Total War: Shogun 2

Shogun 2 is the Total War series back on form, and boasting the most outrageous hats in martial history. Totsugeki!

92%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

stability, grinding

92% User Score Based on 34,793 reviews

Critic Score 92%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $4.26

Buy NowGet on Steam PHP994.95 Buy NowGet on Apple Store

About

Total War: Shogun 2 is a single player and multiplayer tactical turn-based strategy game with warfare, medieval and historical themes. It was developed by Feral Interactive (Linux) and was released on March 15, 2011. It received very positive reviews from both critics and players.

In Total War: Shogun 2 you choose from one of 9 (10 with Ikko-Ikki dlc) clans, each with their own unique traits and skills and each with their own RPG-style warlord to lead them. Use a mixture of diplomacy, political manoeuvring, province building, research and special agents such as Ninja assassins or Geisha spies to get your enemies exactly where you want them. An intuitive user interface and a…

+18

Skip User Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 34,793 reviews

gameplay929 positive mentions

stability205 negative mentions

Total War: Shogun 2 features stunning, timeless graphics with a cohesive Japanese art style, immersive atmosphere, and exceptional soundtrack that together create a highly engaging and authentic Sengoku-era experience.
The game delivers polished and balanced gameplay, elegantly blending turn-based strategy with real-time tactical battles, featuring deep character development, unique clan traits, and strong AI that provide strategic depth and replayability.
It offers exceptional replay value through multiple factions with distinctive playstyles, varied campaign scenarios, and extensive mod support, making it a favorite in the Total War series with a memorable blend of humor and emotional immersion.

The game is plagued by technical issues including frequent crashes, graphical bugs, performance stuttering, and unstable multiplayer, with some updates worsening stability and optimization especially on certain platforms.
The late-game realm divide mechanic is widely criticized for being frustrating, artificial in difficulty spike, and rendering diplomacy ineffective, leading to tedious and repetitive gameplay in the final stages of the campaign.
Monetization practices involving excessive DLC, locked unique clans behind microtransactions, and fragmented content have alienated many players, contributing to a perception of aggressive cash grabs from the publisher.

