Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

About

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is a tactical stealth game set in feudal Japan. Players control a team of deadly assassins, using their unique skills to overcome challenges and take down enemies. The game features a variety of levels, each with multiple ways to approach objectives, offering high replayability.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun screenshot

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 8,467 reviews

story1.3k positive mentions

grinding85 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay that blends real-time tactics, stealth, and puzzle-solving, allowing for multiple approaches to complete objectives.
Beautifully rendered environments and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the immersive experience of feudal Japan.
Well-crafted story with interesting characters, each possessing unique abilities that contribute to the overall strategy.

High difficulty may be frustrating for some players, leading to excessive quicksaving and quickloading.
Controls can be clunky and unintuitive, making character movement and actions sometimes frustrating.
The story, while decent, can feel predictable and lacks depth compared to the gameplay.

story
3,701 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
4%
The story of "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun" is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its engaging narrative set in feudal Japan, featuring a cast of unique characters each with their own backstories and abilities. While some reviewers noted that the plot can be predictable and follows familiar tropes, the character interactions and emotional moments throughout the missions add depth and investment to the overall experience. The game effectively combines its tactical gameplay with a compelling storyline, making it a standout title in the stealth strategy genre.
- “The story is rich, the feudal Japanese background with all of those ninjas and samurais is one of the plus points.”
- “The story is well written but kind of falls flat at the end for the very predictable end twist, but overall great characters and very distinct from each other with tons of personality.”
- “The story is engaging, with a complex plot that weaves together political intrigue, personal vendettas, and themes of loyalty and honor.”
- “The story is low key and characters pretty ordinary; however, the gameplay is the game's strength.”
- “The plot is completely linear, so whatever you're thinking about doing about the incoming super obvious plot twist... you can't.”
- “The story is simple but decent enough.”
gameplay
1,908 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
49%
3%
The gameplay of "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun" is widely praised for its challenging and strategic mechanics, reminiscent of classic titles like Commandos and Desperados. Players appreciate the depth and variety offered by the unique abilities of each character, as well as the engaging level design that encourages experimentation and tactical planning. While some reviewers note a steep learning curve and occasional frustrations with controls, the overall consensus highlights the game's rewarding gameplay loop and immersive atmosphere, making it a must-play for fans of stealth and strategy genres.
- “Challenging gameplay that can be solved with careful planning and quick thinking alike!”
- “Excellent game with an interesting and fun group of characters and very well polished gameplay and campaign, and lastly one hell of a devastating button click in a certain moment in a certain mission.”
- “The gameplay is fun and challenging, while also rewarding for new players.”
- “The gameplay is quite simple, the characters have different skills and tools for them to carry out their mission and it's up to you on how you want to play each mission.”
- “The gameplay takes a while to get used to, and the controls can be overwhelming, but when you grasp it (after two or three missions), the game becomes not only interesting, great-looking and sounding, but also fun.”
- “The gameplay is poor, slow and not engaging.”
graphics
962 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
36%
1%
The graphics of "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning art style, which combines a hand-drawn aesthetic with vibrant colors that evoke the beauty of feudal Japan. Many reviewers noted the game's visuals as timeless and well-executed, enhancing the overall immersive experience, while some mentioned minor inconsistencies in detail and character models. Overall, the graphics are praised for their ability to complement the gameplay and storytelling, making it a standout title in the tactical stealth genre.
- “The graphics are stunning, with beautifully rendered environments and detailed character models.”
- “The hand-drawn art style is breathtaking, with lush landscapes, detailed environments, and expressive character animations.”
- “The graphics and sound are top notch.”
- “Nothing new and the graphics look old.”
- “The graphics isn't all that good and all the vibrant colors kind of kills the mood.”
- “The graphic of the game is bad, I don't mind playing video games with simple graphics but when you represent complex art with low graphics it's just hurt my eyes.”
music
520 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
34%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its captivating and immersive quality, effectively blending traditional Japanese instruments with modern compositions to enhance the overall atmosphere. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack complements the game's visuals and narrative, creating a deeply engaging experience that transports players to the Edo period of Japan. While some found the music occasionally repetitive, the majority praised its beauty and ability to evoke emotion, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The soundtrack is equally captivating, blending traditional Japanese instruments with haunting melodies and heart-pounding action cues.”
- “The art style is really attractive, the voice acting is top notch, and the soundtrack is phenomenal - the combination really transports you to the game's world.”
