Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai

Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai (源平兵戈: 侍の夜明け Genpei Heika: Samurai no Yoake in Japan) is a Hack and Slash video game made by Team Clarent Project, the creators behind the Enemy of the Nation video game series and Destiny of the Kingdom: Rise and Fall of Shu. It is available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles and the PlayStation Vita handheld and unlike the Enemy of the Nation series, Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai can be played by two players.

The video game centers around a war known as the Genpei War (1180 A.D. - 1185 A.D.) between two warring clans known as the Minamoto and the Taira, vying for control over Japan which occurred at the end of the country's Heian period (794 A.D. - 1185 A.D.). You play as some of the most noted samurai who were instrumental in the war.

Story
THE END OF AN ERA

During the last decades of the Heian period (794 A.D. - 1185 A.D.), there were two clans who were competing against each other for dominance and control over the imperial court in Japan, the Minamoto and the Taira. Before the war, the Taira clan were the ones who were in power, and the Minamoto staged two rebellions known as the Hōgen Rebellion (1156 A.D.) and the Heiji Rebellion (1160 A.D.) in order to regain control from the Taira, but to no avail.

Eventually, relations between the imperial throne and the Taira clan turned sour, the previous emperor tried to have the leader of the Taira clan, Kiyomori, assassinated, but Kiyomori thwarted the former emperor's scheme and defeated him. Kiyomori then took advantage of the imperial throne that caused resentment towards the Taira clan throughout the land.

After the 80th Emperor of Japan abdicated, Kiyomori placed his grandson as emperor on the throne. Seeing as how Kiyomori Taira ruled with a ruthless iron fist, the imperial prince, Mochihito, requested the help of the Minamoto and other samurai who would respond to his call, thus beginning five years of civil war that changed the history of Japan forever.

Game Modes
Here is the list of game modes to choose from on the main menu when you are playing Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai.

GENPEI LEGEND  - This is where you experience the Genpei War from the point of view of the characters you play as. Some tales of a number of playable characters such as members of the Taira clan have alternative endings compared to others. To see each character's story chapter and more information, see the Genpei Legend: Story Chapters section below.

FREE MODE - Where you can choose to play as any of the playable characters and partake in any battle unlocked (as well as the version of said battle). This is also where you can play with another person.

MINIGAME PARTY - Where you do a number of minigames, unlockable bonus games and objectives with any of the playable characters.
 * Massacre - Kill as many samurai as you possibly can before the time runs out.
 * Sudden Death - Kill as many samurai as you possibly can before the enemy lands a hit on you.
 * Survival Bridge - Knock as many enemies off the bridge as you can before you are knocked off it. It gets tougher each round as you progress.
 * Gatekeeper - Where you must protect the gate and slay as many samurai as you possibly can before they pass through it. It eventually gets tougher as you make progress.
 * Duel - You fight and defeat as many enemy samurai in a one to one duel, each round gets difficult as you progress.
 * Marksman - A minigame involving the use of archery. You must hit as many targets as you possibly before your opponent to win the contest. You can only play as either Yoichi Nasu or Noritsune Taira in this minigame.
 * Genpei Derby - A minigame where you play as any of the playable characters and race your opponents on mounted horses.
 * Lady Takiyasha's Tower - A survival mode where you venture up a 30 floor tower cutting down the undead and enemy samurai. Reaching the top, you must face Lady Takiyasha herself.

TUTORIAL - As its name suggests, Tutorial is where you learn the basics and controls of Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai in order to play the game at its fullest.

CREATE-A-SAMURAI  - Here is where you can create your own character that you can use to play in Free Mode or Minigame Party.

GALLERY - Where you can view the artworks and music of Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai. Also, you can listen to the voice samples of each playable character in the game.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Where you can view the history of the Genpei War, the battles that took place, as well as viewing the biographies of the characters involved and a glossary.

OPTIONS - Where you can change the settings of the game, as well as being able to load and save your progress.

Gameplay
The gameplay for  Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai  is very similar in general to the gameplay of both the  Enemy of the Nation  series and Destiny of the Kingdom: Rise and Fall of Shu. You have a norm al attack, charge attack, range attack, super attack (which is called the Ultimate Fury Attack) as well as the ability to ride horses, us e the likes of catapults and other siege weapons.

There is a command list that tells you how to perform combos, though some combos can't be unlocked unless you have upgraded the character in order for it to be available. In order for the character's movelist and their weaponry to be upgraded, coins are needed, you can obtain coins from certain enemies when you are playing  the game, who will leave them after you have defeated them in battle.

After selecting your playable character (or in Free Mode choosing a stage) the Pre p arations menu will come up and you are able to change settings on here if  you wish. Equipment is where yo ur  character can be equipped with items as well as able to play the level with them on a horse or hav e a bodyg uard with you. Skill List shows you the current movelist of the playable character ou have chosen. Objectives shows the main objectives and the secondary objectives in the game, while Map Details show some of the specific locations of the level. Upgrade Shop enables you to enhance the weapon, skills and stats of your playable character while Options is there if you want to change the basic settings of the game, and lastly Save is where you can save the progress you've just made before you begin the battle.

