Totally immense. Been waiting for this ages for ages, at last it is here and I just can't put it down! The graphics are sensational, out of this world! The siege battles were just amazing, probably the best bit of the whole game! I literally cannot put it down, I don't think I will be leaving the house for the next few weeks!

Gosh, I say this game is rather fantastic! I'd been anticipating its arrival for months now and practically ripped it from my butler's hands this morning, feverishly unwrapped it and inserted the disc into one of my personal computers, and was it worth the wait? The answer is a resounding "RATHER!" . Being an avid historian, and a gentleman rather acquainted with Asian history, I found the game to be absolutely delightful and a feast to all the senses! One should rush out immediately and purchase this game with no delay. Hurrah for all the chaps at The Creative Assembly. Well done, boys!… Expand

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. 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

Wow, I mean, they almost lost me with Empire, Pulled me slowly back N:tw, and now this...Ca, you have restored my faith. Well played, The Multiplayer especially really sets me going, so much new stuff to do!

Love this game!!! Been waiting for this to be remade it seems like my whole life! The seige battles are well thought out and executed. Wahoo for Shogun 2!

It's out and the question is did The Creative Assembly pull it out the bag or flop. There's been a lot of negativity around Total War recently and everyoneâ

A leaner, meaner return to the game that started it all. Shogun 2: Total War pulls out all the stops and stands out as the most refined Total Wars to date. An excellent achievement and a fine addition to the franchise which I will gladly dedicate hundreds of hours of my valuable life to. The Creative Assembly have done it again, well done guys.

This game was awsum!! I loved it so much really good graphics!!! Been playing since release!! Its so amazing!!!! brilliant multiplayer seriously awsum! Have had a blast playing it, only have pulled myself away to write this review!!!!

Simply cannot give this game anything lower than a 10. My first attempt to play a 'Total War' game seriously, and utterly superb in every aspect. Beautifully presented, it has an addictive campaign map with a plethora of building, research and advancement options, and a battlefield system which appeals to the tactical/historical purists and the casual gamers alike. Each campaign you play develops stories that feel personal to your clan, generals develop their own traits and personalities, and the game constantly throws engaging challenges and diplomatic intrigue your way. Just. One. More. Turn.… Expand

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 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

A really polished experience! The best Total War I have played! The graphics are amazing and the attention to detail is astounding. There are so many features in this game it's mind boggling.

So good. Trimmed off all the fat, streamlined it, brilliant multiplayer that I'll play for hours and hours and it all looks incredible. The Creative Assembly are BACK.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After playing about three hours I can say with certainty that this is the best game in the series, and I began to play more with the first Shogun, Shogun 2 is a masterpiece, here everything is so elaborated in detail that one can only take my hat off to the development team, and I played all the games in series and am not particularly fond of Japan, though I respect them a great culture, the era of Rome, one of the favorite but Shogun 2 is so epic that is done I'm sure you'll be impressed with how the game is made with love. Maybe the game is not so much for everything, and nearly to the story (although I may be wrong), but once you get addicted to the game you forget about it, this game is a very good way to get acquainted with the culture of Japan, part of which remained in modern Japan I have always respected them for their spirit, and I am sure that out of this tragedy they leave as soon as possible with minimal losses.… Expand

GOTY 2011 for strategy of the year 2011. Advanced land and naval battles. Markedly better AI on a map and on battlefield. Good avatar and inovative multiplayer. 10/10!

I'm going to keep this simple because no one would read this long review when there are a ton of people who are basically saying the same thing I would say. Amazing, amazing game, and the best time for people who aren't fans of the series to give it another look. Graphics = top notch, the best in any RTS/Turn based strategy. Gameplay = A very addictive experience. Really makes me feel like I'm commanding my troops in battle or leading my clan to victory on the campaign map. Sounds = Hey, if you like Japanese themed sound and music then this game has the best. If not, then one of the beauties if this game might be truly lost on you. Multiplayer = I can honestly say I haven't even tried it out. For a $50 release, I am happy with it not having any multiplayer what so over. This game has everything, as far as multiplayer goes it's just an added bonus. I heard mixed things about it anyway, so my only advice is that you check it out for everything else first and then see if you'd really like to get trounced in multiplayer before you go that route ;) All that being said, amazing amazing game... one of my favorites, and I'm going to be hooked on this for a long time I think. Awesome job CA! You guys rock! 11/10 if I could ;)… Expand

