German publisher, Toplitz, and developer, Superkami Games, has shared the first “CGI trailer” of the upcoming city-building simulation, Sengoku Dynasty, and it looks like it could be something truly special.
What is most comforting to me, however, is the great pains that Superkami Games seem to have gone to so that it can make historical authenticity a major part of the experience. Toplitz’s press material focuses heavily on how Sengoku Dynasty was developed “in cooperation with experts in Japanese history,” and while it doesn’t name those experts (and I’m inherently suspicious when that happens), the developers insist that the game has been “faithfully researched, from the smallest stones right through to its culture and politics.”
Furthermore, the publisher is promising that you’ll learn something about Japanese culture in the Middle Ages through this game, including its unique cultural traditions. Obviously, it’s going to have to back this up (and I’ll be paying very close attention to it), but the trailer is encouraging. If nothing else, they do seem to have comprehensively nailed the natural aesthetics, clothing, and architecture of the era.
In Sengoku Dynasty, you’ll be tasked with turning a “beautiful village,” into a “thriving city.” Eventually, you’ll even be able to establish additional towns and turn your little corner of Japan into a small nation.
Of course, that era was also known for its endless conflict, so you’re going to need to be able to defend your holdings. This means crafting tools and weapons, and then arming your people with everything from simple spears all the way up to gunpowder and the primitive muskets that got introduced to the nation during Oda Nobunaga’s reign.
There’s still a way to go for the game’s release, though it will enter early access on PC later this year. I’m certainly going to keep an eye on the game. While I forever remain cautious of orientalism with video games (particularly the way Japan is presented by non-Japanese), this one does seem like it’s a genuine effort, and I’m going to give it a red-hot chance.
