To learn more about these, Gamingbolt reached out to the developers with some questions and they provided the following answers.

"The main focus is on the “Resolve” system, where each officer has their own aspirations or “Resolve.”"

Being the fifteenth game in the series, what’s new in Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi?

The main focus is on the “Resolve” system, where each officer has their own aspirations or “Resolve.” Not only can players experience a different kind of play style based on the “Resolve” of the Daimyo, but the AI of the NPC Daimyo can also change based on his “Resolve.” One of the new elements are “Policies,” which adds the element of strengthening clans by gradually gaining policies through the influence of proposals, and the configuration of the policy trees differ according to the Daimyo.  In addition, the “Trade Zones” are newly introduced. By deciding how to advance, invest, and/or monopolise Trade Zones in your own and other territories, the amount of money that can be earned greatly changes.

In battles, the war situation is a new element that greatly influences the outcome of battle.

What are some of the inspirations you drew from when developing this game?

The Nobunaga’s Ambition series has featured many Daimyo families, but the challenge was that the play style hasn’t changed that much. The AI and COM behaviour patterns remained as several patterns, without many changes being shown. The result of resolving these challenges, and the collection of ideas where the reality of historical fact and coexist, is the crux of this game – the “Resolve” system.

The game has a really low score on Steam, but it looks like you’ve addressing these issues. What were some of the major problems players had experienced?

As a result of simplifying the domestic aspects on the one hand it was easier to use but resulted in less things to do which made players dissatisfied. Also, since we made the system where officers don’t need to always be selected through commands, the presence of the officers felt thin. The UI wasn’t as refined as intended as well, so there were many unsatisfied comments regarding the UI which affected the score.

However, over the past six months we’ve applied updates such as the addition of the development command and improvements to the UI, so our understanding is that the feedback has improved bit by bit.

What can you tell us about the Resolve System and how it works?

The play style changes according to the Daimyo selected, and we implemented it aiming for it to be a means of enjoying different behaviours. The “Resolve” of the Daimyo has various effects on the clan. Certain clans may have their sources of revenue increase and foot troops are strengthened, while other clans may be able to easily change their diplomatic relations, and other clans may be successful in agriculture causing its population can increase easier, so the effects of the Resolve will lead to different types of play styles.

What are some of the important mechanics to keep in mind when developing a game within such a genre?

Historical simulation games tend to face the dilemma of having the exciting elements of a game or being realistic and sticking to historical fact. In these cases, how to have these two sides co-exist, or choosing which should take precedence are important points and are really difficult to decide. On top of that, when it is part of a series, it is important to differentiate it from previous titles. The degree to which these points can be cleared are linked to the game’s completeness and is a never-ending issue that we face.

What made you decide on the Sengoku era for this game? What are some of the exciting things players can look forward to about this era?

Nobunaga Oda is an unparalleled and the most fascinating person in Japanese history, and the Sengoku era was a turbulent time where anyone who had the ability or talent could try and take control over the land. During this period there were so many fascinating and active individuals in addition to Nobunaga Oda, which makes it so exciting and the reason why we selected this period.

"I felt the difficulty of incorporating a breath of fresh air into the title while trying to retain the core values of the series – but we managed to overcome our hurdles."

How are the lives of the officers given depth in this game?

For the over 2000 officers in this game, we referenced historical fact to come up very detailed settings such as their abilities, birth and death years, personality, and relationships. The degree to which you can closely follow and experience history is a level of depth that is not found in other games.

Are there plans to bring to have a Western release for the Nintendo Switch?

Currently we have no plans to release the Switch version for the West.

What are some of the challenges you faced during the game’s development?

The Nobunaga’s Ambition series celebrates its 35^th anniversary this year, and the team has become younger than ever before. As a result, the dev team was largely compromised of members who were new to creating historical simulation games, so we encountered times where we’d have to re-do certain areas; it was a big challenge to manage the team and take care of their motivation while developing the younger staff’s skills. I felt the difficulty of incorporating a breath of fresh air into the title while trying to retain the core values of the series – but we managed to overcome our hurdles.

Given that you are now working on both the PS4 Pro and PC, what kind of technical differences did you found between the two?

From a graphical and technical point, we are pretty much doing the same things for the PC and PS4 versions, so we developed the PS4 version using the PC version as the base. The difference is that for the PC version, we needed to provide graphic settings that would work in lower spec PCs.

In a recent interview, Mark Cerny, the lead engineer of the PlayStation 4 Pro claimed that converting a base PS4 game to PS4 Pro version is just 0.2 Or 0.3% of the overall effort. What is your take on this? Do you think that the extra work required to develop an additional Pro version will actually be bigger than the number quoted?

