Kessen

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  • Kessen

    If the goal behind Kessen was to create a spectacular-looking display of medieval Japanese warfare, it succeeds and then some. If the goal was to make a good real-time strategy game, however, Kessen fails.

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Kessen - PS2

KOEI FINALLY GET SOMETHING RIGHT

Yeah, good job Koei. It's about time you make a good game. I like the development, the strategy, & the execution of this game. Though a bit technical, you still get to command your own armies. The special attacks are very helpful, & watching a incoming onslaught of enemies get barraged around by cannons is pleasing to watch, especially if it's a turning point in the battle. The only problem with this is that you can only watch the fights, not really join in. That really bites the bullet. Oh well.

Kessen - PS2

A "could have been solid"

If you are waiting for that perfect console RTS then, well, keep waiting. Although this game has it's moments too many flaws take away from the overall experience. The key ingredient in an RTS is strategy, but this game seems devoid of strategy for the most part. The game basically runs on luck and how many units you can flank. Although flanking sounds strategic, it usually seems to come down to common sense. Before a battle starts, the theory is that you can choose two officers to switch sides based on loyalty and power, while choosing locations, fortifications, and ambush points for your own units. But in execution you have about 2 or 3 enemy commanders to try and turn, and there are only a few set location from which to place your units. Choosing what unit types you want is highly limited also, which makes the game feel highly contstricted, like highschool. "You can do it anyway you want as long as it is how we want it." Um, ok. Although the game does a great job showing off the PS2's graphical prowess by showing the battles up close and watching short sequences of special moves you have chosen, you will spend most of your time from the bird's eye view were it looks like a jumble of tacks are mixing with another jumble of tacks. The short sequences showing the special moves also get highly repetitive also, and the voice acting in them is laughable at times. The controlls would be horrible if the game didn't pause while you fumbled around the map trying to get the right unit and then frustratedly tried to get them to the spot you want. A cool touch that the developers tried is a battle tree of sorts. Depending on whether you lost or won a battle you may end up in a completely different scenario. Which might have givin the game some good replay value, if all the flaws were not there. Despite the games label as an RTS it feels like the game is strategising for you, which feels like a glorified history lesson. It takes more than a few gimicks to make a game great.

Kessen - PS2

Kool Stradegy Game.

This game was pretty good, the controls were simple, the set-up was easy and it was very easy to master. The sound was pretty good except that the mouths didn't move at all and the phrases were very repetative. The bird's eye view was alright but when it came down a little closer the graphics wern't all that great. This game was fun, i think it just needed a few tune-ups.

Kessen - PS2

Go to bed game.

I usually play this game before i go to bed. sometimes i found myself not even paying attenion to the game and still winning the battle.but overall this is a good game.

Kessen - PS2

kessen

its like watching a movie instead of playing a game. the clips are long and dumb. could have been better. but if you are into Age of the Empire and Command and Concore, you will most likely play this one for a long time.

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Kessen Recent Articles

  • Oct. 23, 2000 Review: Kessen

    If the goal behind Kessen was to create a spectacular-looking display of medieval Japanese warfare, it succeeds and then some. If the goal was to make a good real-time strategy game, however, Kessen fails.

  • Aug. 21, 2000 Preview: Kessen

    Here are a handful of new screenshots from EA's American version of Koei's real time strategy wargame, Kessen.

  • Apr. 25, 2000 Preview: Kessen

    GamePro got its hands on the PS2 war strategy title Kessen, and we can hardly wait for the English version to come out in the fall. You will command the forces of Ieyasu Tokugawa or Mitsunari Ishida in the famous story of the Battle of Sekigahara. This is no history lesson though; this is all out war.

  • Mar. 30, 2000 Preview: Kessen

    Koei introduces stunning new developments in real-time war strategy with Kessen, a richly detailed, fantastically rendered replay of Japanese history.