Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun - Aiko's Choice

Ever since the release of the original Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, fans have been clamoring for more stealth action strategy. Five years later with Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun - Aiko's Choice, those fans are finally getting their wish, though maybe not quite the way they were expecting. Aiko's Choice isn't a long-awaited sequel to the cult classic game, but instead is a standalone expansion to the original game, coming a day late and a sizeable chunk of content short. The story expands on the relationship between the characters and spotlights Aiko's life prior to the events of the main game. But the rest of the gameplay looks and plays almost identical to the original release. And with only a handful of missions, three main missions and three shorter "interlude" side missions, the game feels more like a lost chapter than anything else. In fact, while Aiko's Choice is a standalone release with a few basic tutorial refreshers, players are better served by replaying the original game to remind themselves exactly how to play.

Aiko's Choice might be more of a midday snack than a full course meal, but that doesn't make it any less tasty. After all, there's a reason the original game was such a fan favorite. The expansion is visually stunning, with bright colors and crisp textures that bring the world of ancient Japan to life. The gameplay may remain faithful to the original, but that doesn't mean there haven't been a few tweaks under the hood. The most noticeable of these is how the enemy guards patrol and keep watch. It feels a lot more natural if a player gets noticed, but that heightened awareness also makes it that much more satisfying to successfully sneak by. This is especially true when pulling off a well-choreographed multi-character assassination in Shadow Mode. It might not be enough to fully satisfy fans' craving, but Aiko's Choice is more than enough to leave them craving more.