We developed the game using the PC version as the base, but the PC version is also 4K compatible, so we were able to make it PS4 Pro and 4K compatible, without causing too much additional technical work for our programmers. As the resolution increases, the officer illustrations require a much higher quality when reading in the data, so I think it was challenging for the CG designers.

Sony has an advanced work distributor in PS4 Pro along with new Polaris features like Delta color compression. What is your take on these features and do you have plans to take advantage of them?

We continuously look into ways of incorporating the latest features, and we are aware that in order to unleash the full power of the PS4 Pro, we will need to continue to learn and properly take advantage of its features.

"There are no in-game micro transactions or loot boxes. We only have DLC as additional content."

Is there a specific reason why you are not launching your game on the Xbox One?

Since the subject matter of this game is for quite a niche audience, from a marketing perspective we took a targeted approach.

Does the game have any sort of microtransactions or loot boxes?

There are no in-game micro transactions or loot boxes. We only have DLC as additional content.

What is your take on the recent trend of Games as a service model and the possible controversial monetization practices arising from it?

I think is it important to be flexible and be able to change the business model in order to suit the circumstances that draw in players. However, regardless of the business model, it shouldn’t take the form of something that tricks or deceives the players, and it is more important to provide an experience that players can enjoy and be moved by that is worth more than its monetary value.

The current generation of consoles will probably end in the next couple of years. What is your biggest expectation from the next PlayStation and Xbox?

I think that game livestreams and broadcasts that require only the game console (hardware), and the wide use of ranking systems in the context of eSports ; the flexibility of having these services might be the next step.

From a developer perspective, do you think the next-gen console era will be the 4K/60fps era?

Graphics continue to evolve, so it might become a time where having 4K/60FS is a given. But with the presence of VR and the spreading of techniques of moving 2D graphics, I think that the next generation of consoles will probably be not just about beautiful visuals but will also advance in another direction as well.

Is there anything more you’d like to tell our readers?

If you have even the slightest interest in Japanese history, I hope you will try a game in the Nobunaga’s Ambition series – in particular Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi. There is a unique culture, way of thinking, and unfolding battles that would be unimaginable in other cultures and time periods, and as you become familiar with the various Daimyo and officers, you’ll be come hooked on its indescribable depth.

In many ways, the best way to describe even the latest entry, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi, is that it is what you would get with the coming together of Total War, Civilization and Risk in a singular strategy title. If that sounds like it results in a rather layered game, that’s because it totally is. However, Nobunaga’s Ambition did an admirable job of lightly guiding my hand as I got up to speed with the interlinked systems of managing an entire kingdom from economic, trade, diplomatic, systematic, military and political angles all at once. 

"During the planning stage, the player is welcome to take all the time they need to decide on a whole host of choices presented that all loop back into each other."

Much like the Civilization series, each turn of a planning stage is followed by a period of action where all your formulated plans will take their course. During the planning stage, the player is welcome to take all the time they need to decide on a whole host of choices presented that all loop back into each other. For example- deciding which trade areas to expand or invest into. Such a decision sounds rather simple at first, but with a limit on the actions you can take and no way to alter them once made, making the proper decisions is important. 

Even that decision is influenced by a variety of factors. Perhaps an advantageous trading hub is just the next space over, but if you haven’t been sending out goodwill ambassadors to neighbouring states and clans, you aren’t going to be on good enough terms to just let your merchants wander into their territories. Conversely, competition is good for a trading post, but once it’s making a lot of money, you could risk your relationships by monopolizing it for yourself at the cost of slowing future growth. 

The economic system only gets you gold, however. Even before you ever dare send your soldiers across enemy borders, you should have your own people well taken care of. The player is in charge of a whole host of castles which function as the player’s bases of operation, and can build or annex more as the game goes on. Within their walls, players will have to decide how to make use of the people and make sure the people are taken care of for their efforts. They can tend the lands for you to produce more rations for your army to march on and the peasants to live off of. Should either population’s needs go unmet, you won’t find them being very loyal, either deserting your marching army in droves once the food is gone, or rebelling and refusing to do any work for that turn. 

"Truly, novels could be written about how the systems of economic, agricultural, political and military systems that weave in and out of each other here."

Such agricultural decisions are locked into being made on a quarterly basis, and while the game will remind you when they come up, it’s totally happy letting you see the opportunity pass by if you forget to take advantage of it. Quite unlike how Civilization will remind you that there’s still an important action that you can take, Taishi isn’t going to tell you twice. That’s a trait that I both kind of respect about Nobunaga’s Ambition, and can also see being a sticking point for a new player. The game will take the time to explain the systems to you and what they’re there for –at least most of the time – but it isn’t going to hold your hand about it, either. It’s best described as explanation without talking down to the player.

