Shogun Total War is a very user friendly game and fairly easy to learn. You start out as a small daimyo in a corner of the game map. You must decide who will be your friend or foe, what to build, how many Samurai to train and set your tax rates. This is all decided on a turn basis. When you build up your army and decide to attack an enemy or get attacked, you get a real-time battle. The real-time battles are amazing. You are able to move the camera around the battle field as your line of site increases with your troop movements. You can set up a variety of formations, from line formations to wedges. As your empire grows and you’re able to build more, you will have the option to build better training dojo's. This will produce better warriors; Samurai Archers, Yari Samurai(spear units),No Dachi Samurai (two handed sword units),Warrior Monks, Cavalry Archers, Heavy Cavalry (elite mounted swordsmen) ,Yari Cavalry (mounted with spears),Yari Ashigaru (peasants with spears)and Musketeer Ashigaru (firearm). You are able to build an army that will command the respect of your opposing daimyo's. When you engage in battle is when this game is at it's best! They have incorporated nearly everything to make these battles as realistic as possible. For instance, you do not want to attack uphill and when you do, you pay for it. If it starts raining the musketeer Ashigaru will not fire because their gun powder gets wet. On the other hand if you are able to surprise and flank your opponent, the enemy troops tend to break, and rout fast.

Description of game play
What I really enjoy about Shogun Total War is that there are two sides to this game engine. First you have the strategy side. This is where you build things such as; farms, armories, barracks, metal foundries, archery ranges and castles. You also have to set the tax rate in each territory that you are running. If you start to war monger you need to have all your eggs in a row. You need to have lots of farms and a tax rate that keep the people happy. Once this is done, you can build a large and well-trained military. Your military also plays a part in how happy your villages are. For instance if a rival kingdom has built up a large military force on one of your counties borders, your people will fell insecure unless you place a equally large force for their protection.

You have to learn to balance how and when to build your military while keeping your kingdom happy. You must also learn to find a weakness in the lines of your enemy then coordinate and execute an attack. This is where you get into the other part of the game that I have not found in any other game engines with the exception of the Total War series. The side that I am referring too is the tactics side. Once you are attacked or initiate your own offensive, the game goes to a 3-D style battlefield. You are able to command each unit during the battle. If you are on the defensive, you are able to place your troops on the high ground in any style or formation you may want. On the other hand if you are the aggressor in the attack you may be the one attacking the high ground so you must plan your attack well!

If you pull an attack off and win the battle, you gain control of that territory. This is how you expand your empire. If you are attacked and lose the battle, you lose that territory. The game is a lot of fun and will be easy to learn for strategy gamers. If you are new to strategy gaming it’ll take you a couple of days to learn the ropes.


Multi-Player
The multi-player is also set up very well. You will not need to search for a Shogun total war gaming ladder to join here. They have it incorporated right into their multi-player room. You are able to play a competitive game and get ranked for that game. You also have the option to play a friendly game that will not be ranked. They rank players as well as clans with this ladder. There are at least thirty active clans and plenty of honorable folks to get you on you way when you play online.

Game Play [ 8 of 10]
The game play is a lot of fun because it demands strategy as well as some knowledge of basic tactics.

Replay Value [8 of 10]
I have had Shogun Total War for several years. I still pull it out and play now and again. There are so many maps and possible outcomes that you would never get the same scenario twice. The scope of the game is very large.

Graphics [7 of 10]
The graphics are the weak part of this game. They could have done a lot more work on the battlefield and map graphics.

Sound [8 of 10]
I like the sound that was incorporated into the game. There are a variety of different musical tunes that play during the game. When you are in battle, the sounds are intense.

Conclusion
I would definitely recommend Shogun Total War to the strategy gamer. If you like this one there are several more Total War Games that have been released after Shogun. The game and its engine are a huge success. I give Shogun Total War two thumps up.

Total War Series
Shogun Total War
Shogun Warlord Edition / Mongol invasion
Medieval Total War
Rome Total War (Fall 2004)

Official Site
www.totalwar.com

Thanks for the read,

~Mac

Recommended: Yes