When you play the battle, objectives appear which tells you what you must do in order to make progress in the battle. Many of the main objectives requires you to defeat a certain enemy or capturing a certain area in order, when all main objectives are finally complete, the level is finished. There are also secondary objectives that you can accomplish if you wish though it isn't a necessity to complete the stage like the primary objectives. When you finally complete the stage, you will be given a rank regarding how much you met the criteria of the battle (points for main and secondary objective goals, enemy kills and time etc.), which is all added up to determine the rank of your completion of the level.

Playable Characters
In Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai, there are 18 characters to choose from as you experience the Genpei War and their exploits. At the beginning of Story Chapter mode, you can only play as four of the eighteen characters: Yoshitsune Minamoto, Tomoe, Munemori Taira and Noritsune Taira. Eventually as you progress, you will unlock the other playable characters as well as their story chapters.

Minamoto Clan
YOSHITSUNE MINAMOTO

Faction: Minamoto Clan

Weapon: Ima-no-Tsurugi (Laser Katana)

Element: Light

Significant Battles: Awazu, Ichi-no-Tani, Yashima, Dan-no-ura

CV: (ENG) Josh Grelle, (JP) Kōji Tsujitani

The 9th son of Yoshitomo Minamoto and younger brother of Yoritomo. Yoshitsune is today regarded as one of the greatest samurai known in world history. He possesses a virtuous soul and is very skilled in swordsmanship, when he hears that his brother Yoritomo is raising an army to oppose the Taira, Yoshitsune joins him along with the monk Benkei. Now a leading general, Yoshitsune battles the Taira in a war that will forever grant him the legendary status he now has today.

BENKEI

Faction: Minamoto Clan

Weapon: Dual War Tridents

Element: Earth

Significant Battles: Ichi-no-Tani, Dan-no-ura

CV: (ENG) Travis Willingham, (JP) Hiroki Yasumoto

A giant monk who defeated 999 samurai, claiming their swords as trophies before he lost Yoshitsune in his 1,000th duel, Benkei ended up as Yoshitsune's most trusted retainer. When Yoshitsune joins his brother in the war against the Taira clan, Benkei swears to give his all in the name of his lord.

SHIZUKA

Faction: Minamoto Clan

Weapon: Bladed Fans

Element: Water

Significant Battles: Ichi-no-Tani, Dan-no-ura

CV: (ENG) Alexis Tipton, (JP) Akemi Satō

Yoshitsune's lover. Shizuka is a famous dancer whose dance was said to make rain appear. When she and Yoshitsune first met, Yoshitsune took her as his lover and Shizuka accompanied him on his journeys. When the Minamoto clan declares war on the Taira and Yoshitsune joins his brother, Shizuka decides to accompany the man her heart belongs to.

YORITOMO MINAMOTO

Faction: Minamoto Clan

Weapon: Higekiri (Holy Katana)

Element: Light

Significant Battles: Ishibashiyama, Kamakura (Fictional)

CV: (ENG) Charles Klausmeyer, (JP) Yasunori Masutani

The 3rd son of Yoshitomo Minamoto and older brother of Yoshitsune. After the death of his distant relative Yorimasa Minamoto at the hands of Kiyomori Taira, Yoritomo takes command as head of the Minamoto clan. Yoritomo requests the aid of any samurai who are willing to take up their swords for the Minamoto clan in his war against the Taira. As the war progresses however, Yoritomo's personality slowly and surely takes a severe change.

YOSHINAKA MINAMOTO

Faction: Minamoto Clan

Weapon: Twin Nagamaki

Element: Fire

Significant Battles: Hiuchi, Kurikara, Shinohara, Uji (Second Battle), Awazu

CV: (ENG) Robert McCollum, (JP) Hiroshi Kamiya

Yoritomo's cousin and rival, he is also the friend and sworn brother of Kanehira Imai. When the imperial prince calls for assistance to fight the Taira, Yoshinaka establishes an army of his own and joins with Yoritomo, Yoshitsune and others to attack the enemy. A very determined warrior, Yoshinaka hopes his accomplishments in the war will grant him status as a capable leader of the Minamoto clan, however there is a serious reason behind all his actions and his actions may possibly bring consequences.

TOMOE

Faction: Minamoto Clan

Weapon: Great Naginata

Element: Ice

Significant Battles: Awazu

CV: (ENG) Zelda Williams, (JP) Rie Tanaka

A female samurai warrior well versed in the art of war, she is also the wife of her master Yoshinaka Minamoto. Tomoe is a steadfast, strong-willed individual of her own right who is able to fight and defeat male opponents with minimal effort with her naginata. As the war between the Minamoto and the Taira begins, Tomoe serves her husband Yoshinaka without question and is willing to die for him if it ever comes down to it.

SHIGETADA HATAKEYAMA

Faction: Taira Clan, Minamoto Clan

Weapon: Takahira (Zanbatō)

Element: Wind

Significant Battles: Awazu, Ichi-no-Tani

CV: (ENG) Matthew Mercer, (JP) Junichi Suwabe

A brave, chivalrous warrior. He originally serves the Taira when the war begins, but eventually sides with the Minamoto due to no longer bearing the cruelty Kiyomori and his clan administers. Shigetada possesses amazing strength and his skills as a samurai makes people regard him as a model example of an honourable warrior. Shigetada constantly finds himself at odds with Kagetoki Kajiwara due to their ideals conflicting with one another.

