Samurai Warriors 4

Samurai Warriors 4 (戦国無双4, Sengoku Musou 4) is the fourth main entry in the Samurai Warriors series. Plans for its development was first revealed on Hisashi Koinuma's Twitter and its console availability was later announced at SCEJA Press Conference 2013. The title is being made to celebrate the series's tenth anniversary.

Koinuma returns as producer; Osamu Mieda returns as director; Yojiro Yoshimatsu returns as sound director. The overall theme for this title is "to tell the history of the era's unification" with a Samurai Warriors twist. Koinuma commented that the new story telling method gives more coverage to the "losers" of history in a way which he thought was neglected in previous titles. They believe this title combines traits which fans from any part of the series could appreciate. He stated the main theme for the scenarios is "separation".

First print bonus is a downloadable serial for Yukimura's Samurai Warriors outfit. Reserving the title grants a Yukimura and Nobuyuki microfiber towel. Reserving the game from various Japanese outlets rewards special costumes for select characters. The Treasure Box will include a character illustration book, an original soundtrack CD, 15 postcards and the same bonuses as the Anime Box. The Anime Box edition will include the Blu-ray volume for the anime and a printed card decorated with the anime character designs. The BD featured in both editions includes scenes which were cut for the TV broadcast. The Gamecity Set includes a character and story book and four hand towels. Ordering from Gamecity adds two original clear files with the purchase.

Unlike past Samurai Warriors games, this one only has Japanese voice overs.

Gameplay
Similar to Chronicles, players must select two characters for each battle and can freely switch between them as they fight by pressing Select. These traits are distinguished by the face icon present over each character's portrait during selection. Specific team combinations may unlock new missions for each stage. If two player co-op is being used, the second player is assigned to the second character chosen before the stage. Players lose the ability to switch between characters while playing co-op together. The character who picks up the weapon box from fallen generals in battle is the one who earns it, and KO counters are kept separated.

A new feature called the "Hyper Attack" ("Shinsoku Action" in Japanese) is a dashing attack that characters can use to clear large crowds of enemies quickly. These attacks can be performed by reversing the usual charge attack combo order (i.e. undefined, undefined, as opposed to, , undefined), which now gives all playable characters a total of two moveset strings and in turn Hyper attacks replace the C1s for all characters. Certain characters are assigned the "Hyper" moveset type. Hyper Attacks are powerful against foot soldiers, but can be deflected by guarding and/or shielded units, which may bounce back the player with recoil. As such, Hyper Attacks are largely ineffective against named enemies, as well as in high-morale zones.

When an enemy general is low on health, characters can perform a reworked version of the "Killing Array" (in Japanese), dubbed as a "Mighty Strike" when undefined flashes on their staggered or stunned targeted general. Similar to Warriors: Legends of Troy, these attacks have unique animations; all returning characters use their prior deadlock attack animations for this move. Mighty Strikes are negated if the player misses the button prompt.

Weapon deadlocks, rolling and dashing attacks have been removed while side-stepping is sped up but also covers less distance. In the case of removed weapon deadlocks, both the player character and enemy generals alike have limited super armor while attacking, which can only be overcome by enough damage taken, by dropping offense or by hit effects such as being stunned or staggered.

Meanwhile, the Spirit Evade from Sengoku Musou 3: Empires has been reworked into being a slower backward sidestep with afterimages, and old dashing attack animations are used for the Spirit Evade counterattacks (press  during it), which provide heavy hyper armor during the execution and will always stagger on grounded hit upon connecting (allowing for a free Mighty Strike prompt when they connect on generals) or will inflict crashing knockback on airborne hit. The Spirit Evade can can also now be used in midair with either L1 or as an extra somersault, but may trigger automatically with another input under certain conditions as long as one portion of the Spirit Gauge is filled.

Musou Attacks now have new finishing animations separate from their Ultimate Musou, but they no longer allow free-action for their durations. Enemy generals still use the older shockwave finishers, and are no longer fully invincible for their durations (they instead are granted Hyper Armor).

