Total War: Shogun 2

 PC
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Mar 15, 2011
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1448 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,144 out of 1448
  2. Mixed: 216 out of 1448
  3. Negative: 88 out of 1448
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  1. Relian
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    The best strategy game I've played since Civilization. I've probably put more hours into this game than any other, it has excellent replayability. Highly recommended for strategy fans.

    It plays similarly to other Total War games, but with some improvements like better resource management and soldier management.
  2. waterwaterwater
    Feb 27, 2013
    0
    Great game when it came out however since its release CA has actually made the game worse through patches and expansions. Fall of the samurai actually made the graphics worse even if you never purchased it. The fogging issue has never been resolved. They have really done their best to destroy the modding for the game as well. One of the patches made it so adding new units to the game makesGreat game when it came out however since its release CA has actually made the game worse through patches and expansions. Fall of the samurai actually made the graphics worse even if you never purchased it. The fogging issue has never been resolved. They have really done their best to destroy the modding for the game as well. One of the patches made it so adding new units to the game makes bows sound like firearms. Did you purchase the game on dvd because you have poor or limited internet? Maybe like me you wanted to play an earlier version of the game that is not broken? Too bad! Because they have patched the game so much the hard copies of the game (which are still in stores btw) are no longer playable and there is no way to install from the disks anymore. Think they are ever going to fix any of the problems? Why would they? They made their money all while ignoring VERY blatant problems and instead released a bunch of paid DLC's which in all honesty should have been in the game from the start. Also, why fix a game when they could be working on a new one (Rome 2) to do the exact same thing with.… Expand
  3. Xsonic
    Jan 4, 2013
    10
    Truly one of the most addicting games I've ever played, yesterday I spent 13 hours straight in a Co-Op match with a random guy, and he bought the game 2 days ago, and we had a blast! I have been playing Shogun 2 for over a year and they still keep updating the game from time to time, multiplayer connection issues are ironed away. The only drawback for this game might be the public chatTruly one of the most addicting games I've ever played, yesterday I spent 13 hours straight in a Co-Op match with a random guy, and he bought the game 2 days ago, and we had a blast! I have been playing Shogun 2 for over a year and they still keep updating the game from time to time, multiplayer connection issues are ironed away. The only drawback for this game might be the public chat rooms are quiet most of the time : / There are still many people playing it, I logged at 3 AM and decided to play a custom match 4v4, and found one right away.… Expand
  4. NocheShade
    Dec 30, 2012
    9
    It's like Rome but with Japan and co-op.I much prefer the clan choice to all other total war games and I prefer the map even if it's a little small.Still really good.
  5. FramerTerminate
    Dec 19, 2012
    8
    Being a hardened veteran of the total war series since shogun total war 1, I have seen the evolution this series from the start. I will say that shogun 2 brought some improvements to the real time fighting that I could only dream of in medieval total war. The game is beautiful and most all aspects of the game provide a satisfying challenge. If you play online you will later findBeing a hardened veteran of the total war series since shogun total war 1, I have seen the evolution this series from the start. I will say that shogun 2 brought some improvements to the real time fighting that I could only dream of in medieval total war. The game is beautiful and most all aspects of the game provide a satisfying challenge. If you play online you will later find yourself capable of taking on any enemy AI army outnumbered 5 to 1 but that makes you feel good as well. I personally find the siege battles to be less engaging than other total war titles due to the fact that in 1500 Japan a castle was actually just a giant dirt mound with some small walls built around it. Thus siege equipment is almost completely irrelevant. The tech tree is quite well done in this title which is definitly a plus. However there are two things in my opinion that make the game not so fun to play at times. One of them is the drawn out load times. When you launch the game it takes 60 -180 seconds to get past the initial load screen. Not only that but the load screens in between battles and the campaign map last 20-60 seconds. That is way too long to be left as acceptable. The 2nd problem is that although no longer prominent at the time I write this, the game was released in a state that contained a million and one things that could cause it to crash, desync, or black out on you for no apparent reason. Multiplayer in particular was prone to crashes and corruption every few turns. It took the devs about a year and a half to properly iron out of all these bugs. These may only be 2 problems that I have listed but they were so major I tear up at the memory of how many times my game would crash, force me to load for 2 minutes, and then crash again.… Expand
  6. PlayerReview
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    Not just Strategy; Out of the 10,000+ games made, I think this is the best ever. It takes everything I loved from Rome:TW, and moves it to the current generation... I am so excited for Rome 2 that I just **** my pants.
  7. MrStaggerLee69
    Nov 4, 2012
    6
    I am caught between loving this game and hating it.. it has all the elements of a great game.. graphics are amazing, battles are realistic and challenging, and the multiplayer is a breath of fresh air compared to previous total war games... however the single player campaign is frustrating and impossible to win without playing every single battle in person.. auto-resolves almost always endI am caught between loving this game and hating it.. it has all the elements of a great game.. graphics are amazing, battles are realistic and challenging, and the multiplayer is a breath of fresh air compared to previous total war games... however the single player campaign is frustrating and impossible to win without playing every single battle in person.. auto-resolves almost always end in a phyrric victory with you losing almost all of your army, even when versing an obviously inferior opponent. combine this with the realm divide, when you amass a sizeable kingdom, which in turn forces all remaining factions to declare war on you, even allies and vassal states, and all of my campaigns eventually grind to a highly annoying halt.. i have never been able to complete a campaign, nevertheless i will keep trying however stressful it may be.… Expand
  8. Jacomus
    Oct 6, 2012
    9
    It's nice that the Creative A. went back to japan again, i love that time in which the samurai ruled. There are not many changes compared to previous parts but everything is perfected. I give it a 9 because, like the first shogun, this game draws you into a piece of history, it has great fitting music and the great gameplay. Graphics are nice but I don't think that is a priority to thisIt's nice that the Creative A. went back to japan again, i love that time in which the samurai ruled. There are not many changes compared to previous parts but everything is perfected. I give it a 9 because, like the first shogun, this game draws you into a piece of history, it has great fitting music and the great gameplay. Graphics are nice but I don't think that is a priority to this genre. This game will keep me busy for a while.… Expand
  9. Voukras
    Sep 5, 2012
    6
    I've played all of the Total War games with the exception of the first medieval. I've seen people critically acclaim game after game when there is actually no improvement from Rome Total War to this day. I don't understand what merit the new Total War games can have when they only shuffle around a few features, lose some of the most important aspects of the first Total War game - ShogunI've played all of the Total War games with the exception of the first medieval. I've seen people critically acclaim game after game when there is actually no improvement from Rome Total War to this day. I don't understand what merit the new Total War games can have when they only shuffle around a few features, lose some of the most important aspects of the first Total War game - Shogun and add new annoying things that lower overall quality. In this review I am going to systematically point out the flaws that Shogun 2 has in comparison the older games in the series, so please bear with me, I'm not just here to whine and go all nostalgia about the first Shogun, there are actually important distinctions to be observed.

    Anyways, let's get into the thick of things.

    One thing that the entire total war series lost from the first Shogun game up till now is the IMPORTANCE OF TERRAIN. You occasionally see a few hills in Rome, fight 80% of the time on plains in Medieval 2 and in Shogun 2 there is a return of frequent elevation but its effect is very reduced. Hills and mountains no longer offer the gigantic advantage they offered in the first Shogun, where a single archer unit could defeat a yari ashigaru unit before they even reached the archer unit. In some cases, it could even defeat two, but only if it had elevation on its side. This is no longer so in Shogun 2, where elevation does confer some bonuses but altogether not game changing. Furthermore forests no longer offer protection from arrows which, again, reduces the importance of terrain. What does this mean in the grand scheme of things? That you lessen the importance of a strategic factor and thus reduce overall amount of strategy that you can use. Literally now the only thing that matters is countering their units a rock-paper-scissors (except some units count as both rock and paper) fashion and surrounding their army. While there is still a hefty amount of strategy involved in fights, I can't help but weep while I witness the diminishing of terrain importance while almost nobody even notices it.

    On towards the campaign map. The problem with how economy is implemented in Shogun 2 is how it forces you to move slowly and build up your economy. Why is this a bad thing? Because it's boring. Literally the only thing you do is click on a farm, market, sake den or mine to be build, then you WAIT a few turns so that you actually have the necessary income to support your army. You cannot individually tax cities so you cannot gain additional income from happy cities who will not rebel when high taxes are imposed. This is in contrast to Rome where building your economy was a much quicker deal and taxes could be set individually. The other problem that impedes rapid conquest is that almost every city you conquer will be very aggressive towards you which effectively means that you have to keep your army there and WAIT. I'm not really that impatient, but this is an unnecessary wait time imposed on the player out of a bad game design choice. What did Shogun 2 again lose in comparison to Rome? The capacity to pacify the population by slaughtering a large portion of it. This was an effective gameplay mechanism to allow players who want to go for fast conquest to be able to do it while still imposing a punishment on it. Your cities would have very reduced income after the slaughter but they would not rebel for a long while. This was an excellent trade-off that no longer exists. Another part where you have to WAAAAIT is an upcoming realm divide. At a certain point the shogun will order all existing clans to destroy you and all of them will obey even if some are at war with the shogun and actually hate him. This is simply how the thing is programmed. If you attract the ire of the shogun by expanding too early and becoming famous enough before being able to take on the entirety of Japan, you WILL die. What is the problem with this mechanic? The problem is that it forces you, again, to WAIT until you have sufficient forces and economy. So you clicking on buildings and units and pressing the next turn. I hope you can see a pattern here so that I can stop putting wait in caps lock like an **** Overall trend with the Shogun 2 campaign map is having a lot less options than you had in Rome.

