http://pc.ign.com/articles/109/1099535p1.html

Quote :

"Instead of loads of different unit types like in Empire: Total War, Shogun 2 cuts down the number dramatically. It's down to 30 different unit types for this sequel, which Creative Assembly is doing to more clearly define a rock-paper-scissors approach to battle regarding how units like cavalry, spearmen, and archers relate to each other. There's plenty that's going to change in this version, set in feudal Japan around 1545, though the most obvious thing is the graphical presentation. ... When huge numbers of samurai finally charged toward one another, they separated into one-on-one sword fights until one overpowered the other. In a nice detail, when the lantern bearer is cut down his light is extinguished, serving as a nice metaphorical component tied to whatever actual morale the soldiers are losing as their fellow fighters fall in battle. Over and into the huge numbers of soldiers that can meet in battle – up to 56,000 – sail arrows from groups of archers positioned on high ground and behind tree cover. Special abilities can also be triggered to try and gain the advantage in a fight, such as shooting out fire arrows, whistling arrows to instill fear, and heroic charges where units surge forward recklessly but gain a bonus to morale. Assaulting castles seems like it'll be more interesting in Shogun since Creative Assembly is making the structures more complicated. Instead of simply busting down an outer wall to infiltrate an area, there'll be a network of passageways inside the outer walls. In all there'll be three different castle types – those on land, on a coast, and near a mountain. There'll be five upgrade levels to each, so expect 15 total castle type configurations to make things varied. "

I never really got into Shogun as much as Medieval, but that was because I played MTW first and Shogun was missing a lot of features, plus every faction was the same. I'll be looking forward to this one though.

6/17/2010 6:49:32 PM

I can not tell you how glad I am that they are getting away from rifle infantry. It ruined the game for me. I enjoyed the campaign map side of it, but the battles always seemed boring as shit.

Thank god for swords and arrows.

And I am glad they are getting away from so many different types of units. It always seemed that I never used them all anyway.

Looks good to me.

6/17/2010 8:44:17 PM

http://pc.ign.com/dor/objects/76283/shogun-ii-total-war/videos/Shogun2_trl_073010.html?show=hi

Looks incredible. Unbelievable.

[Edited on August 3, 2010 at 12:46 PM. Reason : Watch the HD version of course]

[Edited on August 3, 2010 at 12:49 PM. Reason : eh I think the IGN version looked better]

8/3/2010 12:36:38 PM

Battle report #1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClfAWjNZBnY

9/7/2010 3:10:47 PM

i've played a few other total wars, and couldn't get into them. Looks promising.

9/7/2010 4:35:05 PM

Campaign preview
http://pc.ign.com/articles/111/1119498p1.html

Campaign Map screenshots (big so I'll just link):
http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/183629-/campaign1-noscale.jpg
http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/183629-/campaign2-noscale.jpg

9/12/2010 11:18:46 PM

bttt

2/21/2011 1:51:23 PM

if I had to buy one game this year, this would be it. Although I've already am over my quota for what i wanted to spend on games this year already.

Damn you steam and your sales.

2/21/2011 2:02:40 PM

via BEU

Quote :

" Battle report 1 from previous thread. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClfAWjNZBnY Campaign trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCISPi6LFy0 Gamespot Demo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-rBs8AzFcI&feature=related Home page http://www.totalwar.com/shogun2 Biggest differences seem to be the RPG elements added in for generals, and units like assassins, geisha's, etc. So its not just the game giving your units skills, you get to choose through a tree system. "

2/21/2011 2:33:23 PM

I can't believe the demo comes out the same day as Dragon Age 2.

2/21/2011 6:31:19 PM

Why?

They're VERY different games...totally different audiences really.

Dragon Age II isn't the world-ending event to everyone else that it probably is to you...

2/22/2011 11:21:40 AM

By "I can't believe" I meant it's crazy that two games I've been looking forward to so long have demos releasing on the same day.


I don't really care about everyone else's preferences.

2/22/2011 11:35:22 AM

It's up now, on the game page of Steam.

That is one huge demo, 5.9 gigs.

2/22/2011 12:15:23 PM

I am DLing and playing through Dragon age 2 before I start the epic DL of this demo

2/22/2011 3:54:07 PM

Anyone able to DL the demo?

2/27/2011 2:25:09 PM

I downloaded it via Steam and played it. Feels like any other Total War game, but it's still plenty fun. Nothing beats a cavalry wedge formation down the flank of a soft archer unit.

2/27/2011 2:51:05 PM

^ nothing ever did!