My first impressions upon playing several hours is that the game is polished and it shows. There is dedication and soul put into this game from the well known and appreciated developer The Creative Assembly. While I don't play too many tbs and rts games, this has proven to be an enjoyable experience. If you're looking for a rts/tbs game or even a PC game in general, I'd definitely would recommend this game to pick up as it is worth the price. Words can't really define nor express the amount of fun which is why this review comes off a bit short and if you'd excuse me, I'm off to play the game now.… Expand

A Truly Outstanding performance indeed, out of all the latest Total War games, Empire, and Napoleon, I think that Shogun 2 gives more strategic options as it have a fair options of unit type. While in Napoleon and Empire most players think that those who fire first will have the advantage, especially in multiplayer, where both players maybe thinking the same thing and this could cause boredome to the entire game. I especially love the new feature where the agent Ninja and some other could enter the battlefield and provide support, but also more siege battles and the idea of using bamboos as the raw materials for the boats. Great Work Creative Assembly! Keep it up!… Expand

I haven't spent a massive amount of time on the game yet, but from my first six hours of campaign play this is a much much better game than the other two recent iterations of the Total war series. It manages to achieve what everyone loved so much in Rome and Medieval, while still bringing in the new features that Empire and Napoleon brought without making them into a complete pile of crap. Having been one of the many disappointed and disillusioned CA fans after those last two games it came as a massively pleasant surprise. What I will say is from first day experience, is that finding a game using the current multi player interface can be quite hard and slow, this will no doubt change though. One last thing if your really obsessed with playing in DX 10 and 11, and it must be said with the anti aliasing that these features allow, then i would wait till the first patch to get this, as their currently unavailable in game.… Expand

Probably the best strategy game in last several years, its just amazing, combat is great, art is amazing, music is fantastic, multiplayer is good, i dunno what else to add,except its worth money :)

Excellent addition to an excellent series (well, Empire had some major hiccups upon release). Everything is improved, from the a.i. to the campaign map. The game is simply more fine tuned. The lack of AA may be a little irksome to some, but the game itself more than makes up for it.

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

Everybody's already said it all: I am blown away. I started my first campaign on VH and quickly found myself outmaneuvered and over-run. Never in a total war game have I ever felt "in danger" of losing my starting provence. CA has redeemed itself without question.

Beautiful game. I never played any of the total war games, I wanted too just never got the time. Now out comes a shiny new one and I couldn't resist. It is so immersible and beautiful. A few glitches here and there but the team have already sent out a patch for the PC, in 2 days? Bravo.
I recommend indeed. The attention to detail is very nice and treats the material with respect. The battles are intense, I found myself biting my nails in the hope my plan of attack would work in some cases :)… Expand

I have played every single total war game since the original Shogun: Total War. That being said, this game is easily one of the best ever. It brings back the best parts of Empire while removing the worst all the while bringing a welcomed stylized edge to the game. All in all Total War does it again and makes me realize why I have always played their games over the Civ games.

Total War has with it's newest installment made a fantastic game. They have listened to users of previous Total War games and created a beautiful mix between historical fact and in-game balance. The game AI is now more intelligent than ever both in the campaign and in the beautiful battles, which it surely lacked in battles in previous games. The difficulty settings are a lot more accurate now, making very hard - very hard!

My sole complain about the game is the different types of armies. The armies of the different clans are almost similar (containing the same units and skins) except the stats of the individual units, which creates a somewhat boring game in length. These units are however so fantastically made in both animation and model and the individual fights between the units look so real and unique.
I do however suspect the release of DLC containing both new units and individual units for each faction.

One other problem with the game is that it needs patching and they should have waited a few weeks more before releasing. There are problems for people with starting up the game, errors in the game and the multiplayer is not working very well at the moment. It also lacks Direct X11 at the moment (along with AA).

This is a great game with the best gameplay and most beautiful battles made so far in the Total War series. If you have played one of the previous Total War games or loves strategy games either real time or turn-based (or both), then you should definitely try this one out.

Rating at the release of the game it should only receive 9/10, but as I expect it will be patched thoroughly, I rate it max.

I find that the game needs Steam to run is the best solution to anti-piracy and I do not think it is a problem as most people use Steam now a days.
Also, to all you people who comment (and therefore rate the game) before trying it out - could you please wait until you have tried the game, otherwise you CANNOT rate the game and also you look like idiots!… Expand

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 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

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.