    The A.I. on the campaign map is also worse than in Shogun 1, if you believe me. It's not that it's in any way dumber, it isn't. The problem is that many times the A.I. plays as if its only purpose is to be a roadblock for the player. They will often attack your faction even though they have zero chance of winning the war and zero chance of escaping your faction's wrath. But they will still do it if they can hurt you in anyway even it results in the total destruction of their clan. This ends up as a very frustrating experience for the player.    … Expand
  10. markorply
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    I was introduced to the total war series/franchise by Rome:Total war and after I bought shogun 2 it felt like I really was the shogunete ruling japan with an iron fist.I honestly think shogun 2 is the best modern graphics and gameplay wise RTS game that players have been waiting for
  11. kane148
    Aug 1, 2012
    7
    Having played and thoroughly enjoyed the last few Total War games (Rome, Medieval, Empire), I expected to similarly love this game. Sadly, this was not the case. The game looks good: the graphics are improved and the Asian theme is well integrated into the general artwork. But it seems that this desire to create a distinctive ambiance went a little too far and subtracted from the gameplay.Having played and thoroughly enjoyed the last few Total War games (Rome, Medieval, Empire), I expected to similarly love this game. Sadly, this was not the case. The game looks good: the graphics are improved and the Asian theme is well integrated into the general artwork. But it seems that this desire to create a distinctive ambiance went a little too far and subtracted from the gameplay. For example, unit formations are now identified by an animal (crane, snake, etc.)--gone are the days of choosing between line, wedge, etc.--forcing you by trial and error to learn which does what. Would it be too hard to make it clear what the formation is? I'm trying to wage a war, not reenact Kung Fu Panda! The campaign in general was rather bland: I started on an island where I quickly overwhelmed my neighbors, then spent turn after turn building up my forces to invade a neighboring island, only to face a half dozen enemy armies full of highly experienced soldiers, ready to squash the feeble armies that I could support with my limited resources. To be fair, there were several interesting innovations in this title, such as talent trees for agents, but many others were just annoying (limited food supplies which can only be expanded through conquest) or simplistic (research is now strictly turn-dependent, with no way to really gain an advantage). I'm sure many people enjoyed this game, and maybe one day I'll try it again and like it more, but until then I'm just going to wait for Rome II.… Expand
  12. BarkSpear
    Jul 30, 2012
    8
    A very solid and enjoyable game. Admittedly, the unit variety isn't awe inspiring. Neither is the replay ability, as every clan is almost identical. Also, loading times are HUUUUUUGGEEEE and the ai is a bit shoddy. It's really incredibly annoying when your guys refuse to turn and fight or fire until they're all in nicely arranged lines......then they're ridden down by cavalry while they'reA very solid and enjoyable game. Admittedly, the unit variety isn't awe inspiring. Neither is the replay ability, as every clan is almost identical. Also, loading times are HUUUUUUGGEEEE and the ai is a bit shoddy. It's really incredibly annoying when your guys refuse to turn and fight or fire until they're all in nicely arranged lines......then they're ridden down by cavalry while they're faffing around. In spite of those problems however, this really is a first rate game. The battles are very fun, particularly with the blood dlc, and can be pretty brutal. The gameplay improvements are good, with the exception of navies which are still a bit rubbish. Campaign map gameplay is challenging and tactical and definately fun. Overall, a good game worth buying, though definately not the best Total war. Or the second best. Buy it, but make sure to pick up Fall of the Samurai because that's excellent. Avoid rise of the samurai, that's just pointless… Expand
  13. dumle
    Jul 26, 2012
    6
    If you are new to the Total war franchise you will surely have a good time with Shogun 2 total war. If not you will probably find the game quite sub-par. They havent bothered to fix the problems that were in the previous games and they even added some more. The AI is awful and diplomacy seldom makes any sense. In battle the enemy behaves moronically on hard difficulty not to mention theIf you are new to the Total war franchise you will surely have a good time with Shogun 2 total war. If not you will probably find the game quite sub-par. They havent bothered to fix the problems that were in the previous games and they even added some more. The AI is awful and diplomacy seldom makes any sense. In battle the enemy behaves moronically on hard difficulty not to mention the siege battles that is plain broken. The building cap in your cities makes building a chore not to mention taking away the interactivity from you the player. The unit variation is also quite slim making most battles feel the same no matter who you are fighting against. Furthermore you will find yourself fighting over and over again at the same battlemap. Shogun 2 Total war is still a decent game but the gameplay is just too much alike the previous games to ignore that shogun 2 seems like a downgrade. The research three, the ability to exchange hostages and arrange marriages, the honousystem and the visuals is a welcome change but sadly the core of the game is lacking.… Expand
  14. Cloppers
    Jul 17, 2012
    4
    You can expect high critic scores when there's nothing technically wrong with the game. The biggest problem Shogun 2 has is the replay value. Sure, most games get old after a while... but TWS2 got old way too fast. Combine that with confusing tutorial that drags on and on without fully explaining the point and bad multiplayer with a terrible community.
  15. addie_ho
    Jun 16, 2012
    10
    In subjective way, I am very interested in samurai and japan history. Regardless of my interests, this game is awesome. What I see is not only about game, it's also about history. Moreover, it makes you feel like you are really running a country or a military clan.
  16. drissht
    Jun 12, 2012
    10
    The game is extremely good on the campaign and could easily become glued to it for hours. The graphics aren't the best I have seen but then again I am playing on a 42" TV, may I add HD for that matter :P

    The only downfall to Shogun 2 is that the online is extremely poor!! The characters are not evenly matched. I had my general with no casualties taken out by Yari Ki, even though the Yari    The game is extremely good on the campaign and could easily become glued to it for hours. The graphics aren't the best I have seen but then again I am playing on a 42" TV, may I add HD for that matter :P

    The only downfall to Shogun 2 is that the online is extremely poor!! The characters are not evenly matched. I had my general with no casualties taken out by Yari Ki, even though the Yari Ki have sustained casualties before battle, I find this extremely stupid as this is like top notch spear men getting wiped out by peasants!! If you want good online play stick to Napoleon Total war (I haven't played Shogun 1), but for a kick ass campaign stick with Shogun 2.

    Another thing I didn't like about Shogun 2 is that melee infantry are pretty useless online (I have won with melee but was extremely hard), it's all about the line infantry just like Napoleon.

    My verdict get Shogun 2 for campaign and Napoleon for online.    … Expand
  17. BeatHour
    Jun 11, 2012
    9
    Brilliant atmosphere, immersing you in Japanese culture. Great and varied gameplay, lots of units, upgrades, and government management.

    The online play, though, can be dodgy: with people farming their avatar level by rigging siege matches (for example, they will take nothing but gunmen on a multi-tiered castle and take infantry moral reducing abilities).
  18. jeffro45
    Jun 10, 2012
    8
    brilliant game,keeps you hooked for hours,tick drop in on campaign for other players to drop in as opposition in your battles, waiting for new pc before going live so i can play at max settings do not want to upset pros with slow computer loading & connection once i have im sure my score will go closer to 10
  19. jteplitz
    May 30, 2012
    9
    Excellent game. The blend of turn based and real time strategy is incredibly addictive. The battles are extremely fun, and the AI is well thought out. Multiplayer is fun too, but really just for playing with friends because the balancing in online match play doesn't really work.

    Would be worthy of a 10, but it's got a few annoying bugs.
  20. Tick
    May 29, 2012
    4
    This game is single-player only. I loved shogun Total war, Medievil total war etc. when, and so I bought this sequal. It was pretty much the same game with some minor tweaks. capturing the European ship = complete sea control. Combat is the same. Graphics are a tad better. You can use questionable strategies, but vs the computer AI you win 100% of the time. Even when greatly outnumbered. IThis game is single-player only. I loved shogun Total war, Medievil total war etc. when, and so I bought this sequal. It was pretty much the same game with some minor tweaks. capturing the European ship = complete sea control. Combat is the same. Graphics are a tad better. You can use questionable strategies, but vs the computer AI you win 100% of the time. Even when greatly outnumbered. I could fight off an army of thousands of enemies with mearly 4-5 groups of units inside a basic fortification. I also found it odd that any upgrade to your fort beyond the 3rd upgrade made it harder to defend... So I never bothered to upgrade past a certain point. What a waste! Multi-player is botched, and the company does not listen to customer feed-back and churns out DLC until it's not longer profitable once they've alienated enough of their customers. I bought a DLC, I never received it though an error,and the customer support was LACKING! They agreed I bought it, but the content was not in my game once installed through some glitch. they basically said.. too bad. Not our problem. I will not be purchasing anything from this company ever again.… Expand
  21. Hibryd
    May 28, 2012
    4
    5000 word limit, so I'll just knock this game straight in the face even though I'd like to get into the nuance of things.

    I'll start with the good, which I will admit, justifies buying and playing the game for a couple of weeks. 1)The battles are very entertaining to watch in replay mode. 2)The loading screens are actually very enjoyable and contain an encyclopedic library of cool    5000 word limit, so I'll just knock this game straight in the face even though I'd like to get into the nuance of things.

    I'll start with the good, which I will admit, justifies buying and playing the game for a couple of weeks.

    1)The battles are very entertaining to watch in replay mode.

    2)The loading screens are actually very enjoyable and contain an encyclopedic library of cool quotes and poetry.

    3)The interface is well-thought out and easy on the eyes.

    4)The music is fantastic, I suggest checking it out even if you don't buy the game.

    The offline mode only really has one flaw I can see, but its huge. Huge enough to single-handedly flatten the offline game.

    1) AUTORESOLVE THE BATTLE. BAM. GAME OVER.

    You know all those months we spent coding this cool flocking engine? You know those awesome siege battles you wanted to play? Why bother? We've created this button to let you skip past them! Push this button, get your special hat. The princess isn't in another castle, she's in this one, and we've created a warp pipe straight to her at the beginning of 1-1 so you don't have to wind yourself out getting to her.

    But multiplayer mode, which is nothing but tactical battles, must be good, right? Nope. Multiplayer is the coup de grace.

    1)The Morale system does wacky things much more often than it should, mostly when Calvary or ashigaru units are involved.

    2)The vet system is horribly, horribly broken. The extra stats you gain via it actually punishes you for slowly working up units in rank, because the extra stats they gain never....I repeat.....NEVER justify the extra money they require to deploy. 3)Calvary can be spammed in a variety of ways to give players an unfair advantage. The most obviously broken one is when you make them turn sharply, any units en route to attack them simply disengage and stand in place.

    4)Naval battles are loooooooong for no good reason. The first 3 or 4 minutes of every.....single....match....is routinely spent just running your ships into the center of the map.

    5)My personal favorite: if you lose connection to the game, you and your opponent both get full points for the match. It's actually more efficient to join games and keep disconnecting than it is to play out the entire thing.

    I really want to like this game, I truly do. I've spent weeks and weeks trying to like it, clearing my mind, letting its finer points filter into my being. But the more I play multiplayer, the more I lose admiration for even the good things going for this game, because I began to wonder how anyone could make a game with such great assets but still have the scope of bugs and unevenness the multiplayer had. I thought surely I must not be understanding something, the game is just too subtle and I'm missing some major aspect of the gameplay.

    But then I understood the pettiness of the problems that were left in. And then I realized, "Oh I see, they're just pulling it out of their ass" after hundreds of hours of gameplay, and I uninstalled it for the last time.

