NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Awakening
- July 19, 2022
- KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
- 160h median play time
Get on Steam"Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening" is a strategy game that allows players to manage and grow their own feudal Japanese clan with the ultimate goal of unifying Japan. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes various digital extras such as an artbook, commemorative book, soundtrack, exclusive scenario, and additional officer traits. Early purchases come with the "Battle of Tetorigawa" scenario.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Steam Deck
Windows
Cloud
NVIDIA GeForce NOW
PlayStation
Reviews
- Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening offers a deep and immersive experience with a rich historical context, making it a great entry point for newcomers to the series.
- The game features improved graphics, a dynamic campaign mode, and engaging tactical battles that allow for strategic decision-making.
- The personnel management system is rewarding, with a focus on loyalty and delegation, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- The user interface is clunky and cumbersome, making navigation and management frustrating for players.
- Many players feel that the game is overly simplified compared to previous entries, lacking depth in strategy and city management.
- The absence of Japanese voice acting at launch and the limited English voice options have disappointed fans, detracting from the overall immersion.
- gameplay23 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening" is noted for its depth and multiple victory conditions, providing ongoing challenges even after extensive playtime. However, it has faced criticism for simplifying certain mechanics, leading to a reliance on AI for management, which some players feel undermines the strategic depth of previous entries. While the game introduces interesting new features and historical events, it struggles with a confusing UI and poorly explained mechanics, ultimately making it feel less engaging for dedicated fans of the series.
“But what truly sets Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening apart is its depth of gameplay.”
“And with multiple victory conditions to pursue, there's always a new challenge to tackle, even after dozens of hours of gameplay.”
“Gameplay-wise, in my opinion, it is the best entry in the series, combining fun gameplay and authentic historical events together.”
“The game is by no means perfect; the UI is confusing, the tutorial is poor, and some of the mechanics are poorly explained.”
“What that means in practice is that many aspects are greatly dumbed down and end up feeling like mobile game mechanics. There are many micro-managing elements that were removed in favor of automating them through delegations to your friendly AI generals.”
“Changes like these don't respect the intelligence of their niche player base that plays these games for the in-depth experience and having control over most, if not all, gameplay aspects.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics are generally well-received, with many praising the detailed artwork, particularly for individual leaders, and improvements over previous titles in the series. While some users note that the visuals are good but not exceptional, the user interface and smooth battle animations contribute positively to the overall experience. The combination of nice graphics and good sound design enhances the game's appeal.
“Graphics are excellent, user interface terrific, battle is smooth.”
“Graphic is better than previous titles in the series.”
“Nice game with very detailed graphics.”
“Graphics are good but not great.”
“Bar the artwork that represents individual leaders, most visuals are good but rarely great.”
“There's a slight improvement in graphics, but overall there's nothing substantively different in controls, only reconfigured without real advantage.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music, composed by renowned musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, significantly enhances the game's immersive experience, capturing the grandeur and drama of feudal Japan. While the soundtrack is praised as excellent, some users note limitations regarding its accessibility and the overall high price of the game.
“The soundtrack, composed by legendary musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, further enhances the immersive experience, evoking the grandeur and drama of feudal Japan.”
“The only disadvantages are the price is expensive, the digital books and soundtrack only able to read and listen via the game and unable to extract out from the game directory.”
“Excellent music soundtrack.”
“The only disadvantages are that the price is expensive, and the digital books and soundtrack can only be read and listened to via the game, making it impossible to extract them from the game directory.”
“However, the music, battle mechanics, and certain parts of vassal management are better compared to previous iterations.”
- story1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story is inspired by real events, adding a layer of authenticity and emotional depth to the narrative.
“The narrative is deeply engaging and keeps you hooked from start to finish.”
“The characters are well-developed, making their journeys feel authentic and relatable.”
“The plot twists are unexpected and add layers of depth to the overall story.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with Koei's stability, citing frequent bugs, a lack of updates, and an inexplicable decision not to translate older games that previously had English releases.
“Koei has many faults, including buggy games, relatively few updates, and a bizarre refusal to translate older games that already had English releases on console.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which severely impacted my enjoyment of the game.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Replayability is generally viewed positively, with many players noting that the game's diverse choices, multiple endings, and varying character paths encourage repeated playthroughs. Additionally, the inclusion of unlockable content and challenges further enhances the incentive to revisit the game. However, some players feel that once the main story is completed, the motivation to replay diminishes.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its depth, rich historical context, and strong character development, creating an immersive experience for players.
“But beyond that, there is a deep game with a great atmosphere, rich in history and full of character.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a positive experience with optimization, noting the absence of bugs and performance issues.
“I also encounter no bugs or performance issues so far.”
