Sengoku Jidai: Shadow of the Shogun
Sengoku jidai is a turn based 4x4 grid style strategy game based in eastern asia and asias historical battles. Covering Japan to Korea, China and Mongolia its a true gem of a game that, get this, the developers still work on.
Lets talk about the game play:
Im going to be straight up honest, It’s not for everyone. Its like chess, with rng. Your units battle each other, based on their attack stats, armour stats, terrain and morale the computer calculates how much damage is done to the unit and if damage is done to their morale. You can also affect this based on your position which is where the game really shines.
– Real player with 216.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Grand Strategy Military Games.
This game is simply incredible. I had been looking for a tabletop wargaming experience in digital format for a very long time. The direct predecessor to this game, Pike and Shot, looked very viable, but I was not interested enough in the time period and aesthetic of it to gamble $40. Something about landschneckts in frilly blouses and giant feather caps wielding impossibly long pikes just doesn’t do it for me (purely a personal preference).
But being a lifelong fan of Japanese history, and in particular the Sengoku Jidai, when this game came out I knew I had to get it. I have no regrets. It is a near-perfect digital adaptation of tabletop wargaming.
– Real player with 81.7 hrs in game
Shadows of the Sengoku
The year is 1467. The Sengoku period has just begun. Every Daimyo will be out for blood, trying to bring glory to their clan and be unifier of Japan. More than might and riches, cunning is required.
Enter the Shadows.
Shadows of Sengoku is a Grand Strategy game that mixes Turn-Based Tactical Combat into the formula, and puts the player in control of the Shadows; a group of elite units that serve one of the Daimyos of Japan, executing missions and expanding the clan’s influence in order to achieve its ultimate destiny: The Unification of Japan.
Conquer Your Way!
Shadows of Sengoku features over 30 possible clans that the player can choose to play as. Help the Ashikaga retain the Shogunate; Aid the Hosokawa in keeping their regional superiority; spearhead the warlike Uesugi’s offensive in the Tokaido; grow the Ainu into a formidable opponent; or fight for supremacy in the Kyushu as the Shimazu.
Each clan will be ruled by a Daimyo with their own goals and aspirations for the clan. Some may seek greatness through war, others may desire for peaceful relations and diplomacy, yet others may want to isolate themselves from the rest in a road to self-reliance. But Daimyos don’t live forever; a change in the leadership of a clan may severely alter the course of a game!
Train Your Squad!
Units can be recruited and will have their starting abilities based off of the province they hail from, with each of the game’s 80 provinces bringing different bonuses. But they all start at low level, and will need to gain experience be it in the form of open combat or using the Shadows' training grounds. Being efficient in battle will not only allow your units to improve quicker; they’ll also gain combat ranks which will unlock a whole new host of gameplay options.
There are no classes in Shadows of the Sengoku; instead a system of proficiencies will categorize your unit based on its weaknesses and strengths. An innovative skill system allows you to train your units in whatever way you desire, specializing them into one or more combat roles as you see fit. But use caution; losing a very important unit in combat can have drastic consequences to morale!
High-Stakes Tactical Combat!
Going back to the roots of tactical turn-based combat, Shadows of the Sengoku gives the players complete control over their units action. Based on a time unit system, players can more accurately coordinate and develop their strategy during combat. Each time unit will count, with units being granted a better chance of defending themselves if they have time units to spare after taking their turns.
Combat is also extremely deadly; badly positioning your soldiers can lead to a quick and untimely death at the hands of the enemy! A blend of melee, ranged, and explosive attacks will be useful in turning the tide of a battle. 8 different enemy archetypes with multiple variations within will expand the possibilities in battle and make each encounter formidable. Expect the unexpected!
Build And Research!
Improve your weapons, armor and items via a dynamic research system that does away with traditional tech trees in favor of a more procedural approach; each piece will have their own tech progression, which can first be unlocked by researching an existing item. This way players can focus research on items that more favor their playstyle; become an assassin with ranged weapons, focus on impenetrable armor and so on. But beware; the enemy is smart and paying attention to what you do, and they may just focus on tactics to counter you!
Players will also be able to build up the infrastructure for their headquarters, constructing new buildings and improving old ones as they see fit in order to gain bonuses and gain combat advantages. But these expansions must be planned carefully; there is always the possibility of an enemy attack on your hq, which could be very difficult to defend if you were haphazard with your planning!
And More!
Shadows of the Sengoku also features:
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Comprehensive mission tree system to direct the actions of your clan
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Wide variety of procedurally generated missions to keep the gameplay always fresh
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Intricate diplomatic system that allows you to form alliances, start wars, and betray your friends
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Unique Daimyo personality that will shape the way each individual clan acts
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An AI learning system that learns and adjusts to your tactics on the battlefield
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Annex provinces via diplomacy or conquest
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Non-combat missions that may drastically affect the world and provide you with benefits
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The ever-present threat of retaliation by the Emperor should your clan grow too powerful, be it politically or militarily
A Total War Saga: FALL OF THE SAMURAI
Forewords.
I can’t believe how petty some people are. It’s a good thing that these people are only a minority and don’t represent Total War community as a whole - seeing some people raging and trying to review bomb a game over something like this is just downright sad: not even allowing comments on their spam reviews and hiding behind private accounts. “Forcing us to buy the game again! Stupid naming the game again! Prince increased!” First for the people going on about “price thieves!”, Total War Saga: Fall of the Samurai includes the DLC that originally had to be purchased separately - the price takes this into account and isn’t more expensive than previously purchasing them separately with the game. It would help if you would actually bother checking what you are going on about instead of just riding along as some sad meme: no one is forcing you to buy the game again. If you already own Fall of the Samurai you will still own it - the rebranding does not affect you. Fall of the Samurai was always a standalone game - it did not require Shogun 2 to be played, and being a standalone game set in a more constrained time period (like Thrones of Britannia) as opposed to a more open-ended experience like the mainstay Total War titles, rebranding it under the Total War Saga is actually fitting. That some people are raging like this without even knowing what they are on about is simply ridiculous. Fortunately Steam now has a system in place to disregard raging kids like this with their attempts at review bombing.
Read More: Best Grand Strategy Multiplayer Games.
Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai is one of the best Total War games. The game has most of the positives of the base Shogun 2 game, The game looks great, performs well and has late game difficulty. Unfortunately, the game’s multiplayer can be extremely unbalanced at times. However, the game’s innovation and experimentation make up for any flaws or roughness it may have from being a stand-alone game made between major releases.
Fall of the Samurai does not look as amazing as Shogun 2, but it still looks great. The modern units look dignified but still rough in a realistic way. The old school samurai look traditional and plain, but their simplicity is oddly intimidating. The campaign map is a 19th century styled geographic map that places less emphasis on beautiful mountains and more on the great plains and seas that can be traversed by rail and steamship.
Total War: SHOGUN 2
OK I’m older than the average gamer and have a history of traditional wargaming - map based and figure based games/campaigns. I find all the Total War immersive and an excellent up to date computer based version of traditional wargaming. Shogun 2 is a particular favourite as it was the first one I really started to customise with user based extensions and later my own. Today, I’m downloading it again to play it for the first time in about 3 years and can hardy wait. Programming wise, apart from a few moody extensions the game is very reliable and lock-up and crash free. It also gets a big plus for not stealing all my memory and CPU run time allowing me to multi-task with high end productivity and graphics software.
– Real player with 5367.3 hrs in game
The best Total War CA ever made. It’s all downhill from here.
– Real player with 541.1 hrs in game