Shadow of the Road

Shadow of the Road is a tactical RPG that takes place in an alternate version of 19th-century Japan. The game was developed by the independent Polish studio Another Angle Games, and its release was handled by Owlcat Games.

Plot

Shadow of the Road takes us to the Japan of 1868. The game's version of that time period significantly differs from what we know from history lessons. The forces of the Shogun Tokugawa must confront the larger and more technologically advanced army of Emperor Mutsuhito, additionally supported by the British East Nippon Company. Humans and powerful steam engines are also joined by yokai on the battlefields – ghosts, demons and other monsters from Japanese folklore.

During the game we take control of Satoru and Akira - ronin who, commissioned by Tokugawa's personal spymaster, must ensure the safety of a boy with supernatural powers. Traversing a conflict-torn country, the protagonists gather a team, face countless dangers, and also try to regain their honor.

Our actions and decisions taken during the game affect both the further fate of the protagonists and their relationships with other characters, as well as the future of the entire country. To a large extent, it depends on us whether Japan will remain faithful to tradition, or succumb to major modernization.

Gameplay

In Shadow of the Road we watch the action in an isometric view. The driving force of the game are missions that throw us into various corners of Japan. We lead a team of characters, each of whom has their own story and bio (and therefore - desires and fears), as well as an individual set of strengths and weaknesses. Strong and weak points play an especially important role when we have to face threats.

Enemy forces – from humans, through the aforementioned yokai, to steam engines like giant scorpions – often stand in our way. The battles with them take place in turn-based mode, and during them the key to success is the proper placement of the team on the battlefield and skillful juggling of the abilities of individual characters. The game allows us to lead both the samurai fighting on the front line, as well as assassins eliminating enemies by surprise, and also heroes fighting at a distance (using bows or even flamethrowers).