Samurai Warriors: State Of War is the perfect example of a PSP action game. For those unfamiliar with the series, this is one of the games by Koei where you control a hero and with the help of a few officers dispatch armies of enemy nations, epic style. I'm not too terribly into these titles on the consoles because the button mashing style and the repetition lack enough depth to keep me interested while I'm sitting on my sofa but the PSP version is a completely different story. I really dig the portable version.

There are no control issues present in this game that don't already exist on the console version. There isn't any real camera control, but it's not that damaging to the gameplay experience. The redeeming fact is that the game is always there to be had at a moment's notice while on the go. There's so much content that there's always some new officer to unlock or new ability to acquire even if the basic gameplay remains the same throughout. The combos are varied enough, and you learn so many Musou attacks that there's really no reason not to pick up the game and play it if you're stuck somewhere your TV isn't.

I think the basic premise for this game being as fun as it is on the PSP has to do with a more traditional arcade style game. We don't need games with tons of complexity that take more than an hour to make any progress. We need arcade style shoot em ups, puzzle games or button mashers; anything that can be consumed in a short period of time. Since instant gratification is the name of the game, you can't go wrong with Samurai Warriors.

1. Great arcade style button mashing
2. Easy to pick up and play
3. Tons of content to unlock
4. Multiple story lines

1. Poor camera control