 KAGETOKI KAJIWARA 

Faction: Taira Clan, Minamoto Clan

Weapon: Katana and Daggers

Element: Darkness

Significant Battles: Ishibashiyama, Ichi-no-Tani, Yashima

CV: (ENG) Marc Diraison, (JP) Masaya Onosaka

Originally serving the Taira in the beginning, Kagetoki becomes a retainer of the Minamoto after Yoritomo rewards him for saving his life when the Minamoto are defeated in a major battle. He contributes much for the Minamoto during the war against the Taira, but does so in a deviously cruel way, which earns him the ire of both Yoshitsune Minamoto and former Taira acquaintance Shigetada Hatakeyama. While his personality is considered to be sinister, albeit bureaucratically, Kagetoki is a willing servant of Yoritomo without question.

YOICHI NASU

Faction: Minamoto Clan

Weapon: Bow

Element: Wind

Significant Battles: Yashima

CV: (ENG) Maxey Whitehead, (JP) Megumi Ogata

A young boy whose prowess with a bow is considered the best in the land. Yoichi joins the Minamoto clan when they request assistance in their fight against the Taira. Yoichi tends to be berated and overestimated by other samurai due to his age, but he is confident enough that his expertise in archery is enough to silence their critical opinions of him.

NAOZANE KUMAGAI

Faction: Taira Clan, Minamoto Clan

Weapon: Iaido Katana

Element: Lightning

Significant Battles: Ichi-no-Tani

CV: (ENG) Robin Atkin Downes, (JP) Takayuki Sugō

An old veteran samurai with battle experience. He originally serves the Taira clan at the start of the war, but soon switches his alleigance to the Minamoto. Naozane wishes for the war to end quickly so that his son will no longer have to live in fear, Naozane finds killing in battle to be atrocious but an impossible to escape necessity. While he doesn't think any of his efforts in ending the war will shadow the likes of the Minamoto family, he doesn't know that his name will be forever remembered for a famous and dramatic duel.

Taira Clan
MUNEMORI TAIRA

Faction: Taira Clan

Weapon: Tomonari (Demonic Katana)

Element: Darkness

Significant Battles: Uji (First Battle), Shinohara, Mizushima, Ichi-no-Tani, Yashima, Dan-no-ura

CV: (ENG) Derek Stephen Prince, (JP) Nobutoshi Canna

The son of Kiyomori Taira, after his brother Shigemori died of illness, Munemori succeeded as his father's heir. Hotheaded and proud, Munemori wishes to punish the Minamoto Clan for daring to declare war against his family, he is willing to show that the Taira clan is the most powerful clan not just in Japan, but to the whole world itself. Munemori is determined to slay the Minamoto and impale the heads of Yoritomo and Yoshitsune on spikes.

NORITSUNE TAIRA

Faction: Taira Clan

Weapon: Barbed Spear and Bow

Element: Poison

Significant Battles: Mizushima, Ichi-no-Tani, Yashima

CV: (ENG) Todd Haberkorn, (JP) Kenichi Suzumura

A psychotic individual, Noritsune is considered to be the Taira clan best fighter. Serving the Taira clan despite his insane personality, Noritsune displays pleasure when killing his opponents in battle, whether they are men, women or children, especially if said opponents are strong. As the war continues, Noritsune finds himself desiring to kill Yoshitsune Minamoto, believing him to be strongest opponent he's ever encountered.

KIYOMORI TAIRA

Faction: Taira Clan

Weapon: Ghostly Katana and Floating Circle Blade

Element: Darkness

Significant Battles: Uji (First Battle), Nara, Ishibashiyama, Kamakura (Fictional)

CV: (ENG) David B. Mitchell, (JP) Jōji Nakata

The leader of the Taira clan, Kiyomori currently has Japan with an iron fist. Kiyomori is solely responsible for the deaths of many members of the Minamoto clan, including the father of both Yoritomo and Yoshitsune as well as many of their brothers. Cruel, devious and tyrannical, Kiyomori will stop at nothing to attain more power, to the point where he wishes to rule both the realms of heaven and hell itself.

TOKIKO TAIRA

Faction: Taira Clan

Weapon: Poisonous Chain Whips

Element: Poison

Significant Battles: Uji (First Battle), Nara, Dan-no-ura, Kamakura (Fictional)

CV: (ENG) Lani Minella, (JP) Kotono Mitsuishi

Tokiko is the wife of Kiyomori Taira and the mother of Munemori and Tokuko. Like her husband, Tokiko is also cruel and devious, punishing her foes with a deadly poison from the chained whips she carries. Tokiko keeps an eye on the young emperor Antoku whilst keeping her son Munemori from going unnecessarily overboard during battles.

TOMOMORI TAIRA

Faction: Taira Clan

Weapon: Anchor Cannon Spear

Element: Fire

Significant Battles: Sunomatagawa, Yahagigawa, Mizushima, Muroyama, Dan-no-ura

CV: (ENG) Christopher Sabat, (JP) Kunihiko Yasui

A powerful and accomplished samurai general of the Taira clan, Tomomori is also a son of Kiyomori. A silent and deadly warrior, Tomomori's imposing presence causes many opposing samurai to quake in their shoes. He has contributed much for the Taira clan during battles and as the war with the Minamoto begins, Tomomori ensures to wipe out the Minamoto clan.

