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. chrnit
    Mar 20, 2011
    2
    multiplayer is totally broken. games are not starting because the amount of money spent is calculated in a wrong way. people do not see each others lobbys and many many more bugs. obviously, no pc magazine tested that mode.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. restless
    Apr 26, 2011
    6
    I agree with dcfx1984. Napoleon was the best game of the series and for some reason a lot of people don't see it that way. I too liked the variances of game play that Napoleon offered in both factions and campaign maps. For instance, in the Italian Campaign, France really has to fight a war of speed to push the Austrians out of Northern Italy. You don't really have those kind of historic,I agree with dcfx1984. Napoleon was the best game of the series and for some reason a lot of people don't see it that way. I too liked the variances of game play that Napoleon offered in both factions and campaign maps. For instance, in the Italian Campaign, France really has to fight a war of speed to push the Austrians out of Northern Italy. You don't really have those kind of historic, situation-specific campaigns in Shogun 2. Overall, Shogun 2 is a fun game, but it can be annoyingly time-consuming and detailed in areas that do not need THAT much detail. I like that there are now 9 clans to choose from I like some of the new units that can be had (such as Bow-wielding Warrior Monks) but overall, Napoleon's battles were more fun - even if Shogun 2 does have a more advanced design for its battle engine.… Expand
  5. 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
  6. Budget_Security
    Sep 14, 2015
    3
    Disappointing. Medieval2 was OK, but since then Total War has become mediocre. The graphics may have improved, but all the flaws of the previous games (bad and cheating AI, useless diplomacy, unfair battle auto-resolve, confused units that ignore orders or get stuck, and other unreliable mechanics etc...) are still bad in Shogun2, and now it takes forever to load. Age old problems likeDisappointing. Medieval2 was OK, but since then Total War has become mediocre. The graphics may have improved, but all the flaws of the previous games (bad and cheating AI, useless diplomacy, unfair battle auto-resolve, confused units that ignore orders or get stuck, and other unreliable mechanics etc...) are still bad in Shogun2, and now it takes forever to load. Age old problems like gunpowder troops randomly failing to shoot at enemies that are charging towards them even after they have had ages to line up are still here. Naval combat is broken - try to board an enemy ship, and half of the time, soldiers will get permanently stuck due to an AI path finding failure. All the factions look and feel the same. There is also an over emphasis on expensive DLC that should have been in the base game. And where did hotseat multiplayer go?! They removed it because it allowed 2 people to have fun without paying for two copies. DarthMod helps, but not enough to make it enjoyable.… Expand
  7. 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
  8. v3ctor
    May 23, 2013
    3
    I would rate this game higher except for the horrible bugs I encountered, especially during installation (forced download of 12Gb despite having disks). In my opinion graphics are the same as Empire: Total War but a lot slower especially with the "depth of field" effect which just makes everything blurred rather than giving an actual feeling of depth. Game play is okay, but I feel theI would rate this game higher except for the horrible bugs I encountered, especially during installation (forced download of 12Gb despite having disks). In my opinion graphics are the same as Empire: Total War but a lot slower especially with the "depth of field" effect which just makes everything blurred rather than giving an actual feeling of depth. Game play is okay, but I feel the franchise hasn't really improved much since Medieval II in fact I feel it's gone backwards. Battles should be easier to manage, you should not have to constantly be correcting dumb AI path finding.
    Most of these complaints are minor compared to my issue with the game installation (forced download despite disks and then install is corrupted if you choose to cancel it!).    … Expand
  9. Regian
    Mar 21, 2011
    0
    Okay I decided to wait a lil while before writing this review az I thought the problems would of been fixed by now. This is like playing a beta, except its even worse than a beta. The multiplayer is totaly broken to say the least, 1) The screen is getting stuck on unit statistics, or arranging battle/ opponent although the game doesnt crash it just hangs there and you cant out of theOkay I decided to wait a lil while before writing this review az I thought the problems would of been fixed by now. This is like playing a beta, except its even worse than a beta. The multiplayer is totaly broken to say the least, 1) The screen is getting stuck on unit statistics, or arranging battle/ opponent although the game doesnt crash it just hangs there and you cant out of the screen, only way is to alt+del. This has hapened so many times its a joke. I dont know what they have done with the chat lobbys but there all split up into continents, why? Lobby is broken with no games up. Broken avatar traits, cant spend avatar points, match made team games never find an opponent or if they do it will usually hang up and you then stuck.

    What else to say? Absolutely pathetic, some of us thought CA would of learned from Empire. Obviously not.    … Expand
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. zipiewax
    Apr 1, 2011
    10
    The multiplayer campaign is completely broken. I do not know anyone who has been able to complete it due to de-sync issues. Check the Total War forums MPC thread...everyone gets it. This problem has been present since the beta in Empire Total War and in Napoleon Total War, still has not been fixed...

    Moving to the online multiplayer. Countless bugs, 2v2 matching is a joke. Somehow it    The multiplayer campaign is completely broken. I do not know anyone who has been able to complete it due to de-sync issues. Check the Total War forums MPC thread...everyone gets it. This problem has been present since the beta in Empire Total War and in Napoleon Total War, still has not been fixed...

    Moving to the online multiplayer. Countless bugs, 2v2 matching is a joke. Somehow it matches 2v1, 2v0, 3v1, 4v0. After a great many efforts you might get into a 2v2...Wait! There is more!...You selected to play a standard land battle? NOPE, your playing a siege battle or a naval battles. The other team is just confused as they also did not select this game type. What the hell? You really have no idea what is going to happen if you and some buddies want to play together.

    Lets play 1 vs 1 battles and just have some little fights with one another....Ow, we cannot use any of the units unless we unlock them online, games we play on LAN count towards our online profiles? Ah, their is a 'Classic Mode' button we can tick allowing us access to all units and our battles wont be recorded online, lets tick that....WTF, my CPU usage is at 100% (Game breaking button). So you cannot play classic 1v1 battles either. Also, the CPU is not actually at 100%, its 25% as the game does not seem to support more than one core, at the menu anyway.

    Ok, so I bought this game to play with my brother on the Multiplayer campaign...I cannot, ok lets move on and play 2v2 online matches...OK, that does not work either...well, lets play on this new clan conquest map they have created and fight to control it online. We are not playing together, but at least we are both fighting for the same goal?