Truly, novels could be written about how the systems of economic, agricultural, political and military systems that weave in and out of each other here. I’ve not even touched on Political Points and policies, Warlords ageing and dying only to be replaced, the many benefits of goodwill relations with other nations, and building up infrastructure around your castles. The monumental task of developing a UI that made sense for all of this intricacy must have been a daunting one for the developers, which makes the occasional glitches in the game a bit more forgivable. For every five instances where the game puts the information right where you need it – like if having a village raise such and such soldiers will leave them without food – there’s maybe one instance with no easy indication of, say, where you can build your Iron Forge and why. 

There’s not really so much of a set story with Nobunaga’s Ambition as there is a campaign mode, much like what’s seen in Civilization. The player will begin as one of many historical warlords and clan leaders, each with their own “Resolve”, which determines their strengths and play style. You’ll follow along their path through your campaign, attempting to fulfil different conditions depending on the mission. Resolve can range drastically – much like with the leaders of Civilization – such as one who would unite Japan through trade, or another that believes in power and that a well-armed infantry is the best way forward.

"As far as new additions to the series are concerned, Resolve is probably one of the smartest."

Again, like Civilization, the Resolve of your main lord and the nations surrounding him can inform a lot of things, such as how they might proceed within the game or how they might react to a player’s actions, with players playing into their warlord’s style granting bonuses, for instance, and guiding the simulation of the game without completely taking away agency. As far as new additions to the series are concerned, Resolve is probably one of the smartest and adds so much to the simulation and storytelling of the game.

With all that said, we haven’t even talked about direct engagement with the enemies, which can be just as intricate and has a similar stop and start flow about it. At the beginning of a conflict, the player has a chance to select a plan, suggested by the generals in the engaging army at the time, and execute it to gain an advantage. Positioning units works like a light version of a Total War title, where taking position in a base can provide a defence buff or hiding in the trees to flank an enemy for a pincer attack can be an excellent idea. Once a trigger is hit, your plan will go into action, but players can easily alter course and ignore the plan – or conversely mess up the plan by going off script. Victory occurs when either the opposing army is defeated, or flees because the odds during the battle were not in its favour.

If there’s one really disappointing area of Nobunaga’s Ambition, it’s got to be the presentation. The large portions of the game taking place on an overhead view of Japan show a rather bland and ugly landmass, dotted densely with icons, colours and dividing lines depending on what’s happening, only muddled even more by marching armies. Selecting between two leaders who happen to be on the same tile is an ordeal on the PS4 when it really shouldn’t be and it’s an area of the presentation that really should be cleaned up.

"With such layers of depth, would I recommend Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi to a new player? For a genre fan, absolutely."

Presentation in battles isn’t much better either, with models and textures popping in and out with camera movement. On the PS4 Pro, I noticed considerable lag while the game tried to load a simple seasons changing animation. Music, while fitting to the period, is also completely forgettable and rather repetitive. If there’s any area to polish for the next title, this is it, as it’s fairly unacceptable for a game to look and run like this on the PS4.

With such layers of depth, would I recommend Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi to a new player? For a genre fan, absolutely. The tutorial systems and UI allow the game to be just forgiving enough for the player to be able to feel effective as they learn, and continually rewarded for dozens upon dozens of hours as they dig deeper and deeper into their conquest of Japan. Wrapping some of the best of several strategy games into itself, and helping players get into what it has to offer smartly, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi scratches a lot of itches for would be conquerers. 

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

Koei Tecmo revealed brand new screenshots and information for the latest entry in their war sim action series, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi. This includes mechanics such as the Resolve System (meaning each officer now has their own agenda and temperament that guides their actions), the Council System (where each officer pushes their own agenda, which intermeshes with the Resolve system), a Civic Development system, and demarcated planning phases for battles. On the whole, it sounds like the whole experience will be far more detailed and immersive than previous games in the series have been.

We also got brand new screenshots for the game (a fair bit of them, you can check them out for yourself below). They show some of these systems and mechanics in game.

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi launches on the PS4 and PC (via Steam) on June 5 in North America. European gamers will have to wait just a couple of days before they can play the game for themselves on those same platforms on June 8.

Nobunaga’s Ambition is a series that is known for its historical simulation gameplay. Now, Koei Tecmo has announced that the latest entry in the series will be localized and released in the West. The latest entry in the series is called Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi and an announcement trailer and some artwork for the game have been released as well.

This game marks the series’ 35th anniversary and allows players to experience some of the most epic battles and situations from the Sengoku era in Japan. The game is set to release in North America on June 5 and in Europe on June 8 for the PS4 and PC. As of now, a localized version for the Nintendo Switch hasn’t been announced, so we’ll have to wait and see if Koei Tecmo announces a localization for the Switch in the future.

You can check out the announcement trailer and the artwork below.