Ghost Of Tsushima Meets Baldur’s Gate 3 in New RPG You Can Try Free Now

Ghost of Tsushima is undoubtedly one of the standout games of the last 10 years, combining genuinely stunning visuals with intuitive gameplay that really brought home the game’s 13th century Japanese setting.

It also did more than enough to stir its audience (and me) into wanting more games that featured samurai or historical Japanese cultures more generally. With the sequel Ghost of Yōtei still a month away, there may be another upcoming game that could give us an unexpected boost alongside Sucker Punch’s flagship release.

Shadow of the Road is a story-driven, turn-based RPG set in feudal Japan, that brings a few additional tricks to the party that should elevate it above the immediate competition.

The team at Another Angle Games describe the narrative, saying, “Take part in a daring mission led by Tokugawa’s own spymaster, who has recruited the rōnin, Satoru and Akira, to protect a mysterious boy with immense, uncontrollable powers. Throughout their arduous journey, new heroes will join their cause, each with their own past and motivations. Together, they will confront tremendous and ever-growing dangers, striving to reclaim their honour and change the course of history.”

The developers claim of the feudal Japan setting is true, but it’s right at the end of that era, with the events of the game taking place in 1868. Set amidst the backdrop of a conflict between the forces of Shōgun Tokugawa and the technologically advanced army of Emperor Mutsuhito, backed by the British East Nippon Company, players explore a world where their narrative choices affect how the game plays out.

The reason for the later setting largely relates to several of the game’s features, with plenty of technology throughout the landscape that can come into play during combat.

The basic gameplay is turn-based combat, with tactical elements that relate to the characters you’re using, adding a Baldur’s Gate 3 flair. Each of those comes with unique abilities, attacks and utility kits that will be stronger or weaker depending on the environment and the foes you’re facing.

Deepening that further still are the characters personalities, not all of which will gel with the rest of the group, or the way you want to play your character. Having a complementary and cohesive core squad can supposedly be the difference between a good outcome and a bad one.

Shadow of the Road doesn’t have a release date just yet, but there is a demo available on Steam that should tell you whether you want to make the leap to the full game when it does eventually drop.