1560 – Battle of Okehazama
While Shingen and Kenshin are busy beating each other up, Yoshimoto Imagawa decides to try and lay claim to the Kyoto region. In doing so, he tries to conquer the garrisons belonging to the Oda clan, but is met by a resistance of 3,000 men. The force is led by Nobunaga Oda, who leads an attack on Imagawa’s forces at Okehazama in the middle of a storm.
Before we get to Nobunaga inevitably talking to himself, we are treated to a brief in-game cutscene, with Nobunaga and two others speaking of how a storm is brewing to end the age of war. Although newcomers wouldn’t know them, the two others are Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Ieyasu Tokugawa. They and Nobunaga are known as the three great unifiers of Japan, so the scene acts as a nice bit of foreshadowing.
Now we get to the dialogue scenes and oh my god Nobunaga is singing. This is so weird, especially in comparison to, well, every other portrayal of Nobunaga in popular media. With his little ceremony out of the way, he leads a very small force to Atsuta and decrees that this victory against the Imagawa will be the first step to bringing the land to its knees with his might. Thaaaaat’s the Nobunaga we all know and love to loathe.
Xavi happens to join this historically vital battle by coincidence, as he is wont to do, and he is impressed by the spirits of both Hideyoshi and Toshiie Maeda, another historically renowned retainer of Nobunaga. He follows the example of their resolves and heads out to the battlefield, where Nobunaga explains that they must capture all of the Imagawa encampments before the storm sweeps their army up in a muddy river. Sounds simple enough, though it probably won’t be.
My very first mission upon starting is to defeat two captains, in the process defending a member of the Oda clan held in a garrison. The mission goes off without a hitch, with Xavi and Hideyoshi defeating one each. Befitting of his popular depiction, Hideyoshi flitters about like a monkey. However, the officer that Hideyoshi defeats gets a message stating he’s died in battle, which I find strange, since no other officer thus far has received such a message. The officer didn’t even look unique, making it stranger.
The mission immediately following involves defeating another captain that’s on his way to one of the Oda’s garrisons. I promptly take control of Nobunaga and smack the fool about for daring to defy me. Of note, Nobunaga uses powers over darkness in his attacks. Yes, I’m sure the man is a shining beacon of morality. Regardless of this fact, I complete the mission, and the one to follow is to prevent transport captains from reaching a certain castle. Given that there are 7 of them, they’re all relatively close to the castle, and the only playable character close is Xavi, this’ll suck.
Before I manage to defeat even one, another mission appears, essentially guaranteeing my failure. This mission is to defeat Sadamitsu Suganuma, in the process protecting Morishige Sakuma. I don’t know the significance of these people, but I’ll do it anyway, since I’m basically guaranteed to fail the transport captain mission. I take control of Toshiie, who’s closest to Sadamitsu, then hit him until he dies. After all, isn’t that the whole point of this game? In the time it takes me to defeat him, a transport captain arrives at the castle, meaning I was basically right about failing it.
Since Ieyasu is on Yoshimoto’s side and was the one behind the transport captain mission, he now tries to flee like a little bitch. But I shan’t let him do so, for the failed mission is a stain upon my honor! (Translation: defeating him is my next mission). While chasing after him, I notice Toshiie mention to Hideyoshi that the battle’s going poorly. Come on, Toshiie! I’ve only failed one mission; stop being such a jerk!
I eventually let Ieyasu come to Xavi, since Tadakatsu Honda, one of Ieyasu’s best generals, is in his path, and Tadakatsu has quite the reputation. Before encountering Ieyasu, I actually use a battle plan for once. In particular, Toshiie’s, which lowers all enemy abilities for 30 seconds. With this in mind, Ieyasu’s a pushover, though I’m pretty sure the bonus was to defeat him in one minute. If I managed to do that, I will eat my shoe.
I find that I don’t have to eat my shoe, after all, though I instead receive the praises of Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, which is reward enough. I guess. I don’t know, some money would have been nice. Nobunaga then declares that it’s time to kill Yoshimoto, though I first have to defeat some defense captains in order to raid his camp. This becomes my next mission, and I promptly send Toshiie and Nobunaga after one, while Hideyoshi and Xavi go after the other.
