A Whacky, Dog-Eat-Cat Adventure
At times, all you need in life is a super easy playthrough; a game that rarely tests the mind or the reflexes. Luckily, that’s very much what Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury is.
A game from Fishing Cactus, ZEROLife Games and Maximum Entertainment, this is most definitely aimed at the younger gamer, and therefore, ideal for me. Apparently, it is based on a 2022 film called Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, billed as a wacky third person action adventure. With couch co-op included (a big tick in itself), let’s head off to the world of a dog samurai…
Following the events of the movie (which I have to confess that I haven’t seen), our hero Hank is a dog in a world of cats, and has become a samurai. Alongside his buddy Jimbo, a good samurai name if ever I heard one, they are going up against the cat armies of the Shogun. The thing is, the Shogun seems to have had a change of heart for some reason and has decided to crush the villages that Hank and Jimbo are sworn to protect. Can we keep everyone safe, defeat the armies of cats, and find out what has caused the Shogun to become grumpy? Well, that’s down to you and your thumbs, innit!
A Vibrant 3D World
The presentation of Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury is quite pleasing, with a nice cartoony look to the world: it makes a difference seeing a game that isn’t a retro styled pixel art game, let me tell you! The world that Hank and Jimbo inhabit is quite large, and that in turn forces us to explore if we are to find all the secrets. There are lots of nooks and crannies to take in, and things to collect; swapped out for various cosmetic items. For instance, my Hank is currently rocking sunglasses, a tie, a clown hat and clown shoes. Stylish and I know it!
The world is full of NPCs to interact with, and they usually have missions to fulfil, and fortunately, the game is quite forgiving in telling us where to go. The map works very well, and while the camera is okay, it does suffer from the usual glitches when fighting in tight spaces; it is also almost hysterically sensitive, and trying to aim with a bow is very tricky indeed, as seemingly breathing on the stick will see Hank do a 180 and end up facing the wrong way.
Sound is quite well done, with various voice overs popping up from time to time, mainly in the cutscenes. The combat sound effects are equally decent, and while the utterances from Hank or Jimbo do get somewhat annoying over time (if I hear Jimbo shout “Kangaroo” one more time…) you can – mostly – overlook this. The music is understated and in keeping with the Japanese theme, and all in all the game works quite well.
Trials, Traps, and Tower Defence
It all works well in terms of the gameplay too, all things considered. The basic gameplay loop is pretty simple, leaving us with a number of varied challenges to overcome, either alone or with a co-op friend. The multiplayer works well, with a split screen style to it, and having a second set of eyes and swords along does help things go a bit more smoothly. Playing with a friend always increases the fun to be had with any game, and thus it proves here.
But what will you and possibly a friend be doing, I hear you ask? Well, I’m glad you want to know, as the answer is ‘a lot of things’. There are Samurai Trials to take part in, where you race against an opponent (AI or real) on a series of challenging courses designed to test your grasp of the movement mechanics. Luckily, Hank and Jimbo come equipped with not only a double jump, but a dash move that can be used in mid air, extending the distance that you can leap. These trials start off tricky and become very hard later, with multiple routes through and various traps you can use to slow up your opponent.
Split-Screen Success
In addition, there are tower defence inspired levels, where waves of the Shoguns soldiers will invade the village we are trying to protect. Luckily, they come after a countdown, giving us time to prepare various defences, such as explosive traps and falling traps. Once the Shoguns force an approach, we can activate these traps with arrows from a distance. Personally, I have found it easier to just wade in and take control with Hank’s sword, dealing out doggy justice and taking the fight to the Shogun. With two players, one can be tactical while the other can be more, shall we say, direct!
On top of these modes, are a bunch of people found populating the villages that we need to help, earning currency along the way. Keeping up with our training and mastering Hank’s various gadgets will make our lives easier in the long run, and to be honest, the gameplay loop, while simple and clearly designed for the younger gamer, is quite entertaining.
Simple, Stress-Free Fun for Budding Samurai
It’s that entertainment that is the overriding factor of Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury. Fun but not too demanding, if you have younger gamers in the house, or just want to take in something without having to think too much, you’ll appreciate the simplicity of Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury. If you can adapt to the overly sensitive camera, the rest of the package here is pretty good.
There’s no way this is going to challenge the hardcore gamers out there, but for everyone else, Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury is a good way to spend a couple of hours.
Important Links
A Dog Samurai & The Shogun’s Cat Army – Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury is OUT NOW! – https://www.thexboxhub.com/a-dog-samurai-the-shoguns-cat-army-samurai-academy-paws-of-fury-is-out-now/
Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury is a New Co-op Adventure Leaping onto PC & Console this November – https://www.thexboxhub.com/samurai-academy-paws-of-fury-is-a-new-co-op-adventure-leaping-onto-pc-console-this-november/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/samurai-academy-paws-of-fury/9mtc2m5qrrjh
