A Total War Saga: FALL OF THE SAMURAI

63%
Game Brain Score Based on 633 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
A Total War Saga: FALL OF THE SAMURAI Game Cover
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"A Total War Saga: Fall of the Samurai" is a strategy game set in Japan during the late 1800s, as the country undergoes rapid modernization and faces internal conflict. Players can choose to lead either traditional samurai clans or modernizing factions, managing resources, troops, and diplomacy while engaging in turn-based strategy and real-time battles. The game features historically inspired events, units, and technology, as well as a rich campaign and multiplayer mode.

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Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

63%
Audience ScoreBased on 633 reviews
gameplay12 positive mentions
monetization6 negative mentions
  • Fall of the Samurai is an incredible expansion that enhances the already great Shogun 2 experience with new features like gatling guns and naval bombardments.
  • The game offers a unique blend of traditional samurai warfare and modern gunpowder tactics, making battles feel dynamic and engaging.
  • The visuals and audio effects are immersive, creating a captivating atmosphere that brings the historical setting to life.
  • The rebranding of this expansion as a standalone 'Saga' title has led to confusion and frustration among players, especially with the increased price.
  • There is a lack of unit variety across clans, with many unique units being mere reskins, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • The AI can be frustratingly unbalanced, often relying on cheats rather than strategic gameplay, which can diminish the challenge.
  • gameplay36 mentions

    The gameplay of "Fall of the Samurai" is widely praised for its innovative mechanics and smooth integration of traditional and modern warfare, offering a unique experience that combines elements from previous Total War titles like Shogun 2, Empire, and Napoleon. Players appreciate the depth of strategy involved, particularly with the revamped realm divide mechanic and diverse unit types, although some express frustration with campaign challenges and the separation of the expansion from the base game. Overall, it is considered one of the best entries in the Total War franchise, delivering a rich and engaging gameplay experience.

    • “It combines the super smooth gameplay experience of Shogun 2 with the fun of Empire.”
    • “The game is all about Japan transitioning into western technology, so the gameplay strikes a realistic balance between tradition and the modern.”
    • “Absolutely and utterly brilliant expansion to Shogun 2's gameplay with a setting like nothing seen in a Total War game before.”
    • “Cool visuals, but campaign gameplay sucks. Everyone declares war on you and bombards your cities, leaving you with nothing to do but slowly bleed out.”
    • “I've played multiplayer for roughly 300 hours and I've discovered its myriad gameplay problems.”
    • “Some mechanics just make little sense to me.”
  • graphics17 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their quality and style, with many reviewers noting that they have stood the test of time since its release. While some criticisms exist regarding the game's performance due to its 32-bit architecture, the visuals, particularly in battle scenes, are described as extremely realistic and impressive. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout experience in the Total War series.

    • “Best graphics, style, gameplay, realm divide, everything peaked here.”
    • “Awesome game and graphics despite the time, you shall never regret owning this masterpiece.”
    • “With the gore DLC and the best graphics (haven't tried worse graphics but I doubt it's a lot worse), the battles look extremely real.”
    • “To prove my point even further and to strike it outta the ballpark here: it's also still running in 32 bits, meaning it will never fully utilize the amount of RAM you have on modern systems. This leads to issues like memory leakage and crashes, which can cause errors due to graphics.”
    • “But, $30 for a nine-year-old game, without major modifications and improvements to performance, gameplay, and graphical detail as a remaster or something?”
    • “The campaign map is a 19th century styled geographic map that places less emphasis on beautiful mountains and more on the great plains and seas that can be traversed by rail and steamship.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its incredible quality and thematic fit within the setting. The soundtrack enhances the overall experience, particularly during combat, contributing to a peak gaming experience. Overall, it is considered a standout feature that complements the game's visuals and gameplay effectively.

    • “The music and sounds are incredible.”
    • “The setting, the gameplay, the graphics/visuals, the soundtrack, the shameless money-grab; this is the peak total war experience, a complete 10/10 for me.”
    • “Thematically, the game makes very good use of the setting and has a banger soundtrack.”
    • “The game looks pretty and the music is magnificent.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    The monetization of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users expressing disappointment over its re-release and labeling it as deceptive marketing. Many feel that the term "saga" is misleading and contributes to the perception of greed from the developers.

    • “I just can't rate this positively because labeling this product as a 'saga' borders on deceptive advertisement (not only for this product, but for all of CA's sagas).”
    • “Hah, I just noticed these greedy clowns re-released this otherwise favorite decade-old game for a shameless cash grab.”
    • “Blatant cash grab.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    Overall, the game offers great replayability, especially with its DLC expansions that introduce new campaigns and enhance the experience. However, some players note that the limited number of factions and their similarities can diminish unique gameplay experiences. While mods can improve replayability, the reliance on them and the high cost of agent actions are seen as drawbacks.

