NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Sphere of Influence - Ascension

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 130 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Sphere of Influence - Ascension Game Cover
Ascension is a fantastic stand-alone that is a superior game in every way to its predecessor. It’s perfect for both new players and veterans and both with have plenty of content to get their teeth into.
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In "NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Sphere of Influence - Ascension," players navigate feudal Japan as a daimyo, unifying the country through diplomacy, war, and strategy. With improved mechanics and new content, Ascension offers enhanced gameplay and historical depth. The game challenges players to balance resource management, army movement, and political alliances to achieve their noble ambitions.

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Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 130 reviews
story4 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique experience by allowing players to start as a retainer, adding depth to the gameplay and role-playing elements.
  • The addition of siege and naval battles enhances the strategic aspects of the game, making combat more engaging and varied.
  • The game includes a vast array of historical scenarios and characters, providing a rich narrative experience for fans of Japanese history.
  • The AI struggles with resource management, often failing to develop their territories, which can lead to unbalanced gameplay.
  • There are significant bugs, such as reversed stats for bows and guns, which detract from the overall experience.
  • The complexity of the development system can be overwhelming, making it tedious to manage multiple castles and facilities.
  • gameplay25 mentions

    The gameplay experience in the reviewed games is mixed, with some players appreciating the depth and interaction among officers, while others criticize the mechanics and user interface as inferior to the ROTK series. While the officer gameplay offers a degree of freedom and complexity, it can also feel repetitive and is marred by bugs and a lack of engaging content. Overall, the games provide a decent experience for fans of intricate gameplay but may disappoint those seeking a polished and immersive custom officer experience.

    • “Being an officer serving a daimyo adds such a great layer of gameplay, and you actually interact a lot more with other officers in the clan, feeling like you all are working for the same goals.”
    • “It gives you a lot of freedom, detail, and control over little aspects of gameplay that western games can only dream of implementing.”
    • “While the officer gameplay can be repetitive, it's still a blast to rise through the ranks and guide your ruler to victory.”
    • “Playing both Soi Ascension and Awakening, I can confidently say that these games are positively inferior compared to the ROTK series in terms of user interface, mechanics, and overall player experience.”
    • “To get straight to the point, Soi Ascension does not follow through with its intended purpose of providing an all-round officer gameplay experience.”
    • “This basically sums up the incompetent AI and broken game mechanics of Ascension.”
  • story16 mentions

    The game's story is engaging and immersive, allowing players to rise from a lowly officer to a powerful regent while managing their own town and completing missions for the daimyo. The detailed narrative, particularly around historical events like the Siege of Osaka, is well-crafted and enhances the role-playing experience, despite some limitations in player control over interactions. Players appreciate the historical context and the opportunity to play as notable figures, making the storyline a highlight of the game.

    • “The story of the siege of Osaka is amazingly detailed and well-written.”
    • “To create a ~3 hr interactive story around a single event is an impressive feat, and I have to commend Koei for that.”
    • “The story progression (historical) is great and I highly recommend playing all the scenarios just to see the historical cut-scenes, especially if you play a famous historical officer (example: Oda Nobunaga).”
    • “Every action you perform, be it diplomatic mission, visit to a friendly officer, bandit chase, etc. happens in the background, and you don't have much control over how exactly these interactions take place.”
    • “Why would I be encouraged to create my custom officers if I cannot even build my own story around them?”
    • “The tactics and complexity of battles are limited and the AI is not the most intelligent, but playing through the storyline, the fight from minor lord to daimyo, and the kingdom management are fun.”
  • graphics16 mentions

    The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting a significant decline compared to previous titles, particularly in user interface and battlefield visuals. While character portraits and overall aesthetic are praised, many feel that the graphical quality is subpar, especially when compared to other strategy games. Overall, the graphics are seen as a weak point, detracting from the immersive experience that the gameplay aims to provide.