Shogun 2: Total War has to be the best experience I've had in an RTS in a very long time. The campaign is stellar and reeks of creativity. Many features from previous Total War games really lacked in comparison to this game. It literally kept me up for a 36 hour period of non stop campaign fun. Multiplayer is the most hilarious fun I've had in years. The players are fair and challenging, not to mention friendly which is a surprise from most of my RTS experiences over the years. The games mechanics and innovation from previous Total War games are awesome to say the least, the Concept of Bushido, the ability to convert to Christianity, and the whole concept of massive warfare, I loved this game, I highly recommend it to anyone who's ever enjoyed an RTS or a TBS game. The game play is fun and challenging. The one flaw I'm sure they will correct is the sort of uselessness the Bow Calvary have, otherwise this is simply a great game. It's the best game I've played in two years.

Get this game as quickly as humanly possible, If you don't believe me, check other reviewers on this site.… Collapse

A brilliant game. Innovative. Always leaving us stunned.
2 Shogun: Total War deserves a standing ovation on its graphics, gameplay, technical capacity and playable and interesting itinerary grudante. But not yet overcome the almost perfect game from Blizzard. The interesting game: 9 / 10

New Features such as agent/ninja cutscene. High graphics. runs smoothly on intel CORE. no bugs. the units speaks japanese. the sound changes during battles which is awesome!!

I've been on the line on the Total War series for a few years. After playing the demo for Napoelon, i wasnt convinced. When the first videos of Shogun 2 were shown I was very interested. I was born in Japan and always enjoyed it's history and culture so the location was a plus. Then the demo came out, and because of the demo I bought the game. The graphics, combat, scenery, environment, music, voices, everything is just perfect for this game. Unlike other RTS games that are purely based on hotkey memorization and clicking faster than your enemy, this game requires THINKING faster and smarter and clicking faster doesn't mean anywhere near as much. The co-op campaign is also great fun if you have someone that will take the time to play with you. The only problem I've had with the game is purely my own, the enemy is too smart for me at my current skill level-and that's a good thing.… Expand

Total War: Shogun 2 improves upon everything which was good before, as well as significantly improving some things which let previous Total Wars down, such as dumb AI. They have gone into amazing detail in regards to the history and encylopedia, much more than is necessary, which is not a bad thing.

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'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

Beautiful and well optimized, Smart, opportunist AIs (well most of the time, even on the easiest difficulty), This is the most enjoyable, that require critical thinking the most to date for me. achievement related unlockables for MP mode adds purpose to playing for achievements with many games lack of, Unit are balance: Full of rock paper scissors mechanisms. Not too casual nor too complex, loads of replay valve for SP, SP is more than enough but they also even complement us with decent MP too, little bit of everything with all goodness in it, I am going to enjoy this for long long time, I'm sure you will too.… Expand

The Total War series is a fine example of games that are progressively becoming better after each release. Shogun 2's refinement and improvement gives it a fresh look, but importantly satisfying game-play. The things I noticed were: great visuals and animations, improved streamline interface, and better AI. The Creative Assembly should be proud with heads held high as they can constantly produce great games towards the ever-so respectful Total War series.… Expand

i had a hour yesterday after 7 hour download from steam woke up today waved good bye to partner and kids jumped on couldnt get off its amazingly good and bye a british developer no less rule britania thank god after my hugh dissapointment that was dragon age 2 thanks bioware. any way started as warrior monk clan after half hour was uterly destroyed restarted as sword based clan decieded to try and capture a section of the map 8 provenices it worked and rpg exp system for characters and dynamio are amazing ps cant recomend enough… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love this series. Obvious progress since Napoleon is visible. The beautiful drawing, smart fights, I think revolution of the season of completely has justified. Have pleased new counters in the company and network game.Certainly, a series have tried to "simplify" a little, but these improvements only have done good.

Shogun has completely justified expectations. 10/10… Expand

Rupert_Smythe
Mar 15, 2011
10
Gosh, I say this game is rather fantastic! I'd been anticipating its arrival for months now and practically ripped it from my butler's hands this morning, feverishly unwrapped it and inserted the disc into one of my personal computers, and was it worth the wait? The answer is a resounding "RATHER!" . Being an avid historian, and a gentleman rather acquainted with Asian history, I found the game to be absolutely delightful and a feast to all the senses! One should rush out immediately and purchase this game with no delay. Hurrah for all the chaps at The Creative Assembly. Well done, boys!â… Expand

I was very encouraged to find this site. I wanted to thank you for this special read. I definitely savored every little bit of it.


