SHOGUN II: TOTAL WAR

PLATFORM: EXCLUSIVELY ON PC

GENRE: STRATEGY

PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: 

• 2nd Generation Intel® Core™i5 processor (or greater), or AMD equivalent
• 2GB RAM (XP), 4GB RAM (Vista / Windows7)
• AMD Radeon HD 5000 and 6000 series graphics cards or equivalent DirectX 11 compatible graphics card
• 1280×1024 minimum screen resolution
• 20GB free hard disk space 

Breaking from the complexity of Empire: Total War, Creative Assembly trims things down for Shogun 2. It's not a revolutionary step, but a necessary one. It's a reaffirmation of Total War's core values. It's about armies charging forward waving spear and sword, clashing in the middle of vast battlefields to determine the fate of a nation. It's about navigating a land at war to negotiate trades, establish alliances and govern a growing collection of provinces to satisfy a need for conquest. Shogun 2 proves Creative Assembly's combination of turn-based strategy with sweeping real-time tactical combat is just as entertaining as ever. It features brilliant visuals and sound, thrilling clashes between massive armies, and an expertly designed interface to ease in newcomers without sacrificing the depth veterans expect. Issues with the game's artificial intelligence and stability are still present, but pale in comparison to the whole of Creative Assembly's accomplishment. Shogun 2 is a high water mark for the Total War series. 

As established by the original Shogun back in 2000, the Total War formula is comprised of two parts. First there's the turn-based campaign map management, similar to Civilization. In Shogun 2 you have but one goal: seize control of Kyoto and establish yourself as shogun in 16th Century Japan. Starting conditions vary, with a short campaign starting in 1545 and lasting until 1575, while long and domination campaigns last until 1600. With four turns per year, one for each season, you'll need to spend time wisely to navigate Japan's hostile landscape packed with warring clans and swirling loyalties. Competition for territories and trade routes is fierce, making establishing dominance all the more rewarding. 

One of nine clans is available to play from the beginning, each associated with a set of bonuses and level of difficulty. Some are positioned by the sea with easy access to harbors and trade routes and few borders to worry about. Others begin the game in Japan's center, locked in on all sides by potential enemies. Expansion and acquisition is always the goal, as you'll need to capture and hold a number of territories in addition to Kyoto to attain victory. Expand too fast and you'll draw the attention of the sitting shogun. Move too slowly and you'll fall way behind as rival clans maneuver and seize territory, eventually storming Kyoto before you've even had a chance to see it. Diplomacy can be crucial when extending your network of power, but this is ultimately a game for warmongers. 

The artificial intelligence of your enemies is also much improved. On the campaign map, if you make an alliance with a clan, there's no need to worry they'll suddenly turn and raid your empire with no warning. In battle, it will move cavalry away from spearmen to drive into the sides of your formation, surge katana infantry at archers, take to the high ground and hide in trees and wheel its front lines around to match your angle of approach. Though it is possible to pull in live players to your campaign battles if you want, you'll still find a formidable adversary in the AI, even if from time to time it forgets to move entire columns of spear infantry out from the range of archers. 

All of the action is presented with incredible visuals. You'll see burning arrows soar through the sky leaving trails of smoke, igniting the ground under their target and, occasionally, houses if they're in the way. Riderless horses flee from the heart of combat while katana infantry slash and block as individual units. Though organized into artificial formations, as soon as columns clash there's chaos as samurai charge into combat and cavalry topples those on foot like toys, while the occasional rider is sent flying helplessly through the air. Whether at sea or panning across the campaign map, the attention to detail is always impressive, even less technically advanced effects like the way undiscovered regions on the campaign map are displayed like paint strokes on paper. It's still a demanding game that will chew up lower end systems, but still better optimized than past Creative Assembly products. As might be expected of a Total War game, the soundtrack is absolutely brilliant, with pounding drum arrangements that churn the adrenaline in the midst of a fight and wind and string melodies that soothe the mind while tending to tax rates. If you listen closely on the campaign map, you can even hear the flutist's intake of breath. 

   Longtime fans will surely find a lot that's familiar in Shogun 2, but will also find Creative Assembly's most polished, well-presented and playable version of its Total War franchise. Shogun 2 is an expertly tuned turn-based strategy game filled with exhilarating real-time tactical battles against a capable artificial intelligence or others online. With a gigantic multiplayer suite and fantastic visuals and sound, Shogun 2 is a high point for the Total War series, featuring a staggering attention to detail and immensely satisfying gameplay.