The "Rage Attack" ("Musou Gokui") is a feature similar to Awakening Musous. Players can use their Spirit Gauge and press R3 to temporarily enter a powerful and invulnerable state when the Spirit Gauge is filled. Once activated, the character's strikes will have a secondary effect. If the player uses their Musou while in this state, they will end their Rage Mode prematurely and perform their Ultimate Musou. The Rage Attack's ending animation reuses all returning characters' previous Musou Attack finishers.

Proficiency levels have been added to all characters' attacks. Each action's effectiveness and strength will increase based on the frequency the player uses them. Proficiency is divided into four major categories located under a character's normal stats: normal attack, charge attacks, special skill, and hyper attack. Resetting character stats to their default state also resets proficiency levels in this entry.

The customizable item system returns with a new rare item called "Heirloom". This is a permanent item which can be reused every battle to heal or bolster a character. Each character has their own treasure, and each one can be gained by defeating enemy generals under specific conditions. Armor has been omitted but power-up items can take their place in combat.

Weapon forging returns with a system reminiscent to the third title, but the three weapon types introduced in its predecessor (Normal, Power, Speed) have been discarded. Characters can earn multiple copies of the same weapon (or their third for returning characters). They can earn one rare weapon to diversify its base attack and appearance.

Weapon attributes are visually categorized by a colored gem and can only be learned by the gem(s) matching its color. Attributes may also be sealed and require the usage of a rare gem earned by completing battle objectives in order to unlock. Characters can donate their weapon attributes to strengthen another character's weaponry. Once the procedure is completed, however, the player will need to reforge the donor's weapon if they wish to reclaim its optimized properties. Players can exchange excess gems in favor of rarer ones to a certain degree.

There are also a notable amount of physics changes: some include enemy foot soldiers being prone to OTG from all other attacks (save for opposing generals), crashing knockback being completely mitigated when colliding with walls while also no longer causing a wall-bump effect, lower jumping height and increased area of blocking orientation for all units; characters also have a smoother animation for mounting horses than previous titles.

Other details include:
 * Morale remains an important factor for influencing enemy AI. Enemy morale can be decreased greatly by hunting and defeating the new bannerman units on the field.
 * A larger amount of characters have changed from their prior moveset types to Hyper in this title.
 * Edit characters have more customization options and star in their own mode called "Chronicle Mode".
 * Online co-op is available for all modes.
 * Data can be transferred and saved between either PlayStation port of the title. Crossplay between the two ports is not supported.
 * Save data from the Sengoku Musou 2 HD Collection can be used to unlock 10,000 gold in this game.
 * Downloadable content includes scenarios, costumes, and edit character parts. There are no secondary costumes in the vanilla game; players can only obtain alternates through DLC.

Story Mode
Story Mode has been changed to be an overview world map of Japan, a la Empires titles. Players can select their preferred scenario through two methods:
 * Regional Stories (Chihou) - focuses on a specific region/clan as opposed to individual characters with in-depth character events and dramatization. Has ten different chapters available.
 * Story of Unification (Tenka Toitsu) - has the entire land as the stage for an overall summary of the land's events. It continues from the introductions in the Chihou scenarios to focus on a detailed end for the era.

Clear the Takeda and Oda chapters to unlock the Tenka Toitsu options; finish other stories to unlock the others. The majority of the cast can be unlocked by clearing the stages in each scenario. Certain scenarios have unlockable side stories.

Free Mode
Similar as previous titles. Edit characters can be used in this mode.

Chronicle Mode
Known as "Rurou Enbu" in the Japanese version. This mode reenacts Mercenary Mode as seen in other Warriors titles yet borrows traits from the main story mode found in the Chronicle titles. Edit characters act as mercenaries and are given the choice to start under one of the factions mentioned in Story Mode. After their allegiance, they are given the freedom to travel between different provinces of the Warring States to complete various requests focused on the main cast. Different times of day can be seen in this bird's eye view of Japan.

One of the main draws of this mode is providing multiple perspectives of the main cast not otherwise seen in Story Mode. Player characters can either befriend or alienate a character of their choice through personal conversations, fighting them in battle, or by traveling with them. The conversations require the player to select between two text options to complete; like the Chronicles games, one response is positive and the other is negative. Their affinity ranking for the player character affects their personal messages during battle. A single member of the main cast is allowed to accompany the player avatar's adventures at any given time.