gameplay
2,123 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
53%
3%
Total War: Shogun 2 delivers polished, balanced gameplay that expertly blends turn-based strategy with real-time tactical battles, set against a richly immersive Sengoku-era Japan. Its mechanics, including unique clan traits, dynamic skirmishes, and the challenging "realm divide" endgame event, offer depth, strategic variety, and replayability, though some players find the realm divide mechanic frustrating. Notably praised for its elegant, intuitive design and enduring AI challenge, Shogun 2 remains a standout and often considered the pinnacle of Total War gameplay despite its age.
- “Total War: Shogun 2 redefines the franchise with focused, elegant gameplay set in feudal Japan, perfectly balancing turn-based strategy and real-time tactical battles.”
- “The game features polished, well-thought-out mechanics, combining strategic depth and engaging tactical gameplay that remains challenging and rewarding even years after release.”
- “Shogun 2 excels with its seamless blend of historical accuracy, immersive atmosphere, and a campaign system rich with diplomacy, economy, and unique faction mechanics, making every decision impactful.”
- “The late game is a massive chore, the realm divide mechanic makes the use of diplomacy a huge waste of time and effort, having the whole of Japan against your faction wouldn't be bad if the AI didn't cheat, but since it does, you will be dealing against huge stacks of yari, bow, katana samurais at all corners, making it a chore of juggling provinces and trying to keep things afloat.”
- “The 'realm divide' mechanic is just awful – simply hand-waving a lot of fundamental game balance just to artificially ramp up the difficulty.”
- “The campaigns can get boring after playing some factions because almost all factions share the same unit roster; the over-reliance on rock-paper-scissors gameplay, the massive limitations on building slots, castle upgrading, and unit upgrades make it feel repetitive.”
graphics
1,936 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
39%
3%
Total War: Shogun 2 features stunning and timeless graphics that have aged remarkably well since its 2011 release, with a cohesive Japanese art style and detailed unit models that enhance immersion. While some elements show their age compared to modern standards, the game's visuals remain impressive, supported by beautiful animation, atmospheric effects, and a well-executed, aesthetically pleasing interface. Modding communities further enhance the graphics, making it a visually compelling experience even today without demanding excessive hardware.
- “Even after all these years, Shogun 2 still holds up beautifully in all regards of visuals, performance, and gameplay.”
- “Lovely graphics and art style; the presentation of Shogun 2 is top-notch with stunning visuals and a stirring soundtrack that captures the spirit of feudal Japan.”
- “For a game released in 2011, the graphics are ridiculously good and the battles just look amazing.”
- “Shogun 2 is a decent game from a gameplay perspective, and aesthetically, but the technical side is absolute garbage.”
- “The game is really finicky and unstable, prone to graphical bugs, and sometimes crashes.”
- “I've tried switching DirectX versions (from 9 to 11, then back to 11) but the game crashed anyway; tried reducing my graphic settings (even though this is a game from 2011 and my GPU is a 6700XT), but again it didn't do much apart from making the game look like it's from 2011.”
music
562 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
40%
1%
The music in Total War: Shogun 2 is widely praised for its authentic traditional Japanese soundtrack, which deeply enhances the game's immersive atmosphere and complements its feudal Japan setting. Composed by Jeff van Dyck, the score features a mix of serene flute melodies and intense battle drums, making combat feel epic and the campaign contemplative. Players consistently highlight the soundtrack as one of the best in the Total War series, with memorable tracks that enrich both gameplay and storytelling.
- “The soundtrack and voice acting is incredible, the battles feel like they flow excellently, and the city management is pretty fun too.”
- “The music is elegant when it needs to be, ominous when it should be, and perfectly happy to let the battlefield noise take over once things go to hell.”
- “The sound design, featuring taiko drums and traditional music, perfectly complements the tension of battle.”
- “The tootle-dootle-doo music when you win a battle is actually government-made ear crack.”
- “The music is a bit off for me.”
- “5) The music is lackluster.”
replayability
392 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
46%
3%
Total War: Shogun 2 is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, driven by the unique playstyles of multiple clans, varied campaign scenarios, and challenging difficulty levels. Expansions and mods significantly enhance this replay value, offering fresh units, factions, and gameplay mechanics that keep the experience engaging over hundreds of hours. While some note limited faction variety and repetitive late-game battles, the game's polished design, strategic depth, and mod support ensure it remains highly replayable and a favorite within the Total War series.
- “The sheer amount of replayability this game has is just insane, it has three separate campaigns that each have multiple factions which combined with the various difficulty levels essentially means on a practical level that you could be playing it forever.”
- “Whether you’re a total war veteran or a newcomer, Shogun 2 delivers incredible depth, replayability, and emotional intensity.”
- “The variety of clans adds a lot of replay value, as each one has unique traits and playstyles, offering a fresh experience every time.”
- “Unlike Rome 2 or Warhammer, replayability suffers.”
- “The replay value is lacking; most factions play identically and there is no real unit variety.”
- “Most notable amongst these is the utter lack of replayability; with a single exception (available through DLC purchase only), every faction shares all of its units with every other faction on the map, and the only real variance you'll see between campaigns will arise from your starting position.”
story
326 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
70%
3%
The story in Total War: Shogun 2 is minimalist and player-driven, focusing on a clan's rise to become shogun during the Sengoku period of feudal Japan, with historical context as a rich backdrop rather than detailed narratives. While lacking intricate characters or heavy cinematic storytelling, it offers emergent narratives through strategic gameplay, customized generals, and agent missions like ninja assassinations, which many players find immersive and rewarding. Some players note the story's simplicity or lack of variety compared to other Total War titles, but overall it complements the gameplay and provides a satisfying strategic campaign experience.
- “The story is straightforward and follows a clan's rise to the title of shogun, creating a compelling and satisfying campaign.”
- “The narrative is player-driven, with the game’s historical setting providing a rich backdrop for emergent storytelling that immerses you in feudal Japan.”
- “I especially love the animated ninja missions as you send them to assassinate leaders or sabotage buildings, adding depth to the story and gameplay.”
- “Slow and boring gameplay, UI is extremely tiny on high resolution screens, default Sengoku era story, very dated.”
- “The base campaign offers plenty of replayability, but after a few playthroughs, many players feel that the campaigns lack variety, and the absence of more detailed side quests or alternative storylines makes the experience feel restricted.”
- “Another reskinning of the same game but this time with worse features, fewer troop types, no castles, and a brain-dead quasi-story-mode, wherein everyone declares war on you (and only you) and all previous diplomacy is rendered meaningless and all future diplomacy is impossible.”
stability
227 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
1%
90%
The game is widely regarded as buggy and unstable, with frequent crashes, freezes, and glitches—particularly in naval combat and multiplayer modes. While some players find it playable and enjoyable after workarounds or mods, many note that key bugs remain unfixed years after release, impacting overall stability and user experience.
- “Great game with few to no glitches.”
- “If you're looking for an entry point into the Total War series and don't mind investing in an older but balanced and bug-free game, then look no further.”