    Shogun 2 is very much like being shown a grand, 5 bedroom 3 bath house with an island in the kitchen on an acre of manicured, terraced property, but when you try to turn on the water you realize the faucet doesn't connect to a pipe...and in fact the whole house doesn't have any plumbing. It's so incongruous with just basic everyday horse-sense that you sort of wince and think to yourself, "Maybe the house gets water in some unconventional beyond my peasant's understanding of the physical world." Unfortunately, its simply that the house, despite being modern and beautiful, has no plumbing. The emperor has no clothes. The game is a wreck.    … Expand
  22. RDonnell
    May 26, 2012
    4
    One of the best games ruined by lobby dropping and debug camera cheating.Most people are not aware the developers known about 1% of users using a secret camera to get an advantage online and people dropping from game lobbies by pulling out the network cable to strand users in an emtpy lobby requiring a retstart and a huge load screen wait time.This can happen and can make getting games aOne of the best games ruined by lobby dropping and debug camera cheating.Most people are not aware the developers known about 1% of users using a secret camera to get an advantage online and people dropping from game lobbies by pulling out the network cable to strand users in an emtpy lobby requiring a retstart and a huge load screen wait time.This can happen and can make getting games a 15 minute process.There is also a huge change recently to the graphics engine due to the Fall of the samurai game changing graphics and breaking features such as gloss,HDR,DOF and draw distance alonside leaving many missing textures graphical bugs.So far 2 months on the only thing they fixed was the blood pack dlc which the patch also broke.There is no sign of the game being restored to how it used to look and how it looked when reviews were based on that content which sadly users no longer have access too.Simply awful work and a great RTS or probably the best RTS there ever was is now ruined by amatuer patch system and bad beta testers.… Expand
  23. TIZ
    May 18, 2012
    10
    Amazing game overall. Graphics best to date DX10 or 11, Gameplay slow but that's the fun of it, Story elements are like most strategy games good and satisfying when completing. Lots of new and extra features, amazing 3D rotatable map, actual night time fighting and amazing fight animations. This game deserves nothing less than a 10/10
  24. MalcomGTX
    May 17, 2012
    6
    Serious technical flaws mar this otherwise fun game. I really enjoy the complexity and flavor of the Civilization-esque over-map, though the battle map could use much more work. While it is impressive to see so many units on the field, the combat is dull an uninteresting with little tactical significance.

    The game is buggy, and can have issues loading. I haven't ever experience a crash in    Serious technical flaws mar this otherwise fun game. I really enjoy the complexity and flavor of the Civilization-esque over-map, though the battle map could use much more work. While it is impressive to see so many units on the field, the combat is dull an uninteresting with little tactical significance.

    The game is buggy, and can have issues loading. I haven't ever experience a crash in game, but loading the game up I have many times.

    Overall I am happy I bought the game while on sale, but would not pay full price due to the technical issues.    … Expand
  25. Jimbobbrown
    May 13, 2012
    2
    Well that was disappointing. How has the series moved on since Rome and Medieval total war? Not a lot really, same game different lick of paint. Adds nothing new what so ever. I have to say something about the engine too, there has been no improvement as far as I can see, It runs like a dog. If they released the same game but optimized it so that you could actually have the epic battlesWell that was disappointing. How has the series moved on since Rome and Medieval total war? Not a lot really, same game different lick of paint. Adds nothing new what so ever. I have to say something about the engine too, there has been no improvement as far as I can see, It runs like a dog. If they released the same game but optimized it so that you could actually have the epic battles that would be forgivable. Multi-player just turns into a slide show. Got this on a steam sale and really wish I hadn't. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Rome or Medieval 2 cheap, they beat the heck out of this re-skin.… Expand
  26. RangerGxi
    May 10, 2012
    9
    This game is the best Total war game to date. This Total war game does not have the best campaign to date but I can't explain why. The map has stunning visuals and a large variety of factions, maybe Im not as interested in Japan's history as I am in Napoleonic history. The actual battles are the what make the game. Shogun 2 has removed all of the problems of all the other total war games.This game is the best Total war game to date. This Total war game does not have the best campaign to date but I can't explain why. The map has stunning visuals and a large variety of factions, maybe Im not as interested in Japan's history as I am in Napoleonic history. The actual battles are the what make the game. Shogun 2 has removed all of the problems of all the other total war games. The game rewards attacking over defending(Crippling noob campers in multiplayer) by adding Keypoints in the centre of the map which give bonuses to the player that captures them. If a player captures all of the keypoints a counter begins which stops campers completely. This encourages players to rush for the centre, pretty much throwing all idea's of corner camping into the garbage. The sieges are just epic. Seiges have been limited to 20 minutes and attackers have been given more money to spend allowing the defenders to attack quickly instead of bombarding castles for an hour. Graphics are 5/5, Campaign 2.5/5 and gameplay is 4.5/5.

    Also get Fall of the Samurai.    … Expand
  27. Sparhawk42
    Apr 29, 2012
    6
    In all my multiple games the AI never lived up to the challenge of the old total war games.
    Battles do not need much planning. It is just holding your position. I have never encountered any surprise attacks by the AI.
  28. Tridus
    Apr 8, 2012
    8
    Fun game. The tactical side of it is great. I tend to autoresolve a lot, but there's also RTS stuff for those who like it. Multiplayer is really fun when it works (I play in co-op games), but I had a problem with turns getting stuck and had to get my friend to send me his autosave file before we could continue. Worked fine after that. This far after release that kind of quality issueFun game. The tactical side of it is great. I tend to autoresolve a lot, but there's also RTS stuff for those who like it. Multiplayer is really fun when it works (I play in co-op games), but I had a problem with turns getting stuck and had to get my friend to send me his autosave file before we could continue. Worked fine after that. This far after release that kind of quality issue really isn't acceptable, and I'm docking points for it.… Expand
  29. FanthCcP
    Mar 18, 2012
    10
    Total War series game is the best of the best strategy game in human history,not one of ! I love Total War more than anything!Been playing since release, what can i say...i havnt slept...its pretty awesome, best total was since medieval 2! Looks amazing even tho theres no dx11 untill they patch it, then it'll be a 11/10!
  30. Insomnium0212
    Mar 13, 2012
    10
    The best total war game as of yet. The Japanese settings sucks you right in. Unlike empire total war the game offers a more rounded set of units. There are less units but the game is better for it. Shogun also brings something new to the table in the form of an online avatar which you can customize and level up. Once you level up you can select different retainers and skills which haveThe best total war game as of yet. The Japanese settings sucks you right in. Unlike empire total war the game offers a more rounded set of units. There are less units but the game is better for it. Shogun also brings something new to the table in the form of an online avatar which you can customize and level up. Once you level up you can select different retainers and skills which have effects in the online battles you play. All in all:

    Sound: 10
    Gameplay: 10
    Graphics: 10 (You do need a beast of a PC to appreciate the full scope though)    … Expand
  31. mrcoolman
    Mar 8, 2012
    4
    If you are korean you probably like this game because it is real times strategy like stracraft. you are man in middle ages japan and you have to conquer all japan. First you pick which car company you want to be, like mistubishi or toyota, then you go to map off japan. on the map you are famous real life historical japanese person like hitohiro, jackie chan, or gengis kan. one thing isIf you are korean you probably like this game because it is real times strategy like stracraft. you are man in middle ages japan and you have to conquer all japan. First you pick which car company you want to be, like mistubishi or toyota, then you go to map off japan. on the map you are famous real life historical japanese person like hitohiro, jackie chan, or gengis kan. one thing is that even though this is real time stategy game the first map isn't, so if you wondering why you cant move your men or the computer doesnt do anything, it because you have to click the button first. also i think i get japanese version of game because when i click men they speak in japanese so i coundt understand the story. i give this game only 4/10 because you need to speak japanese to play.… Expand
  32. jacobwt226
    Mar 6, 2012
    9
    I use it as a benchmark when I put new hardware in my PC, I play it anyways because it is fun. No reason why not to buy, plus they are coming out with a new game (DLC if you own this one) that allows Rifles to battle with samurai.
  33. baggytheo
    Mar 1, 2012
    1
    The Total War series has always been going downhill since the release of Empire: Total War--not in terms of design and fun factor, but in terms of quality. The Creative Assembly has continued to put out blatantly BROKEN games that show no evidence of appropriate play-testing, since they have moved to their new engine after Medieval 2: Total War. Not only that, but the company completelyThe Total War series has always been going downhill since the release of Empire: Total War--not in terms of design and fun factor, but in terms of quality. The Creative Assembly has continued to put out blatantly BROKEN games that show no evidence of appropriate play-testing, since they have moved to their new engine after Medieval 2: Total War. Not only that, but the company completely ignores the cries of thousands of their paying customers, flooding their official forums for help, and simply lie that they are "looking into it" while 6 months pass, then a year passes, and nothing gets released except more paid DLC. With Empire, it was game-breaking tech tree bugs that remain unfixed to this day, THREE YEARS after its release. With Shogun 2, it is game-crippling multiplayer campaign desynchronizations that begin to occur about 1/5th of the way through a campaign without fail, forcing players through an arduous process of finding their last uncorrupted save file through a process of trail and error, and then completely re-do everything they accomplished in the last 5-10 turns from whenever that save file took place--or sharing and overwriting copies of save files in order to delay the desynch from inevitably reoccurring 2-3 turns later. The worst thing is that two friends playing coop are left to find all this out after they have already invested about 15-20 hours into a cooperative campaign only to find that it is literally impossible to finish their campaign, and that it basically ends when this bug rears its ugly head. Creative Assembly has intermittently acknowledged the issue after thousands upon thousands of complaints and bug reports from the community, but done NOTHING to put out a simple bugfix for this completely game-breaking and insanely frustrating bug, instead opting to allocate all their manpower towards continuing to crap out low-quality, meaningless DLC packs and even a NEW EXPANSION before they have even patched BASIC FUNCTIONALITY into this game since its release A YEAR AGO!

    Shogun 2 has a great single-player experience. But its multiplayer campaign is completely broken and should not have even made it into the release version of the game. It is clear that they didn't even bother to have two employees play a whole campaign with each other before release to be able to spot this massive, glaring bug that happens for 90% of people who play the multiplayer campaign. I spent $100 on two copies of the game at release for me and my spouse to play the coop campaign together, and not only was it a complete waste then but a whole year later it remains a complete waste. The Creative Assembly has made it absolutely care that they do not care about their customers at all. And when a company does not care about their customers, they do not deserve customers.

