Nobunaga Ambition 2

Nobunaga’s Ambition is a turn-based war strategy game situated in the Sengoku period of feudal Japan. Similar to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, NA2 follows a primarily historically accurate plotline surrounding the Japanese daimyo, or warlords, each fighting to conquer and unify their territories under a single rule. The object of the game is simple: be that ruler.
There are many facets to Nobunaga’s Ambition 2, like its predecessor, that need to be mastered in order to be successful. There is a fair amount of micromanagement, as well as straight out warfare.

Your chosen warlord (you may choose from several heroes) has to master expansion in order to improve and increase armies. Economic factors come into play as well. Lands need to be managed effectively to produce enough goods to both feed your expanding army and finance your campaign. Effective agricultural management will also improve the loyalty and productiveness of the peasants, the backbone of your budding country. Their taxes, services and goods are mandatory to conquer the realm.
In actual warfare, there are also many facets of micromanagement to attend to. Vast numbers of soldiers, led by many samurai, are a huge bonus to a successful campaign. However, the savvy NA2 warlord will also have them well outfitted and trained, and will provide highly specialized samurai to lead. All of these things require attention and coin. Espionage is also a factor, determining your enemies’ economic and military value. Rivals can be assassinated or coerced into revolt. The training of Ninja warriors is the path to this goal. A more subtle approach, diplomacy, can also be utilized. Through diplomatic tactics, alliances can be created to improve the overall strength of your armies. You are also able to marry off your daughters and recruit samurai from other holdings. Throughout all the micromanaging busy work, you are still charged with building the defenses of your castle and fiefs.
Finally, the most customizable portion of Nobunaga’s Ambition 2 is the ability to raise the stats of your characters. Through cultural, political and economic maneuvers, as well as military training, you are able to build your leaders into three-dimensional characters with unique traits and skills.
Overall, Nobunaga’s Ambition 2 is an excellent sequel in the KOEI series. Although the storyline remains the same, the game is still replayable. Disasters and other random events can change the course of history. The ability to choose between several leaders will show the way to surprising outcomes, and the chance that you will make the same choices in every situation are unlikely. Each daimyo you build will be as unique as the one before, even if he has the same name and goal!