Total War: Shogun 2 is the seventh instalment in the hugely popular Total war series from Creative Assembly. It is a remake of the original Total War: Shogun title released almost 11 years ago (which still occupies a space on my much coveted favourite game shelf) and returns the player to 16th Century Japan. A Japan fractured into rival clans, each vying for supremacy and each faction’s Daimyo looking to rise above all and reunite the nation as the new Shogun.

As with all previous Total War titles, Shogun 2 combines a turn-based tactical campaign with real time strategy battles. The turn based portion of the game takes place on a 60 province map of Japan. It is beautifully rendered showing the passing seasons and your armies and towns. The landscape changes from a stylistic hand drawn map to reveal stunning detail as your armies explore Japan and the surrounding oceans.

The campaign game begins by choosing one of ten playable factions, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. For example the Chosokabe clan can recruit bow infantry at reduced cost whereas the Hojo clan are siege weapon specialists. The objective for the campaign is to become Shogun of Japan (which is achieved by capturing and holding the central province of Kyoto for four turns). In addition the player must also capture a predetermined number of other provinces which is customisable to the length of game you prefer.

As the game unfolds you are tasked with the management of your chosen clan on the campaign map. At this level you will have to busy yourself with upgrading your towns and infrastructure, mustering and moving your armies and ships, conducting research, exploiting the natural resources scattered throughout the map and also dealing with family politics. While this may seem like a lot to worry about, it is worth mentioning that the level of micro management is greatly reduced from previous Total War titles. Gone are the complex intertwined tech trees, massive campaign maps and differing types of towns that you can build. Instead this time Creative Assembly has adopted a philosophy of “less is more” and the result, in my opinion, is a more personal, streamlined game where the player doesn’t have to get bogged down in mid game bureaucracy. Yet it manages to satisfy the “control everything” needs of the hardcore fans while at the same time making the title more accessible to newcomers.

The espionage system has, however, been expanded upon from previous titles. There are a host of subterfuge options available from spying and assassinations to bribery and sabotage. Shogun 2’s espionage system works on a rock-paper-scissors model. Ninjas (and later geishas) carry out assassination and sabotage missions, but they are vulnerable to Metsuke who can hunt down and try enemy agents. Metsuke can be “converted” by enemy Monks who are then themselves at risk of beheadings from Ninjas.

The second part of Total War: Shogun 2 is the real time strategy aspect. Whenever two opposing armies meet on the campaign map you have the option to auto-resolve the battle or fight the battle yourself in real time. I found the auto-resolve option seemed to perform better than in previous titles, taking into account generals rank and adding bonuses to troops stationed inside of defensive structures.

The real time battles themselves are where the game really shines. The landscapes are spectacular and the attention to detail in everything from structures on the battlefield to the outfits of the troops themselves is simply amazing.

The amount of unit types in the game has also been drastically reduced - gone are the 40+ unit types from Empire Total War with unique units for every country, now each clan share most units. This also aids in making the game more accessible as you don’t have to worry about which of the 13 types of spearmen your opponent is throwing at you and how to counter them. Now it’s simply “if they have spears attack them with swords or arrows and not cavalry.”

Unfortunately in Shogun 2 there are very few explosive weapons. With only bomb throwers and fire mangonels to quench my raging pyromancy, I was left feeling a bit unfulfilled. This is especially noticeable in the naval battles where the focus has changed from blast the enemy’s ship to ribbons with your first class ship-o-the-line with 102 cannons to shoot some arrows at the enemy’s bath tub full of men, board it and capture it. And yes…I know it’s set in 16th Century Japan, but just maybe we will see “the thousand tongues of flame” rocket launchers in the expansion pack.

Like its predecessor, Shogun 2 also offers “Drop in Battles” where you can substitute the AI with an actual person for the duration of a campaign battle. Enabling this option is a sure fire way to lose and can only be recommended for the very brave as you will most likely be matched to a 14 year old Korean girl who will beat your mighty army of 1300 finely trained soldiers with an old mangonel and a handful of archers.

Shogun 2’s innovative multiplayer offers you two modes: Avatar Conquest and Multiplayer campaign. In Avatar Conquest, as the name suggests, you receive a customisable avatar that you can level up and use to conquer a simpler map of Japan. Each conquered province rewards the player with unit unlocks and other special abilities. The Multiplayer campaign allows you to play the campaign game with or against your friends. Be warned though, this does take a lot of time to complete so if you really want to enjoy this mode I recommend only starting a game with real life friends who can be bribed or blackmailed into sticking it out.

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