Total War: Shogun 2 Critic Reviews

From atop this Total War: Shogun 2, eleven years of experience are looking right at you. The gameplay The Creative Assembly crafted for this new title is breathtakingly rich, almost intimidating, but fans will still feel right at home since the new elements aren't plenty. For newcomers, the challenge can be hard to overcome because the ruleset of the game isn't very well explained, but Shogun 2 also becomes, because of this, an adventure that is all the more satisfying to conquer. Metacritic.

A polished, smart, generous, elegant, and bold strategy game.

The series has scaled down from Empire but lost none of the drama or excitement. The smaller scale makes it easier to appreciate all the things the game does right.

Either playing solo, with friends or against them, Shogun 2 is the pinnacle of the Total War series. This is how you pay homage to a brilliant game that started a franchise, and I wouldn't be upset after seeing what the developer has done here if we saw remakes of Rome or even another Medieval Total War.

It's the ideal example of evolution trumping revolution in creating great video games.

Total War may be one of the more complex series out there, and in the past there have been many reasons to avoid it-- mainly stemming from the fact that at times it could feel unapproachable through simply the amount of choices given. The hardcore have always had it as a staple to call home, but this time around it feels as if everything finally met in exactly the right spots, and enough assistance that anyone can get into it if they want.

Less truly is more when it comes to Total War. Shogun 2, with a smaller scale and tighter focus, boasts the best gameplay and design of any entry in the franchise. I can't imagine a realistic way that The Creative Assembly could have made a better case to win back fans put off by Empire.

Best Total War Ever. That should say enough about how great a game this is. It's incredibly deep, complex and magnificent to look at. Still, take into consideration that it's not exactly the most accessible strategy game around, and that you need a ballsy computer to enjoy the game to its fullest. A great return for one of the greatest strategy series ever made. Bravo The Creative Assembly.

In conclusion, Total War Shogun 2 is definitely a must have game for those who enjoy turn-based games, RTS or the original Total War games. It's huge improvement over its predecessors and from the very first moments of the game to the last battle of Kyoto, you will be captivated and wanting more.

While it stuck to what Empire: Total War did and didn't come up with a lot of new things, it was still a lot of fun to play. If you have the dough, you should pick this up.

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.

It's a tighter, more focused experience than the continental sprawl of "Empire" and "Napoleon", sacrifices none of their intricacy, and brings improved AI to the battlefield. In the final count, it's consistently thrilling, grand in scope, surprisingly atmospheric, and bloody hard to put down.

Shogun II is a great game, able to resume, improve and innovate many of the aspects that made the franchise one of the most appreciated in the world of real-time strategy games. The only true failure is an artificial intelligence that doesn't always impress, but somehow this aspect is compensated for by a much deeper multiplayer component.

This is a wonderful strategy game, one of the best we've ever seen. A logical evolution of the concept of the veteran series that has achieved great results.

It's the finest Total War game CA has ever made, with a beautifully focused campaign and involving multiplayer too.

More of a masterpiece than check-in for the series.

With Total War: Shogun 2, Creative Assembly has gone back all the way to its Japanese roots, and as you can see it was not a mistake.

Shogun 2 is like a melting pot for all the ideas, gameplay and concepts we've seen in the previous games of the Total War series. Its pillars are quite similar to Empire's, but this game has improvements in many areas, and the setting is so charming, that it feels like something unique.

Shogun II is a comeback to the past, but it's also a game able to show the path followed by Creative Assembly in these years. Well-balanced, with a superb multiplayer mode and with the always-present attention to detail, Shogun 2 is the new Shogun of strategic games.

Those expecting revelatory improvements in areas like AI may be mildly disappointed by Shogun 2. Those after a sumptious, weekend-whittling strategy epic heaving with flavour and challenge can reach for their uchi-bukuro with confidence. This is a corker.