ATSUMORI TAIRA

Faction: Taira Clan

Weapon: Serrated Katana and Saeda (Flute)

Element: Ice

Significant Battles: Ichi-no-Tani

CV: (ENG) Quinton Flynn, (JP) Masahiro Yamanaka

A handsome youth of the Taira, he is the youngest son of Tsunemori Taira and the younger brother of Tsunemasa and Tsunetoshi. Atsumori is known to play brilliant music with his flute 'Saeda' ("little twig") and wishes to join the war with Taira to help his father and brothers, Atsumori has also known his older cousin Tokuko since childhood. Atsumori believes that the Taira are far more superior to the Minamoto, who he considers to be an uncivilized clan, and that it would be impossible for the Minamoto to defeat his family.

TOKUKO TAIRA

Faction: Taira Clan

Weapon: Chained Hatchet

Element: Water

Significant Battles: Dan-no-ura

CV: (ENG) Heather Hogan-Watson, (JP) Noriko Shitaya

The daughter of Kiyomori Taira and Tokiko Taira and younger sister of Munemori, Tokuko is also a childhood friend of Atsumori Taira and the mother of the young emperor Antoku. Tokuko is a silent, stoic girl who obeys only her mother and doesn't question her orders whatsoever, whether it is keeping an eye on the child emperor, her son, or eliminating a specific threat.

KOREMORI TAIRA

Faction: Taira Clan

Weapon: Kanabō

Element: Lightning

Significant Battles: Hiuchi, Kurikara, Ichi-no-Tani

CV: (ENG) Bryan Massey, (JP) Kenta Miyake

Kiyomori Taira's grandson, he was the son of Shigemori Taira until his father died of illness. Koremori is a loud, obnoxious and arrogant man who wishes to make a name for himself in the war by slaying many notable Minamoto generals, particularly Yoshitsune Minamoto and Yoshinaka Minamoto. Koremori despises losing and cannot bring himself to accept failure in battle.

Non-playable Characters
Here are notable characters in Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai who aren't playable but still appear in the game, as part of the Minamoto Clan or the Taira Clan.

Minamoto Clan NPC
YORIMASA MINAMOTO

The leader of the Minamoto clan at the beginning of the war. Yorimasa responded to the call of the imperial prince to oppose the Taira and their oppressive rule and thus raised an army to defeat Kiyomori Taira.

NORIYORI MINAMOTO

Yoritomo Minamoto's younger brother and a leading samurai of the Minamoto clan. A capable warrior in his own right, Noriyori sometimes fights alongside Yoshitsune during battles.

YUKIIE MINAMOTO

Minamoto clan general and uncle of Yoritomo and Yoshitsune, Yukiie mainly fights alongside Yoshinaka Minamoto during the war. Yukiie considers the Taira samurai general Tomomori Taira to be his rival and the two constantly battle with one another whenever they meet.

GO-SHIRAKAWA

Formerly known as the 77th emperor of Japan. When Kiyomori Taira gains control of the imperial court and has the imperial prince (Go-Shirakawa's son) killed, Go-Shirakawa sides with the Minamoto clan and works closely with Yoritomo Minamoto.

TOKIMASA HŌJŌ

The head of the Hōjō clan, his daughter is married to Yoritomo Minamoto. Tokimasa serves as an adviser to Yoritomo throughout much of the war against the Taira clan.

KANEHIRA IMAI

The sworn brother and close friend of Yoshinaka Minamoto. Kanehira and Yoshinaka have known each other since children when Yoshinaka was brought to the care of kanehira's family after the Minamoto's father was killed and his lands taken from him. Kanehira serves as his friend's loyal retainer and is willing to help Yoshinaka in reclaiming his friend's land back.

TSUGUNOBU SAT Ō

A samurai of the Minamoto clan, Tsugunobu serves as a loyal retainer of Yoshitsune Minamoto. He wishes to do his lord proud in battle.

YOSHIYASU YADA

A samurai vassal of the Minamoto clan, Yoshiyasu currently serves under Yoshinaka Minamoto. While he is skilled in the ways of the samurai, Yoshiyasu has an unsophisticated mind and is known to attack before thinking things through.

MORITSUNA SASAKI

A samurai vassal of the Minamoto clan, Moritsuna serves under Noriyori Minamoto, whom he works closely with during battle against the Taira clan.

IEYOSHI UCHIDA

A samurai of the Minamoto clan, Ieyoshi serves as a retainer of Yoshinaka Minamoto. While Ieyoshi may seem like a friendly ally who is willing to watch his comrades back from any danger, he secretly has a darker, sinister persona to him that he cleverly hides from everyone.

KOREYOSHI OGATA

A samurai from Kyushu who serves under Yoshitsune Minamoto. Koreyoshi's family used to serve under Kiyomori Taira's son Shigemori before the latter died of illness, when the war between the Taira and the Minamoto begins, Koreyoshi rebels against the Taira in hopes of freeing Kyushu from their control. He is the rival of fellow Kyushu samurai Takanao Kikuchi.

 YOSHIMORI SABUR  Ō

A samurai of the Minamoto clan. Yoshimori is also another trusted vassal under Yoshitsune Minamoto, along with his comrades Tsugunobu Satō  and Yoshitsura Sawara.