Rare weapons are easier to earn in this mode. Additional edit parts can be earned, although the majority of the sets will be DLC. Characters who don't have much screentime in Story Mode have more time to shine here in side stories. Additional side stories can become available by clearing each chapter in Story Mode. Players must play this mode if they wish to unlock Goemon, Okuni, Musashi and Kojirō.

Dojo
Edit character creation, officer encyclopedia, gallery mode, game settings, tutorial and Mobile Joy. Stores pre-rendered movies, events, edit characters and downloadable content.

Characters
Over 50 main characters and over 1,000 named NPCs will be in the title. The new characters from Chronicle 2nd, Goemon, Musashi, Kojirō, and Okuni reuse their designs from their debut or Samurai Warriors 3 respectively.

Returning

 * Yukimura Sanada
 * Keiji Maeda
 * Nobunaga Oda
 * Mitsuhide Akechi
 * Goemon Ishikawa
 * Kenshin Uesugi
 * Oichi
 * Okuni
 * Kunoichi
 * Magoichi Saika
 * Shingen Takeda
 * Masamune Date
 * Nō
 * Hanzō Hattori
 * Ranmaru Mori
 * Hideyoshi Toyotomi
 * Yoshimoto Imagawa
 * Tadakatsu Honda
 * Ina
 * Ieyasu Tokugawa
 * Mitsunari Ishida
 * Nagamasa Azai
 * Sakon Shima
 * Yoshihiro Shimazu
 * Ginchiyo Tachibana
 * Kanetsugu Naoe
 * Nene
 * Kotarō Fūma
 * Musashi Miyamoto
 * Toshiie Maeda
 * Motochika Chōsokabe
 * Gracia
 * Kojirō Sasaki
 * Katsuie Shibata
 * Kiyomasa Katō
 * Kanbei Kuroda
 * Muneshige Tachibana
 * Kai
 * Ujiyasu Hōjō
 * Hanbei Takenaka
 * Motonari Mōri
 * Aya
 * Masanori Fukushima
 * Takatora Tōdō
 * Naotora Ii
 * Munenori Yagyū

Newcomers

 * Nobuyuki Sanada
 * Yoshitsugu Ōtani
 * Hisahide Matsunaga
 * Kojūrō Katakura
 * Kagekatsu Uesugi
 * Takakage Kobayakawa
 * Koshōshō‎‎
 * Toyohisa Shimazu
 * Lady Hayakawa

Differences between ports
The PS4 version has updated graphics and fills the screen with more mobs to defeat. Early bird bonus for this port is a serial code for every Samurai Warriors costume (18 total). Players can transfer save data from the PS3 version and keep any downloadable content they may have purchased into the PS4 port. Live streaming SHARE options and chat are present.

Expansions/Spin-offs

 * Sengoku Musou Shoot
 * Samurai Derby
 * Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3
 * Samurai Warriors 4-II

Related Media
Attendees of the Sengoku Street in Numata 2013 event can receive Samurai Warriors fliers and may choose to purchase series merchandise. A Numata themed hand towel is exclusive to this event. The MITSUNARI 11 collaboration from the previous main entry continues with this title. Human sized cardboard cutouts of Mitsunari and Sakon can be seen at Yume-kyo Bashi Akarikan.

A press conference to celebrate the tenth anniversary for the series took place on December 6, 3:30 PM (JST) and was broadcast on NicoNico Live. Koinuma was a guest for the fortieth episode of the Japanese TV show, Game Maniacs, to talk about this game. The press conference to celebrate the game's completion was streamed on NicoNico Live March 5, 13:00 (JST) for fans to enjoy. A third NicoNico Live broadcast prior to the game's sale date is planned on March 13, 20:00 (JST).

