A fictionalized historical Japan serves as the backdrop for CRPG Shadow of the Road, currently available in open alpha from Polish developer Another Angle Games and publisher Owlcat. Alongside two ronin protagonists, the game has a focus on its intricate combat system.
Another Angle Games studio head Marek Oleksiak spoke to Game Rant about the design of the combat system and how it, the characters, and the narrative support one another. That was something that piqued the attention of Owlcat, which sought to publish games that felt like an Owlcat experience–one of the first of which is Shadow of the Road.
How Combat Works in Shadow of the Road
After the game’s introduction, in which protagonists Satoru and Akira are disgraced as samurai, the game enters its first combat sequence. The shogunate is at war with the Emperor and the foreigners that back his regime. In the first combat sequence of the game, forces aligned with the Emperor attack a tavern seeking out those loyal to the shogunate. Satoru and Akira have to fight gunmen representing foreign interests supporting the Emperor in turn-based combat. As Oleksiak explained its turn-based combat,
“What’s fundamental in our combat is we don’t have this traditional approach where one time moves after the other. Instead, we have this one continuous timeline of turns…What’s important is that each unit takes its turn in a different timing interval. For example, Satoru has a time interval equal to 11, so he will take his turn at two time units, 13 time units, 24, and so on.”
Turn order is shown at the top of the screen as cards depicting the various characters, with the actions taken by Satoru and Akira impacting when their turns next come around. Certain actions will also take a certain amount of time to charge up before their execution, and their time of activation is also shown in the turn order. Other actions will include cooldowns. For instance, the gunmen have to take aim and fire, and as an archer, Akira has similar restrictions on some of his abilities. If a character is attacked while preparing for their attack, that attack is interrupted. Gunmen also need to reload after a certain number of shots. In the gameplay shown by Oleksiak, the gunmen would retreat to other rooms in order to reload in relative safety, though by using Akira and some precise positioning, Oleksiak was able to take out a reloading gunman at range.
Combat also included several samurai loyal to the shogunate assisting Akira and Satoru that weren’t controlled by the player. These others didn’t make it to the end of combat, being largely expendable. Oleksiak explained, however, that not even his protagonists always made it to the end of the tutorial combat. Difficulty mattered to Another Angle Games when designing Shadow of the Road, and making even the tutorial a challenge was important. Oleksiak added,
“I fail at the very first level in my own game! And it’s intended. We want to have a combat system that is challenging from the very beginning. It’s sometimes too much for me, but I bet other players are more professional than I am.”
While combat starts pretty grounded with katana and bow wielded against 19th century forearms, things get more fantastical as the game progresses. In the first hour of gameplay, Satoru and Akira witness another samurai using magic, find steampunk technology they don’t understand, and meet yokai who can later be recruited.
Another thing Oleksiak was eager to point out was that, though damage is variable, there were no misses in his demonstration of the battle system. He drew direct comparisons to the infamous XCOM hit chance percentages and said such things weren’t present in Shadow of the Road. The variability was limited only to how much damage an attack does, not if it hits.
Shadow of the Road Features a Story/Combat Feedback Loop
In combat, characters can also assist one another, which deepens their bond. In turn, assists are influenced by that bond. Shadow of the Road‘s relationship system doesn’t only impact how these characters help each other in combat, but it is also naturally involved in its dialogue between important characters, chats with allies, and the overarching narrative. In other words, there is a feedback loop between combat and story where decisions made in both affect the other.
There is no definitive end date set yet for Shadow of the Road’s open alpha, so players can dive in and experience combat for themselves right now.
Step into 1868 Japan, a land fiercely divided by a brutal civil war between the traditionalist forces of Shōgun Tokugawa and the technologically superior army of Emperor Mutsuhito, backed by the British East Nippon Company. Amidst this turmoil, warriors, spies, and mystical beings navigate a world where magic and machinery intertwine, the jarring contrast of tradition and technology permeating even the landscape, where weathered, ancient temples stand alongside towering steam-powered machines. Experience a country at a pivotal crossroads, torn between its cherished ancient heritage and the relentless march of modernization. Which side will emerge victorious? The fate of Japan hangs in the balance.
Your Story, Your Choices
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 honor and change the course of history. Every choice you make will guide your characters along unique and captivating paths: form new bonds, sever lifelong friendships, or mend fractured family ties. Your decisions will shape who they become.
Different Characters
Take on the role of master strategist as you guide your band of warriors in both combat and conscience. Each character has a variety of backgrounds and skills, as well as their own motivations, desires, and fears… Build a team that compliments your preferred tactics and your personality.
Combat
Experience classic, turn-based combat with a samurai-tactics flare. Each team member brings their own distinctive set of skills and abilities to the battlefield. Even their personal goals and relationships influence every encounter. If you can master these social and strategic dynamics, then you and your team will no doubt dominate the battlefield.