FX’s historic drama Shogun has simply been the largest new TV present of 2024 thus far. Based mostly on James Clavell’s 1975 novel of the identical title, it blends political intrigue and character drama with sweeping set items and graphic violence, and has been a success with audiences. Should you’ve wrapped up the present and end up craving for extra prefer it, take a look at our listing of the ten finest video games like Shogun.
Greatest Video games Like Shogun
James Clavell’s Shogun
This primary entry on our listing might be the simplest selection out of all of them. Almost ten years after the primary tv adaptation of the Shogun novel launched, an adaption of the ebook got here out as a online game from Infocom for Amiga, Apple II, DOS, and Macintosh.
Moderately than something action-packed, James Clavell’s Shogun is a closely text-based journey recreation, adhering fairly carefully to the novel’s plot. You play as John Blackthorne as you crash-land in Japan and are available to grips with the complicated political panorama, however don’t truly get to have any of the enjoyable your self.
It was a muted launch that was broadly panned, and as such it’s unattainable to play on any trendy programs. That may be for the perfect, as a result of Clavell himself wasn’t particularly concerned about it – refusing to contribute creatively and merely signing off on the mission.
Ghost of Tsushima
Subsequent on our listing is arguably the closest factor there may be to Shogun in online game type. Whether or not you’re taking part in the bottom PS4 model or the PS5’s Director’s Minimize, Ghost of Tsushima is a bombastic triple-A blockbuster with boundary-pushing graphics, sharp fight, and a deep story.
You play as Jin Sakai, a samurai in Twelfth-century Japan. Your own home island of Tsushima is underneath siege by imperial Mongol forces, and it’s as much as you and your allies to carry them off and repel the invasion by all means.
Should you liked the motion within the Shogun sequence – even when it was few and much between – Ghost of Tsushima will greater than ship on that promise. It’s set a number of centuries earlier than Shogun, however the themes of vying for energy and holding off opposition strain resonate via each.
Rise of the Ronin
The most recent recreation on our listing, Rise of the Ronin is ready within the nineteenth century, some 300 years after Shogun. It sticks carefully to actual Japanese historical past, going down on the finish of the Edo interval the place opposing forces are battling to both keep or dissolve the shogunate authorities construction.
Developed by Crew Ninja of Ninja Gaiden fame (extra of which we’ll talk about later), swordplay is the main target in Rise of the Ronin. You may choose from varied preventing kinds, starting from polearms to twin swords, every with distinctive abilities, parries, and assaults.
For individuals who just like the fight in Ghost of Tsushima however need one thing extra detailed and rewarding, Rise of the Ronin will do the job. Simply bear in mind it’s a PS5 unique!
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Taking fight a step additional, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is FromSoftware’s most up-to-date foray into real-life settings, even when its model of the Japanese Sengoku interval is fictionalized. As a ninja known as Wolf, you battle via hordes of enemy samurai who kidnapped your former grasp.
If Rise of the Ronin toes the road of risk-and-reward fight, Sekiro pushes it into all-out punishing. It’s a FromSoft recreation, in spite of everything, so anyone anticipating a story-driven narrative journey will quickly get an enormous shock. The fight is notoriously tough, rating among the many developer’s hardest video games with its extremely exact parrying time and really low HP barrier for Wolf. It’s not for everybody, however soulslike followers who additionally loved Shogun will certainly wish to give it a strive.
Ninja Gaiden: Grasp Assortment
Moderately than choosing one particular recreation within the Ninja Gaiden sequence, we’ve opted to go for 2021’s Grasp Assortment. This collated the primary three HD video games within the sequence onto trendy consoles, and is even out there on Sport Cross for subscribers.
The precursor sequence to Rise of the Ronin, Ninja Gaiden was a serious pioneer of sword-based hack-and-slash gameplay. It’s all about touchdown the best combo you’ll be able to, juggling enemies within the air, and pulling off brutal decapitation strikes. The Ninja Gaiden sequence is rather more arcadey than different entries on this listing, making it an ideal start line for newcomers to the hack-and-slash style.
