The lack of historical accuracy is not even a remote problem, as the fantasy re-enactment nature that’s worked so well throughout the Warriors series is just as abundant here, and grants so much more action than a text book would allow it’s hard to yearn for historic precision.

Another small divergence from the established Warriors gameplay is the use of team based tactics rather than a lone powerhouse champion single-handedly changing the course of the battlefield. By taking your commander up to a group of soldiers – whether they’re cavalry, archers, infantry or any of the other regiments – he takes control and guides the crew through the theatre of war to an appropriate juncture. A careful consideration of the overview map, the choice of high risk or alternative routes and the effect each individual regiment has on the battle is required, and the boots first button masher will quickly find themselves separated from their men and a quick casualty of superior numbers.

It’s this squad based, strategic approach that adds the new sense of Westernised tactic, since the heroes of a medieval battle were often those who directed the warfare from afar, rather than the skilled combatants of Eastern lore. While this divergence might not immediately appeal to staunch Dynasty Warrior fans, the unique addition of real time strategy elements – albeit on a much smaller scale to recent games like Command & Conquer 3, for instance – help to differentiate Bladestorm from its brothers and ensure gamers won’t feel as though they’re simply buying the same game with different graphics (one occasional complaint regarding the Warriors franchise).

Naturally, the beautifully choreographed mayhem of the Warriors series is just as prevalent in Bladestorm – only with a superbly atmospheric murkiness that exemplifies the sombre arenas in which the Hundred Years’ War took place. The cries are carried across the battlefield as before, signalling tasks and achievements that can (and in some cases, must) be completed. We’ve always felt that, although it can get a little grating listening to the same general barking the same orders and advice over and over again, this is a far more intuitive method of guiding gamers through the options of play than a forced route, for instance, or inaccessible ares.

Likewise, a strategic planning session, training hub and experience points administration system are cleverly woven into a between-level tavern scene, so there’s no sensation of the game losing momentum; rather one of well earned respite and contemplation after the fight. This is an equally important aspect, however, and the actions taken during this preparatory stage are vital to the next battle.
But all careful contemplation and strategising aside, Bladestorm is a fierce and satisfying action game that allows for plenty of hard, gratifying fighting and kick ass warmongery, so any fighting game fanatics out there certainly shouldn’t dismiss this game on account of its cerebral requirements.

Ultimately, if I had to find fault with Bladestorm it’d be its awful title. The trite, machoistic name conjures up exactly the wrong kind of empty, hack’n’slash notion of a game that’s going to try and seduce through violence and flashy visuals, rather than the remarkable, conceptual innovation that’s actually contained in the box. Dropping the “Bladestorm” part and simply calling it The Hundred Years War would grant it the credibility and sophistication it deserves, so try to see past the name when deciding whether to buy.

Koei fans will feel a distinct likeness to the developer’s Kessen series; making Bladestorm something of a combination of these two highly popular series, while still standing out as a new game in its own right. Despite the market currently supporting games which make more of both the action/fighting and RTS genres than Bladestorm does, it’s nigh on impossible not to recommend this game to anyone who’s ever enjoyed facets from these styles and is interested in seeing a new addition to the genre that involves more elaborate gameplay.

Bladestorm is a worthy addition to the Warriors series, while proving to be a standalone success which ingeniously blurs the boundaries between seemingly disparate genres.