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Company of Origin:
Xicat
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows 95/98/ME/2000/NT, 200MHz processor, 128 MB RAM, 1GB HD space, video
card with 4 MB RAM
Test System:
Windows 98,
1.4GHz AMD Athlon, GeForce 2 mx 32MB video card, 40 gig hard drive, 56x
CD-ROM, 256MB DDR Ram, Sound Blaster Live! sound card, T1 Internet
connection
Graphics and Sound:
Not many games these days emphasize totally on gameplay in order to sell the
product, as people are demanding flashier and more breathtaking graphics.
While I'll not complain about better graphics, I'll also not complain about
better gameplay. Takeda has some nice Japanese art incorporated in
with the menus, but the soul of the game is in the battles. Takeda
is a 2D battlefield sim to the core, with graphics not being the number one
priority. However, they could have paid a little more attention to the
level of detail, which would have ultimately ended up enhancing the
gameplay. The terrain isn't horrible, but most of the battlefields will end
up looking like all the other ones, unless a giant river happens to bisect
it down the middle. Battles are fought from a top down perspective, and
take place over large areas of terrain. With two armies on the field
totaling around 1000 soldiers, you can't exactly see the troops faces, but
you also can't even tell what they are at times. Discerning between troops
takes more than a little effort, as the biggest difference between them is
who is on a horse and who is not. The foot soldiers look too much alike,
especially in the heat of battle.
While you might not be able to see clearly the slaughter that is going on
down there, you'll definitely be able to hear it. Right down to the
thundering sound of charging cavalry, you won't miss much in the way of
sound. Generals yell orders to their men, who will in turn give a battle
cry as they rush into the fray. The game won't let you forget if people are
dying, either. The sound of swords clashing and arrows ripping through the
air will be accompanied by the screams of men receiving mortal blows. All
of this on top of a soundtrack worthy of Akira Kurosawa films almost makes
up for the lack of visuals.
Gameplay: 
Most RTS games allow around 8 people or more to fight it out on a given map.
Being set in feudal Japan, where most battles were just one army pitted
against another, Takeda only allows two armies on the field at a
single moment. Given that there are up to 500 soldiers for each army, I'm
not in a hurry to complain.
Takeda gives you a choice between a Campaign, Multiplayer, or
Historical Battle mode. The Campaign will take you through 40 battles that
more or less outline the exploits of Takeda Shingen, a very successful
feudal Japanese lord. The story line isn't completely linear, as you will
be faced with choices before and after the battles. You can either choose
to attack, rest your army, or you might be faced with what is usually a yes
or no question. These questions mostly run along the line of forming
alliances or dealing with political problems in your homeland. Depending on
what you decide will affect your army and it's generals in either a good or
bad manner. Resting your army will give you more troops, but they will be
green and shouldn't be relied upon to get the winning edge in a battle.
When it comes time to fight, a pre-battle screen is presented to you. Here
you can choose what generals to send into battle, and what formation your
army will use. The formations are taken straight from those used in feudal
Japan, and incorporate defensive and offensive strategies. Each formation
is explained in the book, and getting used to them doesn't take long. It
gets a little more complicated when you want to figure out which generals to
use where. There are five different types of units, and each general has
different skills with each type. If the generals live through a battle,
their skills will go up, but sending them to a fight might also get them
killed. One general is in charge of a single division, with twelve
divisions in all. The level of danger depends on enemy placement, division
type, and the terrain you're on. There are many variables that could get
your generals killed when you least expect it.
A Historical battle is simply a single battle without all the fuss of the
Campaign. You get a set number of troops on a specific battlefield, and
it's a fight to the death. A small attempt to boost the replay value,
Historical battles will help relieve the pressure of the Campaign, as most
of them are easier than Campaign battles. The lack of a mapmaker really
hurt this game, as the fields will quickly become monotonous. Occasionally
a castle is thrown in for good measure, but aside from that the maps are
just plain boring. It would have also helped out the Multiplayer area, as
only two people can play on pre-made maps. Not too much replay value here.
Difficulty:
Though you don't have to be a military genius to play this game, it wouldn't
hurt. Most of the earlier battles will be pushovers compared to the ones
you have to fight later on. Army management is a must. If you lose
valuable generals and cavalry early in the game, it will be near impossible
to get through some of the later battles. The quality of your generals is
not meant to be taken lightly, as a highly trained group of soldiers will
mow down new recruits in seconds. There are no difficulty settings, and
games like that usually end up being more difficult than most. Mastering
the art of battlefield tactics and army management is going to take a long
time, and beating the game will take even longer. Not impossible, but very
difficult.
Game Mechanics:
Takeda's
interface might be a little on the unusual side at first, but is easily
mastered with some practice. Your army can hold up to 500 soldiers, which
are divided up into 12 divisions. Controlling these divisions is simple due
to the fact that selecting a single soldier from a division will select the
entire division. Right clicking on the division will bring up a list of
commands you can give them. Most commands will be given to the divisions
themselves, commands like attack, retreat, defend, etc. You can also select
new formations for each division, or for the whole army if things don't look
like they're going your way.
The terrain will affect all troops, but the effects will vary according to
their type. Spearmen can't move through trees that well, and cavalry will
charge better if they start off going down a hill. Rivers will slow
everyone down, and taking advantage of this could be vital to winning a
battle. Knowing the terrain is equally important as knowing the enemy.
For those of you with a lust for feudal Japanese battles, this game will do
quite nicely. RTS fans should also check out Takeda if they want a
break from the usual C&C type strategy game. Despite the lack of
graphical clarity and replay value, Takeda should please most casual
gamers with some quality hours of entertainment.
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