look a lot better too. The system is fun and well built and thus there's no reason the game shouldn't receive a perfect score.

Playability Final Score: 20/20

Story: The story is like a mixed bag of trick or treat candy. Some of it is delicious milky chocolate, and some is Ex-Acto knife tips embedded into Hershey's bars. My first complaint is the names and dialogue, I mean seriously, if we're making a purely old asian game then where the hell did he pull out the names, Charles, Max, and Jennifer? Maybe one name would be forgiveable but it was EVERY main character. The dialogue is pretty poor too. I felt no emotional attachment to the characters and could have cared less whether they lived or died. Jennifer was like a robot with corny lines made to make it look like it had some sort of personality.

Jennifer: Hello, let's fight.
Charles: Okay, if I have to...

And then when you beat her, she sprouts out this sappy story about how she's a "bad" girl and is seeking for the ultimate fight, despite the fact she can't beat a pushover like charles. Moving on, let's talk about the actual plot. Parents killed in Feudal Japan, (or somewhere in asia) and a Samurai (charles) goes to take revenge. My best response to that is meh. Nothing I haven't heard before...nothing special.

Story Final Score: 8/20

Music: Nothing incredible and original, nothing horrible and out of place. The Music score comes out around the average line.

Music Final Score: 17/20

Finishing The Job: Well, all in all, I would have to say I enjoyed playing Shattered Samurai, it has little things that will peck at you but all in all you'll come away from the game realizing you had a good time. It's nothing spectacular but it's certainly one of a kind. If the dialogue got fixed and the old CMS came back the game would be much better off...but for the sake of raising the score of this otherwise good game, I'll give it a 20 here.

Finishing The Job Final Score: 20/20

FINAL SCORE: 81/100 = B

Grading Scale

100%-90% = A - Wow you truly are god. Let me kiss your feet plz.

89%-70% = B - You've got Kinks to work out but it's still a very good game worth the time.

69%-50% = C - Meh it's not bad but it's not great. You've still got a lot of work to do.

49%-30% = D - Wow this really is crap. This is so bad I've put an ancient death curse on you.

39% and below = F - This score shouldn't even be possible. Your game has to be the worst piece of crap to ever grace this earth. I feel sorry for you and if you ever have offspring let me assure you they will be disgraced to know you once made a game this crappy.

Please keep in mind these are all MY opinions. You might love this game so there's no harm in trying it out.

To those of you interested in playing the game it can be found at http://www.gamingw.net/