NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Sphere of Influence - Ascension

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.

86%Game Brain Score

story, music

gameplay, graphics

86% User Score Based on 155 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 11 reviews

Platforms

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About

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Sphere of Influence - Ascension screenshot

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 155 reviews

story4 positive mentions

monetization1 negative mentions

The game offers a rich historical experience with engaging event cutscenes and historical tidbits that enhance immersion.
The 'All Officer Play' mechanic allows players to start as a subordinate and experience a unique progression system, making it enjoyable for fans of role-playing elements in strategy games.
The city-building aspect and the ability to manage resources and develop castles add depth to the gameplay, providing a satisfying strategic experience.

The AI struggles with resource management, often failing to develop their territories, which can lead to unbalanced gameplay.
There are numerous bugs, including issues with the user interface and gameplay mechanics, which detract from the overall experience.
The game can feel repetitive over time, especially when playing as a retainer, as the lack of dynamic interactions with other clans can limit engagement.

gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
79%
11%
The gameplay in the reviewed titles is a mixed bag, with the "all officer play" mechanic praised for enhancing interaction and immersion within clans, yet criticized for its repetitive nature and lack of depth compared to the ROTK series. While some players appreciate the freedom and detail offered, others find the mechanics and user interface lacking, leading to a less satisfying experience overall. Bugs are present but generally do not detract significantly from gameplay, though the combat mechanics are notably weaker than the domestic aspects.
- “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.”
story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
71%
13%
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 rich backdrop of historical events and detailed narratives, particularly the well-crafted siege of Osaka. While players appreciate the depth of the storyline and the ability to create their own narratives through various missions and interactions, some express frustration over the limited control in shaping these interactions. Overall, the blend of historical quests and character development offers a compelling experience for fans of role-playing within a grand strategy framework.
- “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 roleplay consists of several quests chained after a starting one, with side quests enabled from time to time.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful character portraits and immersive aesthetic, while others criticize the overall quality as subpar, especially in battle scenes and user interface. Despite the game's artistic elements, many feel that the graphics do not meet the standards set by previous titles in the series, leading to disappointment among fans. Overall, while there are commendable aspects, the graphics are seen as a significant drawback for those seeking a visually impressive experience.
- “The game also has a beautiful aesthetic; every character has a stunning portrait, along with a collection of unused ones for created characters and portraits from past Nobunaga's Ambition games.”
- “Apart from that, the game graphics are wonderful, showcasing beautiful Japanese castles, villages, and troops.”
- “Graphics are very good, voices are extremely good, and the system overall is very well thought out.”
- “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.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
17%
25%
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 play.
- “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).”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The game boasts high replayability, with users rating it a perfect 10 due to its depth, meaningful choices, and character development. The option to continue through heirs or trusted retainers after death significantly enhances the replay value, encouraging players to explore different outcomes and experiences.
- “Replay value: 10 out of 10.”
- “There is a lot of depth and choices to be made, which helps the game have great replay value and character development.”
- “I guess that adds a lot of replayability, see what happens.”
- “When you die in the game, you have the option to let your heir or trusted retainer carry on your new life, which increases replayability quite dramatically.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
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've played for hours without any lag or issues, which is a huge plus.”
- “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.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game is praised for its solid optimization, running smoothly without crashes and featuring competent AI, even in late-game scenarios. Reviewers express optimism for future improvements, suggesting it could evolve into a title on par with or surpassing classics like Total War: Shogun 2.
- “The game is well optimized and does not crash.”
- “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.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While some users perceive Koei as a company focused on profit, this particular game has been noted for its thoughtful design, suggesting that the development team prioritized quality over monetization strategies.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as every facility has multiple developmental fields that require individual attention, leading to a slow progression that can feel frustrating.
- “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 repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I find myself doing the same tasks over and over again just to progress, which quickly becomes frustrating.”