Musashi: Samurai Legend, known in Japan as , is a third-person action game developed by Square Enix in 2005 for PlayStation 2. Square Enix published the game in Japan and North America, while the game was released in PAL regions by Atari Europe.
Much like its predecessor, Brave Fencer Musashi, the game involves real-time combat in a 3D environment, and character designs by Tetsuya Nomura.
Plot
In an unnamed oceanic fantasy world, exists a tribe of people known as the Mystics, who are peaceful magic users who travel throughout the world, and live harmoniously in their paradisaical city of Antheum, carried by the magical beast called the Anthedon, a large skybound whale, whom they honor as their source of magic and their means of travel to lands beyond. Years ago, Gandrake Enterprises, an energy technology megacorporation, came to power by their newfound invention of the Nebulium Engine, a remote perpetual energy device, allowing for the epoch of an era of technological innovation, a time known as the "Magic Steam Century". However, despite their revolutionary technologies allowing the world to ease their standards of living and bring about a new age, Gandrake Enterprises is revealed to have come through power by various robber baron-esque methods of business by their monopoly on their power source resource material, the mystical power imbued mineral known as nebulite, from corporate strong arming, intrigue, and coercion of the people by force, and their Nebulium Engine is revealed to be powered by the slave labor of magic users under their dominance to activate nebulite's latent energies and keep the Nebulium Engine running to maintain their grip on power over the world.
Aware of the threat Gandrake Enterprises poses to her people, young Mystic Princess Mycella prays in Antheum's sacred Chamber of Rites to enact the Vocatus Heroa, a powerful spell of faraway legend that had originated from a distant land, to summon a hero who will save her world from their sinister designs. However, an attack led by the Enterprises' Director of Administration, Rothschild, interrupts the ritual, which causes the summoned hero – Musashi – to land just a bit off course. He's found by old martial artist Master Mew, who immediately takes him under his wing. And immediately, Master Mew sends him into the heart of evil Gandrake Enterprises to rescue the captured Princess and thereby save the world.
For Musashi's dismay, President Gandrake kidnaps the Princess again to further the plots of his evil corporation to excavate the world's supply of nebulite and use the Mystic's power to enhance his Nebulium Engine to establish itself as a military power and rule the world. To stop Gandrake, and ensure that he can return to his world, Musashi goes in search of the Mystic's Five Maidens, five prodigal young women of great magical talent tasked to keep and protect the sacred Five Swords, five elemental magic swords bestowed by the spirits of the natural world and their pacts made with Mystics, that have been lost in order to restore power to the Anthedon for it to travel to lands where they have been captured and bring peace and end Gandrake's villainous plans once and for all.
Gameplay
Musashi is primarily an action game, in which the player controls Musashi and fights enemies with sword moves. The character roams around a world in full 3D, moving in real time at will. He has two swords: the standard katana and a larger blade, which changes as the player progresses through the game. Short attacks and attack combos are performed with the katana, while the large blade is used for finishing attacks, slow hard-hitting attacks, or sword-specific special attacks. The player can use the swords to block attacks, and can "focus" on enemies to learn techniques that they are using. Another album was released by the Surf Coasters which featured a full version of the opening theme.
Reception
The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. By the end of 2005, it sold over 91,000 units in Japan.