Sengoku Jidai: Shadow of the Shogun

About

Sengoku Jidai: Shadow of the Shogun is a turn-based strategy game set in feudal Japan. Command your armies across historical battles, managing resources and territories to unify Japan under your rule. With a focus on historical accuracy and tactical depth, fans of strategy games will enjoy leading their clans to victory in this brutal period of Japanese history.

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Sengoku Jidai: Shadow of the Shogun screenshot

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 97 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and engaging tactical experience, capturing the essence of historical battles in East Asia with a focus on strategy and unit positioning.
The art style is beautifully designed, reminiscent of traditional Japanese ukiyo-e paintings, which enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
The gameplay is easy to learn yet provides enough depth and challenge, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and seasoned strategy gamers.

The user interface is poorly designed, making it difficult to understand unit information and navigate menus, which detracts from the overall experience.
The pursuit mechanic can lead to frustrating situations where units chase routing enemies, often leaving them exposed and out of position, reducing player control during battles.
The campaign mode feels lackluster and underdeveloped, lacking the depth and engagement found in other strategy games, which may disappoint players looking for a robust single-player experience.

gameplay
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
74%
10%
The gameplay is characterized by its strategic depth and slow-paced, stress-free experience, allowing players to experiment with various difficulty levels. While many appreciate the tactical mechanics and historical accuracy, some criticize the pursuit mechanic and lack of diverse unit types, leading to a repetitive experience. Overall, the game offers engaging skirmish modes and a blend of tactical and strategic elements, though the user interface may detract from the experience for some players.
- “The gameplay is awesome, very strategic, slow-paced, no stress, and you can experiment with 6 different difficulty levels to see what suits you best and makes your game sufficiently challenging and fun!”
- “Campaign is alright but I am not a totally good judge as I rarely consider game campaigns as my priority; skirmish, sandbox, freeplay, etc. are my favorite mechanics and this game has fairly exciting skirmish mode battles which feature many historically accurate armies and unit types.”
- “Great mechanics that really capture what one presumes would be the feeling of commanding a battle in 16th and 17th century East Asia.”
- “Until the pursuit mechanic can be toggled off in the settings menu, I'll have to look elsewhere.”
- “The only real gameplay is at the very beginning where you plan your battle and place your troops.”
- “What killed both games for me was the pursuit mechanic.”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
40%
12%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art style as beautiful and immersive, particularly its watercolor aesthetic and period artwork. However, several users note that the graphics are not cutting-edge and can be simplistic or unclear, which may detract from the overall experience. While the visuals may not impress everyone, they are generally considered serviceable and complement the game's tactical gameplay.
- “The art style is incredible and very relaxing!”
- “The period artwork is gorgeous, and along with the great music, really provides an immersive experience.”
- “The art work of the game is marvelous and fits well into the theme; also, the music adds a lot to the atmosphere.”
- “Yes, the graphics, while their style is pleasing, are hardly up to date.”
- “The new graphic style and UI is not very clear to read though and detracts from the gameplay.”
- “While the graphics don't have to be really pretty to me in a strategy game, I do want to say that my eyes felt tired after some 2 hours of gameplay.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
50%
15%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players recommending turning it off in favor of traditional Japanese music for a better experience. However, many others praise the soundtrack as magnificent and immersive, enhancing the game's atmosphere and fitting well with its artistic theme. Overall, while some find the in-game music lacking, a significant number appreciate its quality and contribution to the game's ambiance.
- “I love the setting and the choice of music.”
- “The art and music are evocative of the period.”
- “The period artwork is gorgeous, and along with the great music, really provides an immersive experience.”
- “I can't play this game because of the so-called 'music'.”
- “Type the game name and soundtrack into YouTube before you buy this game.”
- “Also, I have one recommendation for anyone who wants to experience this game fully: turn off the in-game music and just search YouTube for 'traditional Japanese koto music' or 'traditional Japanese shamisen/shakuhachi music' and choose the video that you like best!”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The game boasts high replayability due to its enjoyable music, fluid battle mechanics, and engaging gameplay, particularly for fans of the genre. The inclusion of pbem++ (play by email) significantly enhances replay value, making it a compelling choice for turn-based strategy enthusiasts.
- “Good replay value and very enjoyable.”
- “Because of this, there is plenty of replay value; the battle mechanics are fluid.”
- “All in all, it's a wonderful game with lots of replayability if you are into the genre.”
- “Because of this, there is plenty of replay value.”
- “I want to add also, that the game has PBEM++ (play by email with Slitherine server) like many recent turn-based strategy games by Slitherine, and you must try it; this is where the replayability of the game increases drastically.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the campaign mode to be tedious and frustrating, with issues such as units rallying outside of command range adding to the chore of managing them effectively.
- “The campaign mode is tedious and becomes boring pretty quickly.”
- “Other units have rallied at random points outside of command range, and getting them back into action is a tedious chore.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its stunning artwork and thematic coherence, complemented by a captivating musical score that immerses players in the experience.
- “The artwork of the game is marvelous and fits well into the theme; the music adds a lot to the atmosphere.”
- “The immersive environment and attention to detail create a captivating atmosphere that draws you in.”
- “The combination of stunning visuals and haunting sound design truly enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game demonstrates impressive stability, running smoothly at 60fps on integrated graphics like the Intel HD 4000, despite its graphics not being top-tier.
- “Another great thing I've discovered is that while the graphics are not that great, the game runs smoothly even on integrated graphics cards (tested on Intel HD 4000, 60fps at 1920x1080).”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often compared to the Total War series, with players noting a lightheartedness that resonates with their experiences in previous titles, particularly Shogun Total War 2. However, specific comedic elements were not detailed in the reviews.