YOSHITSURA SAWARA

A samurai who serves under Yoshitsune Minamoto along with trusted allies Tsugunobu Satō  and Yoshimori Saburō. Yoshitsura and Yoshimori are known to work together as a team in battle and they always have each other's backs when the situation gets tough for them.

TAMEHISA ISHIDA

A samurai retainer under the Minamoto clan. Tamehisa isn't skilled with a sword or spear, but he makes up for that with his archery. He is an individual who takes treachery against the Minamoto very seriously and will want to take matters into his own hands on the one who turns his back on his masters.

 TAKAIE SH  Ō

A promising young samurai looking to make a name for himself as a vassal of the Minamoto clan. Takaie hopes that when the Minamoto emerge victorious in the war against the Taira clan, his name will be one of many who will be remembered in history.

 MITSUMORI   TEZUKA

A retainer of the Minamoto clan who serves under Yoshinaka Minamoto for the duration of the war. Like his lord, Mitsumori also has beef with the Taira samurai known as Sanemori Saitō.

Taira Clan NPC
SHIGEHIRA TAIRA

A leading general of the Taira clan and one of Kiyomori Taira's sons. Shigehira is a tough warrior to battle against and is able to endure punishment from the enemy.

KAGEKIYO TAIRA

A veteran samurai of the Taira clan, Kagekiyo has decades of military experience. He was also present during the Hōgen and Heiji Rebellions. While most of his Taira allies see the Minamoto as inferior, Kagekiyo sees Yoritomo Minamoto to be a major threat that needs to be eliminated immediately.

TADANORI TAIRA

Kiyomori Taira's brother and therefore the uncle to Munemori, Tokuko, Tomomori and Shigehira. Tadanori dutifully serves his brother and nephew without questioning and is another Taira general who won't go down without a serious fight.

TSUNEMORI TAIRA

The head of the Taira clan's Yashima branch, Tsunemori is the father of Tsunemasa, Tsunetoshi and Atsumori. He is also the younger half-brother of Kiyomori Taira and the older brother of Norimori Taira. Tsunemori refuses to allow the Minamoto to set foot in his territory and will annihilate anyone allied with them if they ever set foot there.

TSUNEMASA TAIRA

The oldest of Tsunemori Taira's sons. Tsunemasa follows his father's every word and defends the Taira's territory from the Minamoto.

TSUNETOSHI TAIRA

The second son of Tsunemori Taira and brother of Tsunemasa and Atsumori. Of the three Yashima Taira brothers, Tsunetoshi is more hotheaded of the trio.

NORIMORI TAIRA

A Taira general who is the younger brother of Tsunemori Taira and younger half-brother of Kiyomori Taira. Norimori has served in the Taira clan military for decades and was present at the Hō gen Rebellion in 1156 A.D. along with his brother.

YUKIMORI TAIRA

A samurai vassal of the Taira clan. He is a grandson of Kiyomori Taira and also the cousin of Koremori Taira as well as Sukemori, Tadafusa and Arimori. Yukimori is known to have a rivalry with the Minamoto samurai retainer Moritsuna Sasaki.

SUKEMORI TAIRA

Brother of Koremori Taira and Tadafusa Taira. Like his brother, Sukemori is a brash, arrogant individual. He is always seen alongside his brothers during the war against the Minamoto clan.

ARIMORI TAIRA

A samurai vassal of the Taira clan. Arimori is Yukimori's cousin and is usually seen under the command of Koremori Taira along with Yukimori.

TADAFUSA TAIRA

The Brother of Koremori Taira and Sukemori Taira. Unlike his brothers, Tadafusa is a rather cautious individual who is very wary of the traps and ambushes the Minamoto may have set up. He is always seen and never separated from his brothers Koremori and Sukemori.

YORIMORI TAIRA

Son of Tadanori Taira, making him Kiyomori Taira's nephew, Yorimori fights very fiercely like his father. Despite being proud as a member of the Taira clan, Yorimori isn't trusted by many of the other clan members, especially his uncle Kiyomori Taira.

TOKITADA TAIRA

A distant relative of Kiyomori Taira. Tokitada serves as a counselor and advisor in the Taira clan, both Kiyomori and Tokiko Taira frequently put him to good use when they venture towards a battlefield.

SADAYOSHI TAIRA

A member of the Taira who gathers samurai from Kyushu to join the Taira cause in the war against the Minamoto. Despite having to work together, Sadayoshi does not get along with Kiyomori Taira's son and heir Munemori Taira.

KAGECHIKA ŌBA

A fierce retainer of the Taira clan, he is known in the land to have dueled and defeated Tametomo Minamoto during the Hō gen Rebellion. He seeks to eliminate Yoritomo Minamoto in the war and add that achievement to his list of other accomplishments.

SANEMORI SAITŌ

A veteran samurai and retainer of the Taira clan. In the past, Sanemori use to serve under the Minamoto, but he betrayed them and pledged his allegiance to the Taira. Cold and arrogant, Sanemori also has some history with Yoshinaka Minamoto.

KANEYASU SENOO

A samurai vassal of the Taira clan. Kaneyasu is in charge of defending the Taira fortress at Fukury ū ji against the Minamoto.

SHIGEYOSHI TAGUCHI

A samurai general of the Taira clan from the Japanese island of Shikoku. While Shigeyoshi is a cunning individual, he is in fact a coward who would rather fight his opponents using underhanded tactics and cheating instead of facing them head on. His actions cause many of the more honourable samurai to dislike him.