Maple Syrup Diet

Wow, this game drips quality and playing is a pure pleasure. Improved battle AI means battles stay exciting and dramatic. I think the mis-steps of Empire have pushed this game to be the great accomplishment that it is.

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

This is the best Total Game in the series. BEst AI, Very polished. Amazing Multiplayer. This is how all other games should benchmark themselves. There are however some problems though. Some bugs which should be smoothed out with the inevitable patches. Sieges has the AI go to Sleep if you use certain tactics. (However, I must stress that CA has never really gotten the handle on sieges. Shogun 2 is heading the reight direction. There are some graphical problems, which seems to be mostly centered around the latest video cards. Slightly older top line cards provide a rock steady platform.

Played the Takeda at Normal, it provided a very very satisfying experience and most of all very fun. This is one game that I will be playing for a long time.… Expand

After the somewhat disapointing Empire and Napoleon games this is almost exactly what I had hoped for. Everything seems more polished than in the former games. I especially like the new interface look as well as the strategic map. Management of your clan and army is a lot more comfortable. The graphics are very good as expected. My biggest gripe with the predecessors was the battle AI which seems to have improved quite a bit, but unfortunately is still lacking and sometimes acts very strangely. Still this game can definitely be recommended for anybody interested in strategy.… Expand

Except for a couple of AI bugs this is probably the best strategy game you can get on PC right at this moment. some may complain that it doesnt have as much scope and variety of old total war games but I find that the more concentrated scope has allowed for more polish and its FAR easier to learn and enjoy the game.
Graphics are great if your PC has the grunt. AI is good and would be great with a couple of tweaks (still waiting on that patch Sega!). Sound is OK, a bit more variety would be nice.… Expand

A stunning gaming achievement. The depth! the depth of it! I salute you for making this. You all deserve to be millionaires. I land an army via sea - in the centre of Japan, I make alliances with Date in the East and together we destroy central and western Japan - then realm divide! No need to worry, my ally has got my back and I have just taken the Shogunate. GENIUS!

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.

I can't seem to put this game down, I already have 30 hours played and the game came out a just over 4 days ago. Sure there are some day-of-release bugs, but do you expect? It's sad that this has become a norm but: every game has them, I won't knock off points for that. The graphics are stunning, and the music is phenomenal, but the game truly shines in the game play aspect, the co-op campaign's only flaw is that I can't have a 3 month long 8 player campaign with my friends. To everyone complaining about the bugs, I'm sure The Creative Assembly won't pull a Treyarch on this one, every game has bugs, don't give it a 0/10 because of something that can easily be fixed. It's only been 4 days for crying out loud.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Love that game! In comparison to its predecessors it's so much more realistic and the gameplay a lot more exciting. Spent a good couple of hours in anterooms playing that game!… Expand

Great game, Great visuals. AI is a lot smarter than previous Total War games. Overall i give this a 10 for game play, strategy, and for the fact that it is historically correct (Unit and building wise, also the clan names).And i love how General speeches before battle are back again! Its fun, and will keep you up for hours! I kept saying to myself at 4am (One more turn then bed) 5am, (One more turn then bed) 6am, (One more turn then bed). Here it is now 8am and i just stopped playing because my eyes are square and my nose is bleeding a little (Joking about the nose bleed! Thought it might give the review a more of a hard core gamer believability, LoL). Anyway, Enjoy this game its worth every dollar. Once again Creative Assembly do the PC Gaming community a Great deed and release another fantastic title that will have you hooked until the next one is released.… Expand

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 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

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amazing!!! Great game!!! Amazing!!! Great game!!! Amazing!!! Great game!!! Amazing!!! Great game!!! Amazing!!! Great game!!! Amazing!!! Great game!!! Amazing!!! Great game!!! Amazing!!! Great game!!! Amazing!!! Great game!!! Amazing!!! Great game!!! Amazing!!! Great game!!! Amazing!!! Great game!!!… Expand

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.

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!

