NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Sphere of Influence - Ascension Critic Reviews

With its focus on storytelling and historical authenticity, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence - Ascension almost has educational value. You’ll get a good overview of the overall shape of Japan through the Sengoku period, as well as a solid idea of the impact that major battles and events had on everyone else alive at the time. This game, like its predecessor, is very niche and very serious, but it’s a very worthy and very intelligent complement to last year’s Nobunaga’s Ambition.

Not really a sequel but rather an enhanced version of last year’s strategy with a few new options and a hefty price-tag.

Koei Tecmo delivers an amazing game, deeper than ever and with a great amount of content. If you have the previous version the changes aren't that relevant, but if you don't, make sure you get this one.

Sphere of Influence - Ascension takes you on a more personal journey through the Sengoku Jidai period of Japan. Take control, rise through the ranks and explore an even more detailed game than the original. This standalone expansion improves on the original in almost every way.

I’d recommend Nobunaga’s Ambition to anyone looking to dip their toe into the turn-based strategy genre. It’s deeply robust in its execution, without being so demanding that it loses its entertainment value. It has incredible replay value and will satisfy fans of the genre and history buffs alike.

Deep but ugly and with a horrible control scheme on consoles, this game may entertain those who enjoy the deep strategy games, but may be too dense for everyone else.

Despite largely being a repackaging of last year's game, Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence - Ascension makes smart changes to the formula that immediately pay off. The new game still controls a bit wonky using a controller, but the revamped user interface does make the strategy title more accessible.

Fans of understatement would describe Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence – Ascension as sprawling. This is a massive lump of a game that demands attention, forethought and the ability to plan for myriad different scenarios, all while balancing city and land improvements against available workers and officers. Everything on offer here creates a daunting inaccessibility that requires stubborn dedication for a neophyte to overcome.

I find myself in an odd situation where I felt miserable playing Nobunaga’s Ambition, mostly because it’s just not the kind of game that I enjoy. However, at the same time, I couldn’t help but be impressed at the level of depth and polish in the overall experience. Still, it remains that this game did nothing to make me want to delve deeper into the genre of Grand Strategy.

Nobunaga's Ambition is a turn-based strategy sim that does it's best to impress. Although it may not be my cup of tea, it will currently come as a welcome entry to fans of the genre.

There are things to like about Nobunaga’s Ambition. On a technical level it does what it promises and if you’re looking for that very specific thing you’ll probably really enjoy the game.

A very deep, complex, and well made game with high quality experiences from the lowest to the highest level of rule in Feudal Japan. It is also a tease, showing you all of this quality without taking the time to actually explain itself. Frustrating camera controls and a total lack of guidance leave a bad taste in the mouth when the game so easily could have avoided both and been truly great.