Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Critic Reviews

After many years, we have a clever game with a fantastic design set in the original environment, that upgrades the gameplay of Commandos and Desperados series almost to a piece of art.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is the prince's sweet kiss on a beautiful sub-genre which has been sleeping for far too long. A revitalising effort which should be supported whole-heartedly.

Shadow Tactics’ impressive missions, laden toy box and likeable cast make it one of the greatest stealth games of the last decade.

If the name "Commandos" sparks a welcoming nostalgia feeling then Shadow Tactics should be a game you should not miss. Mimimi Productions manages to convince us beyond doubt that this niche and long forgotten genre is not only far from obsolete, but rather feels as fresh as the first time we put our hands in Pyro’s first endeavour.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun follows the gold standard of this sub-genre set by the Commandos series: big maps that feel alive, different playable characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and lots of ways to complete a level.

The excellent stealth game is equal in everything with its legendary genre predecessors. Must have for all Commandos-series fans.

A brilliant tactical puzzle game, interesting story, engaging characters, slick controls and beautiful maps make this a very enjoyable play. It’ll take you while to get through each level but it’s very rewarding when your plans all come together and you feel like a master ninja!

There’s a lot going on in Shadow Tactics, the scenarios are really well designed and I enjoyed the game immensely till the end. The only thing I can accuse it of is being too conservative in terms of characters – I wouldn’t mind some more creativity in this department.

Few games show the level of care and polish put into this production. From the superb music to the beautiful graphics, and of course its great gameplay, only the requisite of huge patience, some random spikes in difficulty and long loading times could be mentioned as minor faults in a great overall. A game no fan of the genre should miss, but should also be prepared to spend hours playing it.

For fans of real-time tactics and stealth games, Shadow Tactics is very nearly without compare. It’s that same classic Commandos gameplay wrapped up in an exquisite new shell; still punishing yet not cruel.

An excellent and challenging update to a familiar formula, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is one of those games that makes you cheer at your well-planned success when everything goes off without a hitch, and groan at your own poor planning when it doesn’t. It gets so much right, that the relentless difficulty, and slightly less gorgeous console port can’t mar its beauty. This one snuck up on me, and I couldn’t be more glad that it did.

A remarkably strong challenge of your tactical skills hides some wonderful world-building and character-driven storytelling that helps this game really stand out.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is the Commandos serie heir, with some camera problems but great mechanics.

Old school stealth tactics game in a modern style with motivating and great level design that requires strategic finesse.

Fifteen years have passed since the last Commandos, and Mimimi Productions managed to revive the legacy of Pyro Studios. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is an excellent tactical game, deep and profound, albeit some minor and forgettable flaws (probably due to the inexperience of the German software house).

There are multiple ways to complete each mission, and to spur player’s imagination, developers offer additional challenges – for example, a playthrough with no firearms, or a pacifist one. So, even though Blades of the Shogun only has a dozen missions, it will keep you entertained for a long time.

A Commandos-like RTS that manages to revive a genre by itself.

If you like your realtime tactics with a flavor of old school like Commandos or Desperados then you can look forward to intense infiltration with challenging missions and superb AI.

A glorious return for the hardcore tactical stealth genre.

For fans of Commandos and similar squad-based games, Shadow Tactics is a must play. It is a pure tactical bliss, even more so if you're into Japanese culture and history.