Kessen

Kessen
North American PlayStation 2 cover art
Developer(s)Koei
Publisher(s)Koei (JP)
Electronic Arts (NA/PAL)
Director(s)Fumito Kozutsumi
Designer(s)Tachiki Kanda
Norimitsu Komine
Fumito Kozutsumi
Takao Sakai
Masahiko Sugahara
Yōichi Wada
Ichiro Yasuda
SeriesKessen
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, PlayStation Network
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • JP: March 4, 2000 (2000-03-04)
  • NA: October 26, 2000 (2000-10-26)
  • PAL: December 15, 2000 (2000-12-15)
PlayStation Network
  • JP: July 25, 2012 (2012-07-25)
Genre(s)Real-time tactics
Mode(s)Single-player

Kessen (決戦, "Decisive Battle") is a real-time tactics video game produced by Koei. It was a launch game for the PlayStation 2 in Japan and North America, where it was published by Electronic Arts. It was initially the only real-time wargame game available for the PlayStation 2.

It is a real-time tactics game set in feudal Japan, focusing upon a conflict between the eastern Tokugawa clan and western Toyotomi clan (with Ishida Mitsunari as the Toyotomi's guardian and protector) shogunates at the end of Sengoku Jidai. Tokugawa Ieyasu served as the primary representative for the Eastern forces where the Western army changed leaders based on the results of select key battles.

Although it was, for the most part, historically accurate, Kessen contained a number of "what-if" scenarios, for example, if the Western forces are victorious at the Battle of Sekigahara (historically an Eastern victory).

Two sequels were later created, Kessen II and Kessen III. These two games introduced magical and meteorological elements to the games.