In most games, and indeed in life, death is the end. But in the case of the roguelike genre, it is merely the beginning of a never-ending loop that borders on insanity. And when a game does it right, like Slay the Spire and Monster Train, oh boy, it is incredibly satisfying to embody the ‘never give up’ mantra.
So, with Shogun Showdown bringing roguelike elements to complement its Japanese-inspired turn-based combat, my interest was piqued. Can Shogun Showdown throwdown with the best of them, or does it fail to ignite that addictive spark?
Shogun Showdown doesn’t over-complicate matters with a deep and complex narrative. The approach is minimalist and everything is implied at the outset. Basically you’re just a skilled combatant, a hero of sorts, seeking out the army commander of this land, the Shogun. In order to reach and defeat your target however, you’ll have to wade your way through the Shogun’s vast army of minions and daunting bosses. It’s simple and so if you want a gripping story, don’t look here – try FX’s Shōgun TV series.
Any thoughts of a narrative will drift away as you get to grips with the gameplay anyway, with a swift tutorial in place to explain the essentials. The hero character can move left and right along a 2D stage, consisting of spaces or cells, whatever you want to call them. It’s also possible to turn and face either direction, which is useful as enemies spawn upon any of the free cells. Within your arsenal are attacking-orientated tiles that can be queued for future use. Everything action or movement outlined above costs a turn and whenever you decide to do something, the enemy instantly makes its move. Depleting their health blocks and ensuring yours stays intact is the key to victory.
In hindsight, it doesn’t fully prepare you for success, and there’s nothing quite like just getting stuck into a run. It’s here where you’ll venture through regions in which fending off waves of enemies sees you come face to face with the boss of the area. Overcoming them enables passage to the next place, and the next, until you eventually meet the mighty Shogun. Chances are, you won’t get anywhere near the big bad for a while though because it’s tough.
That’s not a criticism either, the steep difficulty curve in the early stages of Shogun Showdown forces you to think smart and learn how to get the best out of all the tools at your disposal.
The weapons are the most important factor, with only two available in the preset for each character to start your run. The starting character, The Wanderer, enters battle with sword-swirling attack to hit those nearby and an arrow to fire further afield. At points in between waves, other weapon tiles are offered from a limited pool, to build a nice array of options better suited for dealing with enemies. Combined with free weapon upgrades as well as obtainable skills from shops, there are numerous opportunities to improve during a run. Death is still likely, but that’s where Shogun Showdown thrives.
Take down a boss or two before dying and you’ll gain Skulls to spend afterwards, which lets you unlock skills and weapons for future runs. There are a great deal of both to unlock and this keeps the attempts feeling undoubtedly fresh, with new setups to potentially try out time and time again during a playthrough. Trying new things and tactical approaches is an absolute joy, creating unforgettable moments.
A personal highlight saw me drag a baddie in using a grappling hook, stab them with an overpowered poisonous spear, and then deliver further damage as I smoke bombed past them. And that’s just one of many cool combos available, with other queued attacks wiping out multiple enemies in a single turn. You’ll constantly think of exciting ways to kill those who stand before you, or behind you.
Thinking is an absolute necessity in order to survive too though, with waves of cunning enemies looking to hurt you. There’s a decent amount of different enemies to study, because knowing thy enemy is critical. The Spike Chargers wait for any chance to charge at you if given clear sight, while the beast known as the Guardian packs a punch up close. Nothing comes near the power of the bosses however, as they call in troops, cause shockwaves in both directions, and even lay down bombs. The bosses also have quirky abilities that prevent some of your manoeuvres working or enable them to perform attacks quicker than most.
Ultimately, it becomes a real tactical battle against each and every foe, where no turn should be wasted. There are so many aspects to factor in, including weapon cooldowns and enemy behaviour, to the point where every successful turn feels like a win. Sometimes, keeping a weakling alive for use as a sort of shield, or baiting an enemy into harming its own kind, is the best cause of action.
If through cunning tactics and a dash of luck, you actually overcome the Shogun, there’s still reason to go again. It opens up Day 2, introducing Elite versions of enemies, with every subsequent completion throwing tougher conditions your way. There are seven days in total and even though a good run may take an hour, working through the entire week is likely to see tons of hours of playtime here. Progression based character unlocks will also tempt you back in. Although there are only five in total, they’re all worth a go, especially The Chain Master who wields a rather awesome weapon.
Aesthetically, the Japanese-style pixel art backgrounds of Shogun Showdown are simple, yet effective in setting the scene for the regions you traverse. As for the character designs, the enemies are distinguishable from one another, but only just. The costumes are all very dark and uninteresting to be honest, with none really standing out. In terms of music, the tones fit the theme well and manage to avoid grating on you after your 25th attempt of the day.
Unfortunately, there are a couple of issues in Shogun Showdown that could derail the fun a tad. The most concerning of them is the failure to allow access to a certain character, despite meeting the requirements. No matter how many times I slay Nobunaga The Wicked, it just won’t unlock The Shadow for me to play as. When there are only five characters in total, it’s a shame to miss out on 20% of the roster. Another concern is in regards to the saving process, which is apparently automatic, because you’re likely to lose a small portion of progress. For some reason it saves on the level prior to the one you’re actually on, meaning you have to beat it again.
Overall then, Shogun Showdown is a very cool and addictive turn-based combat game that will test your tactical prowess. The variety of weapons, skills and enemies lends itself well to creating awesome moments in the heat of battle. You’ll constantly want to experiment as the roguelike elements bring new things to the table after death. It is slightly worrying that there are issues with a character, as well as concerns over the save system, but hopefully these problems are fixed in the near future.
If you’re willing to accept death, there’s great satisfaction found in Shogun Showdown and you should definitely give it a go.
Shogun Showdown: Deckbuilding and Combat in a Japanese World – https://www.thexboxhub.com/shogun-showdown-deckbuilding-and-combat-in-a-japanese-world/
Buy Shogun Showdown from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/shogun-showdown/9NZB4GX5PQ82