    Now on to the 1v1 to conquer regions on this conquest map. It seems to be a completely lucky dip as to how skilled the player I am against is, some charge their general alone straight into my army, some are master tacticians I could not hope to defeat. Others are happy to sit on top of a hill with their sniper cannons and shoot my general from across the map. One thing stays the same though, if I am about to beat the other player, they push ALT+F4. Result: Neither party Wins or Loses. Meaning I have to go and look for another game again. What a waste of even more of my time.

    I could go on forever about the bugs I am getting. The latest one means if I click a particular button in the multiplayer menu which is quite important I CTD, someone uploaded a video of this issue. (Clan Competition button, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uFeORZnRAQ). So I cannot see my online clans multiplayer progress anymore/where we are fighting...yay.

    Summary: If you want to play multiplayer, which is why I bought the game and what this review is solely aimed at... for the love of god do not buy this game.

    If you are just going to play single player, this is the greatest Total War since Rome, incredible detail to everything and an all round fantastic game...if only the multiplayer component worked.    … Expand
  13. 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
  14. Tpiom
    Mar 26, 2011
    4
    I'm a playing coming from Medieval II, and I did NOT enjoy this game. The menus are cluttered and now they give you damn ports/lumber camps to manage too?! The map is changed... too.

    Medieval II is a really fun game but I could not stand more than five minutes of this game.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. EllEzDee
    Aug 1, 2013
    1
    Not worth your money. Awful, simplified amalgamation of previous TW titles. Unit variety is even worse than in Empire, with all factions sharing the exact same, ridiculously small selection of units: 2 archer types, 3 spearmen types, 2 swordsmen types, 3 cavalry types, and 2 musket armed units (with 1 cannon, 1 mangonel, 1 grenadier unit, and a "ninja" unit). This is essentially the entireNot worth your money. Awful, simplified amalgamation of previous TW titles. Unit variety is even worse than in Empire, with all factions sharing the exact same, ridiculously small selection of units: 2 archer types, 3 spearmen types, 2 swordsmen types, 3 cavalry types, and 2 musket armed units (with 1 cannon, 1 mangonel, 1 grenadier unit, and a "ninja" unit). This is essentially the entire unit selection, and because of the awful tech tree, you're limited to using a marginal amount of these units until the mid- to late game.
    Besides the monotony, there's also the exact same bugs present in Empire and Napoleon, which they STILL haven't bothered to fix. The multiplayer desynchs were so prevalent, and rather than bother to fix them, their "work around" is the removal of the ability to continue battle after the enemy routs in a multiplayer game. The same old path finding issues are STILL present, with units completely unable to use bridges without getting stuck underneath them, units getting lost in sieges, and units running in random directions when told to charge; and the same old unit cloud still exists, with units crumpling into a thin cloud rather than actually engaging the enemy.
    If you really want it, pirate it.    … Expand
  18. Geroge
    Apr 19, 2011
    6
    the gameplay is good but the graphics and multiplayer component are totally broken The game was obviously rushed by sega to get more money and of course the innovation s not that good but hey they release a game a year now
  19. DaChunK
    May 26, 2013
    1
    The firs total war game I never finished for it got way to frustrating. My brother and I have been playing the total war series since day one and have enjoyed most of them. The original Shogun and Medieval 2 total war being a favorites, yet this one neither of us finished which is a first fist both of us. Several points made the game a poor design What the hell is the point of havingThe firs total war game I never finished for it got way to frustrating. My brother and I have been playing the total war series since day one and have enjoyed most of them. The original Shogun and Medieval 2 total war being a favorites, yet this one neither of us finished which is a first fist both of us. Several points made the game a poor design What the hell is the point of having walls in a castle if all the troops can just friggen climb them? None. Terrible mistake there. If they can climb they should not be in full armour, nor carry heavy weaponry. Both of us used diplomacy and make allies as best as we can and it has assisted out campaigns in all previous titles this one is crap how the whole country turns against you at a certain point making it near impossible to win. Again terribly unrealistic that this would happen in history or a game where your nation has such a strong influence. Very poor and frustrating design and made it was to hard to keep playing. Neither of us did and I don't think changing difficulty settings are the answer here.

    Overall a very disappointing installment and I don't think I'll buy the next one unless it's more realistic and is worth playing through.

    Not finished and not impressed with design Negative score    … Expand
  20. 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.
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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.
  24. HannibalSmith92
    Sep 11, 2013
    10
    I love to play it.
    You have many different units and clans you can play. Also you must organize your towns (when you play campaign) very good otherwise you get rebellions etc.
    The AI is very very good (battle and campaign). Last time i played campaign on hard, one clan nearly took over the whole country. The graphic is very good too, you can choose between Dx 9 or 11. I play it on 11    I love to play it.
    You have many different units and clans you can play. Also you must organize your towns (when you play campaign) very good otherwise you get rebellions etc.
    The AI is very very good (battle and campaign). Last time i played campaign on hard, one clan nearly took over the whole country.
    The graphic is very good too, you can choose between Dx 9 or 11. I play it on 11 with all settings on the highest option and its very nice to see.    … Expand
  25. Entypo
    Mar 31, 2013
    5
    I have been a Total War fan since the original Medieval. I seriously feel that this game is not as immersive as all the other Total War titles.

    In my opinion, the graphics are mediocre compared to Empire: Total War, the sense of excitement is somewhat lost and the whole user interface is rubbish. The game is barely ''OK'' but surely a let down. I sincerely hope that Rome 2 will bring    I have been a Total War fan since the original Medieval. I seriously feel that this game is not as immersive as all the other Total War titles.

    In my opinion, the graphics are mediocre compared to Empire: Total War, the sense of excitement is somewhat lost and the whole user interface is rubbish. The game is barely ''OK'' but surely a let down. I sincerely hope that Rome 2 will bring the same experience as the previous titles.    … Expand
  26. jclaw8207
    May 22, 2013
    4
    Not the best total war game. It is nothing different than the other total war games except its samurai warfare. The game like others gives you a time limit to beat it, if you dont with in that time frame than you lose and start over from scratch. Wars dont last within a certain time it can last forever.
  27. Gol_Stoan
    Aug 8, 2013
    9
    I thoroughly enjoy this game, being a longtime fan of the Total War series. I do wish that the cutscenes had more polish to them, sometimes I think the in-game characters actually have more detail. I am glad to see Total War go back to its roots. The game looks absolutely gorgeous, and plays how I would expect a Total War game to play, a lovely remake of the original.

