Aiko’s Choice, the standalone expansion of Shadow Tactics’ amazing real-time tactics, is out now. It’s been 5 years since the original game, so if you crave more stealth and slashing action in Edo Japan, this is it.
You can choose Aiko’s Choice up from Steam now for £15.29 / €17.99 after a 10% discount at launch. If you’ve never played the original, it’s also currently on sale as a bundle or separately for a 90% discount of £3.49. It’s an absurdly good game for an absurdly low price tag.
Matthew had hand on the hilt of the extension, and loved his time with it:
A self-contained island is a perfect introduction to what Shadow Tactics is all about. You swim around outside, submerged but with a bamboo snorkel, reading lines of sight and confirming that, yes, all guards are under the supervision of others. And so begins the crucial first step: the first murder to weaken the surveillance network. Perhaps you found a secluded beach and used Yuki’s flute to lure a guard to a pressure-activated dart trap. Maybe you throw a jar of Aiko’s dazzling perfume at a sniper and hit a nearby guard while his aiming cone heals. Or do you program all three to jump from the ocean and stab the guards in the necks with the press of a key, ending all three alarms at once? Testing and seeing how each new island layout negates ‘previous winning strategies’ is all part of the fun.
Despite the name, Aiko’s Choice gives you all of the game’s original heroes to control – something the original game only does once. This is partly why it’s designed to be played by people who’ve completed the original – these missions put you at the mercy of the game’s stealth system.
Developer Mimimi spent some time between Shadow Tactics and this expansion Desperados 3 is equally excellentand currently working on a new game with their own IP, codenamed “Yam”.
