Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition

Alongside the launch of Nintendo Switch 2, Koei Tecmo Games released Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening: Complete Edition. The new mouse controls are particularly welcome. This expanded version is also available for PlayStation 5.

Koei Tecmo and developer Kou Shibusawa also included Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening: Complete Edition, which was released on the same day for the PlayStation 5 console.

Originally released in July 2023 (Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening) to celebrate the franchise's 40th anniversary, this military and historical simulation game allowed players to experience the ambition of Nobunaga Oda to unify Japan during the Warring States period, through escalating war strategies and diplomacy.  Players manage their clan by issuing policies, appointing officers (over 2,200 unique officers), managing resources and planning expansions in turn-based mode. When combat occurs, the game enters a real-time phase in which players can control units directly or give orders as the battle unfolds. This is similar to the Total War series.

The Complete Edition includes almost all the downloadable content, with the exception of the collaborative DLC. Improvements include enhanced 3D rendering quality (4K on PlayStation 5; 1080p at 30 fps on Switch 2; 4K at 60 fps was not possible on the new Nintendo console) and mouse support on Switch 2. Mouse support is especially important, as it makes navigating menus, managing the domain and issuing commands much more intuitive and efficient - particularly for gamers used to playing strategy games on PC.

The Complete Edition also features six new scenarios, new traits and a new mode called 'Decisive Battles', designed to boost the game's replay value. In this new mode, players lead their clan in a fight for dominance against neighbouring clans. They engage in two opening assaults, the outcome of which affects the final battle. Players have six months between each battle to plan their strategy before launching the next assault.

"The Complete Edition also introduces six new scenarios, both historical and hypothetical such as “The Birth of Nobunaga”, which features key characters as Nobunaga’s father, Nobuhide Oda, and cunning strategist Tsunehisa Amago. The historical scenario 'Fateful Clash' takes players right after the Honnō-ji incident in June 1582, when Mitsuhide Akechi betrayed and attacked Nobunaga, while the hypothetical scenario “Absence of Great Conflicts” explores a world where the Ōnin War never occurred and the Oda clan’s rise continued smoothly. These new scenarios will allow players to experience a wide variety of Sengoku period situations, blending historical and fictional narratives." - Koei Tecmo

Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition is now available to download on PlayStation 5 and Switch 2. The "Decisive Battles" mode and new traits have been added to the original Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening game via free updates. The new scenarios are available as paid DLC. The game features Japanese voices and English texts only.

Players of Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening on Nintendo Switch cannot upgrade directly to the Complete Edition on Switch 2, and save data transfer is not supported either. The situation for PlayStation 4 owners is slightly different. While the Complete Edition is a separate release for PlayStation 5, many of its new features and scenarios are available as free updates or paid DLC for the original game (including on Steam). In order to play the game in 4K with all graphical enhancements, the Complete Edition for PlayStation 5 is required. Save data from the PS4 version can be transferred to the PS5 version of the Complete Edition.

Conclusion

Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition is an in-depth strategy game. Although it greatly benefits from mouse control on Switch 2, unfortunately there is no upgrade option for owners of the Switch version of the game.

Features

• Expanded complete package of the game
• Improved visuals on PS5 and Switch 2
• Mouse control on Switch 2