One of the best thingsBaldur’s Gate 3has done for video games is introducing a whole new audience to the cRPG genre. Despite being fairly niche, this category of game has finally had a real chance to shine since its release, and that might just continue if the gameplay shown in the newest Shadow of the Road trailer is anything to go by. It’s alternate history instead of high fantasy, but then perhaps that’ll just make it all the more enticing for all the potential fans out there.
Shadow of the Road puts players in an alternate history version of Japan in 1868. The Boshin War is still on its way towards wrapping up, just like in the real world, but, there are more than a few curious things to be found in this version of events. For one, strange steampunk monstrosities now menace the battlefield, accomplishing feats that would otherwise be outright impossible. It seems also that humans have the potential for strange powers, and creatures right out of Japanese myth are taking advantage of the chaos to cause troubles of their own.
If steampunk tanks and monsters were in the mix, would history play out the same way?
Over the course of Shadow of the Road, players will embark on a journey led by Tokugawa Yoshinobu’s spymaster aimed at protecting a mysterious boy with immense, uncontrolled powers. The spymaster is joined by two ronin warriors, Satoru and Akira, as well as several other potential recruits. Not everybody is there for the same reason, however, so it’s going to take some deft speech and maneuvering by players to keep everyone fighting together and successfully change the course of the war.
Massive unpredictable power sounds great, but one cannot help but wonder if it could end up interfering in combat at very inopportune times.
As one might expect of a solid cRPG, Shadow of the Road offers players a great deal off freedom when it comes to how they progress through the story, how they deal with the characters they meet and the approach they take to combat. As the strategist, one of players' most important tasks will be to gather and foster an elite team of warriors capable of tackling the challenges ahead.
It seems that putting that team together (and keeping it that way) won’t necessarily be a simple matter and will depend heavily on the decisions players make. They’ll have the power to form close bonds with and among their allies, sever important friendships and even mend some characters' family ties. Again, each potential team member has theirownset of motivations, desires and fears, so players will need to carefully address them as individuals if they want to avoid saying or doing something they won’t be able to take back later.
Each potential team member has their own set of motivations, desires and fears, so players will need to carefully address them as individuals.
Combat in Shadow of the Road is turn-based, but with an added touch of samurai tactics mixed into it. Each warrior at the players disposal has their own set of powerful skills that need to be used carefully, but it seems that pure combat prowess will not be able to carry the day by itself. Characters' personalities and relationships can have tangible impacts upon their battle effectiveness, so players will need to account for this in their tactics and overall strategy if they want to achieve victory.
Perhaps this won’t be the next Baldur’s Gate 3, but, then again, it looks like there’s enough going on in Shadow of the Road that it doesn’thaveto be.
Review: Baldur’s Gate III
Baldur’s Gate III is one of those rare games that’s nearly flawless in its execution and should be experienced by every RPG fan.
