Unpredictable AI
With many games you must be against a player to be fully tested but that isn’t necessarily the case with Skulls of the Shogun. Often just as unpredictable as players the AI will focus on one unit or spread out so the player has to defend on all fronts. The computer is also surprisingly good at knocking back units which as mentioned could see the unit falling to its death over a cliff or out of the counter attack range. Skilled is certainly the word to use and if you aren’t playing wisely you will find yourself being beaten by the computer. Just remember to keep the archers at a safe distance or behind some infantrymen; otherwise they are easy targets and a lot of you high damage units gone in one swoop.
NOTs
Slightly Imprecise
Positioning units in a strategy title is always important and this is where the slight imprecision caused by the gridless battlefields to some extent lets the game down. It allows for flexible movement and flowing looks to the game, on the other hand players will struggle to know exactly when they are in range of the enemy. To find this range, it does take a little getting used to but it is possible. Just the initial imprecision that could cause frustration may put some players off.
Odd Glitch
Okay any game has some glitches but they shouldn’t be overlooked. Within a few hours playing, I did come across a few minor ones thankfully nothing game breaking; more importantly none that caused me to lose due to them. The only notable one was that after selecting one of my unused cavalry units, and having 2 out of my five orders remaining, he was unable to move. By simply deselecting and re-selecting him I got around this problem and he rode off, alas to his unfortunate end but the glitch wasn’t to blame. As the select version of turn it off and on again worked the glitch was overcome it wasn’t a major issue, but it is worth noting as with all titles the game isn’t quite 100% bug free.
General Loophole
If the enemy general falls, you win the battle by default. It doesn’t matter if you are still outnumbered two to one the enemy forces are history. While it is nice to see taking the enemy general out has some form of affect on the gameplay, perhaps if only a percentage ran as a result it would seem more of a fair result. This loophole has allowed me to quickly win some battles but they have felt like hollow victories. It is a feature that could be exploited and with leaderboards and points to be earned someone is bound to use any loophole available.
Verdict
Skulls of the Shogun is a fun and entertaining title that offers both a decent visual experience and deep, rewarding turn based strategic gameplay. Some of the one line references show that the game doesn’t take everything too seriously allowing the combat and style to stay light and refreshing. There are some issues but most are minor and can be overlooked when the overall game is well polished and thanks to the well programmed AI rather enjoyable. Whether you are new to turn based strategy games or it is the only genre you play Skulls of the Shogun offers some that bit different that it deserves a play in anyone’s games collection.
[Editor’s Note: Skulls of the Shogun was reviewed on the PC. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]
