Way of the Samurai 4 Invades Steam July 23

Sometimes ports of video games are unexpected, especially years after the release of the original. However, PC ports are becoming commonplace, even though some of these games have taken years to see the light of the rig--looking at you, Final Fantasy XIII.

Lately, XSEED Games has released a variety of PC ports for several localized games, including Akiba's Trip, the Trails Series of The Legend of Heroes, and the Ys Series. Now they're bringing another title from a familiar series onto the platform: Way of the Samurai 4.

Now, a bit of a side note: I did NOT care for the original Way of the Samurai, released on the PlayStation 2. Then again, I was a tween that had no patience with the save system and gave up after three deaths.

Either way, it's good to know that XSEED is planting classics onto the PC. Released on PlayStation 3 as digital only back in 2012 and rated as mixed on Metacritic, Way of the Samurai 4 was described as simple and involving but was marred by graphical issues and lackluster combat system. Praised for a rich story, Way of the Samurai 4 takes place in Amihama, several years after Western black ships have invaded Japanese shores. Since then, cultural infestation snuggled into the streets, changing downtown Amihama into "Little Britain."

Citizens weren't exactly happy with the arrival of these settlers, and three factions formed in response--the traditional isolationists (focused on maintaining Japanese way of life), the shogunate government (focused on peace and establishing limited relations between Europeans and Japanese), and the foreigners (focused on establishing silk trade and fostering cultural exchange). As a wandering samurai, you must join a faction, which will ultimately change the course of history and the story.

Interactive events, livelihood (sidequests), spring harvest (special combat abilities), proof of life (similar to New Game+), language school, and hospital are just some of the systems in place in the game. Way of the Samurai 4, which earned the 'Famitsu Gold Award,' will be heading to Steam on July 23 for $24.99. However, there will be a massive pre-order discount of 40% available between July 16 and launch.

System Requirements:
MINIMUM:

• OS: Windows 7
• Processor: 2.13GHz Intel Core2 Duo or equivalent
• Memory: 1 GB RAM
• Graphics: DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card with 64Mb RAM and support for v3 shaders
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Hard Drive: 7 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card

RECOMMENDED:

• OS: Windows 7 or later
• Processor: 3GHz Intel i3 or equivalent
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Graphics: DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card with 128Mb RAM and support for v3 shaders
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Hard Drive: 7 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card