Touken Ranbu Warriors

“Touken Ranbu Warriors brings the Touken Danshi to life in a way only possible through musou gameplay, making it a welcome addition to the Touken Ranbu universe.”

“Touken Ranbu Warriors is too schematic within its Musou core, with tiny levels and excessively easy gameplay. But you can appreciate the story, a lot of diverse characters, a lot of upgrades and a few mini-games.”

“Overall, I enjoyed my time with Touken Ranbu Warriors. It doesn't fall into the old formula like other Dynasty Warriors-style games. I believe anybody who is a fan of either one of these series will enjoy this game greatly.”

“While it may not feel like a traditional entry into the Warriors style of spinoff games that most are used to, there is a unique feel to be found in Touken Ranbu Warriors. With an interesting setting that has both characters that are engaging and a unique play on its historical situations, there’s a lot to enjoy for anyone.”

“Touken Ranbu Warriors mixes the classic one vs. 1,000 hack-and-slash Warriors gameplay with the beautiful boys of the Touken Ranbu franchise. The use of investigations helps break the monotony of the Warriors-style gameplay a bit and the time-traveling element adds a twist to the history-based narrative often used in games set in Japan’s warring states period. Although it doesn’t exactly introduce groundbreaking changes to the formula, it’s a solid take on Warriors gameplay for fans of the classic hack-and-slash games and the Touken Ranbu franchise.”

“Touken Ranbu Warriors is a purposeful regression of the Warriors franchise, focusing on the characters and story instead of the Musou-style combat. It works as a lark, especially for fans of the Touken Ranbu franchise. But at the asking price, there are much better options available (and forthcoming) for those who enjoy the 1 vs. 1,000 gameplay mechanics and strategies.”

“It’s hard to imagine Touken Ranbu Warriors having strong appeal to anyone that’s not a die-hard Musou fan itching for a new Warriors-like. Those that played the original Touken Ranbu will surely get a kick out of seeing those characters come to life in a new way, but there isn’t much to write home about beyond that novelty. Touken Ranbu Warriors feels like just enough to maybe hold you over until the next mainline Dynasty Warriorsentry comes around.”

“Touken Ranbu Warriors could have been way better and with some good ideas poorly executed it fails to actually give something fresh and captivating to Warriors' fans.”

“Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.”

“I was hoping for something unique in the pantheon of Koei Tecmo's long-lived franchise, but it's a step backwards. Fans of the Touken Ranbu franchise may get a kick out of seeing their beloved swords in 3D, but for the rest of the world you have to hope that it isn't indicative of where Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is heading.”

“Giving up the winning features boasted by the licensed musou launched at the turn of 2020 and 2021, Touken Ranbu Warriors was lacking in every respect. The longevity reduced the bone, the absence of secondary modes and mechanics capable of differentiating a minimum of the offer, without forgetting a non-existent level of difficulty, make it a product absolutely not up to the current standards of Omega Force.”

“Touken Ranbu Warriors has some great new ideas for the genre, but its lack of any challenge really lets it down.”

“An elegant but histrionic musou, far too simplistic and bland to appeal to those who are not fans of the original card game.”

“Touken Ranbu Warriors doesn’t add much to the Musou but its accessible gameplay may make this a good entry point for newcomers.”

“Touken Ranbu Warriors has a combat system that would virtually allow you to complete all missions using, in addition to the directional stick, a single button. However, you would lose the soul of the entire musou and its myriad of attacks one more lethal and spectacular than the other, with enormously charismatic characters to watch kidnapped as they dance breaking lives.”

“Fans of Touken Ranbu will likely enjoy Touken Ranbu Warriors, but those who are also keen gamers will see its obvious flaws. This is a cut-down Warriors experience, for better and for worse. Newcomers may appreciate the more bite-sized maps that you move through in a linear fashion, but others will find them suffocating. And ultimately, the gameplay just feels more repetitive than ever. Still, if you want to follow the story of Touken Ranbu and feel like you’re part of the action, it might be worth a look.”

“Touken Ranbu Warriors manages to blend the josei-muke and Musou genres nicely, though the whole “easy mode controls” were a tad overhyped if anything. Plus, the story might feel a bit limiting due to the strict stay in the Sengoku period. Still, the balance between fun interactions with the Touken Danshi combined with the easy-to-understand Musou combat all adds up to a really nice experience, if you were looking to immerse yourself into this Sengoku Period history from an interesting perspective. If you’re a Japanese history nerd who also enjoys Musou games that definitely have you think outside the box, definitely give this one a try!”

“Touken Ranbu Warriors is a game best suited for players with little experience with the Dynasty Warriors series in general. If this is meant to appeal primarily to fans of the free-to-play games – with far lower expectations when it comes to action games – as a great big slice of Touken Danshi fan service, this will be a great addition to their collection. For players less versed in the world of Touken Ranbu, this is a much harder sell, offering a rote, repetitive game loop that does little to slake your thirst for a more meaningful, evolving game experience. This criticism could arguably apply to all of the Warriors games, but where the bigger license-based games add to the formula, Touken Ranbu Warriors feels like a distillation. In a lot of ways and for certain audiences this is perfectly fine. By this point in time, the Dynasty Warriors machine is a well-oiled, refined and polite product; the video game equivalent of a Honda Civic. But even with a well-loved product as reliable as that, there comes a point when it's just time to get with the times.”