Samurai 2 vs Elderand
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Samurai 2
Embark on a quest for revenge in this action-packed hack 'n' slash game. Master intuitive controls, dynamic combat, and solve environmental puzzles as you battle hordes of enemies. Upgrade your skills and enjoy stunning anime-style visuals.
- Intuitive virtual joystick
- Dynamic camera angles
- Gory battle sequences
- Environmental puzzles and traps
- RPG skill upgrades
- Anime-style comic panels
- Survival mode
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-== Featured in the Gorgeous Games by Apple !!! ==- -== "Samurai II is a very entertaining title with solid gameplay and stunning graphics." MacWorld.com ==- The long-awaited sequel to Samurai: Way of the Warrior! While the original got rave reviews for its stylized manga graphics and quick, bloody gameplay, Samurai II delivers even more action and an intuitive new control scheme. SlideToPlay.com - 4/4 Ipadarena.com - 10/10 AppSpy.com - 5/5 MacWorld.com - 4.5/5 AppAdvice.com - 4.5/5 Gamezebo.com - 4.5/5 Touchreviews.net - 4.5/5 Nineoverten.com - 4.5/5 ifanzine 4.5/5 Gamerstemple.com - 90/100 Pixeljumpers.com - 9/10 PocketGamer.co.uk 8/10 Samurai: Way of the Warrior was featured in Best Games of 2009 by Apple – Samurai II is a true successor, aided by over a year of focused development. Overall production values and vicious action put Samurai II on par with console 3D brawlers. Screenshots don’t do Samurai II justice – the fluid action has to be seen running at 60 frames per second on the Retina display or popping off the iPad screen. But looks alone won’t carry a game – the developers listened to fan feedback and improved gameplay throughout. With a new virtual d-pad, dynamic camera, environmental puzzles, traps, and vicious new enemies, Samurai II is brand new experience for hack ‘n’ slash gamers on the go. Samurai II sends Daisuke on a quest for revenge across the war-scorched countryside. From a seafaring village to a flying fortress to the legendary Isle of the Dead, the samurai will stop at nothing to hunt down his arch-enemy Orochi. Will he get his Vengeance? FEATURES: * Intuitive virtual joystick ensures you’re slicing up baddies, not swiping the screen. * Dynamic camera finds the best perspective for each encounter, adding variety while keeping focused on the action. * Tense, quick and gory battle sequences! - Battle hordes of on-screen enemies wielding new weapons and sporting unique abilities. - Stay nimble and plan your attacks – roll out of harm’s way and eliminate ranged enemies like the Samurai Archer before they can strike. * Improved gameplay includes new features. - Solve environmental puzzles, avoid dangerous traps, and discover useful items. - The fight is on - not to worry, the combat never takes a back seat to platforming or fetch-quests. * RPG elements reward skilled players – upgrade the Samurai’s health, buy new attack combos and upgrade them to devastating levels. * Between levels, gorgeous anime-style comic panels tell the samurai’s tale with original hand-drawn artwork. * New survival mode pits the samurai against waves of enemies, giving hardcore players a score-attack mode to hone their skills. Two games in one! * Advanced AI system on par with console games. Goal Oriented Action Planning architecture is used in many PC and console games. * Apple Game Center support, including Leaderboards and Achievements. *Support iCloud to transfer save between various devices *Support MFI Controllers (Gamepads) * Original soundtrack – in classic samurai movie style, soft music builds with the heat of battle. Special Thanks To : ImNoSuperMan, PureSkill, Squarezero, Rocco, eggzbacon, Prab
Elderand
Embark on a brutal, skill-based action platformer in a Lovecraftian world. Wield diverse weapons and customize your character with RPG elements to battle terrifying creatures and explore a dark, hand-drawn pixel environment. Collect loot to upgrade your arsenal and uncover the land's secrets.
