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. theonlyone21
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    grat fun game its really good and tthe battles are really fun to play and the clans are historically accurate and pretty good
  2. Ignattanto
    Dec 4, 2020
    10
    the most beautiful game in the series, and a very enjoyable multiplayer mode.
  3. erdogfu96
    Feb 9, 2020
    10
    One of the best totalwar game I ever played. It was like medieval 3 but more paced and better in every side. With super graphics, sounds fun gameplay and well designed details. It were creative game to make in strategy category.

    Graphics:10/10
    Sounds: 10/10
    Gameplay: 10/10
    Fun: 10/10
  4. Inuyasha17
    Jun 22, 2020
    10
    It's the most masterpiece in the Total War series. It is the most interesting game.
    It's like a real medieval Japanese war game.
    I think the samurai of that era would have actually been at war like this.
  5. Thelordofther
    Sep 25, 2022
    10
    Such an amazing game. Holy crap, Shogun 2 is the king of gaming as far as I think
  6. ReviewsAreBS
    Feb 15, 2023
    10
    You must get the Fall of the Samurai expansion. It combines the best parts of the base game with gunpowder-based warfare of Napoleon total war. While it might not be the overall best Total War (Medieval 2), FotS has the best battles.
  7. 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.
  8. Deific
    Mar 31, 2011
    9
    Looks superb and very well optimised. Shogun 2 has really built on the series, especially when it comes to the campaign map where there's several fantastic additions. The whole Agent system has been so well thought-out, that it's one of the most exciting parts of the game. The battles are visually stunning and the small but balanced selection of units is nice. However the game isn'tLooks superb and very well optimised. Shogun 2 has really built on the series, especially when it comes to the campaign map where there's several fantastic additions. The whole Agent system has been so well thought-out, that it's one of the most exciting parts of the game. The battles are visually stunning and the small but balanced selection of units is nice. However the game isn't without its flaws. The multiplayer is nothing less than completely broken, not only in its matchmaking and room system, but also with a lot of unit behavior. Were it to work however, the avatar campaign system is an annoyance and prevents you from just jumping in with friends and playing how you want. Friends vs AI has also seemingly been removed for unknown reasons. When it comes to single-player bugs, there are less but still some real game-breakers. In one of the naval tutorial battles the player camera can barely move, this also happens in one of the historical battles, except this time it can also move through the floor and you are suddenly produced with an insane amount of screen fuzz half-way through - needless to say this historical battle remains incomplete for me. In my first campaign, part way through my income glitched and I went from 9k one turn to 172k the next. Having started again, I got through the campaign finishing the victory conditions, but chose to continue playing until I owned every province on the map. I owned all but two, when my game crashed and trying to reload either my quick saves or game saves would result in a crash - needless to say I've given up on this save file. As for the 'improved' AI, well, actually it's fairly thick. Besides simple things like sending cavalry round the sides to flank you, it really doesn't try and counter you at all. Infact, in trying to make it smart, they've made it incredibly annoying, as often it will run to the nearest large hill and turtle there waiting for you to advance. Seeing as it often starts nearer to said hill, more than you do, you have no way of stopping it - then it's just a matter of letting your archers kill theirs until they run out of archer units and rush down the hill at you. In sieges it's no better. Diplomacy also feels pointless and I barely bothered with it on my second campaign game, as I knew that as soon as I had gathered any momentum, realm divide would happen and every clan would turn against me. From this point onwards you get -5 to diplomatic relations every turn and there's no coming back from it. All this aside, it's still a fantastic game that I've already put in 100 hours in a short period of time, and definitely still worth getting. However with more thought put into how to mix up the later SP campaign (as opposed to realm divide), greater depth to diplomatic relations, a better (and working) MP system, and 'real' intelligent AI, it could have been a 10. Hopfully the modding community can do a lot to help some of these points, and because there's already several mods addressing some of these issues - and others generally enhancing the campaign experience, a game that would get a score of 8 out of the box, gets brought up to a score of 9 thanks to the community.… Expand
  9. kloborgg
    Mar 15, 2011
    9
    Best Total War title since MW2, arguably since Rome. Everything that was keeping the previous entries from being amazing was fixed. The AI has gone from ridiculously stupid to surprisingly clever. They'll lure you into traps and they know when to push and when to retreat. Naval battles are much more straightforward than in Empire/Napoleon, and so are significantly more action-packed. ThisBest Total War title since MW2, arguably since Rome. Everything that was keeping the previous entries from being amazing was fixed. The AI has gone from ridiculously stupid to surprisingly clever. They'll lure you into traps and they know when to push and when to retreat. Naval battles are much more straightforward than in Empire/Napoleon, and so are significantly more action-packed. This is helped by land masses and coasts, which provide a much more dynamic battlefield. The campaign is much more focused and has a pseudo-RPG feel, immersing you even more than before. The scale is smaller than Empire, but that much more detail has been packed into a smaller region. It's also worth mentioning that siege battles are much less straightforward and therefore much more fun than in traditional European-esque fights. Multiplayer was a great surprise. You can easily create a clan with your friends and find fights, moving over different regions and gaining new skills. As you progress, you can customize your general and his attributes with a rather large skill tree, you can add various perks to certain units (as well as damaging perks against your enemies), and ultimately you really do feel like you're leading a conquest against real people. The game isn't perfect, and most of its failings fall to the technical department. There are a few connection issues, but those are to be expected this early on. More disappointing are the visual settings. In its best, Shogun is easily the most beautiful TW, with amazing detail on each unit, great backdrops, and more detail all around, especially in the trees of the environment. Unfortunately, we won't get to see Shogun at its best for a while. Anti-Aliasing, higher Shader models, and DX11 features are completely absent from the release product; CA tells us that these will be added in a patch scheduled to arrive in 2-4 weeks. That's not really acceptable, and it feels like they were trying to meet a deadline. That aside, there are many optimization issues, especially with Phenom processors and AMD cards. Hopefully these will be addressed as well, if not by CA then by AMD and Nvidia.