    Now, I have    I thoroughly enjoy this game, being a longtime fan of the Total War series. I do wish that the cutscenes had more polish to them, sometimes I think the in-game characters actually have more detail. I am glad to see Total War go back to its roots. The game looks absolutely gorgeous, and plays how I would expect a Total War game to play, a lovely remake of the original.

    Now, I have noticed some of the more negative reviews on here complaining about how small the campaign map is and the lack of unit variety. Well, what exactly are you expecting from a game focused on feudal Japan? I put this game in the same category as the Britannia campaign in the Medieval 2 Kingdoms expansion which was focused entirely on the british isles. It is a much more tightly focused map than say Rome, Empire, or Medieval 2 proper, where you have all of Europe to conquer. Also being Japan, how different would the factions really be? It is all the same culture, one that had been kept isolated from the rest of the world for centuries. A culture that absolutely mastered sword making, but in all that time somehow never invented something as basic as the shield.

    There are a couple of things I would like to see added in as DLC or a full on expansion, though maybe I will have to wait for mods as CA's main focus has shifted to Rome 2. Remake the Mongol Invasion expansion to the original Shogun, and maybe do another expansion based on Toyotomi Hideyoshi's failed attempt to invade Korea in 1592. Those would add a good bit more variety to the game I think.    … Expand
  28. njsfc
    Sep 5, 2013
    5
    This is not a TOTAL WAR GAME
    this is a crap arcade console game released in the PC market just to make profit
    from people expectations. After this release any company could sell poison on refresh bottles and simple say "this is our vision of a proper refresh" drink and die. "Man's greed know no limits" PS. I don't bother to proper analise the game read the other user posts    This is not a TOTAL WAR GAME
    this is a crap arcade console game released in the PC market just to make profit
    from people expectations.

    After this release any company could sell poison on refresh bottles and simple say
    "this is our vision of a proper refresh" drink and die.

    "Man's greed know no limits"

    PS. I don't bother to proper analise the game read the other user posts
    For the first time in my life i only register in this site to post this desperate cry of indignation

    Big software companies are just like finantial institutions, no rules just rob people and live on    … Expand
  29. rikasan
    Sep 7, 2013
    9
    Great game! It does not change the old good mechanics of previous installment of the title, but adds some minor flavors to change the experience. It has stunning graphic and excellent music.
  30. BatFat09
    Nov 21, 2013
    9
    Another great addition to the total war series. These games are consistently getting better with each release. The new skills for generals, and the multi-stage siege battles keep me on the edge of my seat.
  31. jadereviewer
    Oct 6, 2013
    10
    this game is truly the pinnacle of Total war, and all strategy games. Awesome graphics, create campaign map, this is a release to be proud off. Currently clocked 360 hours and even the release of Rome 2 isn't slowing me down.
  32. tsakiym
    May 12, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything more. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it............................… Expand
  33. emter
    Jun 8, 2015
    10
    Personally, I think this is the ultimate Total War game so far with a great balance in the turn-based campaign and real-time battles. It's also a great reminder of the first game in the series while the game itself is innovative and fresh.
  34. Pohch
    Feb 21, 2022
    4
    При всем моём уважении к серии total war сёгун является удачным продолжением серии. При этом в игре без покупки дополнений достаточно слабая система развития. Для любителей японского стилистики рекомендую, для остальных советую пройти другие части серии.При всем моём уважении к серии total war сёгун является удачным продолжением серии. При этом в игре без покупки дополнений достаточно слабая система развития. Для любителей японского стилистики рекомендую, для остальных советую пройти другие части серии.
  35. CountCristo
    Jul 19, 2019
    7
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  36. Siralfon
    Jun 24, 2022
    0
    El juego en cuestión es muy bueno y se lo recomiendo a todas las personas ,
  37. Lazyyybone
    Feb 14, 2021
    8
    토탈워가 보여준 고증이나 적절한 랜덤 닌자와 게이샤 등의 게임요소는 역시 고전이다라고 말할 수 있었다. 오랜 시간 동안 붙잡게 되고 짜증나는데 계속해서 하면 이기는 그 희열감. 좀 아쉬운 건 해전쪽 그거 외에는 트레일러와 컷씬 등 다양한 게임요소에 전국시대를 더 알고싶게 만들었다
  38. Waltram
    Jul 31, 2021
    0
    Good game, but I feel rushed by time to complete the objectives in the campaigns compared to other Total War games.
  39. Magnethead
    Mar 18, 2014
    7
    This is a fairly difficult game to review. The vanilla version of the game falls short for silly reasons while the modded version (Darth Mod is a true hero of our times) is awesome - easily one of the best strategy games made recently. So, in order to give the game a thorough review I'm going to look at what they did well, what they did (horribly) wrong and how the mod fixes it.

    What    This is a fairly difficult game to review. The vanilla version of the game falls short for silly reasons while the modded version (Darth Mod is a true hero of our times) is awesome - easily one of the best strategy games made recently. So, in order to give the game a thorough review I'm going to look at what they did well, what they did (horribly) wrong and how the mod fixes it.

    What they did well: The AI is vastly improved especially on a strategy level. The AI now forms lasting alliances and looks to expand in a sensible way. It also builds armies quite well and tries to retain a useful balance of its forces (unlike previous TW-games where you could easily meet a full stack of archers because the AI thought it was a great unit and hey... you can't get enough of a good thing, right?). The economic system is much harder now and you can support fewer full stack armies which is great as it forces you to think more on how best to deploy your resources. It also means that you can't abuse the blitz-krieg concept which just won the game in previous TW games. You don't have enough armies to simply overwhelm any enemy in a year anymore and once you do, he has enough to defend against it. You have to build good armies, keep them alive and choose your battles carefully. Winning large battles quite literally determines the fate of empires.