Whereas Shogun is actually extra centered on story and characters over fight, Ninja Gaiden is a perfect treatment in the event you end the sequence and desire a extra action-focused narrative.
Like a Dragon: Ishin!
This remake of the 2014 Japan-only Yakuza recreation is ready totally in 18th-century Japan. You play as Sakamoto Ryoma, a former ronin now deserted by his clan and compelled to exit on a brutal quest to avenge his father. As a Like a Dragon recreation, although, it’s not particularly self-serious.
That includes an unlimited open world, the aspect actions are what make Like a Dragon: Ishin! stand out from different video games on this listing. To point out how extensive the vary is, you’ll be able to sing karaoke, cook dinner noodles, take dance classes, race chickens, and play poker. There’s a lot to do in the primary quest, however shedding your self in these aspect distractions is all a part of the enjoyable.
Should you favored Shogun however discovered it a bit too critical and darkish, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is the proper antidote. Certain, there’s a quest for revenge right here, however there’s loads of silliness as properly.
Aragami
Some of the stylized video games on this listing, in Aragami you play because the spirit of an murderer despatched again to Earth to take out targets. Your talents help you harness the facility of shadows, casting illusions to control enemies, transporting via shadows, and summoning weapons out of skinny air.
Like a stealthier, extra trendy model of Murderer’s Creed, Aragami permits you to select from varied strategies of coping with enemies. The variety of your shadow powers means you don’t at all times have to chop enemies down along with your sword – you may also sneak previous or harness shadows to engulf enemies.
It’s not too just like Shogun in a stylistic sense, however as a substitute a extra cartoonish however equally grisly tackle Japanese historical past.
Complete Warfare: Shogun 2
For the technique followers on the market, Complete Warfare: Shogun 2 is an ideal accompaniment to the tip of Shogun. With out delving into spoilers, let’s simply say that it makes an terrible lot of sense for the huge-scale conflicts of this recreation to fill the void left by the tip of the sequence.
Developed as at all times by long-term developer Inventive Meeting, Complete Warfare: Shogun 2 is the definitive historic Japanese RTS. You get to select from varied clans – these pro-shogunate and their detractors – to formulate your individual forces and head into battle.
Should you haven’t loved army technique video games prior to now, Complete Warfare: Shogun 2 in all probability received’t change your thoughts. Nevertheless, anybody conversant in the style who liked Shogun will discover it the proper companion piece.
Mafia 3
Mafia 3 is by far probably the most shocking recreation on our listing, however hear us out. In contrast to the primary two Mafia video games, the place you begin off as a lowly grunt and work your method up the ladder, Mafia 3 offers you a bit extra of an influence journey.
Actually, when you get far sufficient into the story you’ll be able to determine which of your rival gangs to aspect with, and which to do battle in opposition to. The crux of Shogun’s narrative is completely different factions vying for authority in an influence vacuum, and Mafia 3 handles that idea rather well. Sure, they’re completely completely different in most methods, however thematically share a vastly widespread thread.
Murderer’s Creed Crimson
The final entry on our listing is a little bit of a cheat, as a result of Murderer’s Creed Crimson isn’t even out but. Actually, it doesn’t actually have a correct title – Crimson is simply the working codename, in spite of everything. That stated, one of many few tidbits of data we’ve is that it’ll happen in Feudal Japan.
Whereas that’s all we’ve to go off, we’ve already seen how the Murderer’s Creed sequence faithfully adapts the time intervals it tackles, from Victorian London in Syndicate to renaissance Italy within the Ezio trilogy. We’ve seen how Shogun made feudal Japan a dwelling, respiration world on tv. With Murderer’s Creed Crimson, it needs to be the very same factor for gaming.
These are our picks of the perfect video games like Shogun! For extra lists like this, take a look at the perfect Xbox sofa co-op video games and the perfect video games like Manor Lords.