Overall production values and vicious action put Samurai II on par with console 3D brawlers. Samurai: Way of the Warrior was featured in Best Games of 2009 by Apple – Samurai II is a true successor, aided by over a year of focused development. The long-awaited sequel to Samurai: Way of the Warrior! While the original got rave reviews for its stylized manga graphics and quick, bloody gameplay, Samurai II delivers even more action and an intuitive new control scheme. = "Samurai II is a very entertaining title with solid gameplay and stunning graphics." =. = Featured in the Gorgeous Games by Apple !!! =. Still, as action titles go Samurai II: Vengeance is quick, dirty and fun to play even if it does leave you wanting for more. The biggest disappointment (and perhaps this is a compliment) is that the game feels far too short and should you get absorbed you'll be finished in a couple lengthy sessions. To compliment the artwork, MADFINGER have also included dynamic background music and sound effects that sound like they're straight out of a classic samurai film. The art style of Samurai II borders on some of the best artistic design work I've seen on the platform, with stunningly smooth 3D visuals on the Retina display that look like a living, breathing water-color painting. As you initiate combos a small indicator will keep track of the buttons pressed, helping you to either break it off early or to switch to another combo smoothly. A dodge button gives your Samurai the ability to quickly blitz his way around the screen or otherwise break an enemy's defense, but smart targeting along with quick-steps can keep your character in the thick of the action without too much effort. The touch and swipe controls have been replaced with a much more familiar virtual stick and button system and players can combine short and long attacks to recreate the brutal combos from the original title. For some the first Samurai title from MADFINGER was a smash hit, for others it was a resounding dull thud, but love it or loathe it their latest release Samurai II: Vengeance builds upon this scrolling beat'em-up and takes it to new heights.