Comparison

Shogun's Empire vs Forward Element

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shogun's Empire

Lead your clan to rule Medieval Japan in this turn-based strategy game. Master economy and diplomacy on a strategy map, then lead your army in tactical battles with diverse units and generals. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of historical Japan with detailed visuals and authentic voice-overs.

Highlights
  • Turn-based strategy gameplay
  • Province conquest and management
  • Diplomacy and alliances
  • Tactical army battles
  • Diverse unit recruitment
  • Historical Japanese setting
  • Campaigns with multiple clans
Features
Read full description

The Empire of Japan is tearing itself apart. Fights are constantly breaking out between its provinces. The reign of your clan begins — become Shogun, ultimate ruler of the Medieval Japan. Shogun’s Empire: Hex Commander is a turn-based strategy game with multi-layered gameplay mechanics. MASTER ECONOMY AND DIPLOMACY ON A STRATEGY MAP Choose from dozens of campaigns built around 15 historical clans. Conquer provinces and gain access to new type of units and strengthen your position in the region. Make alliances, declare wars and maintain your honor level to get better prices and respect amongst your neighbours. Create a strong economy and provide food for your troops, upgrade provinces to ultimately build an unstoppable army. LEAD YOUR ARMY IN TACTICAL BATTLES Recruit ashigaru, well-trained samurai or elite ninjas. Create an army that suits your tactics. Choose from melee soldiers equipped with yari, various sword wielding units, ranged troops with various bow types, rifles, and more. Utilize cavalry to fight in the open battlefields or dominate with high-powered cannons during castle sieges. Your soldiers gain experience during battle and become more effective and deadly. Each army is commanded by a general that boosts morale and provides additional bonuses like army size and combat skills. IMMERSE YOURSELF IN MEDIEVAL JAPAN Japanese voice-overs, detailed units and landscapes with dynamic seasonal cycles and an art style, influenced by historical paintings, will help you to feel the atmosphere of the Land of Cherry Blossoms. A user-friendly interface with contextual tips and hints will help you to learn the rules in no-time and enjoy the game at its max potential.

About

Forward Element

Features
Read full description

Little troops. Big plans. Your turn. Lead the Green Guys against the Tan Dudes in Forward Element, a playful turn-based tactics game for iPhone and iPad. Bring infantry, tanks, aircraft, and boats together, use the terrain, and turn a clever move into a satisfying victory. LEARN YOUR SQUAD Start with 24 short tutorial missions: one for each of 22 units, plus two lessons in commanding your whole force. Then take on the 10-mission Ringfall Chain campaign and chase better medals as your tactics improve. MAKE EVERY UNIT COUNT Send Field Engineers to capture structures, buy reinforcements with Cash at production sites, and keep your force supplied. Carry troops into position, line up a Sniper shot, or soften a crowded defense with rockets and artillery. The Dossier explains each unit's role and special abilities. A NEW BATTLEFIELD, YOUR WAY Choose one of 8 curated skirmish maps, revisit any of the 34 campaign battlefields, or generate a fresh map. Set its size, biome, water, elevation, and seed, then decide how you want to win. TAKE ON THE AI OR A FRIEND - Play solo against four AI difficulty levels. - Share one device in Pass & Play, with a private screen between turns. - Host or join a nearby LAN match on compatible devices. - Use curated, campaign, or generated maps in every skirmish mode. SET YOUR OWN PACE Adjust starting Cash, income, unit limits, victory conditions, and the optional turn timer. Tap a unit to move or attack. Confirm Actions is off by default and can be enabled in Settings. PLAY A LITTLE, COME BACK LATER Save and resume your campaigns and skirmishes. Campaign, AI skirmish, and Pass & Play work offline. Nearby multiplayer uses a local connection, not internet matchmaking. Color-vision palettes, high contrast, reduced motion, subtitles, and adjustable audio help you make the battlefield your own. No ads. No in-app purchases. No account required. The troops are ready. What's your next move?

Screenshots

Shogun's Empire4 screens
Forward Element4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Forward Element at none against Shogun's Empire's 12. Forward Element also leads on ads (none vs shown). Shogun's Empire's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Shogun's Empire sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Forward Element asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Shogun's Empire versus Forward Element: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShogun's EmpireForward Element
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (343 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings343 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 months—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size213 MB189 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperTeresa DymekRichard Lavey

Bugs and requests

Shogun's Empire

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • No save game feature
  • Premium purchases not carrying over on reset
  • Inability to use purchased units
  • Incorrect starting locations for some clans

Requested features

8 requests
  • Multiplayer mode to play with friends
  • Larger battles with more units
  • Sandbox/free play mode
  • Ability to merge/detach armies
  • Restart campaigns without losing progress
Show 3 more
  • Preserve mission progress on retreat
  • More diverse factions and campaigns (Napoleonic, Egyptian, etc.)
  • Campaign editor for custom scenarios

Forward Element

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Shogun's Empire

One-time12
  • Remove Advertisements$0.99
  • Unlock all campaigns$0.99
  • 800 gold$0.99
Show 9 more
  • 1400 rice$0.99
  • Access to Imperial Vault$0.99
  • 1700 gold$1.99
  • 3000 rice$1.99
  • Specialist’s pack$1.99
  • Portugal’s pack$1.99
  • 3500 gold$3.99
  • 6500 rice$3.99
  • Ultimate Battle Pack$7.99
None

Forward Element

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shogun's Empire free?
Shogun's Empire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Forward Element free?
Forward Element is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Shogun's Empire or Forward Element have ads?
Shogun's Empire shows ads; Forward Element does not.

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