EMPEROR ANTOKU

The 81st and current Emperor of Japan. Only a young child, Antoku is constantly under the watchful eye of his grandmother and mother. He was placed on the throne so that his grandfather Kiyomori Taira could fully control the imperial throne and imperial court and use his power to oppress the people of Japan.

TADATSUNA ASHIKAGA

A vassal of the Taira clan. Tadatsuna is also a distant relative of the Minamoto clan, but when the war begins, Tadatsuna decides to swear an oath of loyalty to the Taira instead.

SHIGEKAGE YOSŌBYŌE

A samurai retainer under the Taira general Koremori Taira. Shigekage is an obedient and loyal samurai willing to follow his lord Koremori Taira wherever he goes. Many of his fellow samurai allies in the army refer to Shigekage as "Lord Koremori's Dog".

TADAMITSU GORŌBYŌE

A samurai who is very dedicated to the cause of the Taira clan. Tadamitsu Gorōbyōe is a very persistant and crazy individual who has made it his sole mission to slay every single samurai of the Minamoto clan, even if the Taira clan are on the verge of being wiped out by the enemy.

TAKANAO KIKUCHI

The Samurai lord of the Kikuchi clan in Kyushu. When the Minamoto declare war on the Taira clan and urge others to join their fight, Takanao decided to rebel against the Taira, but he was eventually defeated and forced to serve the Taira from then on. Takanao is the sworn enemy of fellow Kyushu samurai Koreyoshi Ogata.

The Battles
Here is the list of battles that occurred in the Genpei War that will be featured as stages in Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai, there are 18 battles in total. Information about the Genpei War battles and what occurred there can be found in the Battle section in Encyclopedia mode, though it should be noted that Siege of Kamakura is an exclusive, fictional battle to this game.

(1180)  FIRST BATTLE OF UJI  - The first battle of the war. Yorimasa Minamoto and the Imperial Prince rebel against Kiyomori Taira but are defeated. The Imperial Prince is killed by the Taira while Yorimasa committed suicide.

(1180)  SIEGE OF NARA  - Kiyomori Taira sends his army to storm the temples and monasteries in the city of Nara in order to cut Minamoto supplies in two.

(1180)  BATTLE OF ISHIBASHIYAMA  - The new Minamoto leader, Yoritomo, marches against the Taira, but is defeated when Kiyomori launches a night attack on him.

(1181)  BATTLE OF SUNOMATAGAWA  - The Taira thwarts a Minamoto sneak attack during the night. It is also the first of many conflicts between Tomomori Taira and Yukiie Minamoto.

(1181)  BATTLE OF YAHAGIGAWA  - The Minamoto attempt to make a stand at the Yahagi River after retreating from Sunomata, but they are defeated by Tomomori Taira.

(1183)  SIEGE OF HIUCHI  - The Taira lays siege on the Minamoto mountain fortress at Hiuchiyama guarded by Yoshinaka Minamoto. The siege is successful but the Minamoto escape to safety.

(1183)  BATTLE OF KURIKARA  - Yoshinaka Minamoto defeats the massive Taira army using strategy. This battle is where the tide in the war turns in the Minamoto's favour.

(1183)  BATTLE OF SHINOHARA  - The Minamoto army defeat the Taira at Shinohara. The Taira vassal known as Sanemori Saitō  is slain by Yoshinaka Minamoto.

(1183)  BATTLE OF MIZUSHIMA  - The Taira army intercept and defeat the Minamoto forces in navy combat.

(1183)  SIEGE OF FUKURYŪ JI  - The Minamoto siege the Taira fortress at Fukury ū ji. The siege is successful and the Taira general Kaneyasu Senoo is killed.

(1183)  BATTLE OF MUROYAMA - The Taira defeat the Minamoto by splitting their forces into five units and each attacking the enemy army successfully.

(1184)  SECOND BATTLE OF UJI  - After kidnapping the former Emperor and betraying the Minamoto, Yoshinaka Minamoto is driven away from the capital Heian-kyō  (now known as Kyoto) by Yoshitsune Minamoto and Noriyori Minamoto.

(1184)  BATTLE OF AWAZU  - Yoshitsune Minamoto defeats the army of Yoshinaka Minamoto. Yoshinaka is killed in battle along with his loyal retainer Kanehira Imai. Yoshinaka's lover Tomoe evades capture from Shigetada Hatakeyama and kills Ieyoshi Uchida.

(1184)  BATTLE OF ICHI-NO-TANI  - The Minamoto defeat the Taira army and drives them away from one of their primary fortresses. Koremori Taira is killed during the battle and Atsumori Taira is slain by Naozane Kumagai.

(1184)  BATTLE OF KOJIMA  - The Minamoto pursue and defeat the retreating Taira army.

(1185)  BATTLE OF YASHIMA  - The Minamoto attack the Taira fortress of Yashima off the coast of Shikoku. Noritsune Taira almost kills Yoshitsune Minamoto during the battle, but Yoshitsune's retainer Tsugunobu Satō  takes the arrow meant for his lord and dies. Yoichi Nasu demoralizes the Taira army with his archery.

