NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Awakening

NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Awakening is a historical strategy simulation from Koei Tecmo. As a Daimyō, you manage territories in Sengoku-era Japan and try to outdo rival clans through diplomacy, economy and campaigns.

The Japanese PC version started on Steam on July 20, 2022; the international version under the title Awakening followed on July 20, 2023 for Windows PC, PS4 and Switch. Some PlayStation Store regions already list the PS4 version from July 19.

Since June 5, 2025, there are also standalone native PS5 and Switch 2 versions of the Complete Edition with expanded game content. Both should be distinguished from the older PS4 and Switch versions.

The original version was released for Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. In 2025, native Complete Editions for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 were added. The Joy-Con 2 can be used as a mouse on Switch 2; according to Koei Tecmo, the PS5 version supports improved visuals up to 4K.

As head of a Japanese clan, you plan the development of provinces, fill offices, negotiate with neighbours and lead armies against rival castles. Politics, administration and war interact with each other. Anyone who only gathers soldiers but neglects supplies and officers will struggle during long campaigns.

The Dominion system gives officers independent areas of responsibility. This creates a rule in which land allocation and staffing choices are just as important as deciding when and where a battle begins.

Alongside the original version, additional historical scenarios, officer data, music and digital companion materials were released. The Complete Edition brings together many of the regular extra contents, excluding certain collaborations and special cooperation content.

It adds six new scenarios, more than ten special officer traits and the Decisive Battles combat mode to the base game. This is additional long-term gameplay and not short-term seasonal content. Owners of the older PC, Switch and PS4 versions should distinguish free system improvements from separately available scenario packs.

According to Steam, the Windows version requires Windows 10 or 11 64-bit, DirectX 11 and 25 GB of free storage. The minimum configuration is listed as 4 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 660 with 2 GB or a Radeon R7 370 with 2 GB, plus an Intel Core i3 processor that matches the operating system.

The recommended specs are 8 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB or a Radeon RX 580 with 8 GB. The minimum resolution is 1280 × 720 pixels, and for the recommended setting the store lists 1920 × 1080 pixels. These values are manufacturer specifications.

The Dominion system lets you assign conquered territories to loyal followers. They take care of development and tasks in their land with their own initiative. Players must therefore weigh which officers to entrust with important provinces and how to use their skills for economy or war.

The historical officer roster includes more than 2,200 characters. Their traits and areas of deployment make them a lasting part of strategic planning, not just a collection of names.

The routes an army marches on affect its options. Narrow roads, enemy strongholds and a castle's location can make an attack harder. In sieges, battlefields differ by fortress and terrain.

Attackers must capture the main castle or defeat the defenders. Defence can succeed by holding your position and wearing down the enemy's morale. As a result, preparation, time pressure and terrain count just as much as sheer troop strength.

As a clan expands, a network of provinces and castles forms, whose officers cannot act independently of each other. Province plans and jointly led campaigns are meant to pool the strength of individual regions. If you use neighbouring provinces skilfully, you can prepare an attack from several directions and make the enemy's supply routes harder to use.

Military expansion is embedded in political negotiations. Allies, your own officers and available resources influence when a war is worth it and when diplomacy creates more room to move.

The Complete Edition adds large clan conflicts through Decisive Battles. Once certain conditions are met, powerful clans can fight a large-scale decisive battle. Successful early attacks can give an advantage in the main battle.

A victory can immediately transfer enemy domains. This makes it a structural expansion of the campaign system rather than just an additional battle map. More than ten new personal traits also change the roles of individual generals.

The Complete Edition adds six playable starting scenarios. These include The Birth of Nobunaga, set in 1534, and Fateful Clash, starting after the events of Honnō-ji in 1582. Other starting conditions cover Kyūshū and alternative historical paths.

Each scenario provides a different strategic starting point. The new content expands the historical and hypothetical possibilities of the base game without being new standalone games.

Steam lists Awakening as a single-player game. For the PC version, English, Japanese, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese are listed as interface and subtitle languages. German is not listed on the official Steam page.

The Complete Edition expands control options on newer consoles: the Joy-Con 2 can act as a mouse on Nintendo Switch 2, and USB mice are supported too. PlayStation 5 also offers mouse support, but according to Koei Tecmo, the 4K graphics option is only guaranteed there.