- “The best, easiest to play and most bug-free version of Total War yet, even comes with developer mapping tools!”
- “Unless you run the game in windowed mode, it freezes constantly; not even the main menu works reliably.”
- “The current update broke the game and almost any multiplayer campaign glitches out, making the game unplayable at the moment.”
- “The game is extremely buggy and crashes constantly regardless of the time and effort taken to prevent or fix issues.”
atmosphere
223 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
34%
1%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and authentic depiction of feudal Japan, skillfully blending traditional music, detailed artwork, and historical authenticity to create a richly engaging experience. Reviewers highlight its unique cultural ambiance, evocative soundtrack, and cinematic presentation that bring the Sengoku period to life, making it a standout title in the Total War series. Despite some dated graphics and limited faction variety, the game’s atmosphere remains a defining strength that deeply enhances both campaign and battle gameplay.
- “The atmosphere is unmatched: traditional Japanese music, gorgeous artwork, and immersive narration by Sun Tzu bring the world to life.”
- “Total War: Shogun 2 delivers an absolutely perfect atmosphere, immersing players in the beauty and brutality of feudal Japan.”
- “The most atmospheric Total War game I’ve played, the setting, distinct art style, music and ambient sounds all unify to create a truly unique game which celebrates a unique country and time period in history.”
- “The developers probably wanted to re-use what they had already developed for earlier games in the Total War series; however, from what I have learned about Japanese history, fleet combat wasn't common at all, and for me, to some degree this takes away from the atmosphere.”
- “However, sadly you can only experience the full joy of the game if you have a decently strong computer, as the atmosphere of the game is important as well as reduced unit sizes making for far less enjoyable battles.”
- “Graphics, sounds, and atmosphere are exquisite but gameplay (mostly missions and scenarios) leave something wanting.”
optimization
206 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
Total War: Shogun 2 is generally well-optimized for a decade-old game, running smoothly on both low-end and modern hardware with solid performance during battles and campaigns. However, occasional stuttering, long loading times, and significant optimization issues persist on certain platforms, particularly macOS and AMD systems, with large-scale battles sometimes causing frame drops and unit stuttering. Overall, while it remains one of the best-optimized titles in the series, users note that it could benefit from updated patches and better support for newer multi-core CPUs and higher resolutions.
- “The best of all Total War: great setting, gameplay, mods, DLC, graphics, and has the best optimization and modern controls, truly the GOAT.”
- “Shogun 2 is the best Total War game for many reasons: it is the most optimized, has the best AI, is the most well balanced and has by far the best multiplayer system.”
- “It has great graphics and optimization, spectacular gameplay and balance, and the sound effects immerse you into the game.”
- “Performance issues and crashing abound.”
- “Until CA fixes their 'performance patch' this game will be unplayable.”
- “The supposed performance increases are in fact quite the opposite; my 3080 is struggling to go past 25 fps when it used to run double that on the same game same time last year.”
humor
123 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The game’s humor is widely praised for its entertaining announcer voices, humorous cutscenes—especially involving ninjas and agents—and quirky, sometimes exaggerated battle scenarios. Players enjoy the funny voice acting, agent animations, and amusing mishaps during combat, which add a lighthearted charm to the historical setting. Overall, the humor enhances the fun and replayability, making it a recommended experience for those who appreciate comedic elements in strategy games.
- “My favorite part has to be the humorous, stylized cinematic cutscenes that play whenever an agent successfully performs an action.”
- “The announcer voices are funny and that makes the game good for me.”
- “The voice-acting is memorable and at times funny, with a somewhat caricature-like Japanese accent to the spoken English.”
grinding
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
15%
82%
Reviews consistently highlight that grinding is a prominent and often tedious aspect of gameplay, especially in late stages, with repetitive micromanagement, campaign progression, and naval battles contributing to player fatigue. While some appreciate the depth and strategic challenge, many find the constant resource farming, unit management, and lengthy campaigns become monotonous and detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
- “For me, the campaign proved to be challenging but not tedious.”
- “After one or two such battles, this becomes extremely tedious.”
- “The last big problem I noticed is needing agents to sit in all the cities you take to convert their allegiance, also tedious, annoying, time consuming and stupid.”
- “The lack of cross-platform multiplayer and the terrible idea of allowing DLC advantaged units takes a game focused on strategy and tactics, and makes it about grinding and stacking the odds.”
emotional
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Total War: Shogun 2 evokes strong emotional responses, ranging from heartfelt immersion and poignant moments like the death of a daimyo to a deep connection with samurai culture and epic battles. While some feel the narrative depth is limited, the game's atmosphere, music, and challenging gameplay create a memorable and often moving experience that resonates with veterans and newcomers alike.
- “Whether you’re a Total War veteran or a newcomer, Shogun 2 delivers incredible depth, replayability, and emotional intensity.”
- “Nothing is more heartbreaking than watching your beloved daimyo kill himself as his armies are slaughtered and the empire you worked so hard to build crumbles.”
- “The presentation of this game gets you immersed and was one of the few games that really made me feel like I was a part of its world while playing.”
monetization
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
14%
75%
The monetization of the game is widely criticized for aggressive cash grabs, excessive DLC, and fragmented content requiring multiple additional purchases, often perceived as exploitative and misleading. While some entries avoid heavy in-game purchases, the overall publisher reputation is tarnished by poor customer support, invasive advertising, and controversial practices like breaking mod support and pushing costly microtransactions. Many players feel alienated and advise caution or boycotts due to these monetization tactics.
- “Unlike many modern games, there’s no bombardment of in-game purchases here.”
- “The microtransactions also weren't as heavy on this one.”
- “The most unique clans are locked behind microtransactions.”
- “It's a great game by one of the worst publishers in the industry, with excessive DLC and monetization that should not be supported, which only got worse over time and with more recent entries.”
- “Cash grab, they split the game into 6-8 different parts and expect you to pay more after buying the game. Don't expect a complete game from this company; you even have to pay for blood and gore in a game whose main focus is war. 1 star.”
- “While Rome 2 had pretty good innovation, the constant cash grab attempts and lack of decent customer support have put me off this developer.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
Character development in the game is praised for its depth and integration with both military and political gameplay, featuring detailed development trees for generals and agents that allow specialization. Players appreciate the rewarding progression through battle experience and the strategic impact of character traits on morale and combat outcomes. Overall, it is seen as a well-designed and innovative system that enhances the game's immersion and strategy.
- “A very well designed strategy game which combines the military and political spheres with character development.”
- “+ character development trees for generals and agents that let you specialise them.”
- “Battles are good, building in provinces and character development (the latter through battle experience) easy to understand and rewarding.”