(1185)  BATTLE OF DAN-NO-URA  - The decisive final battle of the Genpei War in which the Minamoto army led by Yoshitsune Minamoto are victorious. Many Taira vassals are killed in battle or commit suicide by drowning, including Noritsune Taira, Tomomori Taira and Tsunemori Taira. Tokiko Taira (Kiyomori's wife) commits suicide along with her grandson (the Emperor Antoku) by drowning. Munemori Taira is later captured and executed by the Minamoto. The war officially ends.

(????) SIEGE OF KAMAKURA  - A hypothetical battle where the tide of the war remained in the Taira's favour. In this fictional battle, the Taira army lays siege to the Minamoto clan's main base at Kamakura.

Genpei Legend: Story Chapters
In Genpei Legend, you play as one of the 18 playable characters, a story chapter is basically a battle seen from your character's point-of-view. Although at the beginning you can only play as Yoshitsune Minamoto, Tomoe, Munemori Taira and Noritsune Taira, though other characters will be unlocked as you progess through a character's story. Bear in mind though that some characters have more or few story chapters than others. In battle you will be given many missions and by completing the major missions will you finish the battle. Depending on how well you did, you will be given rewards which ranges from warrior gear for Create-a-Samurai mode or more coins to help you upgrade your character and weapons.

 YOSHITSUNE MINAMOTO 

 BENKEI 

(Note: You must complete Yoshitsune Minamoto's Story in order for Benkei to be playable)

 SHIZUKA 

(Note: You must complete Yoshitsune Minamoto's Story in order for Shizuka to be playable)

 YORITOMO MINAMOTO 

(Note: You must complete the stories of Yoshitsune Minamoto, Benkei and Shizuka in order for Yoritomo Minamoto to be playable)

 YOSHINAKA MINAMOTO 

(Note: You must complete Tomoe's Story in order for Yoshinaka Minamoto to be playable)

 TOMOE 

SHIGETADA HATAKEYAMA

(Note: You must complete Tomoe's Story in order for Shigetada Hatakeyama to be playable)

KAGETOKI KAJIWARA

(Note: You must complete the stories of Yoritomo Minamoto and Shigetada Hatakeyama in order for Kagetoki Kajiwara to be playable)

YOICHI NASU

(Note: You must complete the stories of Yoshitsune Minamoto and Yoritomo Minamoto in order for Yoichi Nasu to be playable)

NAOZANE KUMAGAI

(Note: You must complete Yoichi Nasu's Story in order for Naozane Kumagai to be playable)

MUNEMORI TAIRA

NORITSUNE TAIRA

KIYOMORI TAIRA

(Note: You must complete the stories of Munemori Taira, Noritsune Taira and Tomomori Taira in order for Kiyomori Taira to be playable)

TOKIKO TAIRA

(Note: You must complete Kiyomori Taira's Story in order for Tokiko Taira to be playable)

TOMOMORI TAIRA

(Note: You must complete the stories of Munemori Taira and Noritsune Taira in order for Tomomori Taira to be playable)

ATSUMORI TAIRA

(Note: You must complete the stories of Naozane Kumagai and Tomomori Taira in order for Atsumori Taira to be playable)

TOKUKO TAIRA

(Note: You must complete the stories of Tokiko Taira and Atsumori Taira in order for Tokuko Taira to be playable)

KOREMORI TAIRA

(Note: You must complete Tomomori Taira's Story in order for Koremori Taira to be playable)

Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai. There are about 81 songs for you to listen to in the game, and you can view them in the music section in Gallery mode.

