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PS2
Shin Sengoku Musou 2 Empires
- New Import, In Stock |
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NCS Game Synopsis
«©NCSX»
A
war-wracked
Japan goads ambitious generals to marshal their
armies for all-out conflict. Compelled to unite
Japan under a single crest, the daimyo form
political alliances, conspire to topple neighbors,
and go to war against each other. By way of the
sword, the scythe, the gun, and the spear, twenty
eight leaders all seek total control of the country
and absolute power.
The main game mode combines resource management and tactical
maneuvering with the hack 'n slash action of the
conventional Sangoku Musou games. During the
planning and development stage, leaders may invest
in technology, armies, and infrastructure. When
neighboring allies are attacked by invading forces,
players may opt to hunker down and bolster one's own
defenses or go out and help the ally. Leaders who
turn within during times of strife may find their
chances of survival are diminished after a friendly
neighbor is taken over by an enemy. After playing a
trial game this morning, NCS finds that the enemy AI
is improved over earlier Sangoku games. Instead of
hanging back now, enemy soldiers now attack in
concert with more initiative and thirst.
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NCS
Game Notes
» In the intro to the game, the camera flies
through clouds and heads downwards until it targets
dark images of fighters attacking en masse and
generals confronting their equals. Metal snowflakes
of sorts glimmer on screen followed by more images
of battle and tacticians in planning their campaigns
as armies amass for war.
» Seven daimyo may be chosen at the outset of the
game which starts in the year 1561. While perusing
the available characters, the music plays in the
background with drumbeats and stylized castanets.
Sadly, there was no audible cowbell. After selecting
a daimyo, the game begins with a view of an army
standing in front of a general. He rouses the troops
with sword swinging gesticulations and leads them.
» Players use resource management, invest in
research and tech, make alliances, and check out
neighbors to make sure no one's getting overly
powerful or rich.
» After each turn, revenues come in and is tabulated
on screen.
» When it's time to battle, the scenario shifts from
the default resource management screen to an
"in-the-thick-of-the-action" 3D roam and kill game
where the player controls a general who leads an
army of troops into war against an opposing army.
The action runs routine to the earlier Sangoku Musou
games but the enemy AI is more refined in that enemy
soldiers will press the attack and coordinate
attacks instead of standing around with their mouths
agape. Koei has heard our cries for improvement.
Before each battle, players may study the
battlefield and check out the forces marshaled
against him.
» As the seasons change, small events may occur such
as festivals, plagues, snowfall, etc. These are
shown in static illustrations along with a text box
which explains the occasion.
» A gallery mode in the main menu options contains a
wide amount of material including a character model
viewer allows gamers to check out 3D representations
of the generals in the game. Pan, close-up and
rotate in 3D space to check out their details and
intricacies. A total of 28 generals are viewable at
the outset. Players may also listen to voice samples
for each general. Additional galleries include
images for the henchmen in the game, weapons, items,
etc.
» The "Make a General" character editor allows the
player to create an original character for use in
the game. There are 13 archetypes available and each
one may be modified and customized to one's
preferences in terms of stance, crest symbol, armor
color, name, garb, and attributes.
» A History section contains text and images which
relay information on the Warring States period of
Japan's history. Events and timelines are explained
along with history on general and key events which
shaped Japan's destiny.
» For gamers who wish to eschew the tactical game
play, there's an all-out 3D hack 'n slashing option
where players choose a daimyo and then go to war
against opposing armies. As mentioned earlier, the
enemy AI is much improved over earlier Sangoku games
and enemy soldiers actually attack and gang up on
the player like a pack of thugs. Koei has finally
tweaked the engine and has made it much more
challenging than previous games in the entire
series.
» Where NCS testers once plowed into the thick of
enemy soldiers without fear of getting hit once,
they're actually strategizing now and fearing the
inevitable attacks that will rain down if a
foolhardy strategy is adopted.
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This document and photos are ©NCSX 2006. All rights
reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of
this document may be made without express written
consent of National Console Support, Inc. |
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