    What they did wrong: Unfortunately, none of the good things mentioned above matter because of what they did wrong. On hard level and above, the computer cheats violently. It respawns full stack armies and earns bundles of money from nothing. Of course, that makes the game fairly difficult (and annoying) but more importantly, it removes all of those strategic elements the game got right. Winning on the filed means nothing now, no strategic value because he just spawns a new army. Only taking cities matters now. Blockading ports or otherwise hurting the AI through economy means nothing, he gets money for free. Diplomacy is useless because everyone automatically hates you now and they all have endless armies. Basically, this ruins the game. In the pure vanilla version this is no more than a 4/10 game.

    GO MOD! But luckily, the modding community comes to our aid. Darth Mod fixes all of those annoying points and even improves on the good ones (it's also easy to install). The AI is better on the field (you can actually lose now if you do something silly) and the world seems coherent and punishing. If you choose the wrong allies, you'll be in trouble, if you leave yourself exposed against a non-friendly neighbor, you'll be attacked, but at the same time you need to check the most rapidly expanding AIs or you'll find yourself in the world of Rob Stark: defeated without ever losing a battle. To win effectively on Hard level you have to use all aspects of the game; economy, diplomacy and tactics. Then it suddenly becomes a 10/10 game. However, since I can't give the game a top grade for work they didn't do themselves, I'll leave the rating on 7.    … Expand
  40. abasche
    Sep 3, 2013
    9
    Why you should buy it:
    -Stunning graphics
    -Realistic feel to combat -Actual strategy is involved in the battles -Town management isn't too complex but is just enough to make you feel like you have real control -The two research trees make the game more dynamic and add a fantastic level to your ability to customize -Gameplay is fun, challenging, and makes you want to take "just one    Why you should buy it:
    -Stunning graphics
    -Realistic feel to combat
    -Actual strategy is involved in the battles
    -Town management isn't too complex but is just enough to make you feel like you have real control
    -The two research trees make the game more dynamic and add a fantastic level to your ability to customize
    -Gameplay is fun, challenging, and makes you want to take "just one more turn"

    Why you shouldn't buy it:
    -The time limit for the game means you have to play against the clock (although you can get a mod that changes this)
    -Graphically demanding battles
    -AI allies are relatively incompetent

    Conclusion: I'd say if you enjoy turn-based strategy games, you REALLY should invest in this one.    … Expand
  41. Bigbossbalrog
    Aug 21, 2022
    10
    Utterly fantastic Total War game, it's amazing. Best Total War game ever. Oh yes.
  42. Harumpel
    Dec 22, 2013
    7
    I played TW titles since the original Shogun Total War 1 published in 2000. While it has been something very new and exciting back then, today I feel like every new title is barely adding fun to the game: its just updated graphics, more menues, more choices.

    But overloading the game doesn't make it better. Game mechanics can be OK like here with Shogun-2 or can be really bad like    I played TW titles since the original Shogun Total War 1 published in 2000. While it has been something very new and exciting back then, today I feel like every new title is barely adding fun to the game: its just updated graphics, more menues, more choices.

    But overloading the game doesn't make it better.

    Game mechanics can be OK like here with Shogun-2 or can be really bad like with Empire TW. Opponent AI feels like the same as 13 years ago and thats really poor.

    Still, you won't notice instantly and this game could be good for some 10-20 hours of Japan conquest.

    I give it 7 out of 10, because it is still a "good" game, but by far not as good as it could be.    … Expand
  43. Estus
    Apr 21, 2013
    10
    It's a game simply charming and extremely immersive. I just think they could have improved a little more art and design, like the avatars and graphics a bit more affordable for most computers.
  44. TenchuuKhan
    Aug 2, 2015
    6
    Unlike other Total War games this one is really well polished. Combat is fun and balanced, the campaign AI is reasonable (until...) but that's it with the positive aspects of the game.

    Once you hit a certain amount of territories the entire map declares war on you (no matter what good relationships you had with them before) and by that time you need to have a bunch of armies with which    Unlike other Total War games this one is really well polished. Combat is fun and balanced, the campaign AI is reasonable (until...) but that's it with the positive aspects of the game.

    Once you hit a certain amount of territories the entire map declares war on you (no matter what good relationships you had with them before) and by that time you need to have a bunch of armies with which you mow down your enemies from one end of the map to the other, that's the only way you can win at this game.

    The lack of turns also forces you to go fast with your conquering, otherwise you run out of time. So it really dumbs down to: Build armies, beat the crap out of everyone else.
    There's no other approach to the game through which you can become Shogun which makes it a slightly dull experience.    … Expand
  45. gracjanski
    Jul 2, 2015
    9
    This game is great in many aspects: Great graphics, I love this japanes setting, the gameplay is complex and with a strategic and tactical part very interesting. There are a lot of mods that improves the game even more. Especially the KI is better and shows great job on the battle with good maneuvers and only small mistakes (more on the easy level, that you should leave very early ;).This game is great in many aspects: Great graphics, I love this japanes setting, the gameplay is complex and with a strategic and tactical part very interesting. There are a lot of mods that improves the game even more. Especially the KI is better and shows great job on the battle with good maneuvers and only small mistakes (more on the easy level, that you should leave very early ;).
    There are some problems ingame: Realm Divide: When you have a lot of power and your victory is not so far away every KI is starting to be hostile to you and almost all of KI Clan declare war on you (even your allies). In the reality you would have no chance, but this mechanic is only designed to have only an artificial challenge -.- , so the whole Japan will not attack you at once. Is is realistic, is it fun? No. Fortunately there are mods, that changes this. Another mere little problem is the KI on the campaign part, that shows illogical moves and the same in the diplomatic system. Why on earth do my most powerful clan pay tribute to very weak clans to get a trade treaty or military agreement? They should give me money for that. Other bad points are the very small manual, for this complex game you need a good manual and not this consolish paper. I dont like the binding to steam either. 9/10 from me    … Expand
  46. CaptainThom
    Jan 26, 2014
    8
    It took me long time to get into Shogun 2 but with some help from Radious Mod i have to say that i'm really enjoying Shogun 2 now. The artstyle and graphics are amazing in the vanilla shogun and the music really adds to the atmosphere especially on the campaign map, which looks and feels beautiful.

    The AI is a lot better in Shogun 2 and i found myself really struggling at times against    It took me long time to get into Shogun 2 but with some help from Radious Mod i have to say that i'm really enjoying Shogun 2 now. The artstyle and graphics are amazing in the vanilla shogun and the music really adds to the atmosphere especially on the campaign map, which looks and feels beautiful.

