Can you see the future of your clan. Will the fog of war take your clan down before you have even built your first road.

User Rating: 9.5 | Total War: Shogun 2 PC
Total War: Shogun 2 is what i would call a mixer game, why do i call it that well it takes a few differant ways to play a game and then mixes them up into one game form. Each form or gametype within the game works well on its on but when they are used to effect each other and have impact on each other that is what makes the differance. You see this game is a Real Time Based game as well as a Turn Based Game. Both set you up to do what you need to do and it is down to you to master both to rule japan.

Before i go more into the gameplay of Total War: Shogun 2 i want to take a look at its setting. This game is set in 16th-century feudal Japan, in the aftermath of the Ōnin War. The country is fractured into rival clans led by local warlords, each fighting for control. The player takes on the management of one of these clans, with the goal of dominating other factions and claiming his rule over Japan. The standard edition of the game features a total of eight factions plus a ninth faction for the tutorial, each with a unique starting position and different political and military strengths. The limited edition includes an exclusive ninja clan, the Hattori, and a DLC unlocks a tenth clan, the Ikko-Ikki. Shogun 2 moves away from the European setting of previous Total War games and returns to the first setting in the Total War series, but making significant changes to core gameplay elements of Shogun 2. For example, to reflect the characteristics of East Asian warfare, the game's AI is designed on the principles of Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Also, compared to Empire which spanned almost the entire globe, the new installment focuses only on the islands of Japan excluding Hokkaido and on a reduced number of unit types. For those who have been lucky enough to have played every Total war game you know the changes that are talked about.

Moving onto the gameplay side of Shogun 2 is a combination of turn-based strategy and real-time tactics which is a staple of the Total War series. The player plays the role of both the clan leader and general, alternating between the campaign, where the player manages his land and armies turn by turn, and the battles, where the player takes control of the army on the battlefield in real-time. So if you mess up on one it will lead to an impact on the other. In the campaign, the player needs to oversee the development of settlements, military production, economic growth, and technological advancement. The armies and units are organized and moved around the stylised campaign map by the player to carry out battles with other factions. In addition to fighting, the player is able to engage in diplomacy, political maneuvering, and special agents to gain the upper hand. Ninja and geisha are also present in the game as assassins and spies. While religion isn't as relevant as it was in Medieval II, it can't be neglected by the player. Greater interaction with the European foreigners Nanban traders, for example, to enhance trade and acquire firearms, exposes the clan to Christianity, which will seriously increase religious unrest in the provinces. Religious agents, such as monks and priests can be used to convert the enemy population.

With some of the gamplay coverd it is time to look at the clans of the game. These clans are:

The Chosokabe clan inhabit Tosa province and can recruit superior bow infantry and generate more income from farming.
The Date clan control Iwate and can recruit superior no-dachi samurai, all their units also gets a bonus when charging.
The Hojo clan are great builders and siege specialists who inhabit Izu and Sagami.
The Mori clan inhabit Aki and have a long history of naval mastery.
The Oda clan are efficient commanders of ashigaru and are settled in Owari.
The Shimazu clan inhabit Satsuma and can recruit superior katana-armed samurai, their generals are also more loyal to their clan.
The Takeda clan warlords preside over Kai and recruit superior cavalry.
The Tokugawa clan inhabit Mikawa province and rely on diplomatic relations and the recruitment of better warrior ninjas and metsuke.
The Uesugi clan control Echigo and specialise in Buddhism, allowing them to recruit better monks and warrior monks as well as generating more income from trading.
The Hattori are the leading family in Iga and recruit specialised ninjas and warrior ninjas with more expertise.
The Ikko-Ikki clan are a "family" of religious rebels that control Echizen and Kaga and recruit Ronin and superior warrior monks.

Not only is there change in the air when it comes to the factions but that way that your clan as a whole works has changed as well. In the game leaders and generals are given personality and depth in gameplay, with emphasis on role-playing. Generals and agents are portrayed as "larger-than-life" heroes with unique characteristics and powerful abilities. The player is able to improve and unlock traits and special abilities for the characters as they gain experience. This is differant to past total war games in which the generals and agents of you faction would only get traits and the player would have no choice over the matter. However, the player may also be inclined to engage in family politics within the clan to keep its members loyal.

The battles of Shogun 2 involve large-scale engagements between armies that meet on the campaign map and can take place on land or on water. The developers proclaim they are paying particular attention to re-designing the naval and siege battles appropriate to the new setting. In contrast to European castles and forts, the castles in feudal Japan had multiple tiers, and thus the siege battles in the game will put less focus on wall defences but more on courtyard brawls and tactical manoeuvring. Also, the players will fight naval battles with unique Japanese ships resembling floating castles, and take into consideration melees on ships, arrow fire, coastal terrain, and other factors. Like the recent installments, Empire and Napoleon, the weather and climatic conditions have effect on battles. For example, fog greatly reduces visibility, while heavy rain diminishes the effectiveness of missile troops, such as archers or gunners, thus requiring the players to adapt their strategies. Also, as in Napoleon Total War, armies standing on enemy provinces during winter season or fleets far from the coast suffer atrittion. Which means you have to plan when you launch your attacks in hopes of winning the battle/war before you get hit hard by the weather.

Shogun 2 features multiplayer battles with up to 8 players as well as multiplayer campaigns involving competitive or cooperative play with 2 players. In a multiplayer campaign, players can be grouped into different clans, so that for each clan, one player assumes the role of clan leader and others take command of armies. The clan leader has the ability to direct other players and assign rewards based on loyalty and performance, introducing clan politics into multiplayer. As a player's army invades an enemy territory or is attacked by enemy armies, the online matchmaker finds a suitable opponent and initiates a multiplayer battle. When a player defeats enemy armies and conquers territories, the player will gain points and other bonuses for the clan. In addition, an achievement system is designed to provide adhering players with unique abilities and cosmetic upgrades.

Total War: Shogun 2 came out for the PC on the 15 March 2011.

The System requirements for the game are:

Minimum Specs:
2 GHz Intel Dual Core processor / 2.6 GHz Intel Single Core processor , or AMD equivalent (with SSE2).
1GB RAM (XP), 2GB RAM (Vista / Windows7).
256 MB DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card (Shader model 3); 256 MB DirectX 10/10.1/11 compatible graphics card (shader modesl 4, 4.1, 5).
1024×768 minimum screen resolution.
20GB free hard disk space.

Recommended Specs.
Intel Core i5 processor (i5 680) (or greater), or AMD equivalent.
2GB RAM (XP), 4GB RAM (Vista / Windows7).
AMD Radeon HD 5000 and 6000 or Nvidia GT 240 series graphics cards or equivalent DirectX 11 compatible graphics card.
1280×1024 minimum screen resolution.
20GB free hard disk space.

While i have to agree this game is not going to be everyones cup of tea i do have to say this. Give this game a fair chance it may well be hard to get into and work to get use to but in the end once you do get the hang of a total war game there are many many eras that are coverd and to be fair for me the total war games offer the best when it comes to making war.