- “The music fits the setting, and is genuinely beautiful and epic at various stages of the game's missions.”
- “Most of the music in this game was okay, nothing special except for a few of them, but in the end, none of them got annoying and repetitive while playing.”
- “Music a little annoying at times as it seems to not loop clearly, or be just overall fairly bad.”
- “The main theme is a banger, but the rest of the songs in the game are pretty meh.”
replayability
342 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
54%
9%
The game boasts high replayability, with players praising the multitude of ways to complete missions and the inclusion of various challenges and badges that encourage experimentation and mastery. Many reviewers noted that the ability to approach each level differently, along with the option to replay on harder difficulties, significantly enhances the game's longevity and enjoyment. However, some players mentioned that replay value may diminish after completing all challenges, suggesting a balance between initial replayability and long-term engagement.
- “Each mission can be completed in a thousand different ways, and the internal medal system also adds to the replay value.”
- “You can approach every level in different ways and there are badges/achievements for doing so, which increases replayability.”
- “The freedom to tackle missions in multiple ways ensures endless replayability, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
- “My general complaint is lack of replayability (I am on the last mission, I think. But I also thought that to be the case 3 missions ago too...).”
- “The content is somewhat limited (20-40+ hours of campaign and replayability is decent but not great), but while it lasts it's absolutely incredible.”
- “There are clearly many ways to complete your objectives; but the game lacks soul, unlike similar games like XCOM, that makes replayability only an in-the-distant future prospect.”
atmosphere
173 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
25%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, authentic Japanese cultural elements, and immersive sound design, which together create a captivating experience. Reviewers highlight the meticulous attention to detail in the art style, weather effects, and character interactions, all of which enhance the overall ambiance. The optional Japanese voice-over further enriches the atmosphere, making it a standout feature that resonates deeply with players.
- “The attention to detail is evident in every aspect, from the lush landscapes to the authentic architecture and atmospheric lighting.”
- “The atmosphere of this game is really good.”
- “The original Japanese voice actors and the background music create an awesome atmosphere.”
- “The only really positive things I have to say about this game are the atmospheres and aesthetics.”
- “The story creates a certain atmosphere especially with the well matched music.”
- “The atmosphere of Edo Japan pervades the experience and appears like a slice of genuine history before your eyes, and though I know that the events of the game are fictional it nonetheless feels just like something that would have happened during this time.”
grinding
95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
7%
89%
The reviews overwhelmingly describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and frustrating, with many players feeling that the gameplay devolves into repetitive trial-and-error mechanics. While some appreciate the challenge and complexity, the lack of variety and the necessity of constant quicksaving and reloading contribute to a sense of monotony. Overall, the experience is often characterized as a chore rather than an enjoyable challenge, leading to mixed feelings about the game's design.
- “I'm playing through blind, with no reference to guides or walkthroughs, but it reloads really fast after death/failure, so quicksaves make sure it's not tedious.”
- “Multiple types of enemies, guard formations and positioning, cover mechanics, optional hazards, and multiple abilities per character will make sure each level feels unique and no grinding or repetition.”
- “No lootboxes, no farming, no gambling tricks.”
- “The level was so tightly patrolled that it felt like a very tedious, trial and error slog of slowly peeling back an onion to do anything.”
- “I found a lot of scenarios tedious and annoying rather than enjoyable.”
- “This game is so tedious that I can't find much enjoyment from it.”
optimization
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
47%
12%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many users reporting smooth performance, solid frame rates, and minimal crashes. While some players experienced occasional stuttering or performance issues, particularly on lower-end hardware, the game is largely considered well-optimized, allowing for customizable settings to enhance performance. Recent patches have also improved quick save/load times and addressed initial performance bugs, contributing to a polished gaming experience.
- “The game is highly optimized in its quick save/load, so risky tactics and failures do not cost much in time to reload and don't take the player off the flow.”
- “I have a pretty old gaming laptop which has a 1.5 GB GPU and an i7 with 8 GB of RAM, and I was getting about 30 FPS on medium 1080 settings. The game was well optimized, no stutter or lag; it was running like the wind.”
- “But really what I mostly enjoy about the game, besides the fact that this game is unique in every way, is the simple fact that the game looks, sounds, and plays beautifully. The game has this very distinctive cel-shaded look to it, balanced with a lot of color and detail, paired with multiple video options, making it not only a pretty game but also an optimized game.”
- “The game suffers from terrible performance issues on all hardware.”
- “Unfortunately, it suffers from stuttering issues on my PC (and many others, apparently).”
- “I wish it was a bit more optimized; it struggled a little on my 960m 2GB card (1080p medium settings) despite not looking like an overly demanding game.”
stability
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
4%
74%
