Only a few months away until their English localised release of Samurai Warriors 4 Empires, Koei Tecmo have confirmed that the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita editions of this title will all be receiving pre-order content. Unfortunately some content will only be available via select retailers at launch, meaning that you won’t necessarily be able to get all of this at the start. Do note that all stores listed below are based in the UK, and may differ between regions.
Those who pre-order from select Independent Retailers will receive a “Bonus Item Set”, consisting of an additional castly option, the Osaka Campaign and an additional costume for Takakage Kobayakawa. GAME stores on the other hand will offer a brand new costume for Lady Hayakawa. This costume will also be available as an early purchase bonus for fans buying the game via the PlayStation Store.
In addition to this announcement, Koei Tecmo have also shared two new gameplay videos for Samurai Warriors 4 Empires, which highlight a few options available to players while preparing on the battlefield and while in the midst of battle.
Battle preparation includes choosing which of the tactics or formations proposed by the magistrates to deploy prior to battle. Tactics can be either basic (i.e. Troop economy, Blocking enemy Aid, or taking action to increase troop strength prior to engagement), deployed before battle, or executable (i.e. Cavalry Charge, Officer Capture Etc), deployed during battle. Formations affect the way the army is structured and offer relevant bonuses on attack, defence, or speed. A well thought out, balanced strategy is essential when choosing formations, as the enemy could use opposing formations to overrun player troops.
Battles in this title follow the classic Empires-style of “Base Battles.” By claiming enemy bases and turning them into allied bases, players can establish “supply lines” linking together strongholds on the battlefield. In this title, they can also claim “chains” of enemy bases by cutting off enemy supply lines and isolating them. An enemy base positioned in between two allied bases will automatically be claimed for the player’s side! Analysing the enemy battalion placements and efficiently working together with allies can help push the lines up until they can lay siege to the main enemy camp.