    The AI is a lot better in Shogun 2 and i found myself really struggling at times against large stacks of enemies landing behind my lines, especially after Real divide. The battle AI still has its flaws for instance generals still rush into danger and the tactics it employs can be pretty predictable, however on the whole its alot better.

    However vanilla Shogun 2 has to little unit variety for my liking hence why i was forced to use Radious Mod and while i like the RPG elements on agents and generals CA seem to have removed a lot of the natural growth generals had in earlier titles. Naval battles are also quite hit and miss but that might just be because i'm a terrible admiral.

    Taking all into consideration Shogun 2 is a great game, it doesn't reach the heights of M2:TW or Rome:TW in my opinion but its alot better than Empire or Rome 2.    … Expand
  47. RicardoTor
    Aug 9, 2013
    10
    Excellent game. I have played almost 100 hours already and need to admit that Shogun 2 sets new quality standards for gaming industry. Graphics, gameplay, many small features make this game just amazing.
  48. mcmanusaur
    Sep 7, 2013
    8
    ---Rating---
    Design: 4 /5 (solid, but recycles a familiar formula and is limited in scope)
    Polish: 5 /5 (excellent visuals and an altogether refined experience) Value: 3 /5 (slightly limited replay value, but a very good buy at a discount) ---Review--- I found the game's depiction of the Japanese culture/setting to be quite interesting, and the graphics and sound are certainly nice    ---Rating---
    Design: 4 /5 (solid, but recycles a familiar formula and is limited in scope)
    Polish: 5 /5 (excellent visuals and an altogether refined experience)
    Value: 3 /5 (slightly limited replay value, but a very good buy at a discount)

    ---Review---
    I found the game's depiction of the Japanese culture/setting to be quite interesting, and the graphics and sound are certainly nice enough. The solid real-time battle gameplay remains intact, though I did have some minor yet frustrating problems with units not being responsive enough to commands in multiplayer modes. The other main issue I noticed was the variants of siege battlefields- both few and uninteresting- being recycled by the game, which causes this kind of battle to feel repetitive.

    As far as the campaign goes, it leaves a bit to be desired in my opinion. I can't really see them adding too much greater detail to Japan, but the gameplay definitely begs for a bigger and more interesting campaign map. One main island and two smaller ones (with nothing but a few trade posts beyond) simply doesn't produce the kind of interesting scenarios that the inclusion of Hokkaido, Okinawa, or even Korea could have created. Moreover, movement is extremely restricted in the limited area that is accessible, with the forests and mountains leaving one or two narrow lanes through each province.

    The way that play progresses, you will only ever be in contact with about 5-8 other clans- initially those bordering your province(s)- and not too many turns later there will invariably be about seven or so clans spanning the entire map. I have always found TW titles' endgame to be something of a chore/slog, so I have always preferred experiencing the perspective of multiple different factions over playing through an entire campaign from start to finish, but sadly one's ability to do the former is very limited in this game. In line with that, for me the most glaring issue with the game is the unnecessary restrictions of which clans the player can choose without purchasing additional DLC, but others may not share my detest for the DLC-based business model.

    All in all, TW:S2 suffers from a distinct lack of choices and replay value but still manages to be a decent and enjoyable game, if simply adhering to the familiar TW formula.    … Expand
  49. iamymr
    Sep 5, 2013
    10
    Ah, dear Shogun 2. After playing the mess that is Total War Rome 2, I am constantly reminded of the things you did right and your greatness.

    Music, battles, theme, voices, blood pack DLC, Rock Paper Scissors elements, agents, family trees, skill trees, the list goes on. The only fault I can think of is the over-reliance on foreign trade points. Other than that, my dear Hojo clan    Ah, dear Shogun 2. After playing the mess that is Total War Rome 2, I am constantly reminded of the things you did right and your greatness.

    Music, battles, theme, voices, blood pack DLC, Rock Paper Scissors elements, agents, family trees, skill trees, the list goes on.

    The only fault I can think of is the over-reliance on foreign trade points.

    Other than that, my dear Hojo clan and my first memories of this game shall remain my favorite of all the Total War series!    … Expand
  50. PCgamesreviewer
    Sep 4, 2013
    8
    Pros:
    -Good graphics
    -Great strategy game
    -Lots of re-play value.
    -Nice musik

    Cons:
    -Factions are very similar.
    -AI does some stupid things sometimes
    -To much rock,paper,scissors tactics.

    Conclusion: Is the best Total War to date but still suffers from sometimes stupid AI.
    Can certainly be recommended.
  51. jamesphillip198
    Sep 14, 2013
    7
    I love this game. It has good new features, a good skill tree, good polish, good balancing, specially with mods, but it has its own problems too though. In vanilla game, AI spawns stacks of archers with almost no melee, battles are way too fast, and AI spawns armies out of nothing, but mods fix almost everything. Would play this over Rome 2.
  52. pierrem
    Sep 25, 2014
    10
    Just excellent game, only bettered by FOTS DLC. Little replayability though : all factions feel the same, but ikko ikki. The AI is the best in a TW game, even the diplomacy is good (unique in a TW game which all have **** AI diplomates)
  53. Axlyss
    Dec 20, 2013
    9
    Honestly after the rome 2 disaster i was hesitant on trying the newer total war games.. Boy was i wrong this game gets naval and land combat right its honestly a blast to see two groups of samurai split off for 1v1 combat in a skirmish. Not the big clump of men rome 2 has... The campaign map can be a pain to navigate with frequent slow downs on older PC's. Also this is the first total warHonestly after the rome 2 disaster i was hesitant on trying the newer total war games.. Boy was i wrong this game gets naval and land combat right its honestly a blast to see two groups of samurai split off for 1v1 combat in a skirmish. Not the big clump of men rome 2 has... The campaign map can be a pain to navigate with frequent slow downs on older PC's. Also this is the first total war game i played were in multiplayer more Calvary doesn't equal a win.… Expand
  54. jmcc87
    Feb 18, 2014
    9
    This is the best strategy game I've ever played. The experience was as exciting as playing Rome when it came out about ten years ago but with obvious improvements in graphics. I was pretty disappointed with Empire when it came out (particularly the overall strategy of the game which was far less complex than previous Total War games) but liked certain aspects of the game such as longThis is the best strategy game I've ever played. The experience was as exciting as playing Rome when it came out about ten years ago but with obvious improvements in graphics. I was pretty disappointed with Empire when it came out (particularly the overall strategy of the game which was far less complex than previous Total War games) but liked certain aspects of the game such as long range trade routes, improved diplomacy and tech trees. Shogun however manages to take on all the improvements of Empire while staying true to the strategic greatness of Rome (and Medieval 2).
    I was addicted to this game for about 6 months in 2013 and started getting really excited for Rome 2 thinking that it would be even better but having seen the overwhelming negative reviews for it I haven't even bought it yet. Creative Assembly needs to bring out a new game based on the foundation set by Shogun 2!    … Expand
  55. p1212
    Feb 1, 2014
    10
    Awesome, i loved this game, is my favorite video game of all that i have played all my life :), the map, the story, the graphics, well, all is awesome compared to another strategy games, congratulations creative assembly :D
  56. Zafeer
    Jul 7, 2015
    8
    Amazing detail in everything that happens on the battlefield. The game is paced a little too realistically though. Just when my lords are getting really great they get too old to fight and need to be replaced. In fact the real annoyance with this game is it follows the historical timeline too closely. The combat is solid and strategies usually pan out if you plan them well.
  57. gietek
    Feb 19, 2014
    6
    I don't know if I like the game or not. It is good and complex but at the same time frustrating. It's a Civ combined with an RTS and I find it quite hard.