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and minimal bugs, some experience significant glitches, particularly with controls and pathfinding. The game runs well on various platforms, including the Steam Deck, but users have noted issues like freezing, especially on Linux, and occasional mission-specific bugs that may require restarts. Despite these problems, the majority find the game enjoyable and well-optimized, with only minor technical issues detracting from the experience.
- “It looks great, it runs great, and its gameplay is fluent, swift, and smooth. Very polished game from a developer who understands the topic and made this game with heart.”
- “First off, the mechanics are near flawless -- characters are super responsive, hotkeys are easy and simple to remember, there aren't any 'slippery detection windows', and almost no glitches as far as I've found (at least, none that break the experience).”
- “It's relatively bug free - I managed to run into one throughout the whole playthrough - and that's a real rarity nowadays.”
- “But unfortunately there were a few glitches and the flow of solving a level just didn't feel right more often than not.”
- “The camera and mouse-control system are sometimes extremely irritating where the game demands on-the-fly UI interactions to ensure the missions go as planned; where the game doesn't allow you to queue multiple actions for each character and the UI frequently glitches and causes you to command a character to perform an entirely useless and acontextual action because the mouse intersects something else from its janky camera viewpoint.”
- “The gameplay is great, but it's buggy, so much so I can't actually complete the game due to the game freezing in the final level.”
emotional
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players expressing deep investment in the characters and their journeys, often leading to poignant moments that evoke strong feelings, including sadness and joy. Many reviews highlight the story's ability to engage players emotionally, with well-developed characters and heartfelt narratives that resonate long after gameplay. Overall, the game is recognized for its effective emotional storytelling, making it a memorable experience for players.
- “The story is emotionally engaging, and the characters feel real (to the point that I got annoyed with some of them like I would real people lol).”
- “Love this game and the story even made me cry a little.”
- “The incredibly fun gameplay apart, it ends up being a beautiful and emotional journey.”
character development
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
47%
6%
Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and emotional engagement, with players noting distinct character designs and meaningful interactions that enhance the narrative. While some reviews suggest that the development could benefit from more extensive cutscenes or dialogue, many appreciate the unique skills and personalities of the characters, which contribute to a compelling story. Overall, the character development is highlighted as a strong aspect of the game, despite some critiques regarding its depth and pacing.
- “Very touching story and amazing character development and a fitting end to the story.”
- “The gameplay is fantastic, and I also find the story to be quite compelling - the character development draws you in, and you just want to keep going.”
- “The character development is superb and is a highlight of the game.”
- “I admit I didn't play it long, but I didn't see any kind of skills, level-building, or character development.”
- “Almost like Baldur's Gate II but with stealth-based play and less to no character development.”
- “The characters all have different relationships with each other, but there isn't enough 'screen time' for any real meaningful interaction or true character development.”
humor
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever dialogue, character interactions, and situational comedy, often blending absurdity with tactical gameplay. Players find the characters' personalities and quirks, such as a white samurai with a funny accent and a thief who believes in "freeing" stolen items, to be particularly entertaining. Overall, the game balances humor with serious moments, creating a captivating and enjoyable experience.
- “When you pull off some stupid, elaborate trick that borders on cheese, it's equal parts funny and satisfying.”
- “I felt less smart leading 200 guards with a tanuki on a wild goose chase until they walked right into a very poorly hidden bear trap, but it never stopped being funny.”
- “The dialogue is short but snappy; my favorite is the thief character: a young girl who earnestly believes she is setting the things she steals 'free' and it's hilarious.”
monetization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
9%
64%
Overall, the monetization aspect of the game is positively received, with players appreciating the absence of microtransactions, loot boxes, and other cash grab tactics. The game is praised for its original content, bug-free experience, and generous demo, although a minor in-game advertising feature is noted as a slight drawback. Players feel that the game's value is high, especially given its quality and lack of exploitative monetization practices.
- “I also want to point out that these guys put out an original product bug-free, with full controller support, a generously sized demo, no microtransactions, and actually listen to their customers.”
- “And if all of that hasn't convinced you, the soundtrack is great, the graphics are pretty, there are lots of cool achievements to collect, and there are no scummy microtransactions or paid DLCs besides the soundtrack (which you should totally buy).”
- “With a decent amount of difficulty, plenty of content, replay value, excellent gameplay, and no cash grab gimmicks for $40?”
- “But all these great genres and games reached their peak and are a lot more mainstream that nowadays are repetitive and filled with BS microtransactions and other bad stuff.”
- “Although this doesn't impact the gameplay directly, it can be seen as intrusive in-game advertising, which may not appeal to some players.”
- “While the presence of in-game advertising is a minor downside, it doesn't overshadow the game's overall excellence.”