Samurai Warriors is a historically based game that takes the third-person hack-and-slash action of KOEI's premier Dynasty Warriors series and sets it in feudal Japan, during the Sengoku ("warring states") period. As in the Dynasty Warriors games, one or two (in split-screen mode) players move their characters through relatively open battlefields that teem with skirmishes in every direction. Seemingly outnumbered beyond hope, these heroes attempt to slice their way through enemy forces toward map-specific mission objectives. In all, the game offers over 90 different stages and more than 500 varying mission objectives, so Samurai heroes should always be able to find a good fight. Available characters include several of the era's legendary figures, such as the rebellious warlord Yukimura Sanada, the celebrated ninja Hanzo "Devil" Hattori, and Nobunaga Oda, the first leader of the period to attempt unification. A number of fictional fighters are available to play as well. Combat is set in such historical locations as Okehazama, Kawanakajima, and Osaka Castle. Warriors fight with katanas, shuriken, kuzarigama, and many other weapons authentic to the game's time and place.