Sengoku Musou 2 Empires Treasure Box

» Seven daimyo may be chosen at the outset of the game which starts in the year 1561. While perusing the available characters, the music plays in the background with drumbeats and stylized castanets. Sadly, there was no audible cowbell. After selecting a daimyo, the game begins with a view of an army standing in front of a general. He rouses the troops with sword swinging gesticulations and leads them.

» Players use resource management, invest in research and tech, make alliances, and check out neighbors to make sure no one's getting overly powerful or rich.

» After each turn, revenues come in and is tabulated on screen.

» When it's time to battle, the scenario shifts from the default resource management screen to an "in-the-thick-of-the-action" 3D roam and kill game where the player controls a general who leads an army of troops into war against an opposing army. The action runs routine to the earlier Sangoku Musou games but the enemy AI is more refined in that enemy soldiers will press the attack and coordinate attacks instead of standing around with their mouths agape. Koei has heard our cries for improvement. Before each battle, players may study the battlefield and check out the forces marshaled against him.

» As the seasons change, small events may occur such as festivals, plagues, snowfall, etc. These are shown in static illustrations along with a text box which explains the occasion.

» A gallery mode in the main menu options contains a wide amount of material including a character model viewer allows gamers to check out 3D representations of the generals in the game. Pan, close-up and rotate in 3D space to check out their details and intricacies. A total of 28 generals are viewable at the outset. Players may also listen to voice samples for each general. Additional galleries include images for the henchmen in the game, weapons, items, etc.

» The "Make a General" character editor allows the player to create an original character for use in the game. There are 13 archetypes available and each one may be modified and customized to one's preferences in terms of stance, crest symbol, armor color, name, garb, and attributes.

» A History section contains text and images which relay information on the Warring States period of Japan's history. Events and timelines are explained along with history on general and key events which shaped Japan's destiny.

» For gamers who wish to eschew the tactical game play, there's an all-out 3D hack 'n slashing option where players choose a daimyo and then go to war against opposing armies. As mentioned earlier, the enemy AI is much improved over earlier Sangoku games and enemy soldiers actually attack and gang up on the player like a pack of thugs. Koei has finally tweaked the engine and has made it much more challenging than previous games in the entire series.

» Where NCS testers once plowed into the thick of enemy soldiers without fear of getting hit once, they're actually strategizing now and fearing the inevitable attacks that will rain down if a foolhardy strategy is adopted.

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