    I am giving this game a rating of 1 to offset all the perfect-10 ratings from single-player users and media who clearly did not attempt to finish a multiplayer campaign before publishing their reviews.    … Expand
  34. Stillbreathin
    Feb 14, 2012
    2
    I recently obtained a copy of Shogun 2 and was expecting a similar format and playing platform as the other total war games. I was not so lucky. I now have to play a game over the inter-net and before I can play said game I have to down load it on to a web host from a DVD (which at last look had taken 9 hrs due to the updates) - whats the point? I now have 20 Gb of memory used that iaI recently obtained a copy of Shogun 2 and was expecting a similar format and playing platform as the other total war games. I was not so lucky. I now have to play a game over the inter-net and before I can play said game I have to down load it on to a web host from a DVD (which at last look had taken 9 hrs due to the updates) - whats the point? I now have 20 Gb of memory used that ia useless to me without an inter-net connection.
    If the graphics are as good as Medieval 2 then I am sure it will be a great play but not being able to play without being connected to the inter-net and all the cost and grief that produces is to this player a major failing for the player who wishes to play securely. Before any one shouts all content on line is corruptible and accessible - a pc not connected is safe.
    Why change the playing platform that has worked in earlier gasmes    … Expand
  35. GamerLegend
    Feb 11, 2012
    10
    My first total war game was Empire Total War a while back. Ever since I got it I became hooked on the series. Iv'e seen a lot of **** reviews for this same so far, and I have to strongly disagree with what they are saying. This is by far the best total war game that has come out yet. The graphics are amazing and pretty much look real with light bloom from a distance. The newMy first total war game was Empire Total War a while back. Ever since I got it I became hooked on the series. Iv'e seen a lot of **** reviews for this same so far, and I have to strongly disagree with what they are saying. This is by far the best total war game that has come out yet. The graphics are amazing and pretty much look real with light bloom from a distance. The new multi-player concept of making your own clan is genius and it is a game you will always go back to. I would recommend this to any strategy gamer because of its challenging concepts and high replay value. I do not recommend it for someone just starting to play total war or general strategy due to its challenging gameplay.… Expand
  36. jimplunder
    Feb 5, 2012
    6
    Total War: Shogun 2 is a good game. Of course, I always have a bone to pick with games. The feeling of it is exactly like that of Empire/Napoleon: Total War. You have a city, you have a port (if the province is on the coast), you have farms, and you have support buildings. You have to manage your economy through trade and production within your own territory. You also have to decideTotal War: Shogun 2 is a good game. Of course, I always have a bone to pick with games. The feeling of it is exactly like that of Empire/Napoleon: Total War. You have a city, you have a port (if the province is on the coast), you have farms, and you have support buildings. You have to manage your economy through trade and production within your own territory. You also have to decide whether or not you want to stick with with traditional religion of Shinto-Buddhism, or convert to Christianity when you trade with the nanban (Europeans). The combat is very similar to all of the other games (except they give you pre-made formations you can use) and the game keeps the tradition of solid combat alive.
    While the graphics are a HUGE improvement (they are absolutely gorgeous), the gameplay is something that is still likable and enjoyable, the creators made the game a little too difficult for my liking. I'm a person who likes to develop provinces up, get a ton of gold in reserve, build huge armies, and send them out to conquer the territory peacemeal while leaving token garrisons behind. It's a sound strategy and it works, but the game doesn't give you enough time to really flesh the game out. It feels like to me that the game's over right when it's beginning. You either have to settle with groups of small armies going after each other and picking off small provinces one by one, leaving little development in the process, or fail. I'd like the game more if they lengthened the time span of the campaign (possibly doubling it). I'm sure there's a mod for that, but I'm not going to poke around to look for one. Why can't they make sliders for game length? That way if you want to give yourself more of a challenge, you can do the short or long campaigns in more or less time. Make the game more customizable.
    Also the diplomacy screens are ridiculous. Even on easy, the AI doesn't like to negotiate... at all. I'm crushing these two clans in a war and when I offer a peace treaty because I want to go pound on my ever-growing neighbor, they won't bother to make peace. I even try to throw away money and marriage offers and still nothing. Then 5 turns later, another person declares war on me. For casual gamers like me, this is frustrating. I've tried a couple of different campaigns and even when I wasn't shogun, it felt like everyone was ganging up on me for the sake of it. It feels like the game doesn't want me to win. I know that's part of the challenge and a lot of people like it, but when a game becomes oppressive, it takes the fun out of it.    … Expand
  37. Parvarteshwar
    Jan 28, 2012
    6
    The Total War series has a history of producing ground-breaking, innovative games that cater specifically to the RTS/strategy fans. Games like Rome and Empire are huge, enjoyable, full of strategic depth, and well polished. Shogun 2 unfortunately fits more into the category of Medieval 2. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad game and it's better than any other RTS game on the market rightThe Total War series has a history of producing ground-breaking, innovative games that cater specifically to the RTS/strategy fans. Games like Rome and Empire are huge, enjoyable, full of strategic depth, and well polished. Shogun 2 unfortunately fits more into the category of Medieval 2. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad game and it's better than any other RTS game on the market right now, but its just not a great game that deserves the 90 critic score that it has received. This has forced me to sometimes wonder if I'm playing the same game as the critics...
    The biggest problem I have with the game is that the same problems and bugs that were with Empire are still with this game. Diplomacy is a laughable exercise at best and completely worthless at worst. The best strategy for avoiding war is to not have a border with a country, even valued allies will forget your excellent standing with them and declare war on you if you so much as have a common border and getting a country to accept a diplomatic proposal is almost as bad as pulling teeth.
    The AI is as painfully stupid as it was in the previous games and I think they realized this and have now made drop-in battles by human players standard, but good luck trying to find someone to play with and finding someone near your difficulty level. But even if you have the coveted luck with the battles the AI is still as stupid as ever on the campaign map and since they don't have monetary restrictions to worry about all strategy goes out the window. It feels like you are playing alone instead of with a worth-while opponent, and if you turn up the difficulty the AI doesn't get better, they are just given more units to throw at you which results in attrition based wars rather than strategic depth.
    But the AI problems don't just stop with the computer players, be sure to keep an eye on your own soldiers in battle or else they will be more dangerous to your army than the opposition. Archers seem to be particularly guilty of this and if you don't micro-manage them they will tear up your own front lines even more so than the enemies. There was a bug in previous games where your archers wouldn't follow your attack orders, they would simply fire on the closest enemy, that bug is back and as annoying now as it was then. It is almost funny to watch then firing on a shattered infantry unit, killing more of your own infantry than the enemy's, while a cavalry unit about to run them down...
    The units are the same for almost every faction and this means there is very little depth in fielding a varied army, just load up on samurai and send them off to battle, and replenishment is back which means waiting 5 turns in between each battle. Naval battles are back and they are improved, but they are also more boring. Fighting with non-gunpowder vessels when compared to the huge and varied ships-of-the-line from Empire has very little strategy, especially when an entire battle consists of ordering your ships to board the other ships.
    The graphics are excellent, but that's no surprise as Total War games have always had stellar graphics for their time. The in-game interface is also excellent, it takes some time to get to know it but the wealth of information is a welcome breathe of fresh air from the previous titles. But at the same time the game feels stiff, this may just be because my PC isn't the top of the line but that just means if you don't have the best PC out there you will be greeted with a sticky interface.
    The game map has plenty of provinces, but it feels small compared to the huge map of Europe from Rome and half the world from Empire. The provinces are also very similar, and though there are special resources they don't really play a huge strategic role other than money. Japan is a thin country and therefore the strategy is the same with almost every faction, conquer a strip of land, set up two fronts and expand. This also results in the game being painfully short, while there can be 20-some factions at the beginning (only 9 playable), in 5 years there will be half that and in another 5 years half that again. So in less than 10 years the game will be down to 4 or 5 factions. Which is a shame because the second half of the game is definitely the best, the units get more varied and the battles get bigger but there is less to enjoy.
    So what should you make of Shogun? Well since I have taken the entire 5000 world limit to rate it you can place it higher on your list of games to play, even though it's annoying at times it can also be very fun and I caught glimpses of better previous games at times. This is perhaps the game's greatest flaw, it will always be compared to excellent previous titles, but it's still a Total War game and if you get into it you will easily get 50 hours of game play.    … Expand
  38. dajarvi
    Jan 23, 2012
    2
    This game reminds me why I still play Rome Total War and Medieval Total War 2. I feel like I'm an eight year old playing an eight year old's strategy game with beautiful graphics. I played the game for about thirty hours. Found it boring. Went back to Rome and Medieval with Europa Barbarorum and Stainless Steel mods. If you like shallow strategy games, this one's for you.
  39. SJ_pl
    Jan 22, 2012
    8
    As a complicated strategy it may be good. Maybe the best in 2011. But I'm a regular player that digests all genres and this game didn't appealed to me. It was too difficult, too complicated and did not offer as much fun as I expected it to give me. Maybe with it's developer on my back I would have understood it better. I regret that such a good game doesn't offer much for interested butAs a complicated strategy it may be good. Maybe the best in 2011. But I'm a regular player that digests all genres and this game didn't appealed to me. It was too difficult, too complicated and did not offer as much fun as I expected it to give me. Maybe with it's developer on my back I would have understood it better. I regret that such a good game doesn't offer much for interested but not so strategy-oriented players...… Expand
  40. Erelyes
    Jan 6, 2012
    7
    Very fun game. The learning curve is a little patchy and the tutorial for the game could have been much better (I have played no previous Total War games). It needs to explain things like friendly fire from archers, charge bonuses, attacking from two directions, campaign strategy, and so on. I also found the graphics to be a little disappointing for a 2011 game - grass sprites will popVery fun game. The learning curve is a little patchy and the tutorial for the game could have been much better (I have played no previous Total War games). It needs to explain things like friendly fire from archers, charge bonuses, attacking from two directions, campaign strategy, and so on. I also found the graphics to be a little disappointing for a 2011 game - grass sprites will pop into and out of view, etc. However once you get into the game it's rewarding, engrossing and balanced.… Expand
  41. gyrate
    Dec 31, 2011
    10
    This is a great game. It's possibly the best strategy game ever made. It runs smoothly even on older hardware. I can't say enough good things about it.
  42. Turd_Furgeson
    Dec 30, 2011
    3
    This game is playable, however the in game tutorials left me asking friends how to do many of the world view options such as factions and what various icons and numbers meant. As well, the actual fighting is severely flawed. I would tell my archers to attack a unit but they would remain firing at a single enemy who was behind cover and impossible to kill, no matter how many times IThis game is playable, however the in game tutorials left me asking friends how to do many of the world view options such as factions and what various icons and numbers meant. As well, the actual fighting is severely flawed. I would tell my archers to attack a unit but they would remain firing at a single enemy who was behind cover and impossible to kill, no matter how many times I clicked on attack the enemies right next to the single unit that were in the open. The combat aspects of the game would be considered good 6 years ago.… Expand
  43. DarKMaTTeR
    Dec 30, 2011
    6
    This game has been the greatest disappointment I've had from gaming in years. I've been a big fan of the series for more than a decade now. The amount of time I've spent on these games is ridiculous. In TW Shogun 2 I didn't even finish a single campaign, even though I really wanted this game to be good and I tried to find a way to appreciate it.

    I'd like to make it clear that the game is    This game has been the greatest disappointment I've had from gaming in years. I've been a big fan of the series for more than a decade now. The amount of time I've spent on these games is ridiculous. In TW Shogun 2 I didn't even finish a single campaign, even though I really wanted this game to be good and I tried to find a way to appreciate it.

    I'd like to make it clear that the game is NOT bad. It is massive, professional and unique. But it lacks a lot of what I cared about in Total War games. For example, I always thought it was brilliant how, no matter how many battles you played, it would be extremely rare for 2 battles to start and unfold the same way. Well, no more. Shogun 2 does not shuffle the deck like it's predecessors. This time, you'll be fighting the same battles over and over again, on a handful of predesigned maps that aren't that great in the first place. Especially with sieges. I wasn't even half-way through a campaign, before I started auto-resolving every battle.

    Another thing that made the game very tiring to me, is all the Japanese in use. It's great for an authentic feel, but ffs add an explanation in the tooltip. From the first moments in the game, you're expected to memorize all these jibberish, or you won't have a clue what's going on. No offence to the Japanese, but the only words I get are Samurai and Katana, everything else sounds the same to me.

    And there's also the technical part. The game takes FOREVER to load anything, and it doesn't even look better than TW: Empire. There's only some much time I can tolerate wasting on loading screens.

