Every year at Gameguin we are forced to sacrifice a game because it is impossible to review all the good things that come out – just be too. Last year, the victim was Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, the brilliant title in the RTT (real-time tactics) genre. This genre was frozen in the days after we lost the Commandos and Desperados series, but the German team Mimimi Productions caught up with the best PC games in 2016.
Since it has now got its version for the PS4 / XBO console, and we have played it in the meantime, we have decided to correct the mistake and bring you a review of that pearl. It should be noted that this is primarily a PC version review, although we have tried the demo of the same game on the console and count that most things are worth no matter what version you run.
As the game name suggests, Shadow Tactics is a Japanese theme game. Expect samurai, suicide with daggers and a beautiful environment. In short –Assassin’s Creed that we never got, just with an isometric camera. The action is housed in the so-called Edo period, or 19th century, and follows a group of individuals who prevent the destabilization of the Japanese empire. The story itself is very banal through a series of sound dialogs and is not a big motivator to play. However, the same story works solidly as a general context for the tactical maneuvers you perform.
“The action is located in the Edo period, ie the 19th century, and follows a group of specialists that prevent destabilization of the Japanese empire.”
The focus of the game is on hacking and silent killing, which is known to you if you have played the Commandos or Desperados. The enemy is numerically superior, and you must use the special powers of your characters to accomplish your task. Here are five such characters and each one is unique in something like belonging to a particular class. Samurai Mugen is, for example, a “tank” where you go into a direct fight. Ninzda Hayato is a more weighty “rogue” with which you can jump on the roofs and thus gain a strategic advantage over the enemy.
All characters are killed by a colorful arsenal, but real murder comes only when they collaborate with each other. There is a so-called scene on the scene. Shadow mode in which you can orchestrate actions (primarily attacks) and automate them at a convenient time by pressing one button. Such tactics are not just to make it easier for you to play than the game is looking for at a very early stage. Moreover, you can only eliminate some enemies with a combination of attacks, and there is a need for Shadow mode. Coordinated moves are key and lies in all the beauty of tactics – both in advance and in real time.
“Coordinated moves are key and lie in all the beauty of tactics, both in advance and in real time.”
This “real-time” add-on means that the game does not even tolerate mistakes. If it turns out that your plan has not passed the best game you will not be automatically penalized for it but you will have the chance to get out of the gabula. However, by dejected and unhappy actions you can additionally hate life because hostile patrols come whenever a loud action takes place. For gameplay it is a twin-sword because many situations in the first game are solved by the method of attempts and mistakes. Only when you see how many enemies will react to your move, you know if he is “right”.
However, unlike Commandos and Desperado, Shadow Tactics has a little more freedom in solving the missions. Often, you have at least two ways to accomplish a task, and it is skillfully designed to play you yourself by choosing the characters that are available to you during the mission. For example, in a mission with a sniper you can download a target from a distance, but you can also poison it with a thief. The maps are large and you are not required to clean up all the enemies to reach the main location, but that does not mean that you will walk easy to walk around. Each of the 13 missions requires you to invest at least one hour of your time, then causing you to re-navigate the “speedrunner”. In addition to the classic achievements, you also have medals that make the mission move as interesting as the first time.
“Often, you have at least two ways to accomplish a task, and it is skillfully designed to play you yourself by choosing the characters that are available to you during the mission.”
Surprisingly, how good a game is designed to control gamepad. Of course, the mouse and the keyboard are preferred here, but there is also a controller of your strengths as you have more precise control of the character. You are setting your own path of motion, while on the PC I figure the path to the point you set. Luckily, it’s also possible to play on a PC with a controller, so if you already have a dial option, look at the version for the PC, as it is locked at 30fps for the console (though it’s not crucial in this slow game).
Shadow Tactics is made of cel-shading technique so it looks like a hand-cartoon film. If you are not a supporter of such a style (ala Borderlands), you might be able to refuse the game. I’m not personally a fan of thick black edges on the facilities, but that does not mean the game does not look nice. She draws her excellent design that is purely “Japanese”. You know it – beautiful gardens, exotic architecture, etc. Shadow Tactics is so comfortably in the range of games like Onimusha, Mark of the Ninja, Nioh and others.
“The visual design conveys the ambience of Japanese culture inspired by great games such as Onimusha, Mark of the Ninja and Nioh.”
Partial praise goes and sounds. It’s great that the game comes with an optional voice act in Japanese, which greatly contributes to the ambiance. On the other hand, music is not particularly prominent, which is odd to me for this type of game. In all the games of this type, music always made it easy for me to get in my ear and then I would have been doing it for a long time. This was not the case because I did not remember almost any melody. It’s not a terrible minus, but well – I have to mention.
The only complaint I have is on the camera. Most of the time the things are clear and clearly visible, but I knew I had to stop the action to set up the camera because it did not follow the character and its movement. And in a game based on the methods of trying and making mistakes I do not want my camera to be a weed that will drag me to the mistake.
When all the impressions are arranged and arranged, Shadow Tactics is a great designed game that I would definitely recommend to fans of brainpower and seeking solutions in unforeseen circumstances. I must point out, however, that this is not the concept of fun game for all players, especially if your consoles are your domain for the first time for the RTT genre. With that in mind, if you access this game, approach carefully as ninjas. Do not be Tom Cruise who wants to swing the sword on the cannon.
