Sengoku Basara is an action game set in the Japanese Sengoku period. The player takes control over historical characters, most prominently Sanada Yukimura and Date Masamune, in their fight over the Japanese provinces. While there are fantasy elements, the majority of the game and the fought battles are based on historical happenings.

The gameplay is similar to the Dynasty Warriors series: The player moves (or rides) on battlefields and kills a lot of enemies in melee combat. Success depends on using the correct standard, special or combo attacks suited for the situation. There are 16 playable characters with different back stories and cutscenes during the game.

The later released Devil Kings is a localized version of this game with several significant changes.