We go hands on with Sengoku

Patience is not something that really comes naturally to gamers these days. In a world filled with Dudebro shooters and 'Hollywoodised' RPGs, it's all about the fast paced "immersive" action. Even in the strategy genre, action often takes precedence over planning, and it takes a certain kind of gamer to be able to sit there and play... by doing nothing. Sengoku, Paradox's latest internal grand strategy title, and the first using their new engine, is deep down a game about patience.
 

Make sure you pick the right people for the right job

Moving on from the coverage we did earlier in the year, Paradox have now kindly provided us with some playable code, and we've been able to get a better sense as to what it's all about. To our shame, we're the kind of gamer who leans more towards action, so Sengoku has really taken some adjustment. It's important to note though that there's a difference between games that require patience and thinking because of finely engineered gameplay, and games that require patience and thinking because there's really not a lot to do. From what we've seen so far, Sengoku can sometimes struggle a little bit with that line.

Don't get us wrong - there is a well made and interesting game here, I mean how could their not be? Think of everything that was unique and interesting about Crusader Kings, and apply it to a Japanese setting and a new engine. One of the main problems though is that, so far, there seems to be a few things missing. The family tree and bloodlines means sod all now, there's not that many events that we can see, decisions seem to be a bit light... and the way the improvement system works means that there's not a lot for you to actually do if you're not fighting a war. As they say, patience is a virtue, and you're going to need a lot of it here.

Although the game is set in Sengoku Jidai period of Japan - a period best by war, intrigue and all round violence - a lot of the chaos has been lost in translation. To be sure, the plot system is interesting, and slowly subverting your enemies vassals is very satisfying and not mention rewarding... but these things generally just involve you either sending your Master of Intrigue to so decent and/or just showing these people with money. That requires you to wait whilst that said money builds up, and you need to wait whilst your Master of Ceremonies slowly but surely improves your villages so you can get more income.



Combat does end up forming a large part of the gameplay experience however - most of central Japan is at war right at the start of the game, so unless you choose a clan on the fringes, you're going to be right in the thick of it right from the off. Like all Paradox games, combat is abstracted using stats and modifiers, but generally speaking so long as you have more troops than the other guy, you should be fine. Sieges are interesting, as they force you to choose between waiting for a breach to minimise casualties, waiting until the province surrenders, or just charging away anyway at great, great cost. One odd thing we did notice about combat is that the financial penalty is nowhere near what it used to be in Crusader Kings. We're not sure if that was just this build or whether they've made it easier to wage war.

Despite what we said earlier about the non-combat side of the game - diplomacy is still key. There are not official alliances in Sengoku, but you can offer gifts and exchange hostages with those factions that you want to keep on friendly terms with. It's important to keep your vassals happy with land, titles and maintaining your own honour. Not only can you launch plots against enemies, but pretenders can pose a danger to your own rule, and so one must always watch your back. Ninjas form a key part here, as they can do everything from protection, to subversion, to kidnapping. That reminds me, I should send my ninjas to get me more courtiers... I'm running low.
 

Plots, the Japanese equivelent of the dog-pile...

We like Sengoku, don't mistake what we're saying here - It's just that we can't help but feel that Crusader Kings II is going to be the better game. Despite this though, the period, the new engine, the Japan-specific gameplay mechanics... there's a lot here for fans of the era to get involved in. Plots especially are a lot of fun, especially when you use them to take down a superior foe that's in your way. With just over a month left to go till release, there's unlikely to be any major gameplay changes from here on in, but despite our misgivings, we're still looking forward to it. Sengoku is due for release on PC on September 13th 2011.

Most Anticipated Feature: Using nothing but intrigue and diplomacy to split a large faction apart.