Nobunaga's Ambition: Taishi

 PlayStation 4
Nobunaga's Ambition: Taishi Image
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critics What's this?

User Score
4.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

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  • Summary: Nobunaga's Ambition: Taishi is the 15th and latest in the historical simulation game series Nobunaga's Ambition. Where a warrior's resolve exceeds their ambition. We offer the grandest warring states experience to all the fans out there.
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Nobunaga's Ambition: Taishi - Announcement Trailer

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 12
  3. Negative: 1 out of 12
  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Jun 5, 2018
    100
    This is the kind of game I can sit down to and play for an entire evening without realising how much time was slipping. It's always "just one more turn," or "just one more battle", and even after all these years of playing Koei's strategy and action games set through the Sengoku period, and reading books about it, I'm always impressed that Koei Tecmo manages to teach me something new each time it releases something in the franchise.
  2. 4Players.de
    Jun 22, 2018
    79
    Just like Sphere of Influence and Ascension the strategy focuses on development, diplomacy and warfare as core elements, with economic as well as political connections at its center. Overall it feels less refined than the predecessors, though.
  3. 3DJuegos
    Jun 19, 2018
    75
    A deep, engaging and enjoyable strategy sim that requires too many hours of “placid” gameplay… and a hardcore profile as a gamer to really enjoy the whole experience the game has to offer.
  4. Eurogamer Italy
    Jun 5, 2018
    70
    Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi possesses many good qualities. Its extreme complexity makes it a top notch historic sim for every veteran but, on the other hand, results being inaccessible to all newcomers. Those who will invest their bodies and souls in Koei Tecmo’s new title will get a highly satisfying experience: if you’re not among these brave players, it would better to try something less demanding.
  5. Hardcore Gamer
    Jun 5, 2018
    70
    The new features, particularly the Resolve system, are cool, but the title still manages to feel incomplete. For those elite, it’s best to wait until the next version.
  6. Everyeye.it
    Jul 1, 2018
    68
    As much as Nobunaga's Ambitions: Taishi is a good "grand strategy", the production still sins of different ingenuity and a technical realization that we could define now connatural in the series signed Koei Tecmo.
  7. Cubed3
    Jun 15, 2018
    30
    Ultimately, the final product is just dull, too simple to appeal to the hardcore, and too dense to appeal to the casual. It's hard to see who could enjoy this outside of hardcore J-History buffs and, even then, a textbook would be more entertaining.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. Deian
    Jun 10, 2018
    8
    I would write a longer review, but will save that for my videos. So overall, Taishi is a pretty great addition to the Nobunga's AmbitionI would write a longer review, but will save that for my videos. So overall, Taishi is a pretty great addition to the Nobunga's Ambition lineup, but lacks some core features-creating clans, historical officer editing, creating new bases, etc. However, I feel an expansion pack will take care of this. It is disappointing to see the battles simplified, but this may be overall better for the gameplay, so it's something I can live with. The music is pretty great, though I have nostalgia for Sphere Of Influence's Music, oh well. The Graphics for a strategy game are absolutely fantastic, as are the portraits. The Major Characters all look distinct, and the Resolve system really cements this. At first glance it may look like just the ROTKXII Fame and Strategy PUK Prestige System, but it really is a lot more in-depth, it makes a lot more sense in how the AI acts, and each country has it's goals-not just conquest. This is a lot more realistic and really makes the game feel more authentic, dramatic, and personal. There are some negatives however, the clunky ui, which feels really un-PS4 friendly, though I got used to it, the mandatory tutorial-no tutorial mode, shame. Also, territory is set, so it really accentuates the issue with creating fictional daimyo clans.
    Overall it's a pretty great game, but needs expansion to become worthy for everyone, and I know a lot of people will be disappointed and that's understandable. If it gets a good PUK I'd raise the score to a 9/10, and expect people overall to like it a lot more, but still be upset over needing to pay at least 20 bucks for a PUK to get the full great experience, but I'm ok with it, but can understand people's lowers scores.
    Overall, if you can stomach the lacking issues, along with a good deal more issues-but at least to me nothing game breaking-I will cover if I ever make a video on this, buy it, but if you're ok paying about 20-40 dollars more for the full package later, then buy then and you likely won't be disappointed-unless the PUK is awful.
    If you can't stand either, then...I'm sorry, this game isn't for you, and I can understand why.
    Overall, I give this game a 8.2/10, and really look forward to the Power-Up-Kit.    … Expand
  2. GBG_Jason
    Jun 5, 2018
    6
    In a sense, this is an in-depth game of Risk, the ever popular Hasbro board game. The difference is all of your decisions and regions takeIn a sense, this is an in-depth game of Risk, the ever popular Hasbro board game. The difference is all of your decisions and regions take place within Japan several hundred years ago. Starting out you’re given the option of choosing a time period to play, as well as a character within that timeframe. You can start with any you so desire, as the game is kind enough to offer up tutorials during your gameplay session. I'm not sure I've ever played a strategy game that is both so overwhelming and yet so simplified that I find it frustrating. What I appreciate is that the game is meant to teach history to some extent, with characters having their own resolve – staying within these parameters allows for you to play through the game in different ways while being rewarded for doing so. Despite the era being one that I adore, the dialogue is a bit off-putting at times - I understand language needs to be contemporary to an extent, but it'd be nice to have some indication that this was taking place during the Sengoku Era. One of the strongest aspects of the game is the soundtrack. If you enjoy the likes of Koichi Sugiyama, chances are you'll enjoy this - while not composed by him, there are a lot of tracks that are reminiscent of his past work.

