<!--
	Title: (AMIGA Software) Shogun
	Source: Computer Entertainer, v8(2)
	Date: May 1989
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

<img class="float-left" src="/public/img/articles/ce-shogun-mini-review/shogun-screen-shot.jpg" alt="Shogun Screen Shot">

**SHOGUN (⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐)** is one of ***<u>Infocom's</u>*** new breed of interactive
fiction enhanced with graphics used for story illustrations, text
borders and rewards for success in certain portions of the story.
SHOGUN is an interactive adaptation by Dave Lebling of James
Clavell's best-selling novel. In the computer adaptation, you take the
role of the seventh-century sea pilot, John Blackthorne.
The story begins amid storm-tossed seas on the deck of the Dutch
merchant ship Erasmus. On this long voyage seeking the Japans, already four
of five ships in the fleet are lost. There are fewer than thirty
men still alive, and those just barely
hanging on, including the captain below in his cabin. The surviving
crewmen have been demoralized by the hardships of the voyage, and
they doubt even the existence of the Japans. Your immediate task is to
keep as many alive as possible while maintaining your authority, in
hopes that the ship will soon make landfall. But when you finally reach
Japan, you find yourself in the middle of feudal strife as two warring
daimyos, Lord Toranaga and Lord Ishido, both hope to become
Shogun, or supreme ruler. As a stranger thrust into an unfamiliar
culture with people whose ways are much different from yours, you are
suddenly drawn into political intrigue. In your role as Blackthorne,
your task is to think for him and make his decisions, rather than to solve
a lot of puzzles. If you have read the book or seen the TV miniseries
based on it, much of what happens in the game will be familiar. Like
the character in the book, you must be prepared to think quickly and
adapt to the ways of feudal Japan.

# *Sumptuous Graphics, Excellent Prose, But No Sound*

Narrow-minded purists may turn up their noses at -- heaven forbid --
graphics in an Infocom program. We're equally comfortable in a storytelling
situation with or without graphics, and we believe that the
sumptuous graphics add to the enjoyment of Infocom's typically
excellent prose. However, we're very uncomfortable with the lack of
sound of any kind in this program. Maybe this lack won't bother
everyone, but we really expected at least a little music to go with all that
beautiful artwork. Aside from the lack of sound, we liked the program
very much. Both Dave Lebling's writing and the artists' stylish
graphics are very much in keeping with the theme of Clavell's novel.
(Solo play; Mouse and/or keyboard; Not copy-protected; Blank disk
required for game-saving.) Reviewed on Amiga. Also available for
Macintosh; planned for Apple II and MS-DOS.

**Recommended.** (MSR $59.95)