Shogun 2 gives you an intense strategy game. With AI that's actually clever compared to the older series where it still had major problems navigating over water, you'll find yourself caught by surprises on the campaign map and in real-time battles. There still are plenty of units to make a diversive army, but not as much as in Empire Total War. New RPG elements have been introduced that makes costumisation of your agents and commanders possible to play them the way you want.

Multiplayer has been totally revisioned, and actually encourages long-term progression by a sort of "Avatar" system that awards you unlocks with each battle you can win on a "multiplayer campaign map".

There's also a two player coop campaign mode that I personally find oustanding to play, but its tortured with desync problems at the time I write this (21 march 2011). Hopefully these bugs get polished out soon enough, as this is the only game-breaking thing I found.

Pro's/Con's

+ Amazing visuals with unique art
+ More intelligent AI
+ Various new RPG elements that add depth

- Suffers from desync problems on the online 2 player coop campaign… Expand

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

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.

Pros: classic Total War game play merged with RPG elements to yield a very memorable & enjoyable gaming experience. You actually feel like you're building your own empire and you will care about the generals & family members under your command. Agents (ninjas, monks, etc.) are also more useful than before, and you similarly will care about their actions and fate. And who can forget the epic battles, which are more beautiful than ever. Cons: minor stuttering when scrolling across the campaign map; not as bad as Empire Total War, but still present. No DX11 support yet.… Expand

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 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

After playing Shogun: 2, I understand why there has been some commotion about the Total War series, and it has deeply appealed to the turn-based strategy gamer in me who is often turned off by an RTS genre that sometimes feels like it hasn't evolved much from Dune II (until Company of Heroes hit the decks). Hearkening back to the Turn-Based-RTS formula that reminded me of the modern progression of Centurion: Defender of Rome, Shogun: 2 has fantastic visuals, voice acting, and most importantly, gameplay. Battles are harsh and dynamic, diplomacy is engaging and useful, and true of any real contest of military might it is ultimately supply lines (Read: Economy) that spells victory. But while overwhelming masses of spear-wielding ashigaru may compensate for poorly executed flanking attacks, and a robust economy can compensate for an incompetent general, it is in these compelling tactical exchanges in various terrain and weather conditions that Shogun: 2 shines. In fact, compelling is an excellent descriptor for the sum total of Shogun: 2. Highly recommended, check it out.… Expand

This is the best Total War game since the old MTW game. The difficulty levels are finally what they should be and the game is finally challenging again. It's not the prettiest of the series (still waiting on that DX11 update) but it by far is the best right now in gameplay and fun. I've ranted about the TW series from RTW forward because the game has felt like playing a romper room game. This one I've stayed up way into the night playing as time just flies by I'm having so much fun. If you've been on the fence get off of it and get out there and get this. I think GoGamer.com has it for $33 and some change or did. Don't listen to the panty waist little rts boys who can't stand a game that beats them. :)… Expand

Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game.… Expand

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.

A sick, sick game. Highly recommended. I might even use some of the multiplayer features. Certainly the best effort out of the three i've played (ETW & NTW being the others). Haven't hit any bugs either, which was my main concern with the last two Empire games. Do yourself a favor and buy it

I was a huge fan of the first, and the other titles that followed. This is improved nicely, the AI is vastly improved, the economy is a little more advanced. It's not as easy to gain generals, I actually have to work at it. Don't forget to get married so that your character has heirs.. I sure hope that they remake Rome TW.

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! "

Superbe ! L'immersion est garantie, le jeu est très prenant. Je regrette que cette qualité ne se retrouve pas dans ETW où la carte est bien plus intéressante. Pas de bugs, et avec les mods (darth...) ça va faire très mal.

This game contains so much content, it's simply immense. From the fully fleshed out tutorials to the campaign. Multiplayer is just the icing on the cake. Insane ranking and customizable armies. Oh, and the graphics? Unbeatable! The detail on the battlefield is incredible. Zooming in on troops exposes the vast textures. The infantry simply look like characters from Crysis. No detail loss when zooming in. The physics are great, the size of the game is what baffles me. I love it

