A fun game with some definite improvements over the earlier TW games but some of the design choices confound.
Shogun 2 largely improves on the earlier TW series games, obviously the graphics have been improved, that's a given. However in this particular TW game diplomacy actually WORKS...for the most part, but we'll get to that later.
On top of that, the A.I seems marginally improved, no longer will enemy armies siege your city with no equipment and then wait outside your walls having a sip of tea and maybe some crumpets. Forcing you to come attack them when you're supposed to be the defender.
Also no longer does the player automatically lose if the timer runs out, rather hated that in MTWII. Additionally the Japanese voice overs of battle speeches and unit voices are done well, though why the instructions and diplomacy talks with other daimyo was relegated to being done in a terribly accented English is an odd choice.
Though some seem to like it, others don't. I would've preferred they stuck to Japanese with subtitles throughout, instead of the terribly cliched accent, it's a minor gripe however.
On to why I say the A.I seems to be marginally improved at best, the enemy general still has a tendency to suicide charge himself directly into your forces. Typically in the first two to five minutes of a battle.
Also the Siege A.I isn't so much smarter as the game layout has been made easier for it. No longer does the A.I have to navigate streets. Because there are no streets...the Shogun 2 cities(pardon.."Castles") have been dumbed down so much that even at the largest citadels all you have is more walled flat levels with hardly a building in sight.
On top of this, the A.I doesn't siege...use towers, ladders...ballista because it doesn't have to, it can just climb your walls. Yup...climb right on up as if every Ashigaru in the army was really a skilled Ninja in disguise, which really means the A.I is less smart than the playing field has been brought down to its level. Seeing as climbing does have you lose troops from falling there is also a safer but more time consuming option to have your troops burn the enemy gates.
However in all my hours of play I have never ever seen the A.I use this tactic, which goes to show you just how limited the Shogun 2 A.I really is. This is not to say the A.I cannot be somewhat challenging in certain circumstances, but the people lauding the Shogun 2 A.I as the all around best TW A.I to ever exist seem to be forgetting how simplified some of Shogun 2 really is.
Unit balance in SP seems to be pretty bang on, which is a plus. Mostly Shogun 2 follows the rock paper scissors hard counter format. However in multiplayer there is still your typical whining "Stop spamming monks zomg!".
As to the battles on the battle map itself, the action seems to be faster and more arcade format. Troops rout faster, die quicker and battles generally move at a faster pace. This is great if you enjoy quickly crushing your enemies, but for those of us that like to watch our troops demolish(or be demolished by) the enemy as we giggle with glee it is a bit disappointing as some battles will be over before you can finish issuing commands to all your forces.
An option to slow down the action perhaps would have been appreciated.
Shogun 2's sound is terrific, the soundtrack fits perfectly and doesn't seem overly forced or cheesy, the battle sounds are well done and the ambient noises are a joy to listen to.
I should mention one of the most idiotic design choices in the game, it has good intentions and is a fantastic idea. However the implementation is nothing short of hideous.
Realm Divide.
That is to say, once your clan reaches a certain level of notoriety the current Shogun will declare you enemy of the state, as it were. This has the effect of putting a -200 point penalty onto all of your relations with other clans. This of course rises as the turns go by, ensuring that even a staunch ally or vassal will quickly turn on you and find a place to stick a pointy object.
It seems decent enough...if you throw out all logic and any semblance of economic or diplomatic play. It essentially turns the whole of Japan against you cutting off all trade, diplomacy then halfway through the game is utterly useless. So while diplomacy has been improved from earlier TW games with the ability to have marriages between clans and actually have working diplomatic consequences...you still manage to be incapable of using it for half the game.
If you enjoy just steamrolling over all of Japan like a big Oriental wrecking ball than this might not be a big issue for you, however for anyone that actually likes to play out the overarching strategy map to any real effect it will come as a shock and disappointment.
This however has a mod that can fix or remove realm divide entirely, thus it's not a game breaking concern.
The blood DLC also has a tendency to cause odd flickering issues with dead bodies and arrows and blood spatter sometimes. Annoying but not the end of the world.
All in all Shogun 2 is incredibly fun and some issues with it such as RD and end dates can be changed with mods, as long as you go into it without overinflated expectations you'll find a great game. Just keep in mind that this IS a TW game and some of the same gripes from the earlier games still apply, if only masked marginally better.