Kessen

Kessen is a strategy game about the events that ended a century of civil war in feudal Japan and established the Tokugawa Shogunate as the dominant political power.

Players can fight as Tokugawa Ieyasu or his opponents, directing generals and troops during real-time battles. Commands include movement, targeting enemies, and special actions such as cannon fire, charges, and arrow volleys, which are presented in cinematic close-up scenes.

Victory and defeat influence the campaign’s direction, leading through historical events or fictional “what if?” scenarios. Story scenes before, after, and sometimes during battles focus on the personal struggles of the commanders’ subordinates. The game includes the Battle of Sekigahara, one of Japan’s most famous historical battles.

Game Details

• Release date: October 17, 2000
• Platform: PlayStation 2
• Genre: Strategy, tactical, turn-based strategy
• Developer: Koei
• Publisher: EA