♫ Music: This Everlasting Wind ♫
~Winner of the "Most Flowers Rhythmed and Remixed" Award~
This has been a good year for me playing incredibly cool PS2 games. Way of the Samurai basically plays out like a classic samurai movie: you're a drifter who walks into a simmering conflict between two factions vying for control over a small village and its ironworks. The plot plays out over the course of three days, and by being in the right places at the right times you can forge alliances with either faction, or neither, or both. There are six endings and one playthrough is very brief (especially if you die), so the idea is that you'll play the game multiple times, exploring new avenues and learning more about Rokkotsu Pass and its various inhabitants, and perhaps uncover secrets that can lead to a relatively happy ending for almost everyone. Characters stick to their schedules, and time only passes when you move to a different area or after events, so planning your route in advance isn't too tricky. This game was a pick in my retro game club, I got my PS2 pretty late in its life and didn't have much internet access or a magazine subscription to keep me informed so I'd never heard of it until now. And y'know, games like this are exactly why I wanted to join up.
Platform: PS2