    Overall, this is a must-own for strategy fans, or fans of historical warfare in general. Easily the best Total War game in a long while.    … Expand
  10. evotuc
    Mar 25, 2011
    9
    I must say that I gave Empire a horrible review due to the numerous bugs and loss of support. The release day Shogun 2 is in better shape than Empire was left in. I have only seen minor, non-game breaking bugs after about 40 hrs of play. The Creative Assembly have released a fairly polished game, that should only get better in time.
  11. Squishy
    Mar 21, 2011
    9
    After playing all of the TW games, I could easily crown this the reigning champ. Its easy to admire the wonderful graphics and solid UI, but when you get into the subtle aspects of the game it just shines. There is a completeness to the game play that is extremely hard to capture and present to an audience. While overall I feel that Shogun is the best at what it does, I can't help butAfter playing all of the TW games, I could easily crown this the reigning champ. Its easy to admire the wonderful graphics and solid UI, but when you get into the subtle aspects of the game it just shines. There is a completeness to the game play that is extremely hard to capture and present to an audience. While overall I feel that Shogun is the best at what it does, I can't help but wonder if there were possibilities to go down a new route with the franchise. I shouldn't complain about greatness, so do yourself a favor and go get this bad boy.… Expand
  12. 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
  13. wolverdick
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    This is a great new installment to the total war franchise. They have successfully combined all their efforts into a completely enjoyable game. Great graphics (even better when the DX 11 patch comes out), a terrific artistic style. Tone of good voice overs, although the adviser gets real annoying real fast, I had to turn it off.
    I can only give the game a 9 though, because some of the    This is a great new installment to the total war franchise. They have successfully combined all their efforts into a completely enjoyable game. Great graphics (even better when the DX 11 patch comes out), a terrific artistic style. Tone of good voice overs, although the adviser gets real annoying real fast, I had to turn it off.
    I can only give the game a 9 though, because some of the same old TW quirks are still there, and I was hoping that in a game that is mostly just a cosmetic makeover, some of the engine would get tweaked. I wont go into detail, but if you are a hardcore TW gamer you know the annoyances I refer to. Still an awesome game and well worth it.    … Expand
  14. 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
  15. Sceptic
    Apr 8, 2011
    9
    An utterly brilliant sleep stealer!
    Minor bugs and limited Campaign modes aside,Shogun 2 is a gorgeous,well thought out strategy title.If you have any interest in strategy,logistics,history,ninja,diplomacy or samauri,you must play this game.
  16. Tig
    Mar 30, 2011
    9
    Shogun 2 is the best RTS/TB game ever made. It's polished, beautiful, fun and has very good value for a buck ratio. I could have easily given it 10/10 but game has one big flaw. My PC has 3gb of RAM and there's one more gb on my video card. Still it takes no less than 50s to load main menu, then another 20-30s to load campaign map, 30s-1min to enter battle and 30s to leave it. Also youShogun 2 is the best RTS/TB game ever made. It's polished, beautiful, fun and has very good value for a buck ratio. I could have easily given it 10/10 but game has one big flaw. My PC has 3gb of RAM and there's one more gb on my video card. Still it takes no less than 50s to load main menu, then another 20-30s to load campaign map, 30s-1min to enter battle and 30s to leave it. Also you have to wait good 15-20s every turn till AI opponents finish their moves. All of this adds up and game becomes a huge waste of time that is unless you bring a book and read it while game is loading something. I know, Empire was slow on this too, but not as much. I know that this problem could be solved by adding extra 4gbs of RAM but I can't afford system like that atm. Other than long loading times, game runs smooth, way better than Empire. Steady fps on the campaign and battle maps and all of this with improved graphics. So yeah its not 10/10 from me but it deserves strong 9/10.… Expand
  17. Shagrost
    Mar 25, 2011
    9
    According to tradition in the modern gaming industry, the game went unfinished. Global work on multiplayer, interesting game mechanics, great atmosphere, almost historical accuracy and bugs, bugs, bugs, which, however, do not interfere with enjoyment of the gameplay.

