The 5 best games like Shogun to maintain the historical Japan atmosphere

ShogunThe limited TV series, based on the historical novel by James Clavell, quickly established itself as one of the best new series of the year, thanks to a compelling cast of characters and a stirring performance from lead actor Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Toranaga.

If you’re still reeling from this week’s series finale and looking for a game that will satisfy your desire for more great storytelling set in historical Japan, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve handpicked some of our favorite games to help ease the transition into a post-game.Shogun World. Let’s dive in!

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Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

Image: Mimimi Productions/Daedalic Entertainment

Where to play: PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox One

Sometimes a veiled knife in the dark is worth more than a hundred swords on the battlefield. Case in point: The End of Shogunis the second episode in which a shinobi disguised as a long-time house servant breaks through guards and bystanders alike, leaving blood in his wake before being struck down by Lord Toranaga. So if you are looking for a stealth action game that emphasizes strategy and patience, Mimimi Productions’ 2016 real-time tactics game is a must-play.

Set in feudal Japan, shortly after the reigning shogun unified the country, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun follows a group of unlikely allies as they band together in their common quest to defeat a mysterious warlord who threatens the shogunate. It’s an excellent and completely underrated stealth game that places an emphasis on making the most of every skill your group of playable characters brings to every challenge. –Toussaint Egan

Total War: Shogun 2

Image: Creative Assembly/Sega

Where to play: Windows PC

Shogun is set at the end of the Sengoku period, a period in which incessant civil wars have divided the country into countless dominions overseen by warlords seeking to expand their territories. The series finale ends on the brink of war, as Toranaga reflects on the so-called Battle of Sekigahara. If you were disappointed by the lack of a big battle at the end Shogunthis classic RTS is the perfect way to experience that.

Creative Assembly’s journey to strategy gaming supremacy began in 2000 with the original Shogun: Total War. After a decade-long journey through ancient Rome and Europe, the developer returned to Japan in 2011 Total War: Shogun 2. The result was a BAFTA Award for Best Strategy Game and the creation of a high-profile multimodal format that would later become the popular Total War: Warhammer trilogy.

In Total War: Shogun 2, You will send thousands of soldiers, archers and cavalrymen into real-time tactical battles. From a bird’s eye view of the battlefield, you can order them to flank, fire and attack the enemy. Then, on the turn-based overworld map, you maneuver your forces to exploit the terrain and use it to eliminate your AI-controlled opponents and dominate all of Japan. The timeline fits the TV show perfectly as the units are taken from historical accounts from the 16th century.

To get the most bang for your buck, get this Total War: Shogun 2 ccollection on Steam, which includes the base game and its major expansions. –Charlie Hall

Rise of the Ronin

Image: Team Ninja/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Where to play: PlayStation 5

If you’re looking for a game that lets you explore the beautiful plains and rolling hills of 19th century Japan, then this is it Shogun Team Ninja’s first open-world action adventure, only briefly hinted at throughout the series, is just the game to satisfy your wanderlust. As a former anti-shogunate assassin turned ronin, players must traverse the landscape of 19th century Japan after their village is destroyed and their lifelong partner disappears. You’ll fight ruthless bandits, grumpy American soldiers and even voracious dogs as you try to build a new life for yourself. Additionally, players will have the opportunity to form bonds with important characters and ally with feuding factions to decide the fate of Japan. If that doesn’t fit the themes of ShogunI do not know what that means. -THE

Nioh

Image: Team Ninja/Koei ​​​​Tecmo

Where to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC

Although loosely based on true events, Shogun is technically a work of historical fiction, with John Blackthorne and Lord Yoshii Toranaga as fictional analogues for the real-life English sailor-turned-samurai William Adams and the daimyo-turned-shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. If you’re looking for a different, albeit more heavily exaggerated, take on the events covered in the show, be sure to check out 2017’s Soulslike by Team Ninja Nioh a shot.

In a dark fantasy version of 16th century Japan, players take the role of an Irish sailor named William who travels to Japan seeking revenge against Edward Kelley, an occult alchemist who wants to perpetuate the conflict with the help of an oni army comes. William quickly allies himself with Ieyasu and his ninja servant Hanzo Hattori, who agree to assist him in his mission to defeat Kelley to bring peace to Japan. It’s a wild and ridiculous action RPG full of intense sword fights and terrifying bosses. It’s not exactly the equivalent of a slow, emotional prestige TV series, but it’s fun to play. -THE

Like a dragon: goods!

Image: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega

Where to play: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

The Like a Dragon series (formerly known as Yakuza) has always been known for its outlandish scenarios with golden-hearted gangsters and over-the-top mini-games. In 2014, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio took one of the franchise’s most radical moves to date, revamping the series’ mechanics and ideas for an action-adventure spin-off set in 19th-century Japan. Like a dragon: goods! puts the player in the role of the legendary samurai Sakamoto Ryōma (modeled after the regular series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu), who fights to clear his name after his adoptive father is murdered by an assassin.

If you were intrigued ShogunThanks to the careful rendition of Osaka Castle, you’ll love exploring the game’s vast and beautiful version of the castle town of Tosa and Kyo, Japan’s capital during the Bakumatsu era. It’s a fantastic game with compelling characters and great combat, and with the recent remake allowing players to play it on PC and current-gen consoles, there’s never been a better time to give it a try. -THE