- Skill-based combat
- Metroidvania exploration
- Lovecraftian horror themes
- RPG character customization
- Diverse weapon arsenal
- Hand-drawn pixel art
- Loot collection and crafting
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Become the hero of an epic quest in Elderand, a metroidvania that will test your will and skill. Heads will literally roll in this gruesome, retro-inspired action platformer, where only the strong will survive in brutal, skill-based combat against terrifying creatures. Through the darkness and madness, promised glory awaits. Wield a variety of killing instruments and abilities to test your metal against towering, bone-chilling bosses. Explore a twisted Lovecraftian world shrouded in darkness and madness. RPG elements allow you to customize your battle experience to your liking, from your character’s appearance to skills, stats, and weapons. Slay or be slain as you collect glory and treasure in this nightmarish 2D world. Glory and riches await those who can spill the required blood and guts to collect it. KEY FEATURES: •Wield an arsenal of killing devices, including whips, swords, daggers, axes, bows, and more. From a magical staff that shoots bursts of energy to a giant sword, different weapons have different stats and capabilities, so find the ones that you enjoy battling beasts with the most! •Satisfying Metroidvania-style exploration meets terrifying Lovecraftian creatures in this detailed hand-drawn pixel world with glorious gothic aesthetics and handcrafted level design. •RPG elements let you customize your experience to best suit your play style, from your character’s appearance to their skills, stats, and weapons. Collect loot from exploration and fallen enemies and then use it to upgrade your weapons via crafting. •Travel to the many corners of this perilous land, such as an inviting village with merchants, a forest, a temple prison, floating islands, a cursed Cathedral, and the hellscape that is Elderand itself. •More than 60 different enemy types and around a dozen bosses for your slaying pleasure. •Collect lost letters and other correspondence from the poor souls who came before you to learn more about the darkness taking hold of this grim land.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Samurai 2 at 4.8 against Elderand's 4.2. Samurai 2 also leads on price ($2.99 vs $6.99) and ratings volume (813 vs 36). Elderand's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Samurai 2 costs $2.99 and Elderand $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Samurai 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Samurai 2 has 813 ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Samurai 2's written reviews are positive against 74% of Elderand's.
Samurai 2 ships an update every 5 months, Elderand weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Samurai 2 | Elderand |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $6.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (813 ratings) — better | 4.2 (36 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews — better | 73.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 813 — better | 36 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #154 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 11.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 157 MB | 818 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Deca Games EOOD | Plug In Digital |
Customer experience
Samurai 2
Elderand
User reviews
Samurai 2
From 813 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Gorgeous graphics
- 🎨 Unique art style
- ⚔️ Satisfying combat
- 💯 Classic samurai experience
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Lack of difficulty options
- 🛡️ No block button
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
Elderand
From 36 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great game overall
- 🗺️ Deep lore and world-building
- 🎵 Amazing music and audio
- ⚔️ Challenging yet approachable combat
- 🎮 Excellent controller support (mostly)
Room to improve
- 🐛 Game crashes frequently
- 🐛 Controls can be buggy and unresponsive
- 🐛 Dash function sometimes not working
- 🐛 Game freezes intermittently
- 🐛 Bosses getting stuck in animations
Bugs and requests
Samurai 2
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game crashes on certain levels
- Dojo mode not working
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
4 requests- New weapons and combos
- Customization options
- Expanded story and levels
- Multiplayer mode
Elderand
Reported bugs
11 issues- Permanent crashes
- Character spawning underneath level
- R button for subweapon not working on Steelseries Nimbus
- Dash function not working
- Game freezing for a moment
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Bosses getting stuck in attack animations
- Campfire menu broken (cannot select options)
- Lost save data after updates
- D-pad moves on screen and becomes unusable
- Joystick teleports to random spots
- Virtual joystick bug with attack key
Requested features
7 requests- Full controller remapping for bindings
- Multiplayer PvP 'Invasions' system
- Cloud saves (iCloud)
- Adjustable button layout and size
- Ability to track materials acquired
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- New game+ option
- Boss replayability
In-app purchases
Samurai 2
No in-app purchases
Elderand
No in-app purchases








