In the new role-playing game Shadow of the Road, you traverse a Japan that is reinventing itself: The samurai are at their end, and the emperor wants to secure the future of the country with the help of dangerous war machines. Which side wins is in your hands.
What kind of game is this? In August 2024, Owlcat Games, the creators of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and the Pathfinder games, announced a new role-playing game: Shadow of the Road. However, this is not being developed by Owlcat themselves; they are acting solely as the publisher.
Shadow of the Road is the debut work of the Polish studio Another Angle Games. The RPG veterans from Owlcat are merely serving as the publisher for the new title.
Now there is a new trailer for the game that presents the premise once again:
Japan between Samurai, Steampunk, and Demons
What is the game about? Shadow of the Road takes place in 1868 and weaves together historical events with magic and steampunk elements. The shogun and his samurai are fighting in a civil war against the emperor’s army, which is supplied with modern weapons by the East Nippon Company.
However, in this alternative timeline, the emperor’s modern weapons include not only rifles and cannons but also tanks. These stomp across the battlefield like scorpions on six legs, shooting lightning from their “stings.” You are likely to encounter one or another officer in a powerful exoskeleton during your travels.
Speaking of travels: Your adventure begins with the two former samurai, Satoru and Akira. Since the death of their master, they have been wandering the land as ronin, masterless samurai, until they are tasked with an important mission by an agent of the shogun. They are to protect a mysterious boy with enormous powers.
However, the mission proves to be more difficult than expected. Moreover, the chaos of the civil war unleashes yokai, demons.
If you want to get a first impression of the game, you can download a demo of Shadow of the Road on Steam.
How does Shadow of the Road play? The combat takes place in turn-based tactics. Similar to the XCOM games, the correct positioning of your individual team members plays an important role. Otherwise, you will quickly be overwhelmed in battles.
Aside from combat, you have many decisions to make: Will you remain true to the samurai code and preserve your honor? Or will you do whatever it takes to survive and avenge your lord’s death?
Your decisions are also said to influence the relationships between your characters and the outcome of the civil war. Whether the future of Japan in this version of history belongs to the emperor or the shogun is decided by you.
Owlcat Games, the publisher of Shadow of the Road, is continuing to work on its role-playing games in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Rogue Trader allows you to explore the vault of a notorious collector in an upcoming DLC. You can learn more about it in this article: In Warhammer 40,000, there is a planet full of rare treasures because an eccentric xenos collects everything
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