Both captains are relatively easy until JESUS CHRIST WHY DO THESE SUMO WRESTLERS KEEP INTERRUPTING MY ATTACKS. WHY ARE THERE EVEN SUMO WRESTLERS ON THE BATTLEFIELD. That outburst aside, they go do down relatively easily, opening the gates to Yoshimoto’s main encampment. As always, I go in with Xavi for the final battle. Yoshimoto, for being so fat and silly, is surprisingly annoying and difficult to fight. It doesn’t help that he has another captain in his camp with him.
I end up actually having to heal for once, then go back and kick Yoshimoto’s pasty ass, claiming victory for the Oda. In the battle results, I end up still not getting an equipment piece for slot 1, annoying me to no end. Post-battle narration reveals that Yoshimoto died in the battle, destroying both the Imagawa clan and many clans allied with it. Ieyasu ends up claiming many of the lands lost by the Imagawa, and he thanks us for doing his dirty work. In return, Nobunaga claims that Okehazama was only the beginning, and the two form a pact for safety in Japan’s east.
Narration also reveals that Xavi grew close to the men of the Oda army, in particular Hideyoshi. It’s a good thing they don’t have to show us developments like this; they can just tell us outright! Hideyoshi asks what Xavi thought of the battle, and my choices are only vaguely related to the battle: I can say I liked Nobunaga’s vision of the future, or Hideyoshi’s. Well, given that I’m talking to Hideyoshi and not Nobunaga...
My precognition is correct, and Hideyoshi now loves me more. Weirdly enough, what he says afterward indicates that he only believes in Nobunaga’s future. I assume, then, that the dialogue options were manufactured such that either could carry on the same conversation. I’m not sure if that makes Koei lazy or sly.
Speaking of precognition, Hideyoshi speaks of an underlying, inexplicable feeling that something terrible will happen. Hideyoshi then asks of Xavi’s own vision, and I can say I have or have not found it. Of course I have found it: a land united in the name of the pursuit of Xavism!
Hideyoshi loves me more, followed by spouting off more dialogue that could apply to either dialogue option. With one last line that blatantly foreshadows an alliance between Xavi and Hideyoshi in the future, Xavi abandons yet another army. I wonder if he’ll get a medal later for most prominent traitor.
I unlock a StreetPass function following the battle, which is rather arbitrary. But who cares about that, it’s time for the next battle!
1561 – 4th Battle of Kawanakajima
See what I meant last installment? Did we really need both the 3rd and 4th battles? Apparently so, because this battle instead has Xavi siding with Shingen. Koei must hope that this will pull the fleece over the players’ eyes. You cannot pull your dastardly tricks on me, Koei!
Anyway, Yoshimoto’s death drives Kenshin to raise an army to unite Kanto. His first plan is to use this army to defeat Shingen, who has proven a thorn in his side. This drives them to again do battle at Kawanakajima, where their rivalry will apparently be put to rest. Given that you side with Shingen here, the winner should be no surprise.
A man with a generic model explains the woodpecker strategy to Shingen: drive Kenshin’s forces to Hachimanbara from Mt. Saijo by a surprise attack from the rear, then launch an ambush from within Hachimanbara. Shingen agrees with the plan, and the two forces take their places in the dead of night.
Elsewhere, Xavi intrudes upon the battle between Shingen and Kenshin again, this time joining the force he didn’t last time because... he feels like it? There, Xavi meets Sakon Shima. As before, it’s a good thing Aya defeated him and not Xavi! Sakon is apparently a lordless samurai, meaning he’ll take up mercenary work from any lord. However, he then meets Shingen, who encourages him despite having lost to him last time.
After Shingen’s words of supposed wisdom, we’re treated to another cinematic. Kenshin and his forces raid Shingen’s camp, claiming that the woodpecker strategy has been defeated. He catches the Hachimanbara camp off guard, presumably because the other force had not yet been ready, throwing the battlefield into chaos. At the end of the cinematic, Shingen gives only one order to his men: Live.
Shingen strategizes, saying to save the aforementioned generic strategist from the enemy camp, then meet up with Sakon. He also wants to make sure that the strongholds are not taken, so as to not cut off supply lines. Indeed, letting all strongholds be taken is a defeat condition in this battle. With what few preparations I have now in place, let’s get to it!