10/10.… Expand

In my opinion, this is the best Total War game yet; this is coming from someone that has played every single TW game. The worst problem of the previous games, the AI, has been improved substantially. On the battle map, you will sometimes find yourself surprised by the tactics used by the opposition. When defending, the AI will go for the most favourable ground (most of the time) and wait for your forces to attack. If you inflict too many casualties on them using arrows, the AI will choose to charge your position instead of being slowly slaughtered. However, the AI is still not perfect, especially in sieges. There was one battle where the AI meandered around my walls and was slaughtered by arrows instead of actually trying to assault my fortress. However, this kind of occurrence does not happen often. On the larger scale campaign map, the AI has also been improved. In previous Total War games, the enemy factions would often send armies of a few units at you instead of consolidating their forces. This increased the number of battles, but the AI was always outnumbered and easily defeated. This problem has been eliminated. This time around, the AI will gather more forces before attacking. This means fewer, but more decisive battles that are more exciting due to the high number of units involved. The AI is also more likely to land invasion forces on islands. I did encounter some problems though. Through most of my second campaign, most of the factions would not trade with me even though my clan was in good standing with them. New players to the series may have a hard time, as this game is much more difficult than previous instalments. This is especially true once you reach the middle of a campaign. Once your clan has conquered a large amount of provinces and reaches "Legendary" status, Realm Divide is triggered. This game mechanic basically unites every indifferent, unfriendly, or hostile clan against you within a few turns. This would be ok if your allies stuck by your side, but they will eventually turn against you too if victory is not obtained quickly. I recommend that a new player should start off on easy, while a veteran should begin on medium difficulty.

As for the graphics, they are absolutely gorgeous. The landscapes have more variety, more detailed textures, and are more believable. There was one battle where I encountered a few deer that quickly scattered once my army approached them. The animations have also been improved substantially. I find myself watching replays of battles simply so I can watch duels between individual Samurai. One thing that I should mention is that the game currently does not support anti aliasing or DirectX 11. The lack of DirectX 11 isn't too big of a deal to me, but I think that launching the game without a basic feature such as AA is ridiculous. In a game that takes place on such a grand scale where you see armies of thousands confronting each other, it takes away from the experience when your soldiers are made up of jagged pixels when viewing them from far away. Creative Assembly has promised that a patch should be released within the next two weeks or so that addresses this issue, so hopefully this will not be an issue for much longer.… Expand

i'm still hopefull there will be a World TotalWar but a huge 10 from me, brilliant game. i've played every TW since it came out and love the new easy access of the features.

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

I have been playing Total War games since the original Shogun back in 2000. Despite some hitches along the way I am a totally hooked fan of the TW genre. I am about half way through my first campaign in Shogun 2 and I can only say - EXCELLENT. The game demonstrates lessons learned from the previous two TW's and captures the heart and essence (I feel) of warfare in 16th Century Japan. It was so much more than just war all the time and the game gives me, at least, a real 'feel' of the period. My only criticism - the strategic screen is quite 'sticky' ... Which is a shame, but it may be my PC. However, both Empire and Napoleon play fine. Top marks for this game - I am thoroughly hooked.… Expand

Love this game. I have over 100 hours played now (in single player). Call me crazy if you will, but there's something about games like this that are addicting to me.

Now I just wish they'd start up the Warhammer Dark Omen series again (completely different setting, but the feel of the combat is somewhat similar). Total War Fantasy game, that would rock.

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.

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 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

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 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

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.

This games would have been my favorite RTS of all time, but unfortunately I cannot play it because of steam. I wish that PC games were distributed equally in both ways.

the best total war so far. i have owned every total war game since shogun 1, and this just blows them out of the water.(well almost sinks Rome) graphics: insane. gameplay: refined. style: perfect. ninjas: ninjas. buy this game.
(really this game would be worth it just for the ninjas)

I LOVE this game to death! It really is the refinement of the total war series. Everything makes a lot more sense than Empire and the map is way more manageable. The battles require a lot more strategy than ever before because of the units ant the terrain. The units are completely the same across all factions, except for units in which the faction has an advantage with, meaning all armies have access to the same units you do but, for example, the Shimazu have better Katana Samurai and the Chosokabe have better Bow Samurai. And don't worry there are enough units to keep the game from getting stale. Everything from economics to the arts your faction can develop down the path of bushido or chi or both make a lot of sense. It is far less overwhelming and way more manageable so much so I would say any newcomer to the series could easily pick up, although mastering it will take longer. One of the new features I think is great is that you have to be much more specific in which buildings you make in you cities and even better is how each region has something different to add when you take it over. Some have horses, some ninja, others lumber or quarries, each of which are necessary for making new things like bigger fortresses, cheaper boats or stronger cavalry. The game just feels like everything they've done up to this has been perfected. Except multiplayer apparently. I don't really play multiplayer so it doesn't affect me but if that's what you're interested in then you may want to make your own research into that. Anyway for me this game is a 10/10. Gorgeous.… Expand

