In many ways, stealth games have largely been absent from the spotlight for far too long. While Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun isn't exactly new, the Nintendo Switch 2 is an incredible way to get into one of the most addictive stealth-focused titles of the last 10 years.
Originally released in 2016 for PC before making its way to consoles, first on PS4 and Xbox One (2017) and later on PS5 (2025), Blades of the Shogun is a very unique real-time strategy game that focuses on sneaking past hordes of enemy soldiers and coming up with very tricky solutions to intricate puzzles.
If you're a fan of Japanese culture and its history, Blades of the Shogun is already a very enticing package, as it puts you right in the middle of feudal Japan. It is a seemingly peaceful time; however, a warlord known as Kage-sama wants to disrupt everything the Shogun has managed to achieve.
The story itself is very intriguing, even if the English voice cast can be hit-or-miss at times. If you're into political thrillers or stories with twists and turns to keep you hooked, Blades of the Shogun's got you covered. But what I suspect will get you even more addicted is the gameplay.
As someone truly passionate about Japanese history, seeing locales like Osaka Castle or the Nakasendo Trail, the historic road that connected Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto, was such a treat. There are many other places you'd likely recognize as well, and although the story is completely fictional, it's a fascinating look into feudal Japan, thanks to the gorgeous art style that shines even in handheld mode.
Shadow Tactics really incentivizes a trial-and-error approach and constant experimentation, tickling that part of my brain that likes to go "wonder if this'll work" every so often. Each map is vast, and while it might seem daunting at first, breaking each section down into mini puzzles feels so satisfying once you crack them. You can freely see the entire map from the beginning, each looking like a quaint diorama come to life. You can zoom in or out at will to fully scope the situation and even rotate the camera, allowing you to scout for different approaches.
In each map, you'll be able to control a variety of units with different skills. You've got Hayato, a ninja who can distract enemies with rocks and take them down quietly from a distance using a shuriken; Takuma, a sniper with limited and very precious ammo that can help you create distractions from afar; or Aiko, a kunoichi who can dress herself as a Geisha to distract enemies with her charm.
Mixing and matching what each character can do becomes an enthralling experience. The game has a manual save feature and will constantly remind you when you've gone more than a couple of minutes without saving. Doing so will let you try different methods to bypass a particularly difficult obstacle. Will you use Mugen's massive AoE attack to clear out an area or use Aiko to distract the soldiers, letting one of your other units sneak past them undetected?
Shadow Tactics will demand patience from you, a lot. You'll quickly realize that trying to brute force encounters will yield terrible results. I personally adore overanalyzing situations and executing plans to see how enemies interact in particular contexts, with the game's Shadow Mode being its strongest hook.
When you enter Shadow Mode, you can essentially queue up a character's actions: repositioning them, targeting a specific enemy, maybe creating a diversion at the right time. Once you've done it, pressing X to "execute the plan" will let you see everything unfold in real time. It's a wonderful mechanic that lets you take full advantage of each character's best aspects and makes you feel like an absolute tactical genius.
Things in certain maps can feel a bit difficult, however, particularly since controlling the game on Switch 2 comes with a bit of a learning curve. You will have to use the right stick to move and rotate the camera, while the left stick will let you control the currently selected character. Having to sometimes fiddle with the camera angle (you have to hold ZR to rotate or zoom in/out) and quickly selecting a specific character ability (holding the ZL button) can become cumbersome and lead to frustration, especially when you're trying to act quickly if you want to take down an enemy before they move out of position.
The mouse controls don't do much to alleviate the situation. A Joy-Con simply isn't a replacement for a proper mouse. It feels finicky to control, and having to set up my Switch 2 on my desk to try and experience it this way just made me realize I should boot up the PC version.
All that being said, the game runs wonderfully in handheld mode, and having this experience on the go made it feel right at home. Even if I think the controls are far from perfect, there was a clear, commendable effort from the developers behind the port (considering that the original crew, Mimimi Games, was sadly closed down in 2023) in trying to port a primarily mouse-and-keyboard experience to the Switch 2. There are plenty of gameplay customization options, letting you tinker with settings that can help your experience be much smoother, which is always highly appreciated. I did find it hard to find a new button layout as there are too many systems in place, and I just defaulted to the standard options offered from the get-go.
There's also a decent amount of replayability, as each map has unique challenges called badges. There are three major ones and a few extra objectives. You don't really get anything for completing these, but they act as self-imposed challenges for those who really want to get the most out of Shadow Tactics.
Ultimately, if you love stealth-based games that give you a hard but never unfair challenge, I highly recommend you check out Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun on the Nintendo Switch 2 if you have the opportunity. The base game is incredible on its own, and the standalone DLC, Aiko's Choice, just adds even more of that brilliant Shadow Tactics loop for you to enjoy.
A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for this review.