This is a game meant for serious fighting game fans. You don't need to be familiar with the rest of the series to enjoy Samurai Shodown, but it helps immensely to be experienced and skilled with fighting games in general. Tapping buttons at random won't get you very far, not even against the computer. You'll need to learn specific button combinations, be able to identify subtle movements that telegraph your opponent's attacks, and have lightning fast reflexes in order to properly block and counter. Using a proper arcade controller with a joystick and big buttons probably wouldn't hurt, either. Still, expect a lengthy learning curve. Even the tutorials -- which explain how to perform moves without actually showing you how to do them -- can be surprisingly challenging to complete. This isn't the sort of game that gently leads players by the hand through its many intricacies, or offers cheat-like combat shortcuts to make newcomers feel insanely powerful. Nor does it dangle many of the progression carrots seen in many other modern fighting games, such as loot, gear, and character level progression. It has all the expected modes and means of play, but it feels stripped down compared to games like Mortal Kombat 11 or Injustice 2.

That said, fans of a pure fighting game experience will likely find a lot to like. The hand-drawn art style is stunning, with an almost painterly feel possessed by some of the environments. And the combat is tight and satisfying. It may take time to learn how to properly play a character, but once you know the buttons and have the timing down to be able to reliably pull off a few good attacks and counters, the fighting can be magnificent. It turns into a beautifully choreographed martial arts dance in which fighters gracefully attack, disarm, and outmaneuver one another. It all but begs players to capture and share clips of their best fights. All of which is to say that Samurai Shodown clearly targets a niche group of players who adore and obsess over 2D Japanese fighting games, and that this group ought to find itself properly satisfied.