    If you're not an old fan of the series, then you will probably enjoy the game more than I did, because you have no idea what the game is missing. But as a fan, I was so disappointed that I no longer had interest in playing the game. Which is a shame because it is a good game all in all.

    PS. I wrote my review so late, because I honestly expected I would play a lot more before deciding I'm done with the game.    … Expand
  44. dam1730
    Dec 27, 2011
    5
    I came into the Total War series fairly late with my first game being Empire: Total War. While most Total War fans hate Empire and Napoleon, I actually like the two games. I don't like how the Total War series went back to where it was before with the Shogun "thing". Moving forward to something new would have been much better. I can only hope that they decide to make a 1850s to 1900 themedI came into the Total War series fairly late with my first game being Empire: Total War. While most Total War fans hate Empire and Napoleon, I actually like the two games. I don't like how the Total War series went back to where it was before with the Shogun "thing". Moving forward to something new would have been much better. I can only hope that they decide to make a 1850s to 1900 themed game with the Civil War, Franco-Prussian War, and many other wars of the time period. That would be the best way forward.… Expand
  45. Pier
    Dec 26, 2011
    9
    This is simply the best total war game ever. I've played most of the games from the series and Shogun 2 is a dream come true, that goes back to the original root, but with all the refinements of the last decade. If you are into deep strategy and historic accuracy you can't miss it.
  46. R_O360
    Dec 26, 2011
    8
    As veteran of the entire Total War series I can say without a doubt that Shogun 2 is the best installment when it comes to multiplayer. What they did with Shogun 2 in regards to the multiplayer aspect is phenomenal, the unit/avatar progression and leveling system combined with the territory conquest and clan systems is addicting. As for the singleplayer? Well, it is very dumbed down andAs veteran of the entire Total War series I can say without a doubt that Shogun 2 is the best installment when it comes to multiplayer. What they did with Shogun 2 in regards to the multiplayer aspect is phenomenal, the unit/avatar progression and leveling system combined with the territory conquest and clan systems is addicting. As for the singleplayer? Well, it is very dumbed down and simplified and I think fans of the older Total War games who enjoyed the economy micromanagment aspect will be dissapointed. Great game overall.… Expand
  47. Alvin
    Dec 23, 2011
    0
    I am a big fan of the Total War series, I was really excited when I purchased Shogun 2 as it promises alot, reviews are great!

    I got in from the shops, unwrapped the game and installed it. Its a big game and took a bit of time to install. Happily after the install I started the game and it automatically (without any warning or option) went about downloading content from the web (It sort    I am a big fan of the Total War series, I was really excited when I purchased Shogun 2 as it promises alot, reviews are great!

    I got in from the shops, unwrapped the game and installed it. Its a big game and took a bit of time to install. Happily after the install I started the game and it automatically (without any warning or option) went about downloading content from the web (It sort of implied it was downloading data), it said it would complete download in 2hrs and 16mins. Unfortunately this figure climbed instead of declined over time, eventually saying that the server was busy and to try again later. 24 hrs later and it is still giving me this feedback- I am now giving up and the game is going back!

    I looked deeper into discussion groups over the web and find that the download is 7gb, so even if I could connect to a non busy server, download size would be ridiculous- literally hrs of downloading data ..... 7 gb would take hrs to download.

    - The decision to deliver 7gb of content from a game delivered on DVD as a consumer is not acceptable. As a consumer upto 1gb is acceptable as an option but 7gb to enter is not good enough. - Disappointed that they don't provide the option of playing the game without having to download.    … Expand
  48. Ztride
    Dec 21, 2011
    8
    A great game, with a long singleplayer campaign and detailed battles. Personally I think it is very unbalanced however, since samurai - who are trained from birth into accepting death - still flee easily when outnumbered. I really do not like the way the morale system is balanced, or the pathfinding for units either, for that matter. Also, archers and cavalry are very weak and navalA great game, with a long singleplayer campaign and detailed battles. Personally I think it is very unbalanced however, since samurai - who are trained from birth into accepting death - still flee easily when outnumbered. I really do not like the way the morale system is balanced, or the pathfinding for units either, for that matter. Also, archers and cavalry are very weak and naval battles are slow as hell. As a whole the game isn't that bad though.… Expand
  49. BillGR17
    Dec 18, 2011
    10
    The firs total war i played was shogun when i saw shogun 2 i though plz tell me they didnt make it suck like napoleon and empire ! and now that i have it i must say its a hell of a game ! best RTS so far ! i didnt believe its better than rome total war too coz i was huge fan or rome as i was with the first shogun
    now u have rpg elements and finally the multiplayer is worth playing it ! its    The firs total war i played was shogun when i saw shogun 2 i though plz tell me they didnt make it suck like napoleon and empire ! and now that i have it i must say its a hell of a game ! best RTS so far ! i didnt believe its better than rome total war too coz i was huge fan or rome as i was with the first shogun
    now u have rpg elements and finally the multiplayer is worth playing it ! its not a custom battle ! u can play campaign mode online and if u are playing singleplayer u give the battle from the system to one radom player online :D it has so much stuff and now the melee army is fighting better but still some times they stay there do nothing(not all the army just one or two ) the only bad think is that ... will they make another one as good as this?    … Expand
  50. kabbi
    Dec 12, 2011
    7
    I'd have to say when push comes to shove and the **** hits the fan all in an honest days work...this game sincerely and objectively yet truthfully flat out just needed more ninjas. Period. I said. Ninjas.
  51. Comanglia
    Dec 11, 2011
    7
    I originally rated this at 9/10, but that was before I started to play online semi-seriously. Everything now revolves around spam, or some loop hole. It's basically a revolving door of spam.
    Naginata Monks
    Cavalry Matchlocks Vet Loan Swords Naginata Samurai Naginata Monks + Naginata Monk Cavalry currently I have not the slightest clue what's the "new" spam also that 1/6 players black out    I originally rated this at 9/10, but that was before I started to play online semi-seriously. Everything now revolves around spam, or some loop hole. It's basically a revolving door of spam.
    Naginata Monks
    Cavalry
    Matchlocks
    Vet Loan Swords
    Naginata Samurai
    Naginata Monks + Naginata Monk Cavalry
    currently I have not the slightest clue what's the "new" spam

    also that 1/6 players black out their banner, and rename all of their units to another weaker unit

