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It’s time for the samurai to step out of the shadows in the latest instalment of the epic Samurai Warriors series for the PlayStation 4.

Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, the Samurai Warrior series has not enjoyed the same high profile as its stable mate Dynasty Warriors. This imbalance surely deserves to change though with the arrival of this, the fourth in the series, that offers a host of fantastic additions, changes and tweaks to the formula. And for PlayStation 4 owners, the news is even better – thanks to the console’s added horsepower, the battles have been upgraded from vast to absolutely epic.

For those of you who don’t know what the series is about, fret not as the premise is simple enough. Take to the battlefield in the third person as the ‘ultimate warrior’ slicing and dicing through swathes of enemy using the game’s two-button combo system.

Don’t let this seemingly simple set-up fool you though – there’s more going on under the surface than you might think. First up is the 50-plus roster of playable characters featuring all the series’ favourites – think Yukimura Sanada and Nobunaga Oda – plus a whole bunch of new ones.

This motley crew of uber fighters are unleashed during Japan’s Warring States era where you take on rivals fighting over territory. The struggle can be played out via three different modes – the 12-part ‘Story Mode’ sees you taking one of two paths; ‘regional’ which reveals the struggles of local officers while ‘Unification’ focuses on the events leading up to the end of the era.

Our favourite, the ‘Chronicle Mode’, sees you completing quests and meeting new officers within a far more freeform structure, while the ‘Free Mode’ allows you to take any character you want into a battle scenario you’ve already played.

The battles themselves have always provided a rich, vivid setting, but have been given a substantial boost in Samurai Warriors 4; Hyper Attacks speed up the delivery of your blows while Rage increases their power once you have filled up your spirit gauge. As for dealing with one of the many powerful officers in the game, they can now be given a sudden, brutal ‘demotion’ via a Mighty Strike. Best of all, why take one warrior into a battle when you can take two? Samurai Warriors 4 lets you switch between two characters in the heat of battle, and even dish out orders to the one who’s been left to their own devices.

With a huge range of character customization and local/multiplayer options too, there’s enough here for everyone – from folk who like their action with a little tactical edge to quick-thrill fans in need of an adrenaline hit. Either way, judging from this latest instalment, expect the Samurai Warriors series to be going strong for the next decade.