There’s no doubt that Japan’s Shogunate period – often referred to as Feudal Japan in the West – is having a pop culture moment, especially in the gaming world. For the more meticulous observer, the era between the mid-15th century and late 16th century, known as the Sengoku period, has been exceptionally rich for narratives that effectively leverage the aura surrounding conflicts, culture, and even politics.
While Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place in a relatively realistic depiction of this period’s twilight, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice recreates a more mystical version of one of Japan’s most unstable times marked by civil wars – unrest that wouldn’t subside until the nation’s unification under leaders like Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Enter Sengoku Dynasty, finally arriving on consoles including PlayStation 5 with a vastly different approach from these titles. Here, the spotlight is on management and building strategy; exploration and survival; plus solid doses of action with RPG elements – a blend that seems random on paper but proves well-balanced in the game’s design.
After being thrust into the shoes of a young shipwreck survivor, we awaken in an unfamiliar region. Our initial goal is to find Ako, an ally who was separated during the accident. The opening minutes introduce core mechanics that will accompany us for dozens of hours.
Our customizable character can gather resources (twigs, shells, herbs, small stones) barehanded, later crafting tools from rustic to advanced – axes, knives, pickaxes – which enable collection of rarer materials like metal, timber, and animal-derived ingredients (meat, leather).
Meeting our ally unlocks a surprisingly expansive range of new actions. We discover we’re not alone: many residents with complex histories draw us into regional turmoil caused by macro-level conflicts, imposing harsh constraints on ordinary lives.
Before we know it, we’re entrusted with reconstruction duties – rebuilding both our sense of place and a disoriented community. The true journey begins as we manage the settlement’s revival, weathering storms, hostility, and socioeconomic challenges.
This means balancing tasks like recruiting refugees to our community, defending against enemies unconvinced by our peaceful mission, facing dangerous wildlife, exploring new territories while gathering building materials, securing seeds for food, and resolving unexpected crises (epidemics, demon impersonators).
The interplay between micromanagement (combat, foraging) and macro-administration (job assignments, urban planning) is the game’s strongest asset. Combat demands clash with economic menus requiring knowledge of sustainability for growing populations.
Sengoku Dynasty forces constant choices between immediate actions and long-term planning: build a forge or sawmill? Invest in a temple or tavern? Prioritize a rice paddy or watchtower? These decisions define gameplay cycles.
Unfortunately, the settlement’s rigidity becomes draining over time. Assigned citizens lack autonomy – for example, farmers idly stand by if seeds deplete in storage, potentially abandoning the settlement. Unlike genre peers (Two Point franchise), every task requires meticulous delegation, creating stiffness as responsibilities pile up.
The standout feature with NPCs is our personal evolution: starting class selection, skill development, and even romance options. Though lacking deep NPC diversity, these details add immersive value uniquely shaping each playthrough.
Despite this customization, Sengoku Dynasty avoids pure sandbox disorientation via missions and favors that guide without restricting. Beautiful seasonal art marks progress, yet players can ignore quests (like herb retrieval or specific construction) without blocking advancement, offering substantial freedom for those embracing the “do whatever you want” ethos.
Managing everything solo is challenging. The villagers’ minimal decision-making capacity forces us to prioritize chores over exploration, risking quick loss of control. Though the controls are simple, system complexity compounds with growing tasks.
The somewhat simplistic combat exemplifies how “more” ≠ “better”: spear-hunting and archery feel tedious against the game’s demanding pace. Clunky gear-swapping worsens issues: newly crafted tools (axes/hammers) don’t auto-assign to the quick-select wheel.
Step-by-step emphasis frustrates elsewhere too: skinning a rabbit requires killing it with ranged weapons, retrieving the projectile (if possible), manually equipping a knife, then performing the action – tedious when repeated relentlessly.
The building system allows diverse structures, but even distant camera views poorly support layout planning. Without difficulty toggles, manual crafting of walls/roofs becomes monotonous – not hard, just laborious.
Resource gathering feels initially fun and intuitive – cutting trees, picking plants, campfire cooking. But these mechanics lose charm when overshadowed by managing dozens of villagers and higher-stakes decisions.
This scale-versus-execution imbalance trips up the game: actions multiply without gaining depth. While minor tasks auto-assign when delegated, volume remains overwhelming – as if villagers were helpless toddlers requiring constant supervision.
Artistically, scale-execution duality also shows: historically accurate scenes feature beautiful graphics, sophisticated weather, and realistic day/night cycles; yet lack non-essential details/effects. Praise-worthy costume/architecture research aligns geography and flora/fauna biomes authentically. Limitations emerge though: low-detail character models and robotic animations with minimal variations.
Game physics suffer too – players regularly get stuck in bushes, trip over invisible terrain, or plummet unnaturally from heights alongside inexplicable popup elements. World interaction feels sacrificed to the ambitious ever-changing environment.
Overall, a product brimming with scope: limitless actions controlling an emerging dynasty and hours of ripple-effect decisions in a virtually endless journey. But these strengths persist despite rough edges: gameplay simplicity that never excels in any one domain; historically correct but artistically plain visuals; micro/macro imbalance. Between excellence and grandeur, Sengoku Dynasty occupies middle ground – relentlessly busy, yet ultimately less memorable than the era it portrays.
Sengoku Dynasty is available now on PC (via Steam) and releases August 21 for PS5 and Xbox Series with Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. This review was produced playing the PS5 version with a code provided by Toplitz Productions.