    As for the campaign well it's still pretty mediocre for the same reasons as before. The new DLC campaign though is pretty fun itself.    … Expand
  52. HerHavuzun
    Dec 8, 2011
    5
    Poor battle ai. They just mindlessly swarm you or hill camp. Also the AI just loves to chase your light cav with their yari inf. As a result fought out battles turn into a disgusting micro work. No tactics, no strategy, no soul. After a couple of turns miraculously all AI units wander around with 4-5 exp chevrons. The campaign AI is only there to keep you busy with no strategic personalPoor battle ai. They just mindlessly swarm you or hill camp. Also the AI just loves to chase your light cav with their yari inf. As a result fought out battles turn into a disgusting micro work. No tactics, no strategy, no soul. After a couple of turns miraculously all AI units wander around with 4-5 exp chevrons. The campaign AI is only there to keep you busy with no strategic personal goals. It's just a product of the fear by the devs that the game would possibly be too easy and pose no "challenge".… Expand
  53. ZengxDoWx
    Nov 16, 2011
    7
    I've been playing the limited edition of this game ever since this came out, and also purchased every single add-ons for this game. My only concern with this game is that there's a lot of spammers, and recently, the replay files are all corrupted so I can't actually look at the replays. So I won't really be playing this game until CA fixes these problems.
  54. DrCola
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    I would give this an 8.7 and for one reason only, they are starting to release DLC's that unlock content that was previously free if you just modified one notepad document, im afraid that the people who make total war games are starting to milk it for what its got rather than focusing on one masterpiece, on the bright side the multiplayer is lightyears ahead of napoleon total war, TheI would give this an 8.7 and for one reason only, they are starting to release DLC's that unlock content that was previously free if you just modified one notepad document, im afraid that the people who make total war games are starting to milk it for what its got rather than focusing on one masterpiece, on the bright side the multiplayer is lightyears ahead of napoleon total war, The strategys that you take on ARE actually specific to the faction you decide to play as, so when sombody on metacritic says "dont ever chose this faction because they have better boats" thats simply not true, you use the boat advantage to its fullest extent by blockading enemy ports and therefore giving you more income, or if you chose to get better archers you play more defensively, or vica versa with other factions. Im happy that they made a few modifications to just about everything and refined everything to a good point, for example : ship battles used to be about clicking at the right time in a starcraft like manner, but now its much more about positioning of your ships, there is now a food factor so you cant just build a billion castles. The difficulty is finally what it should be. All the other total war games I played were so easy its not even funny (even on hardest difficulty) with one exception, western roman empire in rome total war barbarian invasion on the hardest difficulty, but thats about rome total war, all in all shogun 2 total war has stunning visuals (only if your computer is really really awsome, I was sad when I found out I could not play in DX11, because seriously, the DX11 graphics are WAY better than the DX9 graphics) More strategy, more thinking, not as time consuming as empire total war and not as complicated (which i can understand why they did that) There are also important choices you can make that will affect your empire. If the game has a problem, its the DLC and how once you have claimed the shogunate and won the game its very boring because the battles all feel the exact same.… Expand
  55. Gladio77
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    Hoorah! , Indeed the gameplay in general has not changed much in the last ten years. But the graphics and this game racked me up for 200 hours. Value for money. Game Graphics are very good and its something a developer can be proud of. Buy it .
  56. lmg
    Oct 18, 2011
    8
    i m not a big fan of total war series. still i played the solo player for many days. i think although the different factions play a bit different, when it comes to strategy all has the same after some time. its always bigger army vs small army. i think the earlier versions of total war were more fun than this one.
  57. Nexusepona
    Oct 17, 2011
    10
    It brings the fun you are looking for when you buy any of the Total War series, and it does it with style. Not the pinnacle of the series, I would say that Rome and even Medieval 2 were better, but still worth your money. It takes time to finish the single player campaign, re-playable, and the multi-player part is fun too. If you are a TW fun, this is a must for you!
  58. JuJu
    Oct 9, 2011
    10
    This is one of the greatest games ever ! Joining RTS with turn strategy is best idea, and it is working perfectly. I really like this world of samurais, ninjas etc etc. Programmers did not make this game so complicated but nicely and user friendly. I recommend to play S2 with all my hart ! Rgrds
  59. Porkenstein
    Oct 5, 2011
    10
    Although its replay value is less than that of previous TW games, what IS in the game is absolutely perfect. Shogun 2 has incredible gameplay, beautiful graphics, and the promise for amazing Total War games to come. I, personally, am excited for Rome II based on this engine.
  60. JSNB
    Sep 24, 2011
    9
    Excellent RTS, The only problem i would say there was, was the lack of units. I realize they saved them for DLC's but for reasons I won't get into I was never able to get those. Therefore it bothered me that there where more things I could have had to work with and knew it before the DLC's ever game out because of the hints in the encyclopedia. Other than that though, I pretty much have noExcellent RTS, The only problem i would say there was, was the lack of units. I realize they saved them for DLC's but for reasons I won't get into I was never able to get those. Therefore it bothered me that there where more things I could have had to work with and knew it before the DLC's ever game out because of the hints in the encyclopedia. Other than that though, I pretty much have no complaints. I would perhaps like to see one day, if Total War made gorilla warfare more important rather than always just making large armies that steamroll their way through the enemies hopes and dreams in seconds.… Expand
  61. T5ZK
    Sep 17, 2011
    10
    I have never played Total War series, but it wasn
  62. dc42
    Sep 10, 2011
    9
    Great game from Sega. It's fun to play and the AI isn't as poor as previous Total War games. For example, the AI will attack you when you start using your archers (previous games let you soften them up before you main assault...like shooting fish in a barrel). Attacking fortresses is redundant though since many of the strongholds are the same with the same layout of attack. One issue IGreat game from Sega. It's fun to play and the AI isn't as poor as previous Total War games. For example, the AI will attack you when you start using your archers (previous games let you soften them up before you main assault...like shooting fish in a barrel). Attacking fortresses is redundant though since many of the strongholds are the same with the same layout of attack. One issue I have is once you get to a certain point in the main campaign every other clan attacks you making it a one vs all scenario (what ever happened to allies?). Overall, I had a fun time. I hope they make a Total War: China or something since they keep remaking old Total War games (Medieval and Shogun) and some originality is needed by Sega.… Expand
  63. mrweed
    Sep 4, 2011
    10
    Sehr gutes spiel jedoch muss ich sagen das es sich um ein verdammt schweres spiel handelt.
    die grafik ist sehr gut gelungen und kann mit einer ATI 5870 und einem vernünftigem 4 x core mit allen details gespielt werden.
  64. chenzo717
    Sep 4, 2011
    10
    Just imagine its the late nineties and a flurry of edgy "modern" RTS games were taking up much of our sleeping time, if anyone could predict where the strategy industry would have been in 2011 im sure nobody would have conceived the scale of professionalism that the total war series have come to achieve! The series are quite simply the most perfect example of Total War! (Yes i am a fanboy......)
  65. Manny
    Sep 1, 2011
    9
    A decent addition to the already worthy Total War series. After Empire and Napoleon, I especially liked that Total War picked a less firearms focused theme this time. And the mechanics and overall gameplay are well done. If there's anything I could criticise, it's probably the lack of different loading screens.
  66. Necrotaur
    Aug 28, 2011
    8
    Shogun 2: Total War is a great game in a great series. It is, naturally, focused on 16th century Japan and returns to the more traditional 'swords and archers' roots of the Total War series. The aesthetics and music are very pleasing and serve to draw you into the setting, and the battles are, for the most part, as fun as ever, though cavalry is decidedly less-than-useful in this outing.Shogun 2: Total War is a great game in a great series. It is, naturally, focused on 16th century Japan and returns to the more traditional 'swords and archers' roots of the Total War series. The aesthetics and music are very pleasing and serve to draw you into the setting, and the battles are, for the most part, as fun as ever, though cavalry is decidedly less-than-useful in this outing. Specialist units such as ninja and monks function very well, and you will quickly learn to both fear and love them. The only serious complaint I have is that Shogun 2 is perhaps TOO focused. In Empire/Napoleon and even Medieval 2, you had the ability to expand and invade other continents or areas of interest and fight varied units of other cultures. Shogun 2 dials that back and you are pretty much stuck in Japan fighting reskins of your own army, just with a different specialty (swords, spear, bow etc.) Multiplayer is a blast, however. I don't feel Shogun 2 deserves a 9, but I can't give an 8.5 so I'll go with a reluctant 8.… Expand
  67. Monte28
    Aug 27, 2011
    5
    It seriously is the same everytime you play the game, everyone has the same units and its just bland. The graphics are nice but barely anyone can have a large battle with 30+ fps. And dont think im just saying that. My rig is a i5-2500k @4.2ghz, gtx570, 8gb ddr3 @ 1333ram, and plenty of cooling. The game mechanics are really all about seige, it is so rare to have a field battle that youIt seriously is the same everytime you play the game, everyone has the same units and its just bland. The graphics are nice but barely anyone can have a large battle with 30+ fps. And dont think im just saying that. My rig is a i5-2500k @4.2ghz, gtx570, 8gb ddr3 @ 1333ram, and plenty of cooling. The game mechanics are really all about seige, it is so rare to have a field battle that you cry. And sieges last barely 5 minutes due to the fact every unit can climb the wall. Theres no extreme strategies in this game. Load up on archers and cavalry and you already won. Read any review that is a 10, they either just bought the game or just talk about graphics. The gameplay is similar to medieval 2 but strip out the strategy, like i said every unit can climb the wall. There is nothing unique about the game for every unit is the same just different colors. The game would have been amazing if it was focused more on optimizing rather than just adding all kinds of graphcis no one even notices and clan differences. Rome or empire is still the most unique of the series. Buy this game when its 20 bucks.… Expand
  68. poohbear
    Aug 25, 2011
    10
    A work of art. Absolutely the most polished TW game out & its stunning. Everything from the music, the visuals, the pacing, the setting & options available to you and of course the stunning battles will just blow u away! Excellent job to the developers on one of the best Strategy games out. Now the problem is how to get over my addiction to this game..... just... one... more turn!!!!!
  69. Seraphiel
    Aug 25, 2011
    9
    I have played every Total War game that has been released so far since the original Shogun TW and I can tell you that in my opinion this is by far the best. The graphics are beautiful, the individual units are lovingly detailed and the campaign is really enjoyable. I have so far got 162 hours of playtime out of this game according to my steam profile which is by far more than you'll getI have played every Total War game that has been released so far since the original Shogun TW and I can tell you that in my opinion this is by far the best. The graphics are beautiful, the individual units are lovingly detailed and the campaign is really enjoyable. I have so far got 162 hours of playtime out of this game according to my steam profile which is by far more than you'll get from playing most other games. In terms of things the game has done really well I would cite the AI as being very good, especially on the harder difficulties. The historical research that has gone into the game is also impressive and so is the gameplay as a whole. For me, this game would easily get a 10/10 but there are a few things which let it down. The multiplayer and co-op campaigns are hopelessly broken and months later Creative Assembly has still not fixed this problem which is shocking in itself. Similarly the AI has a tendency to spam archer units (which seems to b a problem with every total war game so far actually), which results in some very annoying battles especially as archers seem to be rather over-powered in the game. However, despite that issue the AI, as I previously mentioned, is on the whole very good. If CA were to fix these problems then for me this would be a perfect game. However, part of the reason I'm writing this review is due to glancing at the "Negative" reviews below. While some raise valid points others are just plainly ridiculous. For example one person has given it a 2 after playing it for over 350 hours and cites his reason for this as "lack of replay value". This begs the question, "what was he doing for those 350 hours?"! Staring at the title screen? I have played the game for less than half that amount of time and have finished and replayed it over 8 times which is hardly a negligible amount and more than almost any other game. Other criticisms include the lack of unit types, this I find strange. While in most total war games the concept is nation against nation, with all the differences in military development, equipment and strategy that would entail. However, Shogun 2 is a country in the grip of civil war. There would not be dramatically different units for each clan as their military development would generally be along the same lines as their neighbouring provinces. It would be like expecting Sussex and Kent to have dramatically different units in a theoretical England Total War or expecting Rhode Island and Connecticut to be dramatically different in a hypothetical America Total War. The small unit varieties of Shogun 2 are part of what makes it realistic. Similarly, having said that, it's not that there is a lack of unit variety in the game anyway. There are less unit types than previous Total War games certainly but that is not the same as there not being any variety at all, there is just the right amount of variety and for those who disagree there is DLC which offers more units at a cheap price. Similarly, a lot of the complaints are from people who simply can't figure out how to play the game properly. For example, with diplomacy I was also slightly frustrated with it when I began playing but as I played the game more I figured out how to use it properly and I no longer have any problems with it. I feel it's unfair to blame the game for your own lack of ability when playing it. In summary, the game is great but not without flaws. Ignore a lot of the moaning you hear about the game, some is valid and some is not. Engage your brain to realise the difference. However, do NOT buy this game if a large part of your motivation behind purchasing it is the multiplayer, you will be very disappointed. DO buy this game if you have enjoyed the single player campaign of the other Total War games and don't mind a little bit of extra strategy involved in the gameplay.… Expand
  70. Tomwyr
    Aug 16, 2011
    2
    I played TWS2 for over 350 hours, which is not nearly as much as I played RTW or M2TW. I played a campaign with every clan, except the Ikko Ikki, when I got that dlc I was already bored out of my mind with Shogun2. There are simply not enough differences between the factions to keep me interested, I think this game is better than Napoleon (that's not much of an achievement though) andI played TWS2 for over 350 hours, which is not nearly as much as I played RTW or M2TW. I played a campaign with every clan, except the Ikko Ikki, when I got that dlc I was already bored out of my mind with Shogun2. There are simply not enough differences between the factions to keep me interested, I think this game is better than Napoleon (that's not much of an achievement though) and nowhere near as good as RTW and M2TW were.

    I think it's highly overrated, replayability isn't very high and another bad point is that they swapped the modding community for dlc.

