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When we think of Koei, straight away our minds project a rich tapestry bearing the image of its acclaimed Warriors franchise. Amid the constant barrage of sequels and spinoffs, however, there has been the occasional glimmer of innovation. In recent years we've seen numerous partnerships between Koei and other publishers as well a cluster of new IP, including Bladestorm, Toukiden, and the lesser known Fatal Inertia.

Still, it's not very often we're reminded of a time when Koei wasn't so heavily focussed on the Warriors series. Prior to its landmark hack and slash franchise, much of the publisher's success stemmed from two long-running strategy titles: Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Nobunaga's Ambition.

Although popular in Japan, these series have rarely made the voyage overseas, and it's easy to see why Koei has had its reservations in bringing Nobunaga's Ambition to a new audience. Much like its predecessors, Sphere of Influence gets hung up on just about every historical detail, featuring hundreds of feudal warlords across several gigantic campaigns.

Like previous titles in the series, Sphere of Influence is set in 16th century Japan, an era commonly referred to as the Sengoku period. Put simply, it's an age of unending war as daimyos look to expand their territory while keeping a watchful eye on the imperial court. If not clashing in the field of battle, these warlords look to conspire and scheme against one another, a peace offering in one hand and a dagger in the other. Naturally, players are thrown right into this lion's den and left to fend for themselves. Choosing from one of several campaigns to undertake, you'll select a clan to play as before settling down and growing your kingdom.

This isn't as easy as it sounds, however. Nobunaga's Ambition is an incredibly complex game with the tutorial alone clocking in at just over an hour. There's just so much to take on board, from building and developing your bases, to diplomatic treaties and military conquest. It's overwhelming, but if you have the stomach for it, it can also be rather compelling.

As briefly touched on before, Sphere of Influence can be divided into three interdependent parts. First we have the building and development of your clan's territory, carried out through a variety of work orders. Whether improving a base's crop yield, expanding its militia, or fortifying defences, each upgrade requires time and resources.

Diplomacy can be just as important and comes in a number of flavours. While players can seek to forge alliances and military coalitions, they can also turn enemy officers and even manipulate native tribes who inhabit their lands. Again, such actions demand coin as well as skilled personnel to carry them out.

Ranging from small skirmishes to epic showdowns, seizing direct control will have you gazing down upon your units while issuing orders. It's a fairly basic yet effective system, expanded by an array of tactical options, such as the ability to launch pincer attacks. Each officer will also have their own traits and powers to use, giving them some versatility on the battlefield. While some prefer ranged attacks and speedy getaways, others enforce more aggressive tactics that often leave the enemy confused and weakened.

This same top-down view is used when managing your kingdom too. Aside from fiddling with the camera controls, you'll also be able to scroll through menus in order to enact policies and command your subjects. This is done month-by-month, giving the game a sensible amount of pace. At the beginning of each month, you'll devise a plan before executing it. Upon doing so, you'll trigger a time lapse, enabling you to carry out any military action. Luckily, with the option to slow or even stop time, you're given enough room to watch as everything unfolds around you.

With more land to govern and officers to manage, progress can also become a burden. Instead of pushing ahead and doing the things I enjoyed most in Nobunaga's Ambition, I often found myself hampered by bureaucracy and the need constantly shuffle my retainers from base to base. Luckily, there are some advanced options at hand, allowing players to hand provincial control to AI generals.

Still, it can all get a bit too much, and this is where many will take issue with the game. Having spent many an hour browsing menus and issuing commands on the battlefield, I would often zoom out on the campaign map only to realise how small and insignificant my clan truly was. To hazard a guess, conquering Japan would take the best part of an entire day playing non-stop, if not longer - and that's only one of a dozen or so campaigns to get through!

Vast in scope and often times overwhelming, Nobunaga's Ambition isn't a game for everyone, especially those who'd rather get their next Samurai Warriors fix. Although set in the same time period, the two Koei franchises couldn't be further apart. Where one has you constantly hammering out combos and destroying enemies by the dozen, the other is mostly comprised of sifting through an endless maze of menus while trying to stay one step ahead of your rivals. If you approach Sphere of Influence with an open mind, however, you'll quickly find that it's more than competent.

1. Fully customisable game experience.
2. Enough content to last hundreds of hours.
3. Great artwork, mesmerising soundtrack.
4. Complex yet rewarding.

1. Often overwhelming.
2. Crucial info sometimes hidden in menus.
3. Loose quest system.

Over the years, Koei has clearly continued to refine it's original strategy template, layering an interlocking mesh of game systems and mechanics. When the cogs start turning, Nobunaga's Ambition becomes this intriguing spectacle as clans employ a variety of strategies in order to adapt, survive, and expand. Although far from perfect, this is likely the best grand strategy title you'll find on a home console.