Point and click
Strategy games! The realm of (wannabe) kings, a genre for the most skilled multitaskers in the business. PC gamers have enjoyed these experiences for decades now, and whilst there are admirable console conversions, they never seem to quite command the respect and adoration of their personal computer counterparts. With the launch of the Switch 2, the console/handheld hybrid with built-in mouse controller support, is now the perfect chance for consoles to catch up? Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening begins a campaign to prove this.
For the uninitiated, Nobunaga’s Ambition is a long-running Japanese strategy series, stretching all the way back to 1983. The series highlights wartime scenarios based on the Sengoku period of feudal Japan. Based on the legendary general Oda Nobunaga and his eponymous ambition of unifying the country, the series is a hardcore historical strategy experience and is popular enough to even crossover with Pokémon. Oda Nobunaga for Smash, anyone?
General issues
Jumping into your first campaign will be incredibly overwhelming. Every subordinate you can possibly command has unbelievably detailed stats, land can be developed in incredibly intricate ways, and every option cascades into so many variable outcomes of your campaign. The game tries to ease you in with a tutorial, but even that has to omit several mechanics to be palatable.
If anything, for newcomers, the first several campaigns will act as the tutorial, the bitter tase of failure and tactical disaster serving as harsh teachers. That’s easier said than done however when you’ve spent countless hours just to completely crap the bed. Maybe Nobunaga needs more to temper his ambitions? When it clicks, the game is incredibly satisfying, but the trial-and-error needed to get fully invested is a tough hurdle. Japan wasn’t unified in a day after all.
Man or mouse?
However, this is not just a Nobunaga’s Ambition review: this also marks GamEir’s very first Nintendo Switch 2 review! A perfect showcase for the mouse function of the new Joy-Con. Twisting your brain to register the familiar Switch controller as a mouse is the biggest hurdle to enjoying this, but the reticle is very responsive and impressively seamless to initiate. Simply turn the controller to the flat side, and it automatically swaps to mouse controls.
This works surprisingly well on a number of surfaces. The major downside is that the controller is so small when turned, so the larger your hands, the less comfortable you’ll find it. This may provide a great way for younger gamers to begin a digital military career! Luckily, you can also plug in a USB mouse and keyboard to play with maximum comfort. After playing with the mouse for some time, it seems impossible to try and go back to standard controls. Admittedly, this may not be the prettiest game with low detail when zoomed in, but its visual language is clear and obvious – a balm considering how obtuse everything else is.
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening is complex, frustrating, baffling, yet ultimately excellent foray into the strategy genre. Promoting your officers, making alliances and leading your armies to invade lands are as compelling as always, though you’ll have to endure some rough learning curves to get to that point. It’s exciting to see such a confident and well-realised strategy game for a console launch, so let’s hope this isn’t the end of Koei-Tecmo’s ambition to unite console and PC players.
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