An Ambitious idea, but ultimatley a game that has been canablized
One of the game's best features is the fact that it's a first person game, where as most Dynasty/Samurai Warriors games are told from a 3rd person perspective, Katana's first person persepective helps add a sense of realism to the game. Katana has kept much of the Warriors interface intact, including being able to equip and upgrade your weapons and abilities. The graphics of the game are okay, and there is a lot of detail put into the back grounds and armor the various enemies wear, and the controls of the game are fairly easy to use.
However in terms of gamplay, Katana bears all the halmarks of a game that has been canablized. In most Warriors games, the player can select from upwards of 70 different characters, both male and female and each with their own unique weapons and special moves. However with Katana the selection is reduced to one character, though fan favorites such as Oda Nobungaga, make apperences in the game.
The worst feature of the game though is the loss of menuverability. In most Warriors game, the player is given free reign to move across the board, killing enemies, assissting allies, and completing primary objectives when they appear, however in Katana the character moves of his own free will, and always in a straight line from one objective to another, only stopping to fight enemies. Another major flaw this game has, is the loss of power ups to restore your mushu and health.
While the controls are somewhat stable, and easy to use, they are also misleading. The box art of Katana leads one to believe that you'll be using the WiiMote's motion sensing feature to preform both basic and special attacks, while using the Nunchuck's control stick to move. However through out the game, the player discovers that the motion sensing is limited only to special sword/spear attacks, while the A-button preforms basic attacks. The only time you fully use the Wii's motionsensing technology to it's fullest, is during a Mushu attack, which is activated by shaking the Nunchuck, and then swinging the WiiMote around.
Over all the idea of a First Person Warriors Game is really ambitious and Katana could easily have been a great game, however it ultimatly has the feeling of a canabalized game when compared to it's Xbox and Playstation counterparts. While the game will undoubitally appeal to fans of the Warriors Series, the game should be rented before deciding to buy it.