Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence

[Kong Wen]

I've actually put in 130+ hours into this game thus far. It has become one of my favorite KOEI strategy games, and I'm still playing it. I've won as the Uesugi and Ishida, and am now finishing a playthrough as the Oda in the Struggle for Power Scenario. Progressive policies are VERY strong in this game

Glad to hear you're sinking a lot of time into it! The trophies are kind of crazy, requiring completion of all quests for something like 5 factions, and beating every main scenario. Lots of play time involved there.

My strategizing unfortunately fell off after the latest Destiny expansion comes out, but I'll be coming back to it as soon as the initial launch fervor dies down a little bit and the TONe clan beats the raid.

[Humphries90]

The missus is hinting at a PS4 for my birthday (next month), this will be my first purchase, even if it's overpriced digital!

[Jordan]

I've actually put in 130+ hours into this game thus far. It has become one of my favorite KOEI strategy games, and I'm still playing it. I've won as the Uesugi and Ishida, and am now finishing a playthrough as the Oda in the Struggle for Power Scenario. Progressive policies are VERY strong in this game

Glad to hear you're sinking a lot of time into it! The trophies are kind of crazy, requiring completion of all quests for something like 5 factions, and beating every main scenario. Lots of play time involved there.

My strategizing unfortunately fell off after the latest Destiny expansion comes out, but I'll be coming back to it as soon as the initial launch fervor dies down a little bit and the TONe clan beats the raid.

I'm not really a trophy/achievements person, but I have sunk roughly 400 hours into NA: SOI. I've beaten the game on the hardest difficulty (there actually isn't an achievement for that) and unlocked all the endings. I also beat the game with a crappy fortress clan (Namioka) once on a harder mode. While I did some historical quests, more often I tend to use a random number generator to decide which clan and scenario to play, then go to town. Sometimes I've just outright failed but at other times I did much better than expected. My favorite playthroughs have been as Namioka, Sagara and Nagano (on the fictional scenario).

[Kong Wen]

Jordan, do you know the story with this Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence - Ascension coming out on PS4 today? Is it just a PUK-style expansion?

[Jordan]

Jordan, do you know the story with this Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence - Ascension coming out on PS4 today? Is it just a PUK-style expansion?

I think that's a fair way to describe it, though I believe it acts as a standalone game as well.

Essentially it's Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence except with officer play. It retains many of the features from NA: SOI though has changed up a few mechanics. I think that they altered the battle system and added more authentic siege battles. In battles, I believe that you can now combine several units into a larger formation. Some other quality of life changes include a greater array of buildings that you can construct in your fief.

As an officer, I believe that you also essentially have your own clan which you can expand on your own. I think that your clan is loyal to you and you alone. If you were to play as, say, the Sanada and then managed to become stronger than your overlord the Takeda, you could theoretically rebel and strike out on your own. If it works the way I think it does, you could draw a comparison to how some Paradox Interactive games allow you to play as a vassal lord.

The game is partly in response to the 400th anniversary of the Osaka Summer Campaign (2015). The event occasioned the creation of a Japanese drama centered around the Sanada, which in turn led to derivative video games. Consequently, Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence Ascension contains more of a focus on the Sanada clan and Osaka sieges; a new scenario in the game allows you to play through the siege of Osaka. The officers on both sides of that conflict also received new portraits.