    You can't see the unit's type on the battlefield so you have to select a unit to see what it is. Archers? Pikemen? Not so obvious when you look at them from the top. So it can be really easy to loose battle when you don't really know    I don't know if I like the game or not. It is good and complex but at the same time frustrating. It's a Civ combined with an RTS and I find it quite hard.

    You can't see the unit's type on the battlefield so you have to select a unit to see what it is. Archers? Pikemen? Not so obvious when you look at them from the top. So it can be really easy to loose battle when you don't really know what you're playing with. Also the map units - spies, monks, etc seem to be invincible and keep sabotaging my city while I try to send yet another ninja squad to assassinate them. Unsuccessfully most of the time.
    And there is the Japanese theme which I'm totally no familiar with. The names of the units and buildings tell me nothing. It's totally not appealing to me.
    The AI can also be a pain. My whole army gets slaughtered by archers because katana warriors can't get through the gates as they're fighting a few defending soldiers. Ninjas get killed really quickly, everybody else gets killed by the archers and watchtowers and charging unit decided to go all the way around exposing itself to arrows. It's just frustrating to play.    … Expand
  58. junedragon3
    Mar 20, 2014
    10
    Rich with entertaining features, beautifully designed, and an overall excellent experience. Plays just as a Total War game should, even above the elevated standards of the franchise. Replaying this game is the perfect way to remind yourself how great TW can be in the aftermath of the Rome II debacle.
  59. Papaflower
    Mar 26, 2014
    9
    Shogun 2 is clearly the best game of the total war franchise. Of course there is room for improvement but judging from rome 2 this "improvement" won't come from CA in the near future.
  60. SoridoSuneku
    Mar 27, 2014
    10
    The greatest RTS game I have played, where other RTS's feel chaotic and are filled with infinitely spawning units this game feels completely controlled and a blast to play, as well as watch, as all characters on screen are individually modeled, and at times there can be over 10,000 characters on screen at the same time and I rarely get any lag.
  61. smeeeee
    May 27, 2014
    10
    Strategy games can, honestly, never get better than this. Excellent campaign map, clear, concise tutorial, awesome naval battles, and bunches of detail, from the katana of a samurai to the biggest mountain.
  62. SamuelFrench
    May 30, 2014
    10
    THE ONLY PLAYABLE TOTAL WAR!!

    So the other Total War games don't have a listing of all the armies, navies, agents, etc that allow you to keep track of which ones you've already attended to even if you choose not to move. That alone makes this really the only playable game. The other ones, including rome 2, are way to cumbersome and it takes all day to make the turn. I'm addicted.    THE ONLY PLAYABLE TOTAL WAR!!

    So the other Total War games don't have a listing of all the armies, navies, agents, etc that allow you to keep track of which ones you've already attended to even if you choose not to move. That alone makes this really the only playable game. The other ones, including rome 2, are way to cumbersome and it takes all day to make the turn.

    I'm addicted.

    I am the type to get bored of a game super easily, and I play this game every second I can, which means playing 11pm to 4:30AM when I have work at 9AM.

    The graphics are still amazing in 2014, and the game runs on all maxed settings even when I had a 560ti.

    The diplomacy is shallow, and the economy of the game leaves me wanting more (I'm a nerd), but most people would not like having to go so in depth.

    The battle gameplay is fantastic and very in-depth. The generals and family tree is fun.

    Try it. It will provide the most bang for the buck for any game on the market.

    Only complaint is the UI gets buggy when you try to do 1000 things all at once clicking like a mad man on the campaign map. Can't fault them because the game works except when you are trying to move 3 armies literally at the same time.    … Expand
  63. Jomanponer
    Jun 8, 2014
    10
    This game takes me back to the good ol days. Such good memories from playing this game, I remember my first game I just had mongol against one unit to see the devastation. This game blew me off my feet, after seeing Napoleon total war I thought CA was taking steps back and was scared of what shogun would be, I was wrong big time. Personally, If I had to live with only 1 total war game itThis game takes me back to the good ol days. Such good memories from playing this game, I remember my first game I just had mongol against one unit to see the devastation. This game blew me off my feet, after seeing Napoleon total war I thought CA was taking steps back and was scared of what shogun would be, I was wrong big time. Personally, If I had to live with only 1 total war game it would be shogun 2/rome I total war ^^. This game was a blast I felt that it had a very solid campaign, great graphics, an overall decent AI compared to other total war games. I felt that it is also the only total war game with fluid animations that look real and the battles, are intense and brutal. Only thing I did not enjoy about this game was lack of units to choose from but this was kind of made up for with mods and DLC's but I would have liked for each clan to have there own unit types and such. By far the most game I have ever played used to spend hours each day with friends just multiplayer battle after multiplayer battle. And the multiplayer campaign with friends with junk food and watching tv was the best gaming moments I have had along with a few moments from skyrim with friends, and chivalry. Great game was so good made me hate rome total war 2. DLC's for this game were surprisingly good though I felt that fall of samurai was ehm op lets say compared to the normal game but, it did not matter since you could choose in multiplayer to fight with only shogun 2 players or along with fall of samurai.

