Total War: Shogun 2 is a strategy game developed by The Creative Assembly and published by SEGA. It is a remake of the very first game in the Shogun: Total War series, telling the story of medieval Japan. Total War: Shogun 2 was released as a PC exclusive on March 15, 2011.
The mid-15th century, the so-called age of warring provinces. Japan is divided among various clans, many of whom are engaged in an unyielding war with one another. In Kyoto sits the main shogun of all the islands of the country, but he does almost nothing to reunite Japan and end the bloody war. The player must choose one side, overthrow the shogunate, and become the sole ruler of the country.
The gameplay mechanics have hardly changed. As in all games in the Total War series, we are presented with a game map scattered with cities, ports, armies, and roads. The traditional turn-based mode allows the player to move armies, agents, or construct new buildings in cities. The player must conclude trade agreements, form alliances, and also declare war.
When multiple armies meet, the game transports us to the battlefield. In Total War: Shogun 2 there is not as much variety in the types of units as in previous games in the series. This is largely due to the realities of medieval Japan, plus the developers decided not to create similar units with different appearances. Nevertheless, there are enough types of troops to ensure both enjoyment and clarity in managing the forces. Swordsmen, spearmen, archers, cavalry, militia, and siege engines – all of these military units are represented by several types of squads. The player, as before, controls them at their discretion. One can go into a defensive posture or, on the contrary, arrange their forces for a direct or flanking attack. There is almost no gunpowder weaponry, as gunpowder was just beginning to be introduced into everyday use.
If ships from warring clans meet on the seas, the game also transports us from a bird's-eye view to the sinful earth (or rather, water). Ships in medieval Japan primarily moved through rowing power. Only European ships, which appear at certain moments in Japan's coastal waters, move under sails. They can be captured and added to one's fleet. Enemy ships can be sunk, put to flight, or captured through boarding.
When your clan has gained strength and captured a good third of all Japan, the shogun declares war on you, with almost all clans that do not obey you fighting on his side. To overthrow the shogun and establish your power, you must capture Kyoto and defeat the shogun's forces.
Total War: Shogun 2 is one of the most beautiful games in the series. Each warrior in the squad seems to live their own life: shuffling on the spot, checking their weapons, raising their hands above their heads in gestures insulting to the enemy. The battles between squads and individual soldiers are worthy of being watched from the closest distance. Wounded soldiers move even after going out of action, and warriors pierced with arrows try to crawl away.