    and yes, the game is a little loose powder! Personally, I'm a horror as happy.
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 1010101
    Mar 22, 2011
    9
    I've been following the Total War series since TW: Rome. I have to say Shogun 2 is probably the best TW series of the bunch. Playing on Normal, individual battles are generally not a challenge for the experienced player (most battles end with a heroic victory) but still, you can tell that the battlefield AI is much improved over previous releases. The campaign AI is a lot better too.
  21. 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 .
  22. Drakan
    Mar 21, 2011
    9
    Excellent game. The apex of the Total War franchise. Despite some minor blemishes, such as ocassional CTD and mouse problems with the campaign map, it's a superb strategy game through and through. S2TW beats Civilization V hands down as strategy game.

    Beautiful artist's design (kudos), beautiful landscapes, well-designed battle maps. All in all simply great. A must-play game for strategy    Excellent game. The apex of the Total War franchise. Despite some minor blemishes, such as ocassional CTD and mouse problems with the campaign map, it's a superb strategy game through and through. S2TW beats Civilization V hands down as strategy game.

    Beautiful artist's design (kudos), beautiful landscapes, well-designed battle maps. All in all simply great. A must-play game for strategy fans.

    Truly after a decade CA have become digital warfare masters, well done! ï½    … Expand
  23. Jelly
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    I have always enjoyed the Total War series, since the first time I tried Rome: Total War. The series has had some questionable expansions but all and all it have been a great RTS serie. But when I played Empire: Total War, I somehow got disappointed. It was no longer about Infantry vs. archers vs. cavalry, which always have been the simple core of the games. instead you had only infantryI have always enjoyed the Total War series, since the first time I tried Rome: Total War. The series has had some questionable expansions but all and all it have been a great RTS serie. But when I played Empire: Total War, I somehow got disappointed. It was no longer about Infantry vs. archers vs. cavalry, which always have been the simple core of the games. instead you had only infantry and some bad cavalry. The Map was to big and there where no "easy" factions.

    With Shogun 2 the Creativ Assembly have taken a step back and is no more focused about the all way of gameplay. Shogun 2 is a great game... the gameplay is simple, the looks are nice and the game just works. Everything is understandable and makes sense. the only thing that pulls this game down is the sometime stupid AI and the errors in multiplayer.

