Of all the great clashes in history (the World Wars, the War of Independence, Sonic vs. Mario...) none had the lifespan of the so-called Hundred Years' War between England and France. Giving birth to legends such as Joan of Arc, it actually lasted 116 years, between 1337 and 1453, and was more a series of intense conflicts rather than a constant, out and out battle. It changed a great deal about warfare, introducing new weapons and tactics and all but making the feudal system of medieval warfare obsolete. Cavalry was no longer dominant on the battlefield and infantry played an increasingly vital role in proceedings, bringing the common people into the melee. No longer a place for knights and lords alone, the Hundred Years' War became a people's war, paving the way for literally scores of different mercenary units selling their blades and bows to the highest bidder.

This makes it an ideal choice then for a developer like KOEI, a Japanese giant who have - to be fair - relied upon a single franchise for the last decade. Dynasty Warriors (and later Samurai Warriors) is a collection of games that are almost indistinguishable from one another. Based around conflicts in Feudal China, they involve leading armies into epic battles for the control of tactically relevant provinces. Or at least, that's the hard sell. The hard truth is that you simply have to run in with a massive sword/axe/hammer/spear and annihilate literally thousands of enemy soldiers single-handedly until either the stage ends or your thumbs split open. They are a tedious series of games that always seem to fall short of their potential and leave the player wanting something deeper - something more substantial. So you would be excused for expecting more of the same from KOEI's latest offering, Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War. Set during the titular conflict, this is, when you get down to the bare bones, a fantasy war game. Elephants never trampled the French countryside and medieval mercenaries never wielded magic to decimate their foes. If they had then the conflict would have been very colourful, to say the least.

In Bladestorm, you take control of a mercenary - male or female - and the game begins in the Tavern, the hub where you can accept contracts for the conflicts you wish to participate in, on either side, as well as buy new units, armour and weapons. You can listen to tavern gossip, meet new allies and enemies and basically shape the bloody future of your very own Sell-sword. Although nothing we haven't seen, the Tavern is a simple, accessible gaming hub that guarantees the shortest time possible between dust-ups. You begin by choosing your avatar, giving him or her a name and a voice (though the only difference is purely aesthetic) and then you select your first fight.

Plunged into the skirmish, the first thing you will notice is that the graphics are a step up from KOEI's previous efforts, with a nice draw distance and good usage of colour that recreates the French countryside very well. The character animation is fluid, even when scores of warriors are clashing on screen at once, and you are never far from another fight. The sound is great too, and while running across the fields you will start to hear the discordant music of swordplay, the shouts of fighting soldiers and the general cacophony of war. Head towards that, because it means there's a fight in progress that could use a few extra swords.

The biggest difference between Bladestorm and the DW series is that you can't simply charge into an enemy squad and hack the living daylights out of them in this game, as combat is entirely group-based. Around you are several units, usually an Infantry, Cavalry and Archery unit, though this varies from map to map and many variations become available as you progress through the game. You select which unit you wish to control by running to them and pressing the A button, and once selected they lend their unique powers to you. So, for example, if you choose Cavalry then you become mounted and can lead the charge from horseback. Holding down the right bumper causes your entire squad to attack as one unified platoon, while special attacks are mapped to the X, B and Y buttons. It really is tremendous fun to choose cavalry and smash your way into an enemy squad, using special attacks like Ride-by Slash and Charge to decimate panicking infantry.

The whole thing feels so different to other games from KOEI because you cannot survive alone. You have to pick and choose which units to utilise for a given situation and this forces you to think about your choices, as well as playing to the strength of your current unit (cavalry are weak against spearmen, archers need to hold back and shower enemies from afar, and so on). As you earn money you can outfit yourself with more powerful armaments and protection, and as you earn experience you increase in level, along with your troops - who are entirely dependant upon you for their experience, as only the unit you are currently in control of earns experience. Of course, this encourages you to vary your playing style and is an interesting move on KOEI's part, creating a level of depth that we never really knew they were capable of. You can even buy personal units who you can summon to the battlefield; this is great for keeping you alive after a particularly risky counter-charge goes awry and leaves you all alone in a hell of smoke and arrows.

Your objectives are usually simple; take enemy bases by storm, slaughter the base commander and plant the flag of whichever side you are currently fighting for. In Bladestorm you are never beholden to either the French or English and you can switch sides as often as you like, taking the skirmishes that pay the highest or offer a greater chance for advancement - like a true mercenary! The plot is largely inconsequential to proceedings; all you have to remember is which soldiers you are supposed to be obliterating at any given stage. The game is huge too - there are many, many missions to complete, battles to win, and new equipment and troop types to unlock and take advantage of, so if you find yourself hooked then Bladestorm will keep you occupied for a long time to come.

As I said, this isn't the most factual war game ever made and certainly not the greatest, yet Bladestorm: The Hundred Years War should be hailed as a triumph. Finally KOEI have managed to move on from the samey Dynasty Warriors series and inject much-needed new ideas into their gameplay formula, as well as enhancing the look and sound of their previous works. They've developed something that feels new and interesting, and if they can take the elements that shine and apply only those elements to the inevitable sequel then they just might be onto a winner. If, however, they walk the same path with this as they did with Dynasty Warriors then fighting in the actual Hundred Years' War might end up seeming like an altogether more pleasant and less painful alternative to playing its gaming equivalent.

For me, it's nice to see Koei take a risk that has ultimately paid off; it shows that even established developers who seem stuck in their ways can see room for improvement, recognise potential and act upon it to create something different. If you want hollow button mashing then pick up the latest Dynasty Warriors, but if you are after something with a little more depth, breadth, scope and originality then give Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War a try; you might just be pleasantly surprised as it smashes away your preconceptions like so many scattering infantry.

Reviewed by Mick Fraser for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).