Koei-Tecmo's SKY EYE ~Sorakara no Message~ collaboration continues with this entry. Another renewed collaboration for the series is the TBI group character menu; consumers who purchase a dish from the menu can receive a character postcard. The ongoing collaboration with Kumamoto Taxis, Sengoku Musou Taxi, will have Kiyomasa, Gracia and Musashi taxis starting on February 20. People who buy two Lotte items at select stores between March 4~March 17 can receive character themed bookmarks as a gift with their purchase. The series's second charity event for the 2011 Tohoku natural disasters, Gi no Tameni 2, will take place on March 30th; proceeds will be donated to ongoing disaster relief and restoration efforts.

One of the new collaborations for the project is downloadable content themed to the 2014 Taiga drama Gunshi Kanbei. Players can download the drama Kanbei's outfit for Sengoku Musou Kanbei. Outfits for the Taiga drama Kanbei, Hanbei and Hideyoshi can be used by edit characters. Fans of the weapons within the series can purchase replicas in 2014. It is a collaboration with Token no Sato, a team of blacksmiths who are recreating real life replicas of the main cast's weaponry. Tourists can visit the place holding the swords starting July 12, 2014. Character themed glasses are also planned. Samurai Warriors characters are mascots for a blood donation drive and will appear on eighteen different posters. This game will join Sengoku IXA, Sengoku BASARA 4 and other games to be a part of the annual Sanada Yukimura festival. Samurai Warriors merchandise will be available at Marui One's August "Sengoku Marui" Kitasenju no Jin store campaign.

Sengoku Musou Seiyuu Ougi 2014 Spring 10th Anniversary, a voice actor event to celebrate the series's ten year anniversary, took place on March 8~9, 2014. Like the Haruka 3 collaboration, Hello Kitty versions of the characters can be purchased at the anniversary event. Ruby Party's dessert lineup will also include cookies and other goods themed to this event. Nico Nico users could tune into a special live broadcast before the live event, which additionally ties into the Geten no Hana Yumeakari stage event, on February 25, 20:00 (JST). Fans who couldn't make the event can still purchase leftover event merchandise. Additional Hello Kitty and miniature character merchandise can be purchased in Gamecity Shopping's Sengoku Fair. The concept was revived with other Warring States related titles in Sengoku Fair 2014 Aki.

A three-part Kodansha Gekkan Shounen Comic publication of this entry is drawn by Seijiro Narumi. The first part is called Sengoku Musou ~Ishida Mitsunari no Shou~ Senjou wo Kakeru Yume; the second short is Sengoku Musou ~Date Masamune no Shou~ and the third is Sengoku Musou ~Sanada Yukimura Nobuyuki no Shou~. Consumers who purchase the published volume, Mononofutachi no Sekigahara, can obtain a serial code for the heirloom, Soul of the Sanada.

Suzuhito Yamada illustrated the sixth volume of Famitsu Column Game no Koto Omoi Egaku. This volume's theme is "the allure of Warriors series and characters". Aya and Naotora are the cover image.

Sengoku Musou SP ~Sanada no Shou~ is an animated TV special with two versions. Takeshi Kusao (Yukimura Sanada) appeared on the 117 episode of Hiyama Nobuyuki no Animejyu to talk about the anime short and answer fan letters February 26. The television program broadcast five days before the showing can be seen for free at PlayCommu. This TV special serves as a prequel for a 2015 animated TV series.

Sengoku Musou 4 Ouka Ranman features character image songs and two dramas from new characters in this entry. The original soundtrack is compiled onto three CDs and includes jacket size sticker for first print buyers.

The PS4 port is a part of Gamecity's PS4 Summer online shopping campaign. Samurai Warriors 4 is one of many titles represented in the October 21~November 3, 2014 Marui One Family Mizoguchi Koei-Tecmo Goods Fair. This IP is the second Koei IP to be selected for a Happy Kuji collaboration, or a type of lottery for exclusive character merchandise.

A panel exhibition focusing on the Oda is being held at Gifu Prefecture from January 13 to April 9, 2017. This event will feature a talk show on February 26 with Nobunaga and Nō's voice actors appearing as guests.

Image Song

 * Reverb
 * Performed by Kuroyume

* Also ending song for the animated TV special.

Trivia

 * The second volume of the comic Kuroda-san to Katagiri-san references an event that happens during this game's Shikoku chapter.