    I recommend this game for everybody who's interested in RTS's.    … Expand
  24. Dpacm
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    An excellent game. Have played most of the previous total war games, however Empire and Napoleon where not to liking game mechanics wise - this game is more a kin to the earlier total war installments. Particular highlight of this game would include the multiplayer experience as this is pretty well thought out. I honestly can't fault much, if anything, with this game.
  25. Yzer
    Mar 18, 2011
    9
    The Total War series returns. Welcome back! I'm happy to announce that with Shogun 2, the Total War series is back on track. It fully captures the feudal Japan we all wanted to re-visit from the first Shogun. It sports great graphics, with DX11 on the way in a future patch, high-quality sfx and japanese inspired music. Thousands of units can be fielded at once for epic battles. The unitThe Total War series returns. Welcome back! I'm happy to announce that with Shogun 2, the Total War series is back on track. It fully captures the feudal Japan we all wanted to re-visit from the first Shogun. It sports great graphics, with DX11 on the way in a future patch, high-quality sfx and japanese inspired music. Thousands of units can be fielded at once for epic battles. The unit complexity and diversity is lowered from Empire/Napoleon. Now there are set units which can be upgraded and which can gain veterancy. This provides a much more understandable and enjoyable gameplay. Unit stats, pros/cons are explained by a simple mouse-over. Fantastic! Now you have the data you need in order to make those crucial in-battle decisions.

    The 3d map is back and better than ever with its functionality increased.

    Summary: You need to play Shogun 2. It is a way more accessible game than the previous entries to the Total War series. The best part about that is that it doesn't sacrifice the addictive gameplay in order to achieve that effect. Support the developers. We want to see the series continue and our minds blown again and again. There is nothing like Total War.    … Expand
  26. Raggz
    Mar 20, 2011
    9
    The latest game in the Total War series. Back to the roots were Creative Assembly started. Back to the bloodiest era in Japans history. Do you have what it takes to be the new Shogun and rule Japan.
    Beautiful graphics soon to support DX10.1 and DX11 and with upgraded AI that will give you a real challenge and numerous headaches.
    Watch Samurai's and ninja's fight in epic battles!
  27. WalkofFame
    Mar 20, 2011
    9
    DITO!

    "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! "
  28. Nautilus
    Apr 2, 2011
    9
    Finally some melee combat. I've had enough of gunpowder and muskets. In my opinion ancient warfare is what makes Total War so great. Cavalry, infantry, siege weapons, swords, shields etc.. This game is as good as Rome or M2TW but like all Total War titles it has lots of game breaker bugs in it and no antialising, no DX11 whatsoever. I hope CA releases good patches and addresses all the bugs.
  29. jta
    Mar 21, 2011
    9
    There's a multitude of things wrong with Total War: Shogun 2 but they are most definitely outweighed by the good. What I still, after 11 years love most about the Shogun games are the small mini movies you get when deploying your Ninja. They do repeat pretty quick but I still find myself rooting for the little dudes on their mission. "nono! look to your left!".

    What feels a bit odd is the    There's a multitude of things wrong with Total War: Shogun 2 but they are most definitely outweighed by the good. What I still, after 11 years love most about the Shogun games are the small mini movies you get when deploying your Ninja. They do repeat pretty quick but I still find myself rooting for the little dudes on their mission. "nono! look to your left!".

    What feels a bit odd is the huge bonuses the AI is given in terms of finance and troop strengths, even on low difficulty levels. This makes the game feel a bit unrewarding at times when you've used your best cunning and advanced to a key point in the game, only to find the enemy has 3 times the troops you do although you would have been hard pressed to raise an army any stronger than you have.

    There's a rich amount of detail to the world and the units and the whole atmosphere still feels as authentic as the original Shogun did. I have to admit I do miss the "boardgame" look of the original Shogun. The tactical map doesn't have to be as elaborate as it is but it works. That's really all that matters.    … Expand
  30. sdg
    Mar 21, 2011
    9
    Marvelous game. Love the new RPG elements and land battles. Especially love the animation of the archers, their shooting (needles) and the sound/music.

    Unhappy with the naval war bugs and turn limit of the game (too short). I mean, why not 6 or 8 turn a year, so that the startegy can be planned better. One always has an eye on the year while going about it.
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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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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