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Tianji: Shadow of the Ancients Reveals a Faster Take on Turn-Based Combat
Justdan International has unveiled Tianji: Shadow of the Ancients, a new single-player RPG set during China’s Tang Dynasty and directed by the creator behind the Xuan-Yuan Sword series.
Players take control of Shangguan Shuo, an amnesiac member of the Tianji Guard who awakens inside a stronghold belonging to the mysterious Xuanxin Order. All he has to identify himself are a Tianji Guard fish token and a strange mask.
A Bronze Mask Starts Tianji’s Tang Dynasty Mystery
The story takes place during the Tianbao era, with trouble beginning when the Tianji Guard investigates a thousand-year-old ruin in Bashu. During the expedition, its commanding general puts on an unusual bronze mask, loses control and effectively brings the organisation to collapse.
Months later, the Xuanxin Order begins rapidly expanding throughout the region using mysterious masks and spiritual arts. Shangguan Shuo’s search for his lost identity gradually pulls him into that conspiracy, with Justdan teasing a millennium-old subterranean city and a much deeper connection between the protagonist and the Order.
Combos Add More Momentum to Turn-Based Battles
Combat remains turn-based, but Justdan is building the battle system around chaining actions together rather than simply trading individual attacks. Chain Skills, weakness exploitation and Pursuit Skills can be linked together, while Block Counters provide another opportunity to extend an attack sequence.
Players are also rewarded for clean execution through a No DMG Bonus, encouraging more careful defensive play despite the turn-based structure. Skills, equipment and Core effects can be combined to further shape different builds and combat rhythms.
Enemy encounters are visible while exploring too, meaning battles can be avoided rather than triggered randomly. Characters with a significant level advantage can also immediately clear weaker enemies, reducing unnecessary battles while revisiting older areas.
Hand-Drawn Exploration Goes Beyond Walking Between Battles
Justdan uses high-definition 2D artwork throughout Tianji: Shadow of the Ancients, with environments drawing on the look of traditional Chinese landscape paintings. Exploration itself incorporates more active elements, including climbing, swimming and environmental puzzles.
Towns also support manual switching between day and night, with certain events, items and NPC encounters changing depending on the time. Companions provide another progression layer outside combat. Each party member has their own speciality, ranging from cooking and equipment refinement to upgrading Cores and trading rare items. Completing their individual stories gradually improves those abilities.
Between its historical fantasy setting and unusually energetic approach to turn-based combat, Justdan’s first in-house RPG already looks like one worth keeping an eye on.
Tianji: Shadow of the Ancients is currently planned for 2027 on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC, with English subtitles alongside Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Japanese support.