Skip Critic Reviews

92%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews

Skip Game Offers

Buy Total War: Shogun 2

98h Median play time

352h Average play time

27h Main story

216h Completionist

17-400h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 124 analyzed playthroughs

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Total War: Shogun 2

81%27.5kreviews

Total War: Rome II

2013

Tactical Role Playing

89%14.5kreviews

Napoleon: Total War

2010

Tactical Turn-based Strategy

94%10.9kreviews

Rome: Total War

2007

Tactical Role Playing

89%21.4kreviews

Empire: Total War

2009

Tactical Turn-based Strategy

83%31.6kreviews

Total War: THREE KINGDOMS

2019

Tactical Turn-based Strategy

More games like Total War: Shogun 2

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Total War: Shogun 2 is a tactical turn-based strategy game with warfare, medieval and historical themes.

Total War: Shogun 2 is available on PC, Mac OS, Phone, iPad and others.

The main story can be completed in around 27 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 216 hours to finish. On average players spend around 352 hours playing Total War: Shogun 2.

Total War: Shogun 2 was released on March 15, 2011.

Total War: Shogun 2 was developed by Feral Interactive (Linux).

Total War: Shogun 2 has received very positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked Total War: Shogun 2 for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Total War: Shogun 2 is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Total War: Rome II, Napoleon: Total War, Rome: Total War, Empire: Total War, Total War: THREE KINGDOMS and others.

Total War: Shogun 2

Platforms