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Shogun: Total War birthed one of the most popular strategy series ever. So it's fitting
then, that over a decade later, its long awaited sequel Total War: Shogun 2, is the most comprehensive
title in the series to date.
As with previous titles, Shogun 2's campaign is split between real-time battles and the
strategic management of your empire via a turn-based map. Depending on what length you
set the campaign and what clan you choose to play as, you're required to hold a varying
number of provinces, as well as defeat the current Shogun and hold his province of Kyoto.
All before a set date.
Whilst navigating the over world map, you'll manage your resources, diplomatic relations
with other clans, and position your troops accordingly - laying siege to enemy settlements
and defending from or attacking rival armies. As usual you can enlist the help of various
special characters, such as the Geisha and Ninja, upgrade your settlements, and advance
your clan's overall effectiveness via the Mastery of Arts tech tree. The key to success
in Shogun 2 is ensuring your citizens are happy, your economy is booming, and your diplomatic
relationships are beneficial. Relying on trade is a common mistake, as once you've claimed
the title of Shogun, you'll find your allies turning against you - and subsequently reducing
the money you'll acquire from trade.
On the battlefield you'll either be defending or attacking the walls of a settlement, or
laying waste to your foes head-on in pitched battle. Perhaps the most notable change to
the battle system is the increased speed in which your troops move across the battlefield.
This is no doubt a product of the overhauled multiplayer system, and it's certainly divided
fans. However, with the ability to slowdown or even pause in the middle of single-player
battles, it's not something that I found to be particularly intrusive.
The rest of the battle system has undergone some subtle tweaking. The result? Some of
the smoothest battles in a Total War yet. The subject matter also allows for a fantastic
variety of troops, from Ninjas, to Samurai, to the emergence of early matchlock rifles.
I also found siege battles to be extremely engaging, something that has divided fans.
The problem is, feudal Japan dictates that a focus on hulking siege machinery and mighty
stone keeps aren't going to feature. Instead you'll find much of your time attempting to
draw the enemy out, spot weaknesses within structures, or if you're bold enough, scale
castle walls head-on. In fact, the multiple levels of larger fortresses introduce an element
of strategy for the defender. Knowing when to stand your ground, and when to fallback
is the key to a successful defence.
Shogun 2's AI isn't perfect. But it's a far cry from the often times frustrating volume
of glitches that plagued its predecessor Empire. And for the most part, I found it suitably
challenging. Having said that, and similar to previous titles,
I consistently fared much better on the battlefield. With much of the challenge focusing around
the varying situations arising from the campaign map.
Sea battles make their return, but are hampered by a factor beyond Creative Assembly - culture,
and the time period. You simply cannot overcome the fact that boats in feudal Japan just aren't
as interesting as 18th century galleons. And yet, the faster unit movement definitely benefits
sea battles - but that still wasn't enough to stop me from generally opting for the auto-resolve
option.
Shogun 2 is jam packed with content. Asides from the meaty campaign, you've a handful
of Historical Battles to choose from, the RTS staple Custom Battle mode, and a much
improved multiplayer system. The intricacies involved in Shogun 2's multiplayer could warrant
another video. But in short, head online and you can either play a co-op multiplayer campaign,
which plays out very similar to the single-player campaign, but with two people. Or you can
embark on Avatar Conquest. Here you build your own avatar and head into battle, conquering
provinces for bonuses, and even joining with other players to form a Clan in the decidedly
huge Clan Competition mode. Sure, you'll find it harder to find a game - Shogun 2 was released
back in 2011 - and the multiplayer itself isn't always as streamlined and stable as
perhaps it could be. But Shogun 2 blows every other Total War game out of the park when
it comes to supporting multiplayer nonetheless.
Visually, Shogun 2 has aged well. Soldier animations are superb, and the campaign map
in particular, looks far superior to its predecessor's. As a small graphical update you can even purchase
the Blood Pack DLC, which adds lashings of bloody particle effects to the heat of battle.
Which leads me onto my final point. You could potentially spend hundreds of hours on the
vanilla game, but Shogun 2 also has a wealth of DLC on offer, in the form of Rise of the
Samurai, and Fall of the Samurai. In short, you could still be playing Shogun 2 after
several year. And heck, many people - including myself - already are.
Let's get one thing straight. I'm not suggesting that what Shogun 2 did in 2011 was even marginally
comparable to the triumphs of the first Rome back in 2004. Heck, Shogun 2 isn't even as
original or bold as Empire. But taking content, visuals, and gameplay into account. Shogun
2 might not be perfect, but it's the best Total War yet. And Rome II hasn't changed
that.