    • “Great replayability and still looking good for an eleven-year-old game.”
    • “Highly recommend, and of course tons of replayability.”
    • “The DLC expansion packs add tons of replay value with a campaign based on the historical and exciting rise of samurais and another with a campaign on the sad but action-packed real-world modernization of feudal Japan that led to the fall of the samurais.”
    • “Probably the highest peak of Total War history and goes on pretty cheap during sales, yet flawed and reliant on some mods to increase replayability, not to mention the DLC factions.”
    • “The only downside is that all factions are nearly identical and you only have 10 factions to choose from, so the game isn't really replayable with unique experiences, and agent actions are extremely expensive.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some users criticize the lack of new features, bug fixes, and significant performance improvements for a game priced at $30, others note that it runs smoothly and is well-polished, particularly praising the improvements in artillery mechanics.

    • “It runs smoothly, it's well polished and balanced.”
    • “For the same goddam experience near 10 years ago, I may add, with nothing literally new added to it to even justify this at all (no optimization for it, no new features, no new bug fixes/patches, and etc. here nor support).”
    • “But, $30 for a nine-year-old game, without major modifications and improvements to performance, gameplay, and graphical detail as a remaster or something?”
    • “For those who don't know, this game is originally a standalone expansion to Shogun 2, and people liked it. Later down the line, they made Thrones of Britannia, an unoptimized and barebones game almost nobody liked and was quickly abandoned.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The stability of the game has been criticized for persistent glitches, particularly with DLC and unit behavior, some of which have remained unpatched for over a decade. While Shogun 2 was initially well-received for its stability compared to Rome 2, users report ongoing issues such as unresponsive units and erratic artillery behavior, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these problems, the campaign remains enjoyable, though AI bugs can also impact gameplay.

    • “Look into its issues before installing, like the DLC glitches. If it's bought before the actual Shogun 2, there is a glitch that hasn't been patched in over 10 years.”
    • “God, the units are incredibly buggy. Here are some examples: units who are in range just won't shoot at the enemy for no reason (and the enemy can shoot magically, so my units are basically shooting dummies), artillery just mounts and unmounts whenever it wants and sometimes gets stuck on the shooting icon (even when they are mounted), and units just keep replacing themselves for no reason.”
    • “On release, Shogun 2 became one of the more strongly liked Total Wars, and in the early years of Rome 2, Shogun 2 was still largely preferred due to being a better all-round game with fewer glitches and bugs.”
  • story4 mentions

    The game's story is criticized for its lack of depth, resembling the campaign of "Rise of the Samurai," and is marred by a significant glitch that can permanently disrupt trading with foreign powers if certain ports are attacked or lost, necessitating a tedious rebuilding process.

    • “The campaign has no story, much like the Rise of the Samurai.”
    • “There is a pretty persistent glitch when the port you use to trade with foreign powers is attacked or destroyed or the region is lost; you can permanently lose the ability to trade with foreign powers.”
    • “The only solution is to destroy all available trading ports and rebuild them from scratch.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly immersive, particularly during land and naval battles, though it falls short in siege scenarios. Overall, it significantly alters the player's experience and approach to combat, enhancing enjoyment in most other aspects.

    • “Immersive atmosphere, exceptional land and naval battles; pretty bad for siege battles, to be honest, but at least you can enjoy every other aspect.”
    • “Completely changes the atmosphere and the approach to battles.”
    • “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to get immersed in the game.”
    • “Despite the potential, the atmosphere is flat and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
    • “The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, resulting in a disjointed experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the reviews is largely critical, with users expressing disappointment over the lack of comedic content, such as a funny short movie, and finding the pricing of older games by the company to be absurdly high, which they find amusing given the availability of cheaper alternatives.

    • “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever writing and witty dialogue that keeps you laughing throughout.”
    • “The absurdity of the situations you find yourself in adds a delightful layer of humor that makes the gameplay even more enjoyable.”
    • “The game's quirky characters and their hilarious interactions provide endless entertainment and a refreshing take on the genre.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Users express frustration over the emotional impact of remaking classic games, feeling that these updates often fail to capture the original's essence and nostalgia. This sentiment highlights a desire for preservation rather than alteration, as players seek to maintain the emotional connection they have with the original titles.

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Play time

614hMedian play time
486hAverage play time
160-685hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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