    For me personally it was the last CA game I'll get.    … Expand
  71. karmasleeper
    Aug 12, 2011
    9
    Shogun 2 is a fantastic addition the Total War series. The game improves upon the original Shogun in nearly every way. Visually, it is the best looking Total War game to date and frankly one of the most impressive looking games I've ever seen. New to Shogun 2 is character progression. Your daimyo, generals, and even agents like metsuke and ninja gain rank as they successfully performShogun 2 is a fantastic addition the Total War series. The game improves upon the original Shogun in nearly every way. Visually, it is the best looking Total War game to date and frankly one of the most impressive looking games I've ever seen. New to Shogun 2 is character progression. Your daimyo, generals, and even agents like metsuke and ninja gain rank as they successfully perform tasks and win battles. Ranking up gives you points to improve abilities, like map movement speed, defense, moral, bonus to assassination attempts, etc. It's nothing revolutionary and doesn't change they way Total War games are played, but provides another level of customization in how you're sculpting your army and the tactics you choose to employ. My only complaint is that the factions don't feel very differentiated. All factions have access to the same units for the most part and the only tangible differences lie in stats for certain units. For example, the Chosokabe have better samurai archers, the Hojo have better siege units and their castles are less expensive, etc. All this boils down to is that certain faction traits or unit stats favor one strategy over another. It has little bearing on how you build your nation but more impact on how your armies fight. Multiplayer options for Shogun 2 are excellent and well executed. The main attraction here is the avatar mode in which you customize every feature of your general and are brought to a simplified campaign map. Rather than vie for territory against other players you select which territory you want to "occupy" and then fight an online battle against a human opponent. If you win, you gain the territory and whatever unit or army bonus it corresponds to. There's a more tangible sense of progression than in the singleplayer campaign as you fight to grow your avatar's army into what you truly want it to be. Another minor complaint is the campaign map interface. It's the same mess that's plagued other Total War games and takes some getting used to. Army movement in battle maps is sometimes questionable as well. Attempting to move an army without first putting it or chunks of it into groups will end in disaster without fail as the game sends groups of units seemingly wherever it wants forcing you to either move en masse as a group or micro manage unit movement to a T. Opponent AI will sometimes make strange decisions when defending forts but is generally very competent and a challenge for most players. All in all, Shogun 2 is excellent game with loads of new features and superb multiplayer content.… Expand
  72. scottslod
    Jul 31, 2011
    7
    reasonable good game play good graphics and the need of tactics and you can make your own avatar to use as general in multi player the only disappointment is the lack of different troops between the playable clans. but this is a very good recovery after Napoleon TW
  73. Surg3on
    Jul 30, 2011
    8
    Except for a couple of AI bugs this is probably the best strategy game you can get on PC right at this moment. some may complain that it doesnt have as much scope and variety of old total war games but I find that the more concentrated scope has allowed for more polish and its FAR easier to learn and enjoy the game.
    Graphics are great if your PC has the grunt. AI is good and would be    Except for a couple of AI bugs this is probably the best strategy game you can get on PC right at this moment. some may complain that it doesnt have as much scope and variety of old total war games but I find that the more concentrated scope has allowed for more polish and its FAR easier to learn and enjoy the game.
    Graphics are great if your PC has the grunt. AI is good and would be great with a couple of tweaks (still waiting on that patch Sega!). Sound is OK, a bit more variety would be nice.    … Expand
  74. ObjectivePlayer
    Jul 29, 2011
    6
    To start, of course this game has improved graphics. It is newer; in this day and age of gaming, graphics of top of the line game titles are expected to be as such. That is where the compliments stop. I have played all the total war games, and when compared the them Shogun 2 has nothing to offer a gamer such as myself. There are many things I can go about in detail, but for the sake of theTo start, of course this game has improved graphics. It is newer; in this day and age of gaming, graphics of top of the line game titles are expected to be as such. That is where the compliments stop. I have played all the total war games, and when compared the them Shogun 2 has nothing to offer a gamer such as myself. There are many things I can go about in detail, but for the sake of the reader, I will be to the point. Repetitive maps i didn't notice even on Rome: total war. Units are all exactly the same (other than some sparse stat differences). Multi-player is apparently bugged (personally I couldn't even figure out how to get the matches i wanted). These are some of the main issues i have with this game. As a result, Shogun 2, after a week of play, I had the feeling of drudging through the campaign and soon quit playing.
    As a total war fan, and someone who wants to get his money's worth, i cannot consciously give this game a good review (especially when the older games such as Medieval and Rome has much more to offer in game play and re-playability). If you buy this game, then please buy it because you are a fan of ninja's, not good game play or you will be disappointed. Shogun 2 is, in my opinion, a 25$ game at best.    … Expand
  75. Brakeman94
    Jul 29, 2011
    10
    I give the multi-player a strong 10, and I have started playing the single player but the customization and loyalty to your units in the multi-player seems so much stronger to me that I cannot get through more than 10 turns in single player. Here is my breakdown:

    Graphics: 10/10
    Sound: 9/10
    Battle Interface: 10/10
    Battle Gameplay: 10/10
    Fun Factor: 10/10
  76. Camisirish615
    Jul 27, 2011
    9
    Outstanding game, have been a fan of the total war series for years, and to date shogun 2 is by far the most polished. Graphics are outstanding, very detailed lively units, great sound effects, makes it seem like a real battle. Game play is more advanced than in TW games from the past, the AI is much more intelligent and seemingly adapts to your every move. This has been the most difficultOutstanding game, have been a fan of the total war series for years, and to date shogun 2 is by far the most polished. Graphics are outstanding, very detailed lively units, great sound effects, makes it seem like a real battle. Game play is more advanced than in TW games from the past, the AI is much more intelligent and seemingly adapts to your every move. This has been the most difficult TW game I have played by far, but the most rewarding, strategy plays a huge part in this game whereas other TW games was about sheer force. Everything requires you to think, from types of troops in your armies, type of amour, the physical outline of the battlefield, position and strength of the enemy, areas surrounding your cities, diplomacy, food etc, everything has to be managed accordingly making this the most difficult but most rewarding game in the TW series.

    Pros
    Graphics, sound, game play, advanced AI Cons
    Requires powerful system to play on high scale, difficult computer opponent, multilayer is lacking in appeal    … Expand
  77. minahina
    Jul 24, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Completely amazing. Seeing how this game either has 10-9 or 1-5 reviews shows how some people are in denial. And everyone complaining about the lack of different units, different cultures and different combat types is missing logic in their brains, and is probably rating every good review down.

    Like many people, I was waiting for this game with a lot of expectation. The best thing as always, is the graphics. The best I have seen in a game so far. The combat couldn't be better. The AI is also heavily improved and almost unbeatable in the campaign map. Anyone complaining of it being too easy probably doesn't realize there's other levels besides "easy". The unit variety isn't as huge as it used to be, but besides being realistical, it also adds to the strategic value. The new level system is also very good along with creating your own general. Basically every battle has the potential to become completely epic. It does has it's flaws. Personally the main one is the lack of turns. 50 turns isn't enough to develop everything at your own pace and once you expand enough, ever other clan declares war on you. Putting you in a 10 vs 1 usually. The avatar system is also only available in multiplayer. Making the feature useless for those who dislike competition. However, the game is very enjoyable overall. And a must have for any PC player that enjoys REAL strategy.    … Expand
  78. Iconoklast
    Jul 12, 2011
    4
    What a disappointment, after years of being a fan of the series, this game is nail in the coffin for this long standing fan. I had my suspicions that Shogun 2 would follow in the badly flawed footsteps of Imperial TW, and I was right. But I gave CA a chance because they had done such a good job in the past. Technically this game is pretty, but the graphics are flawed and glitchy, so IWhat a disappointment, after years of being a fan of the series, this game is nail in the coffin for this long standing fan. I had my suspicions that Shogun 2 would follow in the badly flawed footsteps of Imperial TW, and I was right. But I gave CA a chance because they had done such a good job in the past. Technically this game is pretty, but the graphics are flawed and glitchy, so I wonder what the point was of wasting all that CPU.
    The biggest failure of this game is its AI and Diplomacy, a gigantic cesspool of failure. I have replayed the campaign several times and each time I get gangbanged by 3-4 clans that declare war on my without any provocation or reason. The diplomacy interface is a disaster of clicking buttons over and over to get no results, it is inexplicably obscure how it works and a chore to go through the menu. In the end no matter what you do you end up having war declared on you by all your neighbors and you get gangbanged by a non stop hoard of gradually superior forces. If you attack your army gradually gets wasted away in attrition far away from home, and if you defend you get blasted by wave after wave of armies until you die. What a retarded strategic system.

    The battles are a chore, the archers dominate the game with their guided missile artillery, and if you are not rushing around and pausing the game all the time you lose generals and elite troops because they stood under a shower of arrows for a few seconds. The interface is a step back from the excellent ones of the past, controlling large armies is a frustrating and infuriating exercise in micro management with bad response times and glitchy behaviors. The tech trees are unsatisfying, they give so many miniscule rewards that there seems to be no strategy to them. And by the time you are ready to build major buildings you cant because the tech tree chokes you so that you can never get a major advantage over any of the other clans. This is game should be the last in the series, a major rehaul of the tactical and strategic system is necessary to make this a worthy strategy title. Its just a glitchy pretty screen saver.    … Expand
  79. Belvadeer
    Jul 7, 2011
    8
    Shogun 2 Total War is not really a new instalment in the Total War franchise, more like a polished version of the first one, with a batch of new features and fancy graphics. But thats not really a bad thing, the Total War franchise has been a dominant player in the Turn based strategy gaming world ever since Rome: Total War. This game has no real story, the only objective is veryShogun 2 Total War is not really a new instalment in the Total War franchise, more like a polished version of the first one, with a batch of new features and fancy graphics. But thats not really a bad thing, the Total War franchise has been a dominant player in the Turn based strategy gaming world ever since Rome: Total War. This game has no real story, the only objective is very simple....take over Japan. There are a couple of problems with this though, the developers pushed hard to emphasize that you play "however you want" through diplomacy, espionage, or through total military action, but the only way you will EVER win is with total military action. Another lingering problem that has haunted the Total War series is the incapable auto-managing AI, which will constantly raise taxes to the maximum level whenever it is engaged. This lack of any support from the AI to help manage your towns and cities is stressful at times, and doesn't add any real fun to game play, only frustration as you sit their trying to prevent rebellions and not going bankrupt. Another problem is the lack of any diversity between factions, as is, their isnt any...at all, they are virtually the same faction with different coloured armour and a few special bonuses to a select few major factions, unlike other total war games in recent memory, you will get extremely bored with each faction, and sometimes, even forget what faction your actually playing at times, although the developers cannot be specifically blamed for this since, well, it takes place on Japan, and diversity on a secluded island doesn't really exist.

    Other than those little nagging issues, this game is almost identical to other games in the series, with nothing really new added onto it, but it's still a damn good game, and will take up hours of your day at a time once you get really into it. And with better looking graphics and a simplified interface, this game should go on any Total War fans "To buy" list.    … Expand
  80. sgriffith
    Jun 14, 2011
    0
    This was my first Total War game and it was a complete disappointment. First the pros its a very polished game got it when it came out and i encounters no bugs or glitches. The graphics are beautiful and the sound is great. I have always loved Real time Strategic games I have played Age of Empires and Starcraft from the start and with the end of Age of Empires and Starcraft getting a bitThis was my first Total War game and it was a complete disappointment. First the pros its a very polished game got it when it came out and i encounters no bugs or glitches. The graphics are beautiful and the sound is great. I have always loved Real time Strategic games I have played Age of Empires and Starcraft from the start and with the end of Age of Empires and Starcraft getting a bit old this game was recommended to me recently. This was my first foray into the Total way Series and its possible that i came into it looking for the wrong things. First thing that i think is missing is a top down 90 degree viewing angle if not 90 damn near it. While some people might like the camera controls i think there a pain in the ass. Thats my major problem with this game the camera controls make it impossible to play. If it was possible to just lock it in a 90 and get rid of camera rotation totally it might be playable.

