While I’m no stranger to big strategy titles, having long been a fan of the Civilization franchise as well as the now-defunct Master of Orion series, their level of complexity only goes so far. Having been exposed to the Nobunaga’s Ambition series back in the 16-bit era thanks to a friend, I mistakenly thought I would still have a fair grasp of it when I downloaded this behemoth for the Switch 2. Oh, how wrong I was, though I’ll admit that the strategy fan in me was fascinated with the opportunity to learn the intricacies of so many new systems and considerations that it offers.

First, there’s no denying that the game simply looks gorgeous, making great use of the Switch 2’s hardware. In that same vein, the fact that mouse controls are supported is also a terrific bonus feature to have as an option, though I’ll at least give the game credit for working competently enough with a controller as well. Not that you’ll need to worry about any quick action or testing your manual dexterity, this is a 100% cerebral affair that will force you to think in both the short and long term, courting allies and smashing down resistance… all while trying to keep your budding empire from crumbling.

Now, given the enormity of what you’re expected to come to understand and show competency in managing, I’ll say that the game’s tutorials will only get you so far. To really get your arms around some of the more complex considerations and strategies, this may be a case where it’s appropriate to hit up some online guides and then mix what you learn there with a fair amount of trial and error. What really complicates your efforts, is that while managing your allies and enemies is something you need to do in many strategy games, here the depth of options in how to approach them is far more daunting. There are quite a lot of avenues to pursue in undermining and toppling your enemies, but the road to success is fraught to say the least, and you may find that you need to be prepared to do some serious damage control if your plans go awry. It makes for a challenge that can feel insurmountable early on, but if what you’ve been craving is strategic depth this is where you’ll find it.

Where this all has left me is in a position of both being quite intimidated by, and in awe of, what the game demands of you in order to succeed. I’ve faced down all sorts of crazy challenges with punishing roguelike strategy titles, but the depth here is simply on another level. If you’re a fan of the series looking for a comparative analysis of this edition compared to another one, unfortunately I have nothing to offer in that vein. If, however, you’re someone like me who enjoys well-made strategy games but is new to this series, I’d say that if you’re willing and able to put in the work to understand the vast mechanics that are at play here, this is absolutely a challenge you can bury yourself in for quite some time.