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NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Awakening

NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Awakening

KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. · released Jul 20, 2022

SimulationPCPlayStation 4Nintendo Switch

Conquer Warring States Japan under one banner

70
VGC Score
Stablehigh confidence
71%
At launch
74%
Steam all-time
74%
Press
77%
Player sentiment
88%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)7434
All-time Steam reviews74%701000
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)88%829
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 25 reviews sampled · 18 total reviews in window · weighted 17 up / 2.3 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (36)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 75
    trust 80Jul 12, 2025

    Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition is still a game that will push strategy fans to (and beyond) their limits. You'll spend more time learning than playing. But the Joy-Con mouse functionality in this Switch 2-only release removes a major obstacle to the long-serving rewards awaiting those able to stick with it.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 78Jun 24, 2025

    "The way of the samurai is found in death."

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  • 90
    trust 76Aug 7, 2025

    Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening is a very well-crafted historical grand-strategy game that strikes a good balance between authenticity and playability. If you’re looking for a deep simulation of the Sengoku period with faithful tactical and economic mechanics, this is the game for you. For history buffs, there’s a wealth of information on Japanese clans, battles, and politics, all backed by real-world data. For casual players, however, the game’s complexity and steep learning curve may be difficult to overcome. But once you set out on this journey, you’ll be immersed in clan management, battles, and diplomacy. The game is an incredible challenge, a reward, and a journey into historical wisdom in digital form, and if you’re willing to dive into that challenge, it will be worth it. Just be prepared to spend hundreds of hours playing.

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  • 70
    trust 75Jul 19, 2023

    Despite the graphical issues and the most bare-bones of tutorials you'll find in a historical simulation sandbox, Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening offers plenty of great moments. We loved the historical vignettes that played out as events unfolded and certain conditions were unlocked. Even on Easy mode, the game will make you surrender and start over multiple times before you can achieve Nobunaga's dream of a united Japan. The Switch version is far from perfect, but if you're willing to work with it, there's a rich, deep, addictive strategy sim to get lost in here.

    read full review ↗
  • 84
    trust 70Jun 10, 2025

    A truly formidable strategy title, newcomers will likely be a bit overwhelmed, but there’s no question that the series has tremendous depth and looks great

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  • 70
    trust 70Jul 2, 2025

    Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition is a titan of a game to get to grips with on Switch 2, in both overall complexity and controls. That scale is both a blessing and a curse. For fans of the genre it has everything expected, and the historical depth of the Sengoku period means it brings a wealth of fun for those invested in this point in history. The strategic chops it boasts are well designed and do the job expected of putting the player into the shoes of developing and expanding their land. With that depth, however, the learning curve can be overwhelming, and frankly if this was released on the original Switch it would be hard to recommend simply due to the difficulty of actually navigating the controls. While not all those complications are inherently solved by mouse controls on Switch 2, the addition of them transforms this tricky console adaptation into something that at least rivals its PC counterpart and thus becomes a much more enticing proposition.

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  • 80
    trust 70Jul 20, 2023

    Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening on PS5 looks and runs great and even plays very well, but it could've used a better tutorial for newcomers to the genre on console. In its current state, it was a good decision from Koei Tecmo to bring this game to the West with all updates and the expansion included from the start because we finally have a Nobunaga's Ambition game that is worth playing day one for the first time in many years.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 69Jul 22, 2023

    Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening streamlines the many complex systems and mechanics that have built up over the series' 40-year history, refining the strategic experience that is more approachable and all the better for it. While UI elements and precise control issues can frustrate at times, Awakening is a wonderful sandbox for samurai enthusiasts to play in.

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  • 70
    trust 67Aug 19, 2023

    Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening is a fun, challenging strategy game, but it feels bloated at times, and playing on a controller is a hassle.

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  • 70
    trust 66Jul 19, 2023

    "Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening" opens a portal to feudal Japan that strategy fans and history enthusiasts will want to dive into head first.

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  • 70
    trust 66Jul 28, 2023

    Offering a more simplistic approach to traditional RTS systems, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening is an accessible entry that impresses with its sieges and immersive qualities. Its approach to story and presentation are poor, but the Warriors games have never been renowned for these qualities. Instead, you’ll be making your own story as you betray alliances, pull off subterfuge and conquer those who stand against you.

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  • 60
    trust 65Aug 7, 2023

    Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening is a fun game to sink a day, week, or lifetime into, but suffers from slightly confusing menus, odd AI, and "helpful" advisors. Regardless, the game kept me coming back time after time, trying to find my own Awakening.

    read full review ↗

…and 24 more tracked reviews.

Patch history