NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Sphere of Influence - Ascension

78%
Game Brain Score Based on 271 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
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.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

78%
Audience ScoreBased on 271 reviews
story8 positive mentions
gameplay4 negative mentions
  • The game offers a deep and complex gameplay experience, allowing players to rise through the ranks from a lowly officer to a powerful daimyo, which adds a rich role-playing aspect.
  • The addition of naval and siege battles enhances the tactical depth of the game, making battles more engaging and varied compared to previous titles.
  • The graphics and character illustrations are beautiful, and the historical events are well-crafted, providing a captivating experience for fans of Japanese history.
  • The AI struggles with resource management, often failing to develop their territories, which can lead to unbalanced gameplay and a lack of challenge.
  • The game can be overwhelming for new players due to its complexity and lack of clear guidance, making it difficult to learn the mechanics without extensive trial and error.
  • There are persistent bugs, such as reversed bow and gun stats, and issues with the AI not upgrading castles, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • gameplay53 mentions

    The gameplay in "Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence - Ascension" is noted for its complex and layered mechanics, allowing players to engage deeply with the role of an officer serving a daimyo, fostering interaction with other clan members. However, many reviews criticize the game's user interface, mechanics, and overall player experience as inferior to previous titles in the series, with some describing it as repetitive and lacking in depth. While the game offers a wealth of historical events and a decent AI, it suffers from bugs and a curtailed gameplay experience, leading to mixed feelings among players.

    • “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.”
    • “To get straight to the point, SoI Ascension does not follow through with its intended purpose of providing an all-round officer gameplay experience.”
    • “Mechanics and overall player experience are probably the weakest point of this game.”
    • “Graphics and interface are not very good, gameplay is very curtailed; don't buy if you want to have a decent custom officer experience.”
  • graphics34 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the character portraits and overall aesthetic, while others criticize the subpar visuals, particularly in battle and interface design. Many users express disappointment over the degradation in graphics compared to previous titles, suggesting that while the game offers depth and immersive gameplay, it falls short in visual quality. Overall, the graphics are seen as a weak point, especially for players seeking a rich custom officer experience.

    • “The game also has a beautiful aesthetic; every character has a beautiful 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 SOI 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.”
  • story33 mentions

    The game's story is highly engaging, allowing players to immerse themselves in the role of a lowly officer rising through the ranks to become a regent, with a focus on town management and fulfilling missions for the daimyo. Players appreciate the detailed and well-written narrative, particularly the interactive story surrounding the Siege of Osaka, which adds depth to the gameplay. However, some users express frustration over the limited control in shaping their own stories and the AI's simplistic tactics, yet they still find enjoyment in the historical quests and progression.

    • “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 course.”
    • “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.”
  • music23 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise 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 players find the volume levels too loud over extended play. Overall, the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's immersive atmosphere, despite some underutilization in smaller factions.

    • “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] and the lack of a proper simulation since that was the big selling point of the game.”
    • “Game opening: excellent piece of cinematic cutscenes of music and sound; focused in 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.”
    • “Some clans have unique music for them.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game has received mixed reviews regarding stability, with some users describing it as a "buggy mess" filled with design flaws, while others report that it runs well after updates. Overall, stability appears to be a significant concern for many players.

    • “As of now, the game runs great.”
    • “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.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Users consistently rate the game's replayability highly, with many giving it a perfect score of 10 out of 10, indicating strong incentives to revisit the game.

    • “Replay value: 10 out of 10.”
    • “This game truly adds to its replayability.”
    • “The replay value is exceptional, a perfect 10 out of 10.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    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 titles 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.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Reviewers note a positive shift in perception regarding the game's monetization, suggesting that the development team put genuine effort into the game rather than focusing solely on profit, which contrasts with the typical view of Koei as cash grabbers.

  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, as each facility has six developmental fields that can only be progressed by one person at a time, leading to a slow and frustrating experience.

    • “Here, though, every single facility has six developmental fields, each requiring one person to develop at a time at a tediously slow pace.”
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 2 analyzed playthroughs

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