Extreme Legends returns for Samurai Warrirors. If it was any larger or better, it would be on two disks.
Right from the get-go in Extreme Legends, you can play as the four new warriors:
Hideyoshi Hashiba
Yoshimoto Imagawa
Tadakatsu Honda
Ina
Three of these names should be instantly familiar if you have played the original Samurai Warriors, but don't diss them because of how they acted in the last game.
As you progress in Extreme Legends, you no longer have to worry about "Maxing Out" your character. You may still gain skill points when you reach 99999 experience points. So each of your warriors can now be upgraded to the max and even beyond, if you have the Progress Points to blow. And watch out for the amazing, if not uber powerful, sixth weapons.
For those of you who hated how powerful enemies got in the original game when you went up in rank, especially bad for Masamune Date, you're in luck. Koei has fixed the skill of characters, regardless of how powerful you are. Watch Keiji tear through lines of foes at level 20 but watch as even the Raging Tiger struggles at level 1.
The graphics and sound have recieved a major overhaul. The game sounds more beautiful than ever and new cutscenes have been implemented.
The only major drawback of this game is that every time you wish to play as any of the characters from Samurai Warriors, you must switch disks.
So, if you sold the original copy, get back to EB or wherever you sold it and get it back, because the game is being pulled from shelves at this time. Without the original, you'll have only the four officers from Extreme Legends, none of the other fifteen, or even your created officers.
Another disappointment is the loss of the Create-An-Officer mode. It has been squeezed out with all the new changes.
The versus mode will also be shortened without the original copy of the game. There are still three modes to choose from, but you gain the original three with the original disk.
This game now feels more like an RPG in that you can truely level up your characters and make them stronger. This part I enjoyed the most of any in the game. The major letdown for me was finding out that I needed the original disk to keep playing with my original warriors. Oh well, live and learn.
If you like learning about those in the game, you couldn't have come to a better place. Like Dynasty Warriors 4 and 5, Koei has included a historical archive acsessable through the Archives menu at the main menu, which covers the major battles, warriors, and politics of The Warring States. So, for thirty dollars, this is an outstanding buy.