I've put in about 4 hours of time as of writing this review. In the first hour I fumbled with the controls to figure out what does what. 2nd hour I read the manual and tech manual that's included and able to now play the game without a hitch. My first play through was dismal, I attempted to get married 3 times and failed. My sword trainer kept beating me to a pulp since I had no idea how to swing my katana. I've lead good men into battle and had them utterly destroyed cause I didn't know any of the battle stances for campaign warfare. I tried to marry (again) another vasal lord's daughter but was denied, gracefully might I add. I was then demoted to a disgrace of a retainer by my hatamoto so I plotted revenge by trying to bring shame and dishonor to the next vasal in line for promotion by *attempting* to assassinate an envoy that was having a sleep over at his place, and failing that and getting caught. So naturally the only way to redeem my idiot self is to commit to the sepuku and redeem my family's honor, which I had none all the time to be honest. All of this was on the easiest mode by the way. Second playthrough, after RTFMs, I was reincarted as true samurai of honor. My name is Weilan, I serve my master, Lord Shimazu, amongst my 3 other retainers. While Sanada was out trying to court every matchmaker's suggestion, I was at my estate, studying the blade. While Eisei is out playing hero trying to take back the bridge in Higa, I was honing my strategy against insurmountable odds for battlefield warefare. I rescued monks from bandits, I've won 15 of 15 duels against other swordsman that would dare challenge me, bringing them an honorable death, "life is as fleeting as a flower in spring", truly. After a succesful life, having a wife who bore 3 sons and 2 daughters, I was old and became a hatamoto myself, but the life of a samurai was harsh on my bones, I retired from the world and my heir, my son, Buntaro, took my place instead. 10/10 would samurai again.
