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Something fresh

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: February 19, 2002
Author: Amazon User

In a world where the latest RTS releases are clones of the original greats, finally, someone has come up with something original.

I'm a fan of Japanese history, and have been for a while. And the first time I saw Shogun, I knew I had to have it.

My favorite feature is the fact that you get to use advanced tactics and destroy your enemy. In other RTS, you are limited in what you can do. In Shogun, you are free to do what you want.

Another feature is it's realism. If you have 500 men in your army, you get 500 men on the screen. The music is enthralling, and the sound is great.

Now you're wondering what can be bad. The most obvious thing I found wrong with it was the fact that the geisha are like goddesses. I go as far as using ninjas, but that's it. Geishas make the game too easy. That's my only real gripe with this great game.

900 men ready to frag another 900 men

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Okay, i know that most of you that are going to buy this game know that you can control like 900 units at once. If you have played Age of Empires, then you know that only 40 units in that game can be selected at a time and the population limit is usually 200. Shogun's combat system is much more complex, thus making the learning curve steeper.

Shogun has 2 different main interfaces when you are playing the game. though i am quite new to this game, the "strategy map" section, which shows all of the provinces under your control and lets you build units and buildings in that province, is very simple to understand. it is regular turn-based strategy where every 4 turns, you get the report of your yearly harvest, which is your income. Now the unit system is not as complex as AOE (age of empires), but the battle system makes up for that. when you send an army, shown on your strategy map, into a province that is not ruled by you, the next turn the game will ask you if you want to commence the battle by yourself, let the computer decide, or just run away becuase you do not want to fight. usually, you want to do the battle by yourself so then you are taken into the "battle mode". battle mode is not turn based. instead it is Real Time, just like AOE. the "tutorial" gives you a first hand look in battle mode, but tutorial has a problem where they tell you to click on a flag, you click on the flag, and the program calls you a fool for not following directions. so thus, tutorial is basically useless. anyways, the battles in Shogun are HUGE. you may find youself running away, just to come back with a bigger army. or you may find yourself fraggin the computer cause your army is 2x the size of his.

Shogun comes with some bugs, thus reducing my rating of it to 4 stars. the first is the one that i mentioned about the tutorial. the next is about the Geisha house. i can never find the option to build it, even though i have all of the requirements. also, patching the game is confusing. i downloaded the most recent patch, and installed it. what i got was a menu that was so messed up that i couldn't even exit the game from it. Overall, buy Shogun: Total War Warlord edition. it will get you ready for Medieval: Total War the next game coming from the same developers!

One of the best Games now better

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: October 14, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I've always enjoyed the Shogun Games and this new one is no exception. It has very cool military tactics, and several combinations of battle set-ups. For example you can play up to seven different clans. Each with different locations and advantages, also you can select from three different time period with different technology advances, and lastly you have the Mongol invasion. It is a real barbarian blast.

If you enjoy good military turn-based strategy games I think you'll like this one.

SHOGUN IS THE BEST!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: November 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is simply the most realistic strategy game ever. It requires real strategy that includes makeing up for morale or using it to your advantage. The gameplay is awsome, fighting with samurai, ninjas, kensai and a whole lot of other stuff. The "risk style" strategy map is actually interesting and you may spend hours trying to get a ninja to a high honour to kill the enemy daimyo while battleing off his forces. One of the most awsome times in this game is when you are in a massive battle with many troops and multiple enemys! The sound and music are awsome and the music actually gets you in the mood of the game. The sounds of charging troops is also very awsome. The graphics are very good, especially the movie (NINJA ASSASINATION!!!) graphics. the many commands for your troops such as fast movements and good formation are also good. All in all this is one of the very best strategy games ever and ranks in the definate top ten, if not the top three (might even be #1).

What's the Problem

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 22
Date: July 26, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Ship the damn Game. I want it, shogun rocks, ship the damn game. No more excuses, i don't care if we never hear from you again, just ship the damn game.

The realistic simulation of Japanese Middle Age Warfare

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: November 07, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Shôgun - Total War is a tremendously realistic game. As I am studying Japanese Studies and so speak a little Japanese, I can say that the original Japanese are fantastic. The whole gameplay as improved to the original game. The only weak point I have seen so far is the look of the kensai on the battlefield. They are simply too big and so do not fit with the rest of the armies. But that is rather an aesthetic point. The game is still quite difficult to win but that is o.k. for me because one can play longer this way by trying different strategies. Finally, I think it is just a great game for anyone who has an interest in Japanese history and the time of the country at war. Enjoy!

Great Graphics Familiar Concept

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Japan in the 16thCentury is the stage for this combination turn style board game and real time battle simulation. Anyone familiar with RISK will need no explanation on how to play this game. Certainly, shuffling pieces around a gameboard gets tedious but the real time battles in which you command up to several thousand troops is where the game shines. My major problem with the game is that resources (KOKU or gold to us non-japanese) can take a long time to accumulate in sufficient quantity to develop a serious fighting force. This gets quite tedious. Starting resources and technical development should be higher at the outset to avoid the boring aspect of playing amateur economist. You only get your KOKU once a year and generally you spend it within a season which leaves you quite vulnerable till the next harvest. Japan is divided between several CLANS and you get to chose which one you will become the DAIMYO (clan leader) of. The idea is to amass wealth, develop technically and recruit fighting units so that you can invade neighbouring territoties. Your opponents will be doing the same thing with you in mind. As mentioned, shuffling pieces around a gameboard is not where the fun is at. Combat is resolved one of three ways: retreating, personally commanding the troops or allowing the computer AI to resolve it automatically. The latter is not a good idea as the AI rarely does as good a job as yourself whereas the former is why you bought the game in the first place. Troops are placed in units of 60-100 strength and they fight as one (Age of Empire fans will appreciate being free from commanding each soldier personally). The landscapes are very well done (at least from a distance). Weather effects lend a realism which adds a random chance aspect to a successful foray. The rules of combat are based on Sun Tsu's teachings for good generalship. Topography and weather will assist or hinder certain units as well as the normal advantages given to one type of unit over another. It does require one to think about how one deploys units and