---GENPEI HEIKA: DAWN OF THE SAMURAI TRACKLIST---
 * 1) ~The Dawn of War~ (Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai theme)
 * 2) ~A Piece of Heian~ (Main Menu theme)
 * 3) ~The Weaponsmith's Home~ (Options theme)
 * 4) ~The Chaos Shall Begin!~ (Character & Stage Select theme)
 * 5) ~Omake World~ (Minigame Party theme)
 * 6) ~A Destiny of your own~ (Create-a-Samurai theme)
 * 7) ~Scenery of Indulgence~ (Gallery theme)
 * 8) ~Hall of Legends~ (Encyclopedia theme)
 * 9) ~The Oncoming Destinies~ (Genpei Legend theme)
 * 10) ~A Place of Gold~ (Upgrade Shop theme)
 * 11) ~Before you go~ (Preparations theme)
 * 12) ~Victory is MINE!!~ (Stage completion theme)
 * 13) ~Your path ends here~ (Character death theme)
 * 14) ~The road ends here~ (Game Over theme)
 * 15) ~To stand tall~ (Results theme)
 * 16) ~Engraving your achievements~ (Ranking theme)
 * 17) ~The Storm Rises~ (First Uji theme)
 * 18) ~Inferno Realm~ (Nara theme)
 * 19) ~Downpour of Loss~ (Ishibashiyama theme)
 * 20) ~Somber Moon~ (Sunomatagawa theme)
 * 21) ~Dawn is Forced Red~ (Yahagigawa theme)
 * 22) ~Unfortunate Mountain~ (Hiuchi theme)
 * 23) ~Crossroads of Fate~ (Kurikara theme)
 * 24) ~Trail of Swords and Arrows~ (Shinohara theme)
 * 25) ~Cruel Payback~ (Mizushima theme)
 * 26) ~Shooting Fortress~ ( Fukury ū ji theme)
 * 27) ~The Battle from Nowhere~ (Muroyama theme)
 * 28) ~Chase the Black Sheep~ (Second Uji theme)
 * 29) ~Gloomy Day~ (Awazu theme)
 * 30) ~Shore Edge~ (Ichi-no-Tani theme)
 * 31) ~Running on Water~ (Kojima theme)
 * 32) ~Last Stronghold~ (Yashima theme)
 * 33) ~Battle For The End~ (Dan-no-ura theme)
 * 34) ~Saccharine Fragment~ (Kamakura theme)
 * 35) ~Light Force~ (Yoshitsune Minamoto theme)
 * 36) ~Loyal Monk~ (Benkei theme)
 * 37) ~Rain Summoner~ (Shizuka theme)
 * 38) ~Can Light Be Sinister?~ (Yoritomo Minamoto theme)
 * 39) ~Restore What Was Taken~ (Yoshinaka Minamoto theme)
 * 40) ~Lady Naginata~ (Tomoe theme)
 * 41) ~The Valorous One~ (Shigetada Hatakeyama theme)
 * 42) ~The Shadow Form~ (Kagetoki Kajiwara theme)
 * 43) ~Shoot Around the World~ (Yoichi Nasu theme)
 * 44) ~Father Blade, Son Sheath~ (Naozane Kumagai theme)
 * 45) ~Successor Demon~ (Munemori Taira theme)
 * 46) ~A mind no longer human~ (Noritsune Taira theme)
 * 47) ~Lord Ghoul~ (Kiyomori Taira theme)
 * 48) ~With a Venomous Touch~ (Tokiko Taira theme)
 * 49) ~Ferocity Silence~ (Tomomori Taira theme)
 * 50) ~A Noble Flute Amongst the Cold~ (Atsumori Taira theme)
 * 51) ~Agent Emotionless~ (Tokuko Taira theme)
 * 52) ~A Greed for Fame and Glory~ (Koremori Taira theme)
 * 53) ~A Sudden Skirmish~ (Duel theme)
 * 54) ~Samurai fated to fight~ (Fated Duel theme)
 * 55) ~A Clash To Determine the Future~ (Final Duel theme)
 * 56) ~Colliding Swords~ (Yoshitsune Vs Munemori Duel theme)
 * 57) ~Gloomy Place~ (Lady Takiyasha's Tower theme 1)
 * 58) ~Hell Dungeon~ (Lady Takiyasha's Tower theme 2)
 * 59) ~Core of Danger~ (Lady Takiyasha's Tower theme 3)
 * 60) ~Vengeance Demoness~ (Lady Takiyasha theme)
 * 61) ~An air of Conference~ (Cutscene theme 1)
 * 62) ~All the Better~ (Cutscene theme 2)
 * 63) ~A path that is dark~ (Cutscene theme 3)
 * 64) ~Over at last~ (Cutscene theme 4)
 * 65) ~A Family of Warriors~ (Minamoto Clan theme)
 * 66) ~The Code of Warriors~ (Briefing - Minamoto Clan theme)
 * 67) ~A Warrior's War Cry~ (Determination - Minamoto Clan theme)
 * 68) ~Raising Honor's Voice~ (Success - Minamoto Clan theme)
 * 69) ~The Tears of a Warrior~ (Tragedy - Minamoto Clan theme)
 * 70) ~Warrior's Dream Becomes Real~ (Destiny - Minamoto Clan theme)
 * 71) ~The New Era~ (Minamoto Clan ending theme 1)
 * 72) ~Peace created by a phyrric mind~ (Minamoto Clan ending theme 2)
 * 73) ~Realm of Dark Oni~ (Taira Clan theme)
 * 74) ~A Demon's Terms~ (Briefing - Taira Clan theme)
 * 75) ~Dark Desire~ (Determination - Taira Clan theme)
 * 76) ~Demons Roar~ (Success - Taira Clan theme)
 * 77) ~Fallen Oni~ (Tragedy - Taira Clan theme)
 * 78) ~A world of demons await~ (Destiny - Taira Clan theme)
 * 79) ~Let their be Darkness!!!~ (Taira Clan ending theme 1)
 * 80) ~Now into Abyss~ (Taira Clan ending theme 2)
 * 81) ~Under the Twilight Sky~ (Credits theme)

Trivia

 * The name Genpei Heika (源平兵戈) in Genpei Heika: Dawn of the Samurai is officially translated as "Genpei Warfare", though the word 'Heika' does also mean "Blades" (But warfare is the official word).
 * Shigetada Hatakeyama is ClarentBloodArthur's favourite Samurai in the Genpei War. He wanted him to be designed in a way as if players could understand why he liked Shigetada the most.
 * Also, information about Shigetada Hatakeyama on Wikipedia is entirely false. He did not betray and side with the Minamoto during the Battle of Dan-no-ura, he was present on the Minamoto side at the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani and was one of the few generals under Yoshitsune Minamoto at the Battle of Awazu where he defeated but failed to capture Tomoe.
 * The decision to include Tokuko Taira as a playable character was made during the final stages. ClarentBloodArthur insisted that a there had to be at least one playable Taira that survived the Genpei War.
 * Kagekiyo Taira was originally going to be one of the playable Taira characters, but ClarentBloodArthur decided not to have him and make him an NPC in favour of Tokuko Taira.