    My overall scores:

    Gameplay: 10/10

    Graphics: 10/10

    Community: 12/10 (best community so far, for me at least)

    Multiplayer: 100/10 (cannot be matched!)

    Units: 8/10

    campaign: 11/10

    animations: over 9000

    final score: badass game, that is so fun to play and even more fun to play with friends.    … Expand
  64. Lucelin
    Aug 22, 2014
    6
    Shogun 2. Not the best Total War but not the Worst. The game is a bit to fast paced turn wise and the troop options are non existent. Naval Combat is so so, i don't really enjoy it compared to Empire and you basically don't really need a navy.

    The Tech tree is back and I'm not really for or against. The upgrade options for generals are interesting but not really game changing. There are    Shogun 2. Not the best Total War but not the Worst. The game is a bit to fast paced turn wise and the troop options are non existent. Naval Combat is so so, i don't really enjoy it compared to Empire and you basically don't really need a navy.

    The Tech tree is back and I'm not really for or against. The upgrade options for generals are interesting but not really game changing. There are some improvements to diplomacy and the family tree is back, YAY!

    Load times are epic and graphics use massive resources as per normal for a total war game. The game play is important not the graphics. I want better controls, i don't care about individual blades of grass or reflection off water.

    Also "I DON'T SPEAK JAPANESE MR GENERAL" I have selected English for my language!!!

    Army formations, what where you thinking Creative Assembly. How am i supposed to tell the difference between a bear and a dragon formation. DUMB

    So a mediocre score for a mediocre game. Positive but not that positive.    … Expand
  65. shatti
    Apr 20, 2019
    10
    super great and polished, the feeling of the game and also the naval is very important and strategic than any total war game since japan is like a large island
  66. ovenbaked
    Jun 28, 2015
    10
    This is a game that seriously stands out and grips you as any good game should. With intelligent AI, massive amounts of content and detail you'll be a fan of the old ways in a seconds. From the beautiful introduction into the campaign, to the extremely competitive online play. I'll be totally honest, it's the most satisfying online game I've come across. There are great visuals that onlyThis is a game that seriously stands out and grips you as any good game should. With intelligent AI, massive amounts of content and detail you'll be a fan of the old ways in a seconds. From the beautiful introduction into the campaign, to the extremely competitive online play. I'll be totally honest, it's the most satisfying online game I've come across. There are great visuals that only become loosened if you have a rather powerful graphics card and this game was one of those where I had to upgrade, and yep it was worth it. Simply put Shogun 2 feels like a complex and exciting version of chess that is elegant and efficient. I would say it is the best strategy game of all time in my opinion. Excluding chess though. :P… Expand
  67. VagueShape
    Feb 25, 2016
    9
    Have lost a ridiculous amount of hours in this comfy strategy game over the years, decided to give it some love on the review website too.

    One of the better total War games ever released and there are some fantastic mods for it to make it even better. If anyone actually hasn't played it yet, go ahead and give it a shot. I highly doubt you'll regret it.
  68. Zigwiz13
    May 29, 2016
    10
    This was the second RTS game i played after AOE for a beginner this game was perfect aside from the occasionally mess up form the AI i think this game hits all the expectations they promise
  69. Dco326
    Feb 17, 2023
    7
    Bila je dobra ali nista wow i dalje je bilo izbagovano sa formacijama, neke stvari su dodate tipa porodicno stablo ali je presporo sve u svemu bilo je samo okej nista wooooooooooow nazalost, ne bi vise igrao :)
  70. frederik1478
    Mar 2, 2022
    10
    This is my favourite total War game in my favourite game to past time with . still the best balance of any of the total war games and it has some amazing gameplay in graphics still I would recommend it
  71. auditbadger
    Jul 30, 2017
    5
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  72. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    8
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good goodgood good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good… Expand
  73. GJA
    Jan 30, 2020
    9
    The last truly great total war game. Not as moddable as the previous titles but the game offers a truly great experience in a fun time period. I didn't give it 10/10 only because there are some pathfinding issues on certain sieges but those are easily ignored.
  74. kloip
    Jan 27, 2019
    10
    Even tho you may argue that battles may be easy against AI, Shogun 2 delivers excellent gameplay which is easy to learn but difficult to master. Graphics still hold to this day maybe aside from character models. Each clan seems unique, which offers great replayability. Overall excellent game in which I spent many hours and will probably spend a lot more.
  75. rezo_21
    Sep 19, 2021
    8
    ====================IIIIIIIIII GAME SCORE : 84 IIIIIIIIII====================
  76. 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
  77. Vanco
    Jun 4, 2019
    7
    One of the better Total War games. Realm divide keeps late game interesting,
  78. Shimmeywill
    Feb 26, 2020
    9
    Fantastic visuals, music and unit design make for one of the better modern total war titles.
  79. Ignattanto
    Dec 4, 2020
    10
    the most beautiful game in the series, and a very enjoyable multiplayer mode.
  80. drewbrees9
    Apr 30, 2022
    9
    This is easily my favorite strategic of all time. Not for everyone, but if you like these type of stuff this is definetely the best ever
  81. Zaxaroff
    May 16, 2020
    9
    Good game! I love this series since Rome Total War. Got it for free on Steam - happy as an elephant) All the names for me, a European, are very unusual, but in general the game gives great pleasure! Compared to Rome Total War, AI has changed for the better. Now the enemy you are attacking will not stand and wait for your fate, but will try to take the most advantageous position. InGood game! I love this series since Rome Total War. Got it for free on Steam - happy as an elephant) All the names for me, a European, are very unusual, but in general the game gives great pleasure! Compared to Rome Total War, AI has changed for the better. Now the enemy you are attacking will not stand and wait for your fate, but will try to take the most advantageous position. In general, playing has become even more interesting!… Expand
  82. Wrathzo
    Mar 21, 2022
    6
    Total War: Shogun 2 is a strategy video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega in 2011. It is part of the Total War series and returns to the 16th-century Japan setting of the first Total War game, Shogun: Total War, after a series of games set mainly in Europe and the Middle East. Shogun 2 is set in 16th-century feudal Japan, in the aftermath of the Ōnin War during theTotal War: Shogun 2 is a strategy video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega in 2011. It is part of the Total War series and returns to the 16th-century Japan setting of the first Total War game, Shogun: Total War, after a series of games set mainly in Europe and the Middle East. Shogun 2 is set in 16th-century feudal Japan, in the aftermath of the Ōnin War during the Ashikaga shogunate. The country is fractured into rival clans led by local warlords, each fighting for control. The player takes on the management of one of these clans, with the goal of dominating other factions and establishing rule over Japan. The standard edition of the game features a total of eight factions (plus a ninth faction for the tutorial), each with a unique starting position and different political and military strengths. The limited edition includes an exclusive ninja clan, the Hattori, and a DLC unlocks a tenth clan, the Ikko-Ikki.… Expand
  83. Yabani
    Oct 19, 2022
    6
    Japonya'da iç savaş döneminde geçen bir oyun görmek güzel. Ama oyunda oyuncuları uyuz eden çok saçma şeyler oluyor. Bu yüzden verdiğim puan epey düştü. O şeyler olmasa 8 verirdim sanırım.
  84. EagleStandart
    May 1, 2020
    8
    One of the revolutionary games of the Total War series. Graphic quality and strategic depth are very good. The atmosphere is at the masterpiece level.
  85. 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.
  86. madjo1999
    Jun 26, 2020
    9
    Use Yari Ashigaru and Bow Ashigaru and Profit ,and take Oda for max efficiency
  87. NorseEinherjar
    Jul 26, 2020
    8
    It's 2020 and I can still go back to this game. And is one of the few Total War games I keep going back to play time to time. Not many games have that replay value and still feels fun each time you play it.

