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Ever wonder what Baldur’s Gate 3 would be like if it were set in the Far East? The answer is Shadow of the Road, which transports you to an alternative feudal Japan where magic and machinery mix. And if you’re sufficiently intrigued by that premise, you can play it right now.
That’s not to say that Shadow of the Road is finished, far from it. It’s still early days for this turn-based RPG game, which drags you into the conflict between two warring factions. Instead, developer Another Angle Games has put on a playtest, giving Steam users a taste of its gorgeous dangerous world.
Like the equally appealing Ghost of Tsushima, it begins with you on the losing side of a grand battle. Your protagonists Satoru and Akira, now masterless ronin, find refuge in a restaurant, but not for long. Combat ensues and from the moment the first geyser of blood spurts out of an enemy, you know you’re in for a full-on samurai adventure.
Soon, you’re taking on both your fellow countrymen and the moustache-twirlingly evil British who are backing the Emperor. The demo’s only about an hour long, but it’s enough to give you a glimpse of several of its mechanics, the experience system included. You’re also introduced to the mysterious boy Satoru and Akira are charged with escorting and go head-to-head with some of the game’s stranger and squishier foes.
To gain access to Shadow of the Road’s playtest, it’s just a matter of going to its Steam page and hitting Request Access. One 15 GB or so download later, you’re good to go.
If turn-based combat is your thing, we’ve rounded up the best turn-based strategy games. Or if it’s Shadow of the Road’s setting you find appealing, we’ve got the best samurai games.
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