A great comeback to the original Total War games! The music has Jeff Van Dyck back which is great since, he's music always made up a good Total War game very enjoyable and emotional. The battles are stunning to look at, the multiplayer just gets better, and the singleplayer campaign will get you sucked in for a very, very long time! It is definitely worth your money, Creative Assembly has done a fantastic job on this game! We can only hope for them to continue their work forth.… Expand

This work of love is the culmination of everything Total War stands for. Simply amazing. P.S.: CA we all want Rome 2! Just make sure it has the same finesse and work you poured into Shogun 2 ;)

Back to the Roots. The best game in series 9.0

The best Total War game since Rome for me. The modes are largely the same with Multiplayer receiving substantial excellent changes, another change is the new inclusion of Legendary mode on the Campaign which is also a fantastic new feature for Total War veterans. Took me 7 attempts but I managed to complete it on legendary, which gives a great sense of achievement. The updates coming to the game are also great with a DX 11 patch on the way and more bug fixes for mostly multiplayer as we go along. Thanks Creative Assembly!… Expand

Another great addition to the total war series. AI is challenging, diplomacy actually has a point, battles are balanced and immersive. Game is more focused and intense than Empire, offering a different challenge.

I am concerned, that note above is too low, becouse the game is great, but... This is the same game, that Empire, Napoleon and all Total Wars are! What's more: number of units is greatly decreased compare with eg. Medieval 2!
If this was my first Total War, I would rate on 10, but sadly, it is not.

The recent Total War games (Empire, Napoleon), have left me longing for the good old days. Shogun 2 has answered that prayer. I am one of those people who played Medieval 2 with mods to pass the time, because the newer games were too large, and unwieldy. I love the addition of naval combat, but felt like too many things had gone wrong.

Shogun 2 gets almost everything right. There is a learning curve, but there is a lot of pleasure in figuring out how things work. I was thrilled at the diversity in paths to victory, especially if you explore diplomatic or special unit abilities. The game is a lot of fun, and replayability appears to be almost limitless. After a dozen campaigns, I am still finding amazing results when I mix different units together on the battlefield.

The most unexpected fun has come from the multi-player mode. It is fun to let another player drop in and fight as your enemy in the campaign battles, and it is nice that you have the option of just saying no to this feature. But what really surprised me was how much fun I've had fighting on the alternate map of Japan in multiplayer. I highly recommend giving this a try!

So ... what's the down side? I do not like how the single player game handles diplomacy in the end game. Many mods are coming out to tweak this, but I do agree that the end game events are a nice twist. I just think it went a bit too far. Another down side is the speed of movement in the game. Everything goes a little bit too fast. I am getting used to it, but if you dislike that - there are also mods to slow things down a bit, already.

Modding appears to be very easy, and I look forward to a healthy community of mods for this game, much like Medieval 2.… Expand

As her journey for the ultimate revenge continues, Beatrix Kiddo is left with three people on her quest to kill; her ex-lover/boss Bill and his two remaining associates; his brother Budd and Billâ

Great game.... Thank you CA for an awesome game graphics are superb, gameplay is very awesome, what more can you ask for? if you like the total war series then dont even hesitate to buy this game.

Shogun 2 is the best Total War game i have ever played. The Atmosphere in this game is absolutely amazing. With Improved AI, i can play it for hours nonstop. I urge you to try it out if you were let down by the Empire Total War, you wont be disappointed.