    Having no experience, I can say that I appreciate the approach of implementing the tutorials within a live session opposed to having a separate section making me wish I was just playing the game. Admittedly, when it comes to games like this, my patience runs thin when learning the mechanics. So the fact that they are interspersed through the match opposed to all at once makes things much nicer. However, I couldn't help but feel like some of the decisions I made either had no weight or needed to be performed by me at all. For example, when managing the agriculture for one of your areas, the game has a description at the bottom of the screen that tells you the state of the area, and informs you which of the two available options you should choose. So when you only have one set of seeds to sow, and you're told exactly where you should sow them, it feels like it's holding your hand a bit too much. And when you follow the prompts and things still fall apart, it's a bit disheartening, especially since the game doesn’t tell you how to combat that.

    There are many options that the game allows you to choose from prior to being told about them, and should you choose any of them, the game offers a tutorial on how to use them properly. As much as I like the way the tutorials are implemented, I did find myself being confused by the commands within them from time to time. It would be helpful if the options would be highlighted in some manner, or an arrow of sorts pointed after a period of time of failing to figure out where it wants you to select. But I can’t complain too much, as I’ve played strategy games that are far more confusing and don’t allow for someone new to play at all. Following the guiding hand of the game, I started to wonder if there was something to do that would feel more fulfilling, at which point I entered into a battle.

    Knowing how the rest of the game was, I should've expected the battle to be more strategic than most other Koei games. Indeed, this is the case here, as battles are a mix of turns and tactics - almost like an SRPG without the grids. The map shows where the enemies may be and you are given an area to move in and then face a direction. Once you spot the enemy it's in your best interest to stay out of their sight and circle around for an ambush. Should you fail and not have the appropriate gear, chances are you'll end up losing. Even if you achieve perfect strategy, without the proper gear for battle you'll end up going home with your tail between your legs. Perhaps the one part of the game that could've soared and made it stand out among all the menus ends up feeling sluggish and slightly disappointing. That’s not to say it’s outright bad, as it is certainly a nice change from the building up of your regions with soldiers, infrastructure, and diplomacy, but I was left wanting more. If battles are not your thing and your stats outweigh the opposing forces, you can just allow the AI to battle it out without you.

    With a huge roster of characters to choose from, each with their own ambitions and goals, it's hard to say the game doesn't offer enough content. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind it being a bit smaller in this regard with more focus on the battles. This entry makes me want to jump into a previous iteration to see what was different before, as I’m sure a number of things were removed in lieu of new ideas. If you're a huge fan of the Nobunaga's Ambition series, I can't speak to whether or not this is a good sequel or not. If you've never played it, this seems to be a decent enough entry point, although Civilization is probably a better choice. The first few hours can be rough, but things pick up if you give it time.    … Expand

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