    My recommendation is this. IF you have played Total war games before and like them buy this game. You will love it. If you have not played a total war game before don't waste the money buy a previous version like medieval 2 which i have been told is very good and see if you like that first.    … Expand
  81. airborne519
    Jun 13, 2011
    10
    I was a huge fan of the first, and the other titles that followed. This is improved nicely, the AI is vastly improved, the economy is a little more advanced. It's not as easy to gain generals, I actually have to work at it. Don't forget to get married so that your character has heirs.. I sure hope that they remake Rome TW.
  82. big_munios
    Jun 11, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. much worst than napoleon, less units,tactics..... so im a very disappointed with that game i bought it and now im disappointed, should buy some earlier game, for now max 3/10… Expand
  83. Aelric
    Jun 6, 2011
    6
    Shogun 2: Total War, beautiful, polished, but O! so boring. Of all Total War games, the graphics are done right with Shogun 2. Great visuals, special effects, and animations. Japan is beautifully rendered, and the new world-map can 360 degrees, like the battle-map. However, there are few differences between clans. Unit types don't vary. Culture doesn't vary. And once all research isShogun 2: Total War, beautiful, polished, but O! so boring. Of all Total War games, the graphics are done right with Shogun 2. Great visuals, special effects, and animations. Japan is beautifully rendered, and the new world-map can 360 degrees, like the battle-map. However, there are few differences between clans. Unit types don't vary. Culture doesn't vary. And once all research is complete, it's not worth finishing a campaign. Shogun 2 is as distant from the glory of Rome Total War as Empire Total War was. But even more so.… Expand
  84. BrutalKozak
    Jun 4, 2011
    10
    Back to the Roots. The best game in series 9.0
  85. jwinlesta
    Jun 4, 2011
    4
    its not that shogun 2 is a bad game, but its just very boring, everything is polished well but the lack of lots of different units (something the series was very good at before) means that online in particular can be very stale in the way you fight
  86. Grygus
    Jun 1, 2011
    9
    I have been a Total War fan since the beginning. This is easily the best Total War game in many ways, but serious bugs in the co-op multiplayer and a few AI problems keep this game from a perfect 10. Production values are of the highest caliber. The only real criticism I have (other than bugs, which I assume will be patched) is that the setting doesn't allow much variety; once you haveI have been a Total War fan since the beginning. This is easily the best Total War game in many ways, but serious bugs in the co-op multiplayer and a few AI problems keep this game from a perfect 10. Production values are of the highest caliber. The only real criticism I have (other than bugs, which I assume will be patched) is that the setting doesn't allow much variety; once you have played a few campaigns, you've seen everything. Still, even if you only play a few campaigns and ignore multiplayer entirely the game is worth the time and money invested.… Expand
  87. DKF
    May 28, 2011
    0
    I"ve purshased every TW game. Shogun was ok. I liked ROME a lot, but wished they made a Rome2. I kinda liked Alaxander... but it was too scripted. I liked MTW 1 and 2 a good amount. I really liked EMpire, aside from the super slow turns. I hated Neo, because it was 25% of what EMpire was, and it was heavely scripted. I only liked the battle events. I played the Shogun2 beta... same ol ****I"ve purshased every TW game. Shogun was ok. I liked ROME a lot, but wished they made a Rome2. I kinda liked Alaxander... but it was too scripted. I liked MTW 1 and 2 a good amount. I really liked EMpire, aside from the super slow turns. I hated Neo, because it was 25% of what EMpire was, and it was heavely scripted. I only liked the battle events. I played the Shogun2 beta... same ol **** even more boring though. Bad AI, small map, severl few nations, sparse unit variety, no uniqueness. TW series is really falling behind now. I didn't even care to pick up the full version. I might buy t for $10 in a few years. My best friend also hates Shogun2, he played it once, a full campeign, and said he has absolutly no desire to play another.â… Expand
  88. tobas1
    May 27, 2011
    8
    They made nice comeback to roots from rather lousy TW Empire. Minus is that they used the same engine that was in Empire, that made game look pretty but in my opinion made it also little less fun. I can't actually explain why - maybe because it was created for gun-powder battles? It just felt little different in medieval or Rome or first Shogun and those games were perfect when launchedThey made nice comeback to roots from rather lousy TW Empire. Minus is that they used the same engine that was in Empire, that made game look pretty but in my opinion made it also little less fun. I can't actually explain why - maybe because it was created for gun-powder battles? It just felt little different in medieval or Rome or first Shogun and those games were perfect when launched and I spent hundreds of hours for every one of them.… Expand
  89. VaVa_Reviews
    May 25, 2011
    9
    One hell of a game, i've played it for a while and ive realized this is a great game. im addicted you have to buy this if your an rts fan, the only reason i give it a nine because it just has small things that add up
  90. Sovereignx1
    May 25, 2011
    10
    This work of love is the culmination of everything Total War stands for. Simply amazing. P.S.: CA we all want Rome 2! Just make sure it has the same finesse and work you poured into Shogun 2 ;)
  91. wordy_actions
    May 24, 2011
    9
    The best Total War game ever made. It takes features that Empire introduced and perfects them (such as naval combat and a tech tree). The graphics are gorgeous, but you will need a computer built for gaming to run them at the highest level. The gameplay takes all the good from every previous Total War game and leaves all the bad. It's a huge, epic game of strategy and tactics that I thinkThe best Total War game ever made. It takes features that Empire introduced and perfects them (such as naval combat and a tech tree). The graphics are gorgeous, but you will need a computer built for gaming to run them at the highest level. The gameplay takes all the good from every previous Total War game and leaves all the bad. It's a huge, epic game of strategy and tactics that I think will impress any true strategy gaming fan, and probably even a few people who aren't fans of strategy games. If you've enjoyed any of the previous Total War games, this is a must buy.… Expand
  92. Thane
    May 22, 2011
    8
    Surprisingly good. I didn't expect a such good comeback from flops as Medieval and Empire. Better UI, good graphics and sound. Gameplay improved by adding RPG elements to generals, and other agents. Improved and made more accessible the building of cities, all in all, a good game.
  93. wooopeee
    May 22, 2011
    6
    Good:
    - graphics is really enhanced; the detail on each unit is amazing.
    - simplified economics; i am not a fan of the empire total war where building options and economics is too much. ~~Bad: - short movies should be more rather than being replayed every single clan; i was hoping that different clans have different movies but alas it's still the same - i never thought japan can be    Good:
    - graphics is really enhanced; the detail on each unit is amazing.
    - simplified economics; i am not a fan of the empire total war where building options and economics is too much.

    ~~Bad:
    - short movies should be more rather than being replayed every single clan; i was hoping that different clans have different movies but alas it's still the same
    - i never thought japan can be conquered in a single sitting; with the right strategy one can easily finish the game
    - AI is still stupid; when I click a unit to move away from the fighting it just attacks the next to it.

    ~~Conclusion:
    - a game worth playing and paying for a discounted price. i just hope for shogun 3 blood and gore is added and a different movie player is used.    … Expand
  94. Dariune
    May 21, 2011
    6
    The Total war series was once a favourite of mine. Until Empire i was enamoured with every offering from Creative Assembly. Shogun 2 is an attempt to bring the series back to its routes by making it simpler and suppoedly requiring more tactics. The graphics and atmosphere are the best in the series. They have done their research well when it comes to Feudal Japan. The game cannot beThe Total war series was once a favourite of mine. Until Empire i was enamoured with every offering from Creative Assembly. Shogun 2 is an attempt to bring the series back to its routes by making it simpler and suppoedly requiring more tactics. The graphics and atmosphere are the best in the series. They have done their research well when it comes to Feudal Japan. The game cannot be faulted for its artwork or the 3d models. But my high praise for the game ends there. Its just too simple. Every faction has exactly the same units and so once you have played as one faction, its hard to find a reason to play another, the only difference is one of your units being slightly stronger or you gain food quicker. There arent enough territorries and due to the natural shape of Japan, you almost always have few enemies attacking from only a couple of fronts. The research tree is nice but doesnt really revolutionise the way you grow your nation. All in all its better than the previous two games, but its still not anywhere near as good as the games before that. A nice try, but not quite there.… Expand
  95. pandateddybear
    May 20, 2011
    8
    total war is back better then ever! great game for those that love stragetry and RTS games in general but its not for those that are playing warhammer or starcrtaft for past few years only.. toturial is crazy long and takes tons of hours before you learn everything few days will pass ..so its not for everyone but after you pass that its all jelly great game 8/10
  96. Gratson
    May 20, 2011
    10
    Love this game. I have over 100 hours played now (in single player). Call me crazy if you will, but there's something about games like this that are addicting to me.

    Now I just wish they'd start up the Warhammer Dark Omen series again (completely different setting, but the feel of the combat is somewhat similar). Total War Fantasy game, that would rock.
  97. SuitcaseNuke
    May 17, 2011
    10
    Shogun 2 is the best Total War game i have ever played. The Atmosphere in this game is absolutely amazing. With Improved AI, i can play it for hours nonstop. I urge you to try it out if you were let down by the Empire Total War, you wont be disappointed.
  98. Enshia
    May 17, 2011
    8
    Breath taking graphics with the new DX11 patch, enjoyable game play if you're into tactical RTS style games. There are some issues such as the archery heavy computer opponents, including a few outstanding bugs that have existed since the Rome franchise. Some may find the lack of things such as merchants, and the need for diplomats disappointing. I do miss my merchants, I don't miss theBreath taking graphics with the new DX11 patch, enjoyable game play if you're into tactical RTS style games. There are some issues such as the archery heavy computer opponents, including a few outstanding bugs that have existed since the Rome franchise. Some may find the lack of things such as merchants, and the need for diplomats disappointing. I do miss my merchants, I don't miss the old diplomat system. The mod system has also changed, if you were befuddled before about where and how to install them, the ability for modders to use the .pack system alleviates this.… Expand
  99. aGOODdude
    May 15, 2011
    8
    There is no doubt that this game is great and you would have to look long to find strategy game as rich in content. However the bugs/glitches are numerous and they can (and will) ruin your experience, especially if you should try to play online.

    The game is, despite its rich and intricate content, amazingly easy to pick up and play, even for newcomers such as myself. I would definitely    There is no doubt that this game is great and you would have to look long to find strategy game as rich in content. However the bugs/glitches are numerous and they can (and will) ruin your experience, especially if you should try to play online.

    The game is, despite its rich and intricate content, amazingly easy to pick up and play, even for newcomers such as myself. I would definitely recommend this game to just about anybody as the game contains a stellar blend of profound strategy and hectic action. 8/10    … Expand
  100. Elitist_Magi
    May 14, 2011
    10
    Great game.... Thank you CA for an awesome game graphics are superb, gameplay is very awesome, what more can you ask for? if you like the total war series then dont even hesitate to buy this game.
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best PC Game of 2011
21
#21 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
10
#10 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 62
  3. Negative: 0 out of 62
  1. Game Over Online
    Jul 14, 2011
    89
    There is a je ne sais quoi elegance on how the game is presented and how well put together the game as an entire corpus is. Although it's still mired by some version 1.0 bugs, Shogun is highly playable and deserves a place on any Total War fan's hard drive.
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  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    May 22, 2011
    90
    Beautiful, complex and varied historical strategy which offers hours of fun in single player and multiplayer modes. [Issue#203]
  3. Computer Games Online RO
    May 1, 2011
    93
    The mix of turn based strategy (with economical, political and diplomatic ramifications) and real time battles is still wonderful, but the need to balance timing and aggression is more important than ever. Aggressive players will feel a little cheated, while diplomats will hate Realm Divide stage. Still, Total War was always about realism and the AI's scripted actions make logical and historical sense.
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