NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Sphere of Influence
- September 1, 2015
- KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
- 12h median play time
Nobunaga’s Ambition Sphere of Influence is a PC-like strategy experience on the PlayStation 4 that succeeds on all levels
Get on Steam"Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence" is a historical simulation game that allows players to take on the role of Warring States Daimyō, working towards unification through domestic affairs, diplomacy, and strategic battles. The game features enhanced features from its predecessor, including a detailed recreation of the "Battle of Sekigahara" and revamped systems for strategic gameplay. Simultaneous strategy executions create a realistic battle condition for an immersive experience.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation 3
Reviews
- Engaging and unique strategy gameplay that combines elements of city management and real-time battles.
- Rich historical context and character development, allowing players to immerse themselves in the Sengoku Jidai period.
- High replayability with various clans and scenarios to choose from, along with the ability to create custom characters and clans.
- The battle system can feel simplistic and lacks depth compared to other strategy games, often relying on troop numbers rather than tactics.
- The user interface can be cumbersome, making it difficult to manage officers and resources effectively.
- Some players may find the game repetitive over time, especially in the late game when managing large empires.
- gameplay92 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence" is a mixed bag, with some players praising its depth in kingdom management and strategic elements, while others criticize its repetitive mechanics and lack of innovation compared to previous titles. The game features a blend of macro and micro gameplay, with simplified battle mechanics that some find disappointing, yet it retains a nostalgic appeal for fans of the series. Overall, while the game offers beautiful graphics and a rich historical setting, its gameplay can feel laborious and lacking in depth for some players.
“The game has evolved quite a bit in graphics and gameplay complexity since then, but the core gameplay is still nostalgically similar and quite addicting.”
“Beautiful graphics/art, well-balanced gameplay, and compelling intricacies give this a lot of replay value.”
“The strengths of Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence as I see them are in its kingdom management gameplay, its fidelity in relaying historical events of this period in Japan, and the level of detail put into characters that inhabit the game.”
“The game looks exquisite, but the gameplay is laborious due to some artificial limitations.”
“There is very little actual gameplay to find.”
“The setting is great, there was a lot of effort put into the history of the current setting and it feels like there should be a lot of options to experience, but the way it got put together just ended up becoming repetitive, gameplay without depth, a lot of info that serves no one and nothing to help make the game interesting enough to play a full game.”
- story88 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its historical accuracy and engaging cutscenes, providing players with a rich narrative experience tied to the Sengoku era. However, players have noted that the quest system can be frustratingly complex, with certain missions breaking if specific conditions aren't met, leading to a sense of disconnection from the storyline. Overall, while the storytelling elements enhance the gameplay, the execution can be inconsistent, requiring patience and strategic planning to fully appreciate the narrative.
“Historically accurate story, beautiful graphics, and entertaining gameplay.”
“The real challenge and fun comes from the historical quests you get playing as the major clans in the different scenarios, where you have to achieve various goals to emulate actual famous battles and other events within specific deadlines.”
“The way it mixes historical storytelling with freeform play is commendable, as is its focus on the political, personal side of military campaigning.”
“The storytelling is pretty mediocre compared to RTK as well (though that's a high bar).”
“There are problems I had with the game; however, it can get kind of dull with diplomatic missions often lasting entire seasons, and trying to maneuver the complex web of alliances of Sengoku era Japan when all you want to do is smash castles can really dampen your will to play the game.”
“Some quests are also unnatural in the sense that they make you do things that would be suicidal.”
- graphics68 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received a mixed reception, with many praising the beautiful artwork and character designs, while others note that the overall graphical fidelity is not state-of-the-art and can feel outdated. Users appreciate the visual presentation, particularly the strategic map and officer portraits, but some express disappointment in the lack of detail in animations and certain graphical elements. Overall, the graphics are considered good for a strategy game, with a score averaging around 8/10, though they may not meet the expectations set by more modern titles.
“Historically accurate story, beautiful graphics and entertaining gameplay.”
“Beautiful graphics/art, well balanced gameplay and compelling intricacies give this a lot of replay value.”
“Koei once again delivers an amazing game, with nice graphics, challenging gameplay and beautiful music.”
“The building detail is lacking, resulting in poor graphics.”
“The 3D graphics are old-fashioned, resembling something from 2005-2006, though they are fully functional.”
“Graphically, it feels like I was playing a SNES game with simplistic mechanics but with today's graphics.”
- music35 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its epic and beautiful soundtrack, blending traditional Japanese tunes with orchestral elements that enhance the overall atmosphere and emotional connection to the game. Players appreciate the ability to customize their music settings and enjoy the variety of tracks, although some note that certain songs can be repetitive. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience.
“The music helps set the atmosphere in the game as well and it made me feel a little connected with the game.”
“Like all the games in this series released in the past 15 years, the music is ridiculously epic - a glorious mix of traditional Japanese tunes with western orchestra, as if to symbolize the great conflict at the heart of this era in Japan.”
“The songs are a little repetitive and loud personally.”
“They do not really provide any ambience and I found myself turning off the music itself.”
“The score for this game is beautiful as well, with each track suited for the moment; I sometimes found myself just sitting there and listening to the music rather than playing the game.”
- replayability18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptionally high replayability, thanks to its beautiful graphics, well-balanced gameplay, and extensive customization options, including the ability to shuffle starting positions and create custom lords. Players can explore various historical clans and scenarios, ensuring a fresh experience with each playthrough. However, some users noted that certain iterations of the game have reduced replay value due to similarities between clans, but overall, it remains a compelling choice for fans of strategy games.
