Skip to main content PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES Search PC Gamer View Profile Movies & TV Gaming Industry PC Gaming Show Newsletter Signup Community Guidelines Affiliate Links Meet the team About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine Subscription Why subscribe? Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£35.99View Spring Prime Day Monster Hunter Wilds Marvel Rivals Tactical RPG Shadow Of The Road's open Alpha test lets players get a free first taste of its samurai versus steampunk setting Dominic Tarason 29 March 2025 Swords, sorcery and the occasional giant robot, Japanese style. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Owlcat Games) They grow up so fast! Not long ago, Owlcat were just a plucky young Kickstarter-funded RPG studio, giving us the likes of Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous. Now they're a big, strong outfit, fresh from the monstrously huge Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader, and rolling out their own publishing wing. Now we get to play our first slice of Shadow of the Road, the steampunk samurai RPG from Another Angle Games, and Owlcat’s first published title. Starting today, all it takes is one click on the game’s Steam page to jump into an early alpha test version of the game. What you’re getting here is effectively an early warts-and-all demo, with the developers seeking feedback and bug reports from interested players before the cement sets too hard on the code. But from the little I’ve played so far, it seems relatively polished (some stiff animations aside), and a good introduction to its setting and turn-based tactics. If you’re still on the fence, perhaps the surprisingly high-energy trailer below will help you decide. Oh, and before anyone points and laughs, the villain’s ridiculous four-barrelled pistol was a real period weapon, if rather impractical. Open Alpha Trailer | Shadow of the Road - YouTube Honestly, I wish the alpha version had half half the energy of that video, but what’s on show here seems interesting. It puts story (told mostly through unvoiced dialogue) first, and even before you’ve swung your first sword in the alpha version’s tutorial, the game is having you make narrative decisions (further informed by mouse-over glossary terms) that seem like they might keep the two vengeful samurai protagonists together, or lead to them following separate paths later on. There’s also mention of ‘cold-blooded’ or ‘soft-hearted’ traits that dialogue choices can build toward. Standard enough for a modern CRPG, but it’s easy to see why Owlcat are publishing; this feels very much in the same vein as their recent Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader. It’s also interesting to see the game not shying away from the politics of the era, with the Japanese imperial court portrayed here as villainously receiving technology (albeit exaggerated here, with power-armor and mechs) and assistance from overseas, with European riflemen appearing even in the very first scuffle. I’m curious to see how Another Angle—a Warsaw-based Polish studio—square that away with a story involving yokai, magic and other fantastical elements, or if they end up biting off more than they can chew narratively. While I’ve not had long enough to dig deep into the mechanics, the main tactical twist of Shadow of the Road should be familiar to fans of Final Fantasy Tactics. While some attacks are performed immediately, anything heavier requires time to aim, pushing the attack further down the (always-displayed) timeline. If there’s a sniper lining up a shot on one of your party members, then you might have time to move the character behind cover before the shot happens, or have another character interrupt. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Simple on paper, but you’ve you’ve got a few characters charging attacks all at once, things can get messy, especially as melee combatants get to take a free swing at anyone withdrawing from range. I’m curious to see just how complex things become in the full game, but for now, this feels promising. You can grab the alpha test version or wishlist Shadow of the Road on the game’s Steam page here. Best Warhammer games: Fantasy epics Best Warhammer 40K games: The complete ranking Best Warhammer TTRPGs: Across all three settings Best Warhammer 40K books: Grimdark novels Dominic Tarason Social Links Navigation Contributing Writer The product of a wasted youth, wasted prime and getting into wasted middle age, Dominic Tarason is a freelance writer, occasional indie PR guy and professional techno-hermit seen in many strange corners of the internet and seldom in reality. Based deep in the Welsh hinterlands where no food delivery dares to go, videogames provide a gritty, realistic escape from the idyllic views and fresh country air. If you're looking for something new and potentially very weird to play, feel free to poke him on Twitter. He's almost sociable, most of the time. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. 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