Kessen

PlayStation exclusive

The ancient storied battlefield lies before you. At your command are 100,000 troops including archers, infantry, riflemen, and the powerful cavalry. Kessenis a real time strategy game that gives players strategic command and control over huge armies during epic battle sequences from the Warring States period of seventeenth century Japan. Key features include more than 100 movie segments, battlefields with full 3D terrain, separate animation routines for every character, and three different camera views. Known best because it is the very first PlayStation 2 game to ship using the DVD format.

Released: 4 March 2000
Platforms: PlayStation 2
Genres: Historical Real-time tactics Strategy Tactical Turn-based strategy
Developers: Koei
Publishers: Electronic Arts
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Bird view / Isometric
Themes: Historical Warfare
Country: Japan
Age ratings: ESRB T
Languages: English, Japanese

About

Kessen (決戦; "Decisive Battle") is a real-time tactics video game produced by Koei. It was a launch game for the PlayStation 2 in Japan and North America, where it was published by Electronic Arts. It was initially the only real-time wargame game available for the PlayStation 2.

It is a real-time tactics game set in feudal Japan, focusing upon a conflict between the eastern Tokugawa clan and western Toyotomi clan (with Ishida Mitsunari as the Toyotomi's guardian and protector) shogunates at the end of Sengoku Jidai. Tokugawa Ieyasu served as the primary representative for the Eastern forces where the Western army changed leaders based on the results of select key battles.

Keywords

ninja
magic
horse
war
grid-based movement
human
polygonal 3d
bow and arrow
launch titles
morale
tactician
western published japanese games

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Reception

Kessen received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one nine, one eight, one seven, and one eight, for a total of 32 out of 40.

Some reviewers have described the game as redundant and slow. Cutscenes were cited by one critic to be "the visual appeal to Kessen". Graphics concerning the historical figures were also said to be "over-the-top" and colorful enough to the point of ridiculousness, though impressive. What gained Kessen the most praise was the game's sound department, many citing the orchestral score to be "epic" with one critic noting the "English voices to be good and fitting". Overall, it is seen as a game for history buffs of Japanese history with a good but flawed presentation.