“Beautiful graphics/art, well-balanced gameplay, and compelling intricacies give this a lot of replay value.”
“A tremendously fun game that offers hours of replayability for both historical clans and self-created clans.”
“However, if you do happen to tire of rising to power as any of the various factions across the various time periods, there is also an 'edit mode' in this game which provides literally unlimited replayability.”
“But this was removed in SOI, making each clan somewhat similar, repetitive, and greatly reduces the replay value of SOI.”
“The main aspect of this that provides replayability is that you can 'shuffle' the starting positions of the clans in the game, completely changing the flow of any era.”
“So much replayability, plenty of tweaking of options, and yes, make good use of the in-game encyclopedia.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the ability to micromanage and delegate tasks to reduce tedium, others feel that late-game management can become repetitive and cumbersome. The game's intricate systems can lead to engaging moments, but the lack of organization tools and the necessity to grind for resources can detract from the overall enjoyment. Balancing expansion and resource management adds depth, yet can also contribute to a sense of monotony as the game progresses.
“Late game might get a bit tedious.”
“This can get tedious.”
“The gameplay is really tedious after you have had two or three battles.”
- stability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Overall, user reviews indicate that while some players experience smooth performance and stability on high-end systems, many others report significant bugs and crashes that hinder gameplay. There is a desire for patches to address these issues, particularly for the English release, as stability remains a concern for a portion of the player base.
“The game runs great; my laptop is kind of old, and it ran this game like butter.”
“I experienced no crashes or bugs during my entire playthrough, which is impressive.”
“The performance is smooth and consistent, making for an enjoyable gaming experience.”
“Great game, still buggy though. I wish the English release got patches to fix it.”
“I have loved this game series since the first Nobunaga's Ambition was released, but this game is too buggy and crashes too often to be playable.”
“My time was spent troubleshooting why the game is freezing on my PC.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many users reporting smooth performance and minimal loading times. However, some criticism is directed at the icon-based menus and unoptimized UI, which detracts from the experience. While it runs well on high-end systems, there are indications that it also performs adequately on older hardware.
“Game runs smoothly with no crashes or any problems whatsoever.”
“Performance ran flawlessly for me, with minimal loading times.”
“I have yet to run into any sort of lag or bugginess; I expect this game to be well optimized since it was made for the PC first.”
“Koei's return to the western PC market is hampered by icon-based menus and an unoptimized UI.”
“AI performance: I really couldn't say.”
“How is the performance?”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game often arises from unexpected AI behavior, such as attacking other clans and disrupting quests, leading to amusing scenarios. The independent nature of diplomatic stances and ratings can create comical situations, especially when players face quirky objectives like capturing castles or employing characters in humorous contexts.
“Hilariously, even if you know exactly what to do to meet all conditions, the AI may sometimes break the quests by simply attacking other clans.”
“The diplomatic stance (friendly, in awe, wary, hostile, etc.) and rating (percentage number, used for diplomatic actions) are independent of each other, which may lead to funny situations.”
“At times, there will be objectives for you to complete before deadlines, such as capturing castles, gaining diplomatic points, or even attempting to employ Hanbei Takaneka, which was very funny.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is significantly enhanced by its music, fostering a sense of connection for players. While comparisons to other titles like Total War: Shogun highlight the effective capture of historical settings, the gameplay can become tedious, leading to a reliance on auto-resolving battles.
“The music helps set the atmosphere in the game and made me feel a deeper connection with it.”
“Total War: Shogun is a fantastic game for capturing the Sengoku Jidai atmosphere, but the main reason to play it—the deep and intricate battle system—can become tedious over time, leading me to auto-resolve many battles.”
“The music helps set the atmosphere in the game, and it made me feel a little connected with the game.”
“For comparison's sake, Total War: Shogun is also a fantastic game for capturing the Sengoku Jidai atmosphere, but quite honestly, the main reason to play that game (the deep and intricate battle system) starts to get old and time-consuming quickly, to where I start auto-resolving everything.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players feel that the music significantly enhances the emotional atmosphere of the game, fostering a sense of connection and immersion in the experience.
“The music helps set the atmosphere in the game, making me feel a deeper connection with the experience.”
“The storylines are incredibly moving, leaving a lasting impact on my emotions long after I finished playing.”
“The characters are so well-developed that I found myself genuinely caring about their journeys and outcomes.”
Critic Reviews
Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence Review
For the uninitiated into the grand strategy genre this might be a daunting order, but for those who are it's a wonderful entry that shines. Both full of detail and freedom and simple enjoyment. Its faults are few, though frustrating when they rear their heads, and it's much easier to find enjoyable, happy things in it than anything bad. A delight to play.
80%Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence Review
You can avoid fighting them at all, of course, but that leaves the game feeling a bit lacking. The diplomacy is well done, but without a robust battle system and satisfying nation-building to back it up, the game feels like it’s missing something – it’s all build-up with no pay-off. It’s a shame, because Sphere of Influence does some interesting things with the standard grand strategy formula. The way it mixes historical storytelling with freeform play is commendable, as is its focus on the political, personal side of military campaigning. Unfortunately, it falls at the final hurdle. Much like Nobunaga himself, in fact.
65%Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence Review
A long-awaited localization of a famed franchise that fails to make an impact. With little depth or strategy, this is a game designed for those who love Japanese history or are franchise diehards. Only that love will keep you wanting to play through the game more than once.
60%
