Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is a stealth-oriented real-time tactics video game developed by Mimimi Productions and published by Daedalic Entertainment. The gameplay is similar to that of the Commandos and Desperados series. It was released on December 6, 2016 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux,[2][3] and in July 2017 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.[4] The game received three German Developer Awards (best German game, best PC/console game, best game design).

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
Developer(s)Mimimi Productions
Publisher(s)Daedalic Entertainment
Kalypso Media (console)[1]
Director(s)Dominik Abé
Designer(s)Martin Hamberger
Moritz Wagner
Felix Friedlein
Programmer(s)Dominik Abé
Artist(s)Bianca Dörr
Writer(s)Martin Hamberger
Dennis Huszak
Composer(s)Filippo Beck Peccoz
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release
  • WW: December 6, 2016
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • EU: July 28, 2017
  • NA: August 1, 2017
Genre(s)Real-time tactics
Mode(s)Single-player

Plot

The game setting is loosely based on Japan's Edo period. A shogun has unified Japan after years of war. However, a mysterious warlord known as Kage-sama has emerged, jeopardizing the country's stability. The shogun assigns Oshiro Mugen, a samurai in his service, to eliminate Kage-sama and his allies. During his mission, Mugen meets and recruits four agents specializing in infiltration and assassination: Hayato, a grim ninja from the former Iga Province; Yuki, a clever, inquisitive young outcast; Aiko, a female ninja from the Shinano Province and Mugen's paramour; and Takuma, a sharpshooter and alchemist.

Together, they identify and kill two of Kage-sama's allies: Lord Yabu and General Okkoto. When they attempt to apprehend Kage-sama, however, they are captured. Kage-sama is none other than Lord Noboru, the shogun's younger brother and senior general. Noboru doesn't want peace but a perpetual state of war, where warriors like him are in their element. Holding Mugen's companions hostage, Noboru forces Mugen to lead him to the secret refuge of Ryunosuke, the Shogun's son, whom Noboru's son Masaru murders. Mugen's companions escape captivity, but a guilt-ridden and dishonored Mugen commits seppuku.

After learning that the group has survived, Noboru blames them for murdering Ryunosuke and furtively devises a plan to assassinate the shogun. The group kidnaps Masaru and delivers him to the Shogun, to whom he confesses everything about his involvement in his father's plot. The shogun executes Masaru and sends the group on their final mission to kill Noboru in his castle. Having avenged Mugen, the four comrades part ways and vanish from the eyes of history. Aiko later gives birth to Mugen's son, whom the Shogun adopts, allowing his legacy to endure.

Gameplay

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is a stealth-oriented real-time tactics game, inspired by the Commandos and Desperados game series. The player commands a small team and performs various acts of espionage, sabotage and assassination, such as infiltrating heavily guarded fortresses and eliminating enemies from within, killing/capturing special targets, stealing important documents, overhearing conversations to collect information, or rescuing other characters. Enemy guards have a visible cone of vision which the heroes must evade to remain undetected. Missions generally require the player to methodically kill enemies between them and the objective, using lures, traps, and backstabbing to kill without raising the alarm. The heroes can move the bodies of slain guards to hide them in bushes or behind doors, so that they may not be discovered. If a hero is spotted or a dead body is discovered by the enemy, the alarm will be raised and additional patrols will be deployed to secure the area.

Heroes

Each hero has their own set of skills.

  • Hayato has a shuriken with which he can kill most enemies at distance with little noise. He also has a grapple by which he can reach rooftops wherever an ear to catch the hook is present.
  • Mugen is the only character who can kill enemy samurai in a straight fight. He can also lure enemy guards from their posts with a bottle of sake.
  • Yuki can lay a trap that kills anyone who walks into it. She also has a flute with which she can lure guards by sound.
  • Aiko can disguise herself and walk freely around the map, and only enemy samurai can see through her disguise. She can distract enemy guards with casual banter and silently kill them with a hairpin.
  • Takuma has a rifle with which he can kill enemies at great distances and with no noise, but his ammunition is very limited. He also has a pet tanuki which he can send to distract enemy guards with dancing.

Reception

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[5] Rock, Paper, Shotgun found the game better than Commandos 2 and the Desperados series.[12]

Spin-offs and other media

A board game version of the PC game published by Antler Games was crowdfunded on Kickstarter in 2019.[13][14]

References
  1. Fischer, Tyler (February 14, 2017). "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Getting PS4 and Xbox One Physical Release via Kalypso Media". DualShockers. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  2. "official website". Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  3. "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun demo now available on Steam and GOG". PC Gamer. 2016-11-21. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  4. Romano, Sal (May 24, 2017). "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun for PS4, Xbox One launches August 1 in North America, July 28 in Europe". Gematsu. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  5. "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  6. "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  7. "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  8. Nakamura, Darren (2016-12-20). "Review: Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun". Destructoid. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
  9. Starkey, Daniel (2016-12-18). "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  10. Hafer, TJ (2016-12-15). "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Review". IGN. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  11. Velocci, Carli (2016-12-16). "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun review". Polygon. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  12. "Wot I Think – Shadow Tactics: Blades Of The Shogun". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 2016-12-02. Retrieved 2016-12-15. Atmospheric and impossible to rush, Shadow Tactics is a fabulous game – a game I think I prefer to both Commandos 2 and Desperados
  13. "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun(2019)". Kickstarter and Antler Games. 2019-01-15. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
  14. "Shadow Tactics - The Board Game". BoardGameGeek. 2019. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
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