

However, that’s pretty slow I’ve taken three hours to finish a single mission. (Were it not for the generous quick save system, I’d almost certainly be sunk.) Aside from the sections where simultaneous actions via Shadow Mode is a must, it’s generally possible to compartmentalize and control each character one at a time. Did that? See if you can infiltrate his heavily guarded compound and kill him with just your bare hands.įor somebody who is generally more inclined to turn-based strategy, Shadow Tactics can be difficult, but it’s still doable. You had Takuma snipe this high-level target from afar? Cool, next time try poisoning his tea with Yuki. It not only encourages replaying levels, but also pushes players toward trying out new ideas or taking different paths. Blades of the Shogun doesn’t dwell too long on any one idea before trying something new.įurther, each mission has a set of optional objectives, usually focused on completing the given task with style. One mission brings the group to a rice paddy where cover is plentiful but sloshing through the water makes a lot of noise. In night levels, the entire line of sight system is reworked to take into account distance from a light source. Snow on the ground causes characters to leave footprints, which are often a hazard to avoid but can also be a boon when used cleverly in order to lure guards from their posts. Once the basics of stealth and each character’s abilities are out of the way, the maps themselves add new wrinkles. If anything, I wish it were possible to have more than one action per character in the queue.Īnother aspect that keeps Shadow Tactics interesting is the steady introduction of new mechanics to tackle. I can recall another instance in which I had Mugen drop his bottle of sake to act as a lure, had Hayato throw a shuriken when the enemy was in an exact spot, then sent Yuki in to drag the body away to remain out of sight, all within a few seconds. Shadow Mode can be crucial for team actions that need to be precisely timed. One of the coolest feelings was marking each of the three patrolling guards with a different character and pounce-assassinating them all at once from a bridge overhead. Toward that end, Shadow Tactics has a feature called Shadow Mode, which allows players to queue up one action for each character, then either execute them individually or simultaneously with a single keystroke. In a mission with only Hayato, Yuki, and Aiko, the three have to work together in order to take out the targets undetected. There are often multiple solutions to a given problem, and by constantly mixing up which combination of the five team members are available from mission to mission, ideas that have worked in the past may not be as viable in the future.įor instance, a patrol of three guards moving closely together obviously calls for Mugen’s area attack or Takuma’s bomb. It’s the combination of abilities (and often the consideration of drawbacks) that makes Shadow Tactics interesting. Aiko can manipulate vision cones and change outfits to walk among foes undetected.

Yuki can lure enemies to her location with a whistle and can set up a trap to take them out when they step on it. The two additional characters are more like Hayato in terms of movement and combat capability, but they distinguish themselves by their special abilities. Takuma is a sniper, slower than most and unable to quietly assassinate in close range, but deadly when perched in a far off tower. Mugen is a samurai with his armor he can take more damage and execute an area-of-effect attack to neutralize multiple enemies at once.

He can hookshot onto buildings, distract guards with thrown rocks, and assassinate targets from behind.

Hayato is a shinobi he plays like a typical stealth game hero. Rig: AMD Phenom II X2 555 3.2 GHz, with 4GB of RAM, ATI Radeon HD 5700, Windows 7 64-bitīlades of the Shogun‘s opening mission introduces three of the five main characters, each with his own archetype.
#Shadow tactics 2 Pc#
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (Linux, Mac, PC ) Instead of stealth by way of action or a shooter, Shadow Tactics approaches it through a more real-time strategy lens. It follows a group of five warriors, each with his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun zooms out a bit. Players control one man using skill and cunning to take on an army. Solid Snake and Sam Fisher generally work alone. Thinking about stealth, a common image the mind conjures is that of a lone wolf slinking through the shadows and taking out threats one by one.