    • “The game also has a beautiful aesthetic; every character has a stunning portrait, plus a bunch of unused ones for created characters or portraits from past Nobunaga's Ambition games.”
    • “Graphics are very good, voices are extremely good, and the system overall is very well thought out.”
    • “I gave this game an A+ rating because of how in-depth the game is, the realism, the gameplay, the graphics, and the music (oh god, the music is outstanding).”
    • “Overall graphics are very subpar, on both settlement and province-level view, and even worse than that - on the battlefield.”
    • “I know that Ascension is a rendition of a much older title that was released in 2013, but to see such drastic degradation in user interface and graphics from ROTK 13, a game that was released a year before Ascension, is disappointing.”
    • “Graphics and interface are not very good, gameplay is very curtailed, don't buy if you want to have a decent custom officer experience.”
  • music11 mentions

    The music in the game is highly praised for its depth and quality, with many players expressing a desire to listen to the soundtrack daily. Unique musical themes for different clans, particularly the Shimazu and Hojo, enhance the experience, although some feel the extensive soundtrack is underutilized. While the music is generally well-received, a few players noted it can be overly loud, leading them to mute it after extended playtime.

    • “I could listen to this soundtrack every day for my entire life.”
    • “The map of Japan is absolutely beautiful, and as you play, the amazing soundtrack sweeps you off your feet.”
    • “I gave this game an A+ rating because of how in-depth the game is, the realism, the gameplay, the graphics, and the music (oh god, the music is outstanding).”
    • “Points going down from music, combat (which honestly is not a big deal for me, but I still think it's a negative, if you consider how decent of a job Koei did with older games such as ROTK 7, Kessen 1 and 3, Dynasty Tactics).”
    • “Some clans have unique music for them.”
    • “Game opening: excellent piece of cinematic cutscenes of music and sound; focused on the daimyo who changed history, Oda Nobunaga, and various clan flags circling about him during the Warring States period of Japan (Sengoku Jidai 1467-1615).”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some users labeling it as "super buggy" and highlighting numerous design flaws, while others report that it runs well currently. Overall, it appears that stability issues have been significant for some players, but improvements may have been made recently.

    • “As of now, the game runs great.”
    • “The stability of the game is impressive; I haven't encountered any crashes.”
    • “I appreciate how smooth the gameplay is; it feels very stable overall.”
    • “It's simple, the game is a buggy mess with a great many design flaws.”
    • “I'm a big fan of Koei's historical simulation games and have spent countless hours on them, but this is literally one of the most buggy products.”
    • “Super buggy.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Users highly praise the game's replayability, often rating it a perfect 10 out of 10, indicating that it offers significant value for repeated playthroughs.

    • “Replay value: 10 out of 10.”
    • “This game offers incredible replayability.”
    • “The variety of choices and outcomes really enhances the replayability.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Overall, the game is praised for its smooth performance and competent AI, particularly in the late game. Reviewers express optimism that future optimizations could elevate it to the level of classics like Total War: Shogun 2 or even surpass it.

    • “The game runs smoothly and the AI is more than competent, even in the late game.”
    • “With some optimizations to the series in the coming years, it could turn into a game like Total War: Shogun 2 or probably better, and I would highly welcome that.”
    • “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
    • “Despite its potential, the lack of proper optimization leads to frequent frame drops and stuttering gameplay.”
    • “The optimization feels rushed, resulting in long loading times and inconsistent performance across different hardware.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    While some users perceive Koei as a company focused on profit, this particular game has been noted for showing genuine care in its monetization approach, suggesting a more thoughtful strategy rather than a straightforward cash grab.

    • “The monetization in this game feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “I appreciate the effort put into the game, but the constant push for in-game purchases is frustrating.”
    • “It seems like the developers prioritized profit over player enjoyment with their monetization strategy.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, as every facility has multiple developmental fields that require individual attention, leading to a slow progression.

    • “Here, though, every single facility has six developmental fields, each requiring one person to develop at a time at a tediously slow pace.”
    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and monotonous, making progress feel more like a chore than an achievement.”
    • “I spent hours grinding for resources, only to realize that the rewards were not worth the time invested.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

72% average critic score

Buy NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Sphere of Influence - Ascension

Play time

7hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
7-7hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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