Samurai Warriors

''This article is about the first game in the Samurai Warriors series. For the whole series, see Samurai Warriors (Series)''

Samurai Warriors is the first game in the Warriors series Samurai Warriors that is a spinoff of Dynasty Warriors. Instead of taking place in the Han Empire Era of China, Samurai Warriors finds its setting in the Warring States period of Japan.

Story Mode
The mode is much like Musou mode from Dynasty Warriors in that you choose a general and go on the missions to become what you will become. Instead of being able to choose what officer you will be at the start of every level, you choose one character to play through, unlocking an alternate costume when the respective story mode is completed. At one point in the story, depending on events in the previous stage, there will be one of two paths you can take. Another difference from Dynasty Warriors is that through out a map, missions will appear that offer extra gold or experience used to develop the character used. Further changes include the addition of castle levels that have one mandatory travel through where the point is to find your way to the stairs to the next sub-level. Most castles contain 5 sub-levels with a variety of enemies to defeat and booby traps ranging from cages, spikes, and wall blades all to get to the boss at the top (mostly being Nobunaga Oda).

Free Mode
Plays like any Dynasty Warriors game.

Survival Mode
While offering two similar but different challenges, some "rules" remain in both. Difficulty cannot be selected. When the life meter reaches 0 the game is over. Any acquired weapons/items can be used in the other modes. There is a rest period every 3 floors where your life meter is restored and you can save the game.

Abyss
In this challenge, you must travel down into the depths of the earth where a mysterious character awaits you. The time limit in this mode is 60 minutes but can be increased by completing missions through out the challenge.

Tower
The only difference in this challenge is that the time limit is 20 minutes and the goal is to clear as many floors as possible in the amount of time given. Time can also be increased by completing various missions.

Challenge Mode
There are 7 challenges to partake in that also double as the training exercises in New Officer Mode.
 * Melee - Get as many enemy KOs as you can
 * Musou - Defeat enemies using only the Musou Attack
 * Combo - Get the longest combo attack possible
 * Archery - Defeat oncoming enemies using only Ranged Attacks
 * Deflect - Defeat enemies by deflecting arrows
 * Burst - Reach the destination point as quickly as possible
 * Riding - Get through the course on your steed as quickly as possible

Starting

 * Yukimura Sanada
 * Keiji Maeda
 * Nobunaga Oda
 * Mitsuhide Akechi
 * Goemon Ishikawa
 * Kenshin Uesugi
 * Oichi
 * Okuni
 * Kunoichi
 * Magoichi Saika
 * Shingen Takeda
 * Masamune Date
 * Nō (Nouhime)
 * Hanzō Hattori
 * Ranmaru Mori

New Officer Mode
Samurai Warriors has a unique character creation process. Instead of choosing what gender, what armor, what weapon the General will have, you choose from 6 premade models (3 male, 3 female) with 4 more unlockable models. After choosing your model, you begin training for 12 months. At first there are only 2 options to train in, Burst and Melee with there also being a rest. Rest uses one month but also refills your health meter and is forced if you fail one of the training sessions. Before you begin a training session (aside from Archery), you have the option of choosing one of three weapons to participate in the session with. Sword, Spear and Naginata. Each boosts various attributes for each session. At the end of the twelve months, you will be put up for the Samurai Trials. Here, you chose one clan (Oda, Takeda, Uesugi, Tokugawa, Date, Honganji, Azai, Imagawa, Hojo) to take the test for. You must pass this test otherwise the character will be lost and you will have to start from square one. If the character passes, then the character is saved and can be used in Story Mode or Free Mode.

Character Growth
Instead of automatic growth, Samurai Warriors's growth system is slightly different. Weapons are no longer leveled up, instead they are found by defeating various generals. Characters also get experience boosts by finishing sub-missions, the number of KOs they get, and time they finish in. Also, characters get "Ability Points" that allow for further development by "buying" abilities that when combined enable other abilities.