Shogun 2 is a fantastic addition the Total War series. The game improves upon the original Shogun in nearly every way. Visually, it is the best looking Total War game to date and frankly one of the most impressive looking games I've ever seen. New to Shogun 2 is character progression. Your daimyo, generals, and even agents like metsuke and ninja gain rank as they successfully perform tasks and win battles. Ranking up gives you points to improve abilities, like map movement speed, defense, moral, bonus to assassination attempts, etc. It's nothing revolutionary and doesn't change they way Total War games are played, but provides another level of customization in how you're sculpting your army and the tactics you choose to employ. My only complaint is that the factions don't feel very differentiated. All factions have access to the same units for the most part and the only tangible differences lie in stats for certain units. For example, the Chosokabe have better samurai archers, the Hojo have better siege units and their castles are less expensive, etc. All this boils down to is that certain faction traits or unit stats favor one strategy over another. It has little bearing on how you build your nation but more impact on how your armies fight. Multiplayer options for Shogun 2 are excellent and well executed. The main attraction here is the avatar mode in which you customize every feature of your general and are brought to a simplified campaign map. Rather than vie for territory against other players you select which territory you want to "occupy" and then fight an online battle against a human opponent. If you win, you gain the territory and whatever unit or army bonus it corresponds to. There's a more tangible sense of progression than in the singleplayer campaign as you fight to grow your avatar's army into what you truly want it to be. Another minor complaint is the campaign map interface. It's the same mess that's plagued other Total War games and takes some getting used to. Army movement in battle maps is sometimes questionable as well. Attempting to move an army without first putting it or chunks of it into groups will end in disaster without fail as the game sends groups of units seemingly wherever it wants forcing you to either move en masse as a group or micro manage unit movement to a T. Opponent AI will sometimes make strange decisions when defending forts but is generally very competent and a challenge for most players. All in all, Shogun 2 is excellent game with loads of new features and superb multiplayer content.… Expand

Total War series game is the best of the best strategy game in human history,not one of ! I love Total War more than anything!Been playing since release, what can i say...i havnt slept...its pretty awesome, best total was since medieval 2! Looks amazing even tho theres no dx11 untill they patch it, then it'll be a 11/10!

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Completely amazing. Seeing how this game either has 10-9 or 1-5 reviews shows how some people are in denial. And everyone complaining about the lack of different units, different cultures and different combat types is missing logic in their brains, and is probably rating every good review down.

Like many people, I was waiting for this game with a lot of expectation. The best thing as always, is the graphics. The best I have seen in a game so far. The combat couldn't be better. The AI is also heavily improved and almost unbeatable in the campaign map. Anyone complaining of it being too easy probably doesn't realize there's other levels besides "easy". The unit variety isn't as huge as it used to be, but besides being realistical, it also adds to the strategic value. The new level system is also very good along with creating your own general. Basically every battle has the potential to become completely epic. It does has it's flaws. Personally the main one is the lack of turns. 50 turns isn't enough to develop everything at your own pace and once you expand enough, ever other clan declares war on you. Putting you in a 10 vs 1 usually. The avatar system is also only available in multiplayer. Making the feature useless for those who dislike competition. However, the game is very enjoyable overall. And a must have for any PC player that enjoys REAL strategy.… Expand

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

Pros
Graphics, sound, game play, advanced AI Cons
Requires powerful system to play on high scale, difficult computer opponent, multilayer is lacking in appeal… Expand

I give the multi-player a strong 10, and I have started playing the single player but the customization and loyalty to your units in the multi-player seems so much stronger to me that I cannot get through more than 10 turns in single player. Here is my breakdown:

Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 9/10
Battle Interface: 10/10
Battle Gameplay: 10/10
Fun Factor: 10/10

My first total war game was Empire Total War a while back. Ever since I got it I became hooked on the series. Iv'e seen a lot of **** reviews for this same so far, and I have to strongly disagree with what they are saying. This is by far the best total war game that has come out yet. The graphics are amazing and pretty much look real with light bloom from a distance. The new multi-player concept of making your own clan is genius and it is a game you will always go back to. I would recommend this to any strategy gamer because of its challenging concepts and high replay value. I do not recommend it for someone just starting to play total war or general strategy due to its challenging gameplay.… Expand

I use it as a benchmark when I put new hardware in my PC, I play it anyways because it is fun. No reason why not to buy, plus they are coming out with a new game (DLC if you own this one) that allows Rifles to battle with samurai.

Truly one of the most addicting games I've ever played, yesterday I spent 13 hours straight in a Co-Op match with a random guy, and he bought the game 2 days ago, and we had a blast! I have been playing Shogun 2 for over a year and they still keep updating the game from time to time, multiplayer connection issues are ironed away. The only drawback for this game might be the public chat rooms are quiet most of the time : / There are still many people playing it, I logged at 3 AM and decided to play a custom match 4v4, and found one right away.… Expand

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.