Even simple tasks like jumping up to ledges and vantage points just feels so right. Simply moving around the environments and pulling off one-button stealth kills feels rewarding, let alone the rush of slicing seven enemies to shreds with Mugen’s sword abilities. While you would think that a game that doesn’t operate in the traditional third-person or first-person mold would not attempt to feel as good as those games, there’s an addictive fluidity about the game’s base controls. Mechanical Ecstasyīut even better than its grounded storytelling and instantly likeable characters, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is nothing short of a mechanical masterclass. But in a game that focuses on stealth, it isn’t so bad to pull out your swords every so often and engage the enemy directly. It isn’t as black and white when it comes to engaging enemies though, as their cones of vision sometimes feel a bit unfair as I found myself getting caught when I probably shouldn’t have. While I would have wished for the ability to zoom in just a little closer, both to take in the visuals and to plan my tactics from a closer view, the black outlines around every object work well to give the player a sense of place in terms of where everything is laid out. It all takes place in the visually stunning expanse of Edo era Japan, and the game’s Borderlands style visuals fit the time period perfectly. Blades of the Shogun almost plays like a game of cat and mouse or tug-of-war, with a symphonic melody playing out in the form of the player attempting to tactically outwit the enemy and their horde of backup forces. Sometimes, it’s better to ignore your friends and instead go it alone with a stealth-focused character, as enemy patrols can find and kill your other characters if you choose to enter the battlefield with them by placing them in different locations for different purposes. I found myself constantly analyzing each arena before executing a plan, using multiple characters with different degrees of success. Each is equipped with different gadgets and abilities for those tasks. Any particular area could require the use of multiple characters if need be, as a few take out enemies and others do the distracting work. Said characters serve as different classes in a way, with each specializing in various types of mechanics and methods. While the character banter that keeps things going during missions isn’t all that revealing, and constantly plays on a maddening loop, there’s a real sense of heroism and the story arc feels like a long and hard journey, mirroring the gameplay itself. While some of the voice-acting can be shoddy, specifically with an old man the player meets early on, the character arcs of this merry group of five exceeds anything I’ve experienced in a tactical game. The base game is also available on PS4 and Xbox One, though there’s no word on when (or if) the expansion will launch for the consoles.Set in Japan’s visually stunning Edo era in the 17 th century, Blades of the Shogun tells a brutal and incredibly emotional tale of a band of warriors that I fell in love with almost immediately. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choice will launch on December 6 for PC.
Publisher Deadalic Entertainment has also released a trailer that summarizes the story of the base game and sets up the upcoming expansion. Set in Edo-period Japan like the base game, Aiko’s Choice will see the titular protagonist will join forces with deadly allies and go up against her former sensei, the cunning spymaster Lady Chiyo. It will bring several new main missions, side missions, environments, and playable characters. Now, a specific release date for it has been confirmed- the expansion is out on December 6. Standalone expansion Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choicewas announced earlier this year, and not long afterward, it was announced that it would launch some time in December. And while the developer is now also at work on its next game (with backing from Kowloon Nights), it’s also taking to time to go back to its earliest big hit. It’ll soon be five years since Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun launched, and since then, developer Mimimi Games has also developed, launched, and received plaudits for another game in the same genre with Desperados 3.
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