Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun revived the genre of real-time tactics – and is now available for free on GOG. But you’ll have to hurry.
The year is 2016: A German developer studio by the name of Mimimi Games revives the genre of real-time tactics with the ninja adventure Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. Five years later, you can currently get the grandiose strategy game for free on GOG – but only for a short time!
Quick reaction preferred: Unlike in the game, you shouldn’t think too long here, because the free promotion only runs until 15 December at 15:00. Until then, you have time to add Shadow Tactics to your GOG collection for free. All you need is a GOG account and then you can take advantage of the offer via a banner on the GOG homepage. Please note, however, that by doing so you automatically agree to receive marketing emails.
(To the offer on the GOG website)
Why is Shadow Tactics worth it?
In Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun you go to Japan in the year 1615. A new shogun has come to power and wants to bring peace to the country. For this reason, he recruits a troop consisting of five specialists, each with special skills, to eliminate his opponents. In the subsequent campaign, which is up to 25 hours long, you gradually get to know the individual characters and their past.
The game principle of Shadow Tactics is very much based on Commandos. Like in the genre classic, you have to sneak past guards’ cones of sight, use the environment to your advantage and make perfect use of the abilities of the individual team members. Only in this way can you move carefully but purposefully through the sometimes quite large levels.
Two keys on your keyboard are particularly important: F5 and F8, which allow you to fast-save and fast-load. This goes so far that the game regularly shows you when you last saved, because mistakes are consistently punished here. So you should also bring a little frustration resistance with you, because the missions can sometimes be quite tough.
For even more tactics: Aiko’s Choice
If you have tasted blood because of the free promotion and need even more real-time tactics, then there are actually some more in these days. Aiko’s Choice, a standalone expansion for Shadow Tactics, was released at the beginning of December.
Alternatively, there is Desperados 3, which also comes from the pen of Mimimi Games. Here, however, you no longer stop in Japan, but sneak and fight your way through the Wild West. In terms of gameplay, however, the developers remain true to their line and do not deviate from the tactical path.
Winter Sale on GOG
The free Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun promotion doesn’t just come out of nowhere, of course. Instead, it’s part of the (Winter Sale of) GOG, which goes until January 5, 2022. Not only will there be plenty of deals there, but new releases like Star Trek: Armada will be added to the shop and games will be given away.
Besides Shadow Tactics, there will be three more free games until the sale ends, but they are still being kept secret. Only on 23 December, 27 December and 3 January will the name of the respective free game be revealed.
