Kessen III

"Way better than the previous Kessens..."

Kessen III is a war-strategy based game that takes place during the Warring States period in Japan. You play as Nobunaga Oda, the ruler of the Oda Clan of Owari, who attempts to unite Japan under his rule. Kessen III has changed a lot compared to the previous Kessens but still keeps the traditional theme.

Gameplay - 10/10

This game consists of two parts: preparations and war. While you prepare for the upcoming battle you can buy items from shops such as weapons, armor, troops, and manuals. Your officer's looks and statistics can be customized by equipping different combinations of weapons and armor. Officers can use manuals to learn from a wide variety of skills for use in battle. Some of the skills are plain tactics such as a rally or rampage, others are magic attacks. There are many types of troops you can assign under your officers such as mounted spears, mounted bows, ninjas, rifles, bows, mattocks, katanas, spears, and more. Each unit is unique in how it fights and moves on the battlefield. Once you are ready for battle you can deploy your units on the battlefield. Your deployment will most likely affect how well you do in the battle. After you deploy and give orders the battle begins. You can directly control unit at a time while giving orders to the other units. When you engage with the enemy you need to press some buttons to attack, which is different from other Kessens but gives more control to the player. Battles aren't always easily won, you're going to have to use some strategy. After the battle your officers will gain experience depending on how much they accomplished. You officers might become wounded in battle if your army took a lot of damage, but don't worry, they'll recover and you can still play with wounded officers.

Storyline – 9/10

The story puts the heart into the game, it'll get you addicted or push you away. It's based on the warring states period in Japan. The main character is Nobunaga Oda and he's accompanied by his trusted generals. The story tends to stick with real history but starts to swerve off that path near the end. It's very in-depth and dramatic. There's not much I can say without spoiling it for you.

Sound – 10/10

The voice acting in this game is incredibly good. You could compare the quality of the voice acting to that of final fantasy or other games renowned for their characters. The only problem is that it seems like some of the minor characters use the same voice, and sometimes it just doesn't fit. The game's music is also fantastic, it really sets the mood. You might find yourself listening to the games soundtrack, which is something you select from main menu. The sound effects are good too, they're realistic and clear.

Graphics – 10/10

The graphics during the cutscenes are spectacular. Battle graphics are pretty good too, much better than previous Kessens. The terrain is very detailed with trees, hills, water, and grass. You'll be very pleased with the graphics.

Replayability – 8/10

The game is designed to make you want to play it again since you can't do everything on the first run through. It's impossible to play all the battles without playing the game twice. There are so many officers that it's likely you'll have to play it three or more times to unlock them all. When the game is cleared your officer's statistics and armor get carried over to the next game. The past Kessen games let you play as a different character after you beat it once, but this one doesn't. It would have been great if this one did.

Overall – 10/10

This game will keep you occupied for a long time and you'll leave satisfied. I suggest you buy it if you're interested, maybe rent it if you're not sure. The game does not disappoint.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/11/05