During my childhood, I spent many hours in the city library reading books, in particular, the choose-your-own-adventure series. They were stories that allowed you to decide your fate along a predetermined path using page jumps. Some kept you alive (You survived the crash! Turn to page 28.), while others sent you to an early grave (Swallowed by a shark. You're dead.). Despite my frequent failings, I couldn't get enough of these because they went against the grain, a stand out feature for Capcom's Way of the Samurai 2. Just like those books, the game allows you to embark on a journey littered with choice, but unfortunately, the game is so lackluster that this feature isn't given a chance to shine, making it one of many disappointments of 2004.

Way of the Samurai 2's main problem is its snooze-fest of a story. After creating a samurai using several limited facial and clothing pieces, you're plunged into a conflict between several warring factions in the ancient Japanese town of Amahara. The game plays somewhat like Knights of the Old Republic, where, depending on who you're talking to, a selection of choices is presented and you can carve your own destiny depending on what decisions you make. Do you want to run errands for the evil Aoto gang; remain a noble warrior and save the town from the vermin seeking to destroy it; or go on a killing spree, slaughtering anyone that gets in your way? Such freedom of choice should've been the game's best feature, but it's marred by the story's lack of passion. It doesn't help that the characters deliver their lines as if they were starring in a poor Saturday morning cartoon (Where's the Japanese language option?), but it wouldn't matter if the dialogue was delivered with gusto.

This samurai tale is so boring that I didn't care what I was doing, lost interest quickly, and deferred to slicing open the bodies of innocent Amahara dwellers; which gets you nowhere fast, because shopkeepers will demand you leave their businesses. Of course, why you can't kill them and steal everything is beyond me. It's rather amusing how with this type of game, that the player can be so restricted in what they can and cannot do. Sure, you can kick a couple of kids walking down the street, but you can't take it a step further and rob people and loot shops! If you're going to give us the freedom of choice, at least think outside the box. It is 2004, after all.

Even when something interesting does happen, the game's so busted that enjoyment is an almost impossible feat. Amahara is divided into sections and you decide where you go via a map, which is pretty lame considering similar titles allow you to travel the roads in between (where lots of cool and bizarre stuff usually happens). Worse, none of these sections are particularly big (the game is only ten days long), and load times are frequent and very annoying. All of this makes the game feel very cheap, especially with its high price tag.

If anything, Way of the Samurai 2's combat could've saved it from the bargain bin, but, while there's nothing technically wrong with it, it too, just like the game's story, lacks passion. You can pick a fight with almost anyone, and many will draw their swords and have a go at you (especially nasty clown-faced Aoto gang members), but defeating them is a simple matter of block and strike. You can kill just about anyone by repeatedly pressing Square, and with the game's one-slash hit system that allows you to take out several enemies at once, it's just not enough of a challenge. It's also not helped by a camera that doesn't work with you, and surprise load times that pop up whenever you get too close to exits. Finally, for all of this sword play, the carnage is very minimal. Unrealistic blood erupts from victims but that's about all there is in the way of gore. Even after you kill someone, the blood pool quickly disappears, making Way of the Samurai 2 the most non-violent M-rated game that I've ever played.

Even with the lackluster combat, the game tries to provide some redeeming value. It's possible to break enemy weapons, you can learn over 400 special moves, and there are over 60 different swords to collect, but ask yourself this question: Is all of this worth it so I can kill some stupid gang members and teach a mute girl how to read? I know samurai were supposed to be noble warriors, but we're talking videogames here! I'd rather teach real people how to read.

With all of the game's shortcomings, it's not all bad, though the good doesn't make this worth playing. The graphics are impressive and do a good job immersing you in the game's Japanese environments, and the soundtrack is actually pretty decent (though that weird opera during the opening cinema gets a big thumbs down). Unfortunately, decent graphics and a passable soundtrack don't justify spending $50 on a videogame.

After the tremendous movie experience that was The Last Samurai, I was very disappointed that there wasn't a game that captured the excitement of the film, and sadly, there still isn't one. There's nothing else to say that hasn't already been said. Way of the Samurai 2 is a boring game littered with issues, which is a shame, because there's no reason why it shouldn't have been better. Sadly, all it makes is a noble coaster.