We have to, for the sake of continuity, give Genji: Days Of The Blade the same score as we did with the import version we reviewed a couple of issues ago. This, we feel is wrong, as with the benefit of hindsight we’d like to score Genji even lower than our original 38 per cent. It’s not just that, being a bit more accustomed to the PS3’s power, our contempt of the game has risen considerably, but looking at it up against the generous launch line-up – the biggest ever– you just can’t justify its existence.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a pretty PlayStation 2 title on the PlayStation 3, as we’ll undoubtedly see a good few of those over the coming years, but what really grinds our gears is that Genji: Days Of The Blade is at very best a mediocre PlayStation 2 title, and one significantly worse than the previous one. Not even the Kamui mode is worthy of mention in a positive light, as it’s as rudimentary as the regular combat, just slower.

No, Genji has no redeeming features, there’s no plot points of any interest, the allimportant combat is as dumb as is possible with the Sixaxis, and you’re rarely given an opportunity to enjoy the game, as it has all the depth and complexity of Track And Field and a storyline on a par with the 2003 Jennifer Lopez classic, Gigli. It’s rubbish, and you’re unlikely to find anyone of sound mind who disagrees. We’re nothing if not objective, and from a purely technical point of view Days Of The Blade fails in almost every aspect of game design. Sure it’s prettier than an average PS2 title, but with its shoddy combat, irritating viewpoints and mindless puzzles, we’d rather be doing the washing up – and that’s saying something.

The real trouble with Genji is that it holds no appeal to anyone. Fans of the first in the series will hate it, as it retains little charm; those looking for a title to showcase the PS3’s power will be universally disappointed; anyone looking to try something new will feel hard done by and more than a little cheated, and if you’re interested in the feudal Japan angle, there are much better takes on it already out there. Just don’t buy this – change up your hard-earned £50 into coppers and pour it down the toilet instead, it’ll give you a far better feeling of fulfillment than Genji ever could. 38 per cent? Not quite.

Tom Leclerc