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Japan’s influence in the mass media sphere is unmatched as we look at the 5 best video games set in Feudal Japan.
The fascination of Japanese culture by the world has been set in stone since the latter discovered the island of Japan as they have been the forefathers of animation, video games, and more. Especially in the video game industry, Japanese games have inspired game developers to seek more of Japan’s culture and learn from it.
Ninjas, samurai, and more have been a part of mass media for a long time, and most of the games in this list take inspiration from the Sengoku period. Let’s take a look at the 5 best video games that are set in feudal Japan.
1. NIOH Series
The Nioh Series is more action-RPG than a souls-like. Presenting an arena based combat with souls-like mechanics such as the bonfire and a similar dodge system. Nioh is a fairly difficult game, similar to its inspiration from FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series.
The game blends Japanese mythology and the Sengoku era wars, depicting Japan as a land destroyed by spirits. Nioh revolves around acquiring Amrita, presented as a valuable war asset for the English against the Spanish. The first game’s story is fantasy-based as you rescue your guardian spirit from the Spanish antagonist. The second serves as a prequel and sequel together, as the entire series ends in a final epilogue.
The gameplay loops around clearing mobs and fighting a boss usually at the end. Additionally, players can re-visit completed levels and unlock secrets or shortcuts. Altogether, NIOH’s weapons and fighting feel much more closer to Dark Souls than Devil May Cry. Enemies are difficult, but not broken.
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
FromSoftware’s critically acclaimed action-adventure game Sekiro probably has one of the best combat mechanics of any game with a Samurai or Shinobi in it. The system was so impactful that by comparison, Ubisoft’s most recent Assassin’s Creed: Shadows feels like it took a page or two from Sekiro.
In a fictionalized version of Japan during the Sengoku era, you play as Sekiro, or the ‘one-eyed wolf,’ serving your master, who has the ‘Dragon Heritage’- basically blood that grants immortality. Reflecting the Sengoku wars, Sekiro dives into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the constant power struggle to unite or conquer all of Japan together.
FromSoftware’s unique enemies and bosses to areas that blend naturally are all present. From samurai to giant apes, Sekiro does not hold your hand at any point but gives you all the tools to make the game easier. That said, the boss fights are still, to this day, one of the best in video games, maybe only facing competition from Elden Ring, their latest award-winning game.
3. NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION
Nobunaga’s Ambition is a turn-based simulation/strategy game all about feudal Japan. The game is based around the Sengoku period and its many wars. The series is quite old, although the most recent one, NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION: Awakening, is well made with more cutscenes and gameplay changes.
You play as Nobunaga himself or any Daimyos (warlords) against other warlords in a battle to unite Japan under one authority. Being a strategy game, events and disasters that occur are close to the actual history of the period itself. Examples like the arrival of European traders in Japan and natural disasters, which shaped the outcome of certain battles, are all included in the game.
However, the ending of the game depends on the players, as you can support any faction and create an ending different than reality. Nobunaga’s Ambition is a good introduction to the actual history of the Sengoku period, where you fight against or as notable figures such as Tokugawa Ieyasu, Oda Nobunaga, and more.
4. Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Formerly the Yakuza series, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a game that re-creates the series’ protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, as Sakamoto Ryoma and takes place during the ending of Japan’s Edo era. An action-adventure game with the flair of the Yakuza games like fun side quests and humor, Like a Dragon: Ishin! might be a far stretch from the actual historical context of the period. However, it is a fun game nonetheless.
A story of personal revenge, Sakamoto Ryoma finds himself entangled in the ending of the Tokugawa Shogunate as he faces different rival factions eager for power. In between, you can do some karaoke or side-quests that are classics of the Yakuza series.
The game’s mechanics are similar to its previous ones, with the combat system implementing four styles of combat that provide variety to the game. The setting of the game is based in Japan when Samurai were declining due to the overwhelming firepower provided by European traders that had infiltrated Japan and its culture.
5. Ghost of Tsushima
Sucker Punch Production’s Ghost of Tsushima, set in pre-feudal Japan, fictionalizes the Mongol invasion on the island of Tsushima. The game has been a critical success among gamers for its beautiful graphics, cinematic cutscenes, and its main character- focusing on his aversion to the honor or the way of the Samurai and adapting tactics similar to that of the Mongols.
For an AAA game, Ghost of Tsushima delivers on all ends. Graphics, story-telling, combat, and lore, although it never commits to being the best. Basically, it feels like a cinematic experience, an interactive movie where you, the player, are the lynchpin along with some of your allies. Additionally, the side character’s questlines also make you feel more connected to the world and let you know them better.
All things considered, Ghost of Tsushima truly shines when it starts its aversion to traditional Japanese warfare and instead becomes an extreme ‘adapt or die’ situation for the protagonist. In brief, the game is fun, and the sequel is already in production, so we will be getting more of it in a few years.
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