    Shogun 2 have, in my opinion, the smoothest gameplay of all the Total War games. Which makes it a more fun experience to play.
  88. Gorbunov2004
    May 30, 2021
    8
    Клёвая игра тематика самураев прикольная. Мне нравиться что каждое убийство это анимация и это круто! Но тупо что когда сёгун тебя замечает то почти все твои союзники тебя предают и у тебя просто не хватает войск чтобы их победить.Клёвая игра тематика самураев прикольная. Мне нравиться что каждое убийство это анимация и это круто! Но тупо что когда сёгун тебя замечает то почти все твои союзники тебя предают и у тебя просто не хватает войск чтобы их победить.
  89. MPGSpotter
    Dec 12, 2020
    8
    The last good Total War game. Simple gameplay even the series' infamously braindead AI can grasp, great authentic music, and graphics that look stunning 9 years after release.
  90. elefsar
    Apr 22, 2021
    9
    Best Total War game ever. Wonderful mechanics and good graphics for its time, good soldier options.
  91. Bushido95
    Sep 27, 2021
    6
    Это был первый тревожный звоночек для меня для фаната серии Total War. Хоть в целом мне и понравилась игра всё таки Япония всегда очаровывает, но слишком много спорных нововведений и мне кажется разработчики пошли не в ту сторону.Это был первый тревожный звоночек для меня для фаната серии Total War. Хоть в целом мне и понравилась игра всё таки Япония всегда очаровывает, но слишком много спорных нововведений и мне кажется разработчики пошли не в ту сторону.
  92. watergazing
    Aug 14, 2021
    7
    One of the best in the total war franchise. Some of the best mechanics from previous total war games are enhanced, and the setting on feudal Japan? Awesome. Definitely one of the best games in the total war series.

    Though, some perhaps major, drawbacks: 1. Can only choose from 12 factions. For players of hardcore feudal japan-themed grand strategy games, this number is not that high,    One of the best in the total war franchise. Some of the best mechanics from previous total war games are enhanced, and the setting on feudal Japan? Awesome. Definitely one of the best games in the total war series.

    Though, some perhaps major, drawbacks:
    1. Can only choose from 12 factions. For players of hardcore feudal japan-themed grand strategy games, this number is not that high, since it means you can only choose between very prominent houses.. Often, there is very fun gameplay to be had in lesser, obscure households as well, so in this case the game can comparatively have less depth.

    2. Mostly fictional officers and vassals, with randomly generated Japanese names. Thus, it makes the game seem "shallower" than it actually is... It is fun and all building a family tree and looking back on your ever-growing household. But with fictional names? Although it seems simple it can definitely feel underwhelming.. and that is not a feeling you want after spending many many hours playing one game. This limitation does not exist in well-researched games, like in Nobunaga's Ambition series.

    Had these limitations overcome, this game could be close to perfection.    … Expand
  93. esmailD
    Nov 20, 2021
    5
    The game has a wide range of features. The details are stunning and perhaps better than most previous games in the series. But the main point here is that due to the imbalanced difficulty, or better to say, the irrational difficulty, it is not possible to enjoy it. In fact, all these features have been somehow ruined.
  94. dr-kenobi
    Sep 6, 2022
    7
    I do enjoy the esthetics of medieval Japan and the fact that they tried to make all the factions look real with advantages and disadvantages is nice as well, but it still feels a bit dull towards the end game when all of the folks declare war and diplomacy is practically useless, so you have to go warfare management non-stop. Still, it's one of their best so far
  95. Hyperfailure
    Nov 27, 2022
    8
    (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
    ┻━┻ ︵ ヽ(°□°ヽ)

    ┻━┻ ︵ ＼( °□° )／ ︵ ┻━┻

    ┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ)

    (ﾉಥ益ಥ）ﾉ ┻━┻

    ┬──┬ ¯_(ツ)

    ┻━┻ ︵ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ︵ ┻━┻

    ┻━┻ ︵ ¯(ツ)/¯ ︵ ┻━┻

    (╯°Д°）╯︵ /(.□ . )

    ʕノ•ᴥ•ʔノ ︵ ┻━┻
  96. 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.
  97. Keron_Heruman
    Aug 25, 2023
    8
    Good game, solid mechanics, well planed tactical battles... Lack of innovation for the TW series, one more, almost the same, 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

All reviews »
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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