Gamers can experience the lives of 13 different Sengoku-era samurai and take on new Survival mode options in Samurai Warriors 4-II. Designed to focus more on individuals than its region-centric predecessor, the story mode in Samurai Warriors 4-II offers chapters about nine characters from Samurai Warriors 4, three characters from previous titles, and the new playable character Naomasa Ii. As always, players hack and slash their way through hordes of foes, but new strategic elements have been added, including enhanced enemy AI and more emphasis on soldier morale.
Any stage unlocked in Story mode can then be used in Free mode, and multiplayer fans can take on both modes with an online friend. The Survival mode returns to once again find players completing objectives as they ascend a castle, while a new timed challenge mode has been added. Samurai Warriors 4-II also offers new character development options, with players using Strategy Tomes to learn new skills, and combining weapons and mounts of the same type to unlock compatibility bonuses. The game features cross-save functionality between the PS4, PS3, and Vita.