# Gladiator Rising vs Straw Hat Samurai

The clearest difference is rating: Gladiator Rising at 4.6 against Straw Hat Samurai's 3.4. Gladiator Rising also leads on review sentiment (65% vs 33%) and ratings volume (2.6K vs 5). Straw Hat Samurai's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Gladiator Rising sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Straw Hat Samurai asks for nothing beyond the download.

Gladiator Rising holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gladiator Rising has 2.6K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Gladiator Rising's written reviews are positive against 33% of Straw Hat Samurai's.

Gladiator Rising ships an update every 4 months, Straw Hat Samurai every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gladiator Rising | Straw Hat Samurai |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gladiator-rising/id1333928862/reviews)** | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/straw-hat-samurai-slasher/id1530388066/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **65.0% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 99 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Happii Gamer Studios Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1331663692) | [Absolutist Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/354691168) |

## What reviewers say

### Gladiator Rising

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gladiator-rising/id1333928862)

Engage in strategic turn-based combat against procedurally generated opponents across five chapters. Equip and utilize a variety of items to hone your warrior skills and achieve ultimate victory in this challenging roguelike RPG.

**Highlights:** Procedurally generated gladiators, Five chapters of progression, Item buying and equipping, Turn-based RPG combat, Strategic gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Donation | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Donation | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Donation | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun gameplay
- 👍 Challenging and addictive
- 🤺 Gladiator theme
- 💎 Good value for a free game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔨 Progression-blocking issues
- 🕹️ Unresponsive controls
- 🤯 Frustrating difficulty spikes

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when opening ad chests
- Unable to progress past 3rd or 4th fight
- Character instantly dying when sleeping
- Inventory and skill issues on reloading

**Requested features**

- More character classes and abilities
- Improved save/load system
- Better in-app purchase options
- Expanded post-game content


### Straw Hat Samurai

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/straw-hat-samurai-slasher/id1530388066)

Master sword arts in this skill-based arcade game set in ancient Japan. Defend your lands from invaders with fast strikes and unlock new samurai abilities. Experience an addicting adventure with beautiful graphics and a captivating soundtrack.

**Highlights:** Skill-based gameplay, Fast-paced sword combat, Hundreds of unique levels, Unlockable samurai abilities, Cartoon-style graphics, Addictive arcade action

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gladiator Rising free?

Gladiator Rising is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Straw Hat Samurai free?

Straw Hat Samurai is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Gladiator Rising or Straw Hat Samurai?

Gladiator Rising is rated higher. Gladiator Rising averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Straw Hat Samurai averages 3.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do Gladiator Rising or Straw Hat Samurai have ads?

Both Gladiator Rising and Straw Hat Samurai show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gladiator Rising or Straw Hat Samurai?

Gladiator Rising ships an update every 4 months, and Straw Hat Samurai every 6 months. Most recently, Gladiator Rising was updated on October 22, 2026 and Straw Hat Samurai on October 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*