Total War: Shogun 2

Total War: Shogun 2’s campaign begins in 1545, during Japan’s Sengoku Jidai, an era of fractured rule and near-constant warfare. Developed by The Creative Assembly and published by Sega, it launched for Windows in March 2011, later reaching macOS and Linux through ports. Its central premise is not a historical protagonist but a daimyo competing to become shogun. The player chooses one of several clans, each controlling a different region, economy, army, and political position. The campaign map covers the Japanese home islands, divided into provinces connected by roads and sea routes, whose ownership determines income, recruitment, and strategic access.

Playable clans include the Oda, Shimazu, Mori, Chosokabe, Date, Takeda, Uesugi, Hōjō, Tokugawa, and Ikko-Ikki. Each has distinctive strengths: the Chosokabe excel with archers, while the Mori receive advantages at sea warfare and naval trade. The Tokugawa begin as a vassal of the Imagawa, creating a demanding opening before they can pursue independence. Armies contain units such as yari ashigaru, samurai, cavalry, monks, matchlock arquebusiers, and ninja. Battles occur in time, with terrain, morale, fatigue, formations, and weather affecting outcomes during sieges, ambushes, field engagements, and naval battles alike across Japan.

Victory in Shogun 2 is pursued through conquest, diplomacy, trade, and development. A clan must capture a number of provinces, including Kyoto, then hold the city for a year to claim the title. The Realm Divide event, triggered when a faction controls a specified number of provinces, turns former allies and vassals against the leading clan. Provinces can be improved with farms, markets, sake dens, castles, and religious buildings, while generals gain experience and retain followers that grant bonuses. Diplomacy includes treaties, marriages, hostage exchanges, trade agreements, and vassalage.

Shogun 2’s 2013 expansion, Fall of the Samurai, moves the setting to 1864, during the Boshin War and introduces modern artillery, Gatling guns, railroads, and steam-powered warships. Its campaign follows the conflict between the imperial court and the shogunate, while retaining the original game’s province map in a transformed political context. The base game also received the Ikko-Ikki and Hattori clan packs, additional units, historic battles, and the Sengoku Jidai campaign. Its blend of strategic province management and cinematic real-time battles made Shogun 2 a distinct entry in the Total War series.