Shadow of the Road preview — Choosing your path

Recently, I was lucky enough to play the alpha for Shadow of the Road, a turn-based RPG set in an alternate 1868 Japan. Currently being developed by Another Angle Games, Shadow of the Road seeks to entice players with a deep story that emphasizes character relations, strategic combat where every move matters, and an atmosphere so rich you’d think it has the backing of the Shogun himself. Let's dive into deeper detail. 

The story opens on the battlefield, with the forces of the traditional Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu fighting the army of the modernizing Emperor Mutsuhito. The former is currently on the back foot, as the Emperor has the backing of the East Nippon Company, wealthy foreigners with powerful technology of gunpowder and steam. In the battle, a samurai falls, leaving behind his two disciples, Akira and Satoru. Although they are unalike personality-wise, with Akira being a playful rogue who relishes battle and Satoru being a reserved individual who holds his honor in the highest regard, they are practically brothers. 

Now, freshly off the battlefield, hiding out at an inn, licking their wounds, and mourning their fallen master, the two must find a path forward as dishonored Ronin. They can’t remain contemplative for long, as their pursuers soon find them, creating an all-out brawl between the inn’s Shogun loyalist inhabitants and the Emperor’s forces backed by ENC Company riflemen. 

It’s in this skirmish where we learn the basics of combat, like movement, attacks, reading the turns timeline, and using skills to get an edge over our opponents. Let me explain them in order, starting with movement and combat. Basically, you can command Akira and Satoru to move around, with the typical turn-based tiles making up units of distance, each of which consumes one movement point to traverse. Once well positioned, your party members can launch an attack in the form of a skill, each of which costs action points, and some of which take time to charge or have cooldowns. Sotoru, being a swordsman, needs to be right next to his opponent to use an attack skill. Akira, on the other hand, can plink off enemies from afar with his bow. Then throw in attacks of opportunity, where if one opponent crosses another’s path on the way to their destination, the one moving gets attacked. 

Additionally, there is no RNG relating to whether or not an attack hits, it always will. Instead, attacks deal damage in a range, with a chance to perform a critical hit that goes beyond even the upper damage range. Well, actually, I lied, some attacks aren’t guaranteed to hit, but that’s only if someone charging up a delayed attack skill gets damaged, which cancels the channeling, and awards their attacker with an action point. 

As for the turn order, the turns timeline at the top of the screen details which units are scheduled to attack, with those closest to the left being next in line and those further to the right attacking later. Each unit has a turn interval score which represents how often they take their turn, the lower the number the better. There are some skills, like Satoru’s Leader’s Call, which can buff his allies by lowering their turn interval score. In sum, you want to move your allies to the left and push your enemies to the right. Don’t forget to keep up with your skill tree progression to gain more skills and add passive effects. 

Once you complete the tutorial combat encounter, you can start the game proper. I won’t spoil too much, but let's just say Akira and Satoru get a new mission, which has them traveling by foot to an estate, through the forest and in the rain. It’s this section where we’re introduced to mechanics like the journal, which has detailed entries on just about every enemy, weapon, and location you come across. 

We also get our first real taste of Akira and Satoru’s personalities, and how they might conflict. You see, the pair find an unattended cart, and take a detour to investigate, during which they find out that the rain has attracted Yokai (basically Japanese cryptids) called Amefurikozo. They’re little humanoid creatures who carry umbrellas, hats, and paper lanterns, and enjoy the rain while making odd, bubbly, gurgling noises. In addition to being a battle-loving rogue, Akira thoroughly enjoys playfully interacting with these creatures, showing a more child-like side. Satoru, on the other hand, is already fed up from Akira’s constant babbling during the long walk and finds Akira’s dealings with the creatures annoying. 

The situation soon becomes even more interesting, as the duo also find the corpse of the merchant who owned the cart lying by a pond. Akira thinks it’s a good idea to raid the cart to see what’s left behind, finding some statuettes of a goddess, then proceeding to mock the craftsmanship, which further frustrates Satoru. Akira also finds some herbs in the process of rummaging, but becomes hesitant when he finds a rifle, which is the same kind of foreign weapon used to slay their master. Akira looks to Satoru for guidance, and players have to choose one of three options to respond with as Satoru: Take only the herbs and denounce the technology, take both the herbs and the rifle in an act of pragmatism, or leave everything in the cart to honor the merchant. I took the last option, which improved the relations between the two, and pushed Satoru down the Samurai path. I was then greeted by a wholesome back and forth where the duo complemented each other’s skills. The scene put a smile on my face, and I can’t wait to uncover the branching effects of choices in the full game.    

Beyond the quality of the dialogue in the text, there are highlighted words which can be hovered over to reveal a definition or excerpt. You could learn some real world facts or some in-game lore, and oftentimes the two are tied together to flesh out a brilliant fantasy world that’s based in reality. Be vigilant as to which dialogue option or choice you select, as the wedge between Akira and Satoru that’s naturally caused by their polar opposite personalities is a crack in the keystone, and fumbled words or poor calls could prove damaging to their relationship. 

The developers filled us in on some other elements, like changes in how characters interact depending on their relationship, and combos or cooperative actions that can occur between two party members with high levels of trust. Speaking of party members, their goal is to have five plus in total by the end of development, each with their own background and goals. 

On the note of aesthetics, It would be remiss of me to not mention how stunning the atmosphere is in this section of the game. The moonlit woodland, the pitter-patter of the rain on the leaves of the trees, the haphazard dancing of the fireflies, the distant chirping of frogs, the sloshing of wet ground beneath sandals, the traditional Japanese strings played in the background, and the occasional clap of thunder, all contribute to what could only be described as masterfully crafted ambiance. Even after writing such a long list, I feel like I’m doing the game a slight disservice, as the game truly offers a feast for the eyes and ears, making the forest feel so lively yet cozy. This excellent aesthetic design extends to mechanics like finding items. For example, the game draws your attention to nearby objects of interest by displaying them with a shimmer and cherry blossoms caught in a gust of wind. 

Overall, I’m quite hyped to see more Shadow of the Road in the future. Despite playing for only around an hour, the game had its hooks in me, with its compelling writing, meaningful character interactions, immersive atmosphere, and fun strategic combat. For now, players can engage with the demo that goes live on Steam by the time this preview is released.