2/27/2011 3:23:58 PM

Check the TWCenter mod forums for a less restricted campaign experience. They're also working on turning the historical battle into a custom battle w/ launcher.

2/28/2011 11:42:54 AM

I was pretty sure I'd be meh about the demo, considering you didnt get a battle with an unscripted AI....but I was impressed.

The campaign tutorial showed a cool glimpse of the game, and I like what I see in regards to the research tree, and the skill trees of generals and agents. Units in armies are simplified, but somehow that makes the rock, paper, scissors more fun.

I LOVED the historical battle. Was very hard, but still won just barely.

Tried out the no-limits campaign, and got my ass handed to me very quickly. Allied with the country to the north, they got stomped by the Miyoshi (the big green faction with 3-4 territories), and then the Miyoshi came for me.

Will try again tonight hopefully, but this looks like a must-buy.

2/28/2011 12:50:57 PM

Comes out tomorrow.

3/14/2011 10:11:15 PM

Reviews are fantastic, hope to get it this weekend.

3/17/2011 2:12:48 PM

Probably what I pick up next after I finish up my current queue. Looking forward to it.

3/18/2011 1:38:53 PM

argg... hope this game gets down to like $20-30 soon so I can afford it. lol

3/21/2011 2:11:58 PM

Been playing it since Saturday: here's my brief review.

In terms of graphics, completeness for release, lack of bugs, overall balance, and yes, even AI, I'd say this is the best TW game yet. The Units all do what you think they should, and there are no flaming pigs, etc. in this version. Cavalry charges into infantry with nice momentum, katana samurai own other infantry, ninjas try to assassinate and fail in spectular ways. The AI acts like it should for the most part on the campaign map, though I have seen a few head scratchers, but not deal breakers yet. Allies don't seem to break alliances for no good reason and backstab you when they have no chance of winning, generals become bigheaded when they get too much power and start losing loyalty and having delusions of grandeur. All of these things really make this a great game, and an improvement over previous games, even Napoleon.

My biggest gripe with the game is the setting. I know, Shogun was where it all started and there are ninjas!, but I can't relate to my faction. Unlike other games, Shogun is an alien war to me. In Rome, I know the inherent differences between the Gauls and the Rome. I know if I'm palying the Gauls, I'm supposed to be the barbarian horde. In Medieval, I know that if I'm Russia it's the Cossack like for me.

In Shogun, I don't know the difference between the Hattori and the Uesegi clans. I can't sympathize with my leader, Hattori Kimicatchka. It's also more than just my personal issue...to me the different clans don't seem different except for location. There are bonuses to each, sure, but against each I'm facing VERY similar armies and generals and it all starts seeming the same.

I'm having great fun with the game, but outside of the strategic difference of location, doing another campaign with another clan has little appeal at this point.

In short:
+Most things improved over previous TW, including AI! Awesome details, like generals getting delusions of grandeur.
-Setting leaves everything feeling the same, lack of diversity of units exacerbates this problem.

8/10.

3/22/2011 10:28:47 AM

That is one of the reasons I liked Rome so much was the difference in factions. Gaul vs Romans vs Greeks vs neutrons etc etc. If I think about it, I don't think I ever didn't enjoy the roman on roman combat. Not sure if this issue would bother me or not.

3/22/2011 1:11:59 PM

bump

4/2/2012 2:04:50 PM

Thanks!

The standalone expansion came out today, Fall of the Samurai. It's set in the 1860s so it's pretty much Last Samurai territory. It's got ironclad steam ships, gatling guns, and railroads. It's pretty awesome so far.

4/2/2012 2:21:54 PM

I recently upgraded my computer and am now finally able to play Empire TW, which I think is awesome. I love the total war games, my favorite was Rome, with the total realism mod. I would love to see an updated Rome game or especially an American Civil War game.

4/2/2012 4:59:45 PM

The problem with a Civil War version of total war would be that there are not enough factions.

4/2/2012 5:43:13 PM

Yeah, you could have scenarios with it and a guided campaign. I always thought they could take this up till WWI or before with not much of a issue.

4/2/2012 7:23:43 PM

i just somehow never played this even though i KNOW i would love it. closest i ever got was europa univarsalis: rome gold

4/3/2012 5:50:02 AM

I enjoyed Shogun 2, and if I didn't have so many things queued up right now (gaming and otherwise), I'd be tempted to buy this.

4/3/2012 9:58:37 AM

^^ You mean none of they total war games? Shit man you're missing out. Pick some up next time they have a steam sale.

4/4/2012 3:24:51 PM