Ships pack heavy cannons, which makes for more riveting combat situations, although there is less of a focus on boarding ships, which I always liked. One of the biggest and most obvious improvements made in Fall of the Samurai, is the naval combat, which is now actually a viable component of the game. As a result of this, diplomacy is a lot simpler, and while some will lament this, it does make things easier to manage and in many ways more exciting. It just means that you will spend the game mostly playing for one of two teams. That’s not to say you can’t declare war on whoever you want, whenever you want. In the original Shogun 2, it was pretty much you against everyone else, but in Fall of the Samurai you feel more like you are part of a bigger war. One of the biggest changes from a broader tactical and political perspective, is that players will now find themselves generally aligned to either the emperor or Shogun. Railways in particular make a difference to the campaign map, allowing players to move armies around faster than ever.Īt its core, Fall of the Samurai retains much of what made the original game so great, while improving on a number of its shortcomings. It represents the most recent historical period ever in a Total War game, and new features such as railways, heavily armoured steam boats, and of course a variety of guns and cannons completely evolve much of the gameplay. It is set 300 years after the events of the original Shogun 2, and showcases the clash of traditional samurai culture with modern technology. Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai
It costs $29.99 (R230) on Steam, and therefore is priced somewhere between a full priced AAA release, and a traditional expansion pack. The good news is that since that review, the game has become even better thanks to patches, and now with additional content to play through, there has never been a better time to dive into the Shogun 2 experience.įall of the Samurai is the largest expansion for a Total War game ever, and it does not require the original game to play. The game walks the tight rope between complexity and approachability with elegance, and offers a dynamic and addictive strategic gameplay experience. When I reviewed Shogun 2 just over a year ago, I awarded it 87/100, praising its streamlined user interface and immense tactical depth.
In fact, I was a pretty big fan of the original Total War: Shogun, which was the very first game in the now esteemed Total War series.
I should probably put this review into perspective by saying up front that I was a massive fan of the original Total War: Shogun 2.