I am a strategy game super nut job, turn based, real time, or a mixture of the two give me warm fuzzy feelings in the cockles of my heart. Koei, one of our favorite developers, has delivered once again a grand title in the form of this PS2 only historical strategy game, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Iron Triangle. Improving on the previous games by adding a new 3D map, controllable camera, and real time combat mixed with a rich historical setting, gamers will have the best of all strategy gaming in amazing game.
Though not for the casual gamer unwilling to learn the ropes, those gamers familiar with the series and those gamers willing to sit down and learn something new will be immersed in what is already a leading contender for Strategy Game of the Year.
Gameplay
The Romance of the Three Kingdom’s and Nobunaga’s Ambition series have always been favorites for those gamers who are looking for a deep and rewarding game experience and Nobunaga’s Ambition: Iron Triangle is one of the best games in recent memory. While it is a very deep game, with a little patience even casual gamers should be able to pick up how to play it and enjoy the game for the long term.
There are three main game types in Nobunaga’s Ambition, Unification, Local and Challenge. Unification is by far the most robust of the game types with a couple of the six or so scenarios lasting over 50 hours each. In Unification you attempt to unite all 60 areas of the map under your rule, this is difficult but fun and with the real time combat mixing up with the strategy you will not find yourself bored at all. Local mode is where you attempt to unite all the fiefs in your little part of the world under your rule and challenge mode is where you take control of a clan and try to beat a challenge.
Controls are well done and you can very quickly set up different commands for you army, officers and cities, but I would have hoped the actual movement when setting up where to build farms, shops, etc would have been easier and more of a snap to location, then the wanna-be “mouse” of using the thumb stick to move around. But for a great game like this one little issue with the controls is nothing to worry about.
The sheer amount of options in the game is staggering for those who have never played a game like this. Some of the options include attempting to spread rumors, raid an enemy army, steal an officer, recruit troops and officers, build farms, shops, ninja training areas and more, researching new technology and upgrading your castle and many more options it is actually rather baffling the first few minutes of looking at the manual and the in game screens. But if you play the very well done tutorial you will find yourself in good form and it is very easy to go back and re-learn something if you forget.
Creating your own character or using one of the 1000 characters (according to Koei) is possible for almost limitless gameplay opportunities. It is amazing that after all these years, master game maker Kou Shibusawa is still able to give gamers a new and wonderful experience in a game series he perfected. Hopefully though we will see a next generation game with updated graphics, video, audio and more, but if we are stuck with only the PS2 version for a few more years, that is ok too.
Graphics
I was pleasantly surprised at how crisp and clean the entire game looked stretched out on my 46 inch HDTV when it was made for the PS2. Everything is easy to see, read and understand even in the semi-complex map system. All of the characters have nice portraits, the seasons change on the map and you will notice the winter’s snow, autumn and its leaves and the bright green of spring. You can zoom in to the map, but not as far as I would have liked and the entire map has a nice almost 3D look to it. Castles, towns, forests, mountains, roads, water, etc are all noticeable and easy to navigate to.
Audio
The audio in Nobunaga’s is basic, but it does get the job done, which in the end is the most important thing. This is one game that I would like to have seen a full complement of voice acting for the many speaking roles in the game, but we have none and in the end that is disappointing. Musically the game also just does what it needs to, not pushing any audio barriers on the PS2 (or what was done on the PS1), but what is there for music works and complements the game.
Value
The overall value of the game is high with plenty of actual replay value if you want to change how you do things. For a game with no multiplayer the sheer value amount is very high with potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay if you wish to play all of the scenarios available to you.
Bottom Line
If you enjoy strategy gaming, then Nobunaga’s Ambition is one of those games you should own on your PS2/PS3. The game is very deep and involved and one of those series you can play for months and still enjoy it just like it is a brand new game. This is a must buy for fans of the series and a rental for everyone else who is looking for something new. Just hope Koei updates the game to the next generation for its next title.
+Deep and solid gameplay from a long loved series
+Nice graphics for a PS2 game
+Easy to understand tutorial (but maybe not easy enough for casual gamers)
+Long term game, this is a great value for your gaming dollar
+100’s of hours of gaming
Cons
-This is a great game series, but it could use a complete next generation overhaul
-Slow game pace and a very long game to commit to will scare off potential gamers
Here's a small guide to help you understand our evaluation of games.
PRESENTATION GRADE
Can be from the game's box to the contents of the booklet, and even the game introduction. (Intro, menus, options, etc)
GRAPHIC GRADE
Up to what point the graphics have been worked on my the developper. The design type, the effort used for textures and environments, as well as animations and framerate.
AUDIO GRADE
Is the soundtrack a good match to the game's style, he ambient sounds keeping with the gameplay and the sound effects clear and convincing?
GAMEPLAY GRADE
Placement of the controls and the inferface that the player with be using during the game.
REPLAY VALUE GRADE
The most important factor in the evaluation of a game. It identifies the lifespan of the game and the fun of coming back again and again.
I’ve always been an advocate for cheap and easy...Er...when it comes to gaming, that is. Unfortunately, it’s because of this that I’ve missed out on some of the bigger titles over the past few years. (CoD4, anyone?). Buying used games, ordering online from sites like Amazon or Ebay, is a simple way to avoid high pricing, (at least until you factor in...
I’ve always been an advocate for cheap and easy...Er...when it comes to gaming, that is. Unfortunately, it’s because of this that I’ve missed out on some of the bigger titles over the past few years. (CoD4, anyone?). Buying used games, ordering online from sites like Amazon or Ebay, is a simple way to avoid high pricing, (at least until you factor in... 
DarkCanuck
RSS Feed