Genji: Days of the Blade - updated hands-on

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We commit demon genocide as just-unveiled fourth character Buson

Overall, Buson's style is a nice complement to Yoshitsune's acrobatic slashing, towering monk Benkei's phone-pole-swinging and princess Shizuka's weird yo-yo blades (all of whom can be switched to at any time). Speaking of Lady Shizuka, we got to see a new move we hadn't before: pull off the right attack combination, and she'll stick a glowing bomb to whatever enemy is handy, throwing up a huge cloud of dirt when it goes off. It's a small thing, but it's a nice change from the pure hack-and-slash action.

We also got our first look at how the non-combat parts of Genji will work. Like in the first game, you'll be able to beef up your characters - as well as their weapons - with the "Amahagane" you earn (that's the glowing stuff you'll pull out of defeated enemies, so you know). As the game progresses, you can trick out their vitality, Kamui and weapons, either creating a well-rounded team or focusing on creating one badass super-samurai at the expense of the others. Just be warned - you'll need each of those characters to get past the game's puzzles and obstacles, and some baddies require attacks from different characters in turn.

Now that we've seen it in finished form, it's looking like Genji: Days of the Blade has gone from being one of the PS3's least impressive titles to one of its strongest. It still doesn't look amazing, and it doesn't really seem to take advantage of most of the PS3's cool features (making the characters dodge by shaking the Sixaxis pad doesn't quite cut it). But if you all you really wantto do on Nov. 17 ishit monsters with swords, spearsand giant clubs, then this is a pretty good way to go.

Mikel Reparaz
Mikel Reparaz
After graduating from college in 2000 with a BA in journalism, I worked for five years as a copy editor, page designer and videogame-review columnist at a couple of mid-sized newspapers you've never heard of. My column eventually got me a freelancing gig with GMR magazine, which folded a few months later. I was hired on full-time by GamesRadar in late 2005, and have since been paid actual money to write silly articles about lovable blobs.