Sword of the Samurai is a unique “semi-RPG” where you play a wandering samurai (or ronin to be exact as you seem to have no master) trying to make a name for yourself in Japan and ultimately to become a master swordsman if you win the Shogun held swordsman competition.
The gameplay focuses on improving and enhancing your somewhat terrible sword skill technique. As at the beginning of the game your sword play starts with what seems like “swinging a bat” rather than a sword technique, you improve your skill and techniques by “stealing” techniques by dueling with other swordsmen of which you add to your own library of sword techniques and customize which techniques suit your purposes.
The “semi-RPG” elements refer to the “skill and techniques” development of your character. The more duels, missions and bouts your character accomplishes, the more sword techniques your character will eventually learn as well as gradually increasing your character stats.
Thus dueling is the essence of the gameplay, may it be a friendly match with wooden swords or unofficial death matches using your steel sword (katana).
Swordplay techniques are extremely complicated at first, comprising of detailed forms: Stances, each with different types of attacks; Parrying and the ability to counter attack after a correct block; Stance Attack, the ability for a surprise attack against a correct stance and much more.
Learn all these techniques by dueling, learning from the local dojo’s and ultimately gaining enough fame and skill to duel the many wandering master swordsmen that may teach you a thing or two about special sword skills.