The very first mission I’m given is, strangely enough, to defeat Kenshin, in order to lower enemy morale and let generic strategist escape. Well, defeating Kenshin is a victory condition, so this’ll be a short level! Or not, apparently, since defeating Kenshin only forces him to retreat. Dirty computer, always playing dirty.
While beating up Kenshin, another mission appears, this one to beat up a bunch of guys who happen to be near Sakon and across the map from everybody else. After defeating Kenshin for some delicious experience points, I switch to Sakon and beat them all up. I wish I could say more, but, well, it’s a man with a giant sword against three generic captains. There’s only so much I can do to spice things up.
Defeating the captains makes Takeda reinforcements arrive, and two more missions follow. One is a generic mission to defeat a bunch of enemies, but the other is to rescue generic strategist. The game wants me to defeat all the defense captains surrounding generic strategist with Xavi for the bonus, but... no. Before I can pursue it, I’m given a tutorial on how some missions have power zones, making them more difficult. The latter mission is one such mission, and it gives tips such as coming back later with more powerful characters, using battle skills, or lowering enemy morale.
I promptly figure that the point of the former mission is to lower morale so the latter mission is easier, and so I promptly start killing dudes. Well, I would keep doing so, but then generic strategist falls into red health, and I am promptly forced to defeat the defense captains to keep him alive. I am able to do so, though the term power zone is not entirely inaccurate. As a result of the mission, now every character is below half health except for Shingen. Wonderful.
After saving generic strategist, Shingen declares that the troops need higher morale. Apparently, the best way to do that is combos, since the next mission is to get a 100-hit combo in 3 minutes. Soon after, I get another mission, this one to prevent one of the strongholds from being taken by defeating enemy captains en route to it. They’re right next to it, and I’m halfway across the map at this point. Koei, why do you hate me.
Strangely, the mission I end up failing is actually the combo mission. It’s not even a matter of foregoing it to pursue the other mission; I tried for the combo myself as Sakon while sending Xavi to save the stronghold. I eventually decide that the combo is a lost cause, switch to Xavi, and show the captains the light of Xavism by kicking their asses. After the time limit runs out, Shingen ponders that it was beyond my reach, which is quite a large understatement.
After saving the castle, Kenshin reappears, and now it’s time to kick his ass! While on the way there, generic strategist dies, but I can’t be bothered to care since all he did was cause me grief with those missions. Once I reach Kenshin, I notice Aya is with him, and I am accordingly given a mission to defeat Aya. The bonus for the mission is to keep generic strategist’s health above half. Welp.
Regardless of my failures, I defeat both Aya and Kenshin in short order, ending the chapter. Following the chapter, I finally get a slot 1 equipment piece oh my god! Oh, and some other equipment, but who cares about that. Anyway, the battle becomes known as the Field of Blood due to the massive casualties from both the Uesugi and Takeda. Kenshin declares they will meet again, and the battle ends without a true victor, despite the claims of the opening narration.
Shingen congratulates Xavi and speaks of seeking the path to sovereignty, and I can ask him either what it is or why he seeks it. For once, there’s no obvious right answer, so I will now use the miraculous power of guessing. I choose to ask him why he seeks it, and I apparently chose the right answer. Shingen claims that people are what keep the world going, so war must be waged for visions, rather than personal reasons, and I’m pretty sure this response was made to be able to respond to either option. Goddammit, Koei.
Shingen claims that he seeks the path of sovereignty to end the chaos of the warring states era and draws comparisons to Ujiyasu and Kenshin, since they also fight for their people, instead of themselves. Xavi is impressed by the notion that all the warlords fought for the people, despite having different methods to do so. As is characteristic of him by now, he abandons the Takeda.
However, he doesn’t just disappear for years on end this time! Instead, he heads to the Hojo, in order to show Ujiyasu the new resolve he has gained. It’s been 15 years, but I’m betting that, much like everyone else, Ujiyasu hasn’t aged at all. However, that’s for the next battle. Which still takes place a year after this one. Where does Xavi even go during that time?
Ignoring the fact that Xavi disappears for years on end, that battle has ended, and I’ve unlocked item synthesis but don’t care about it for the moment. All has now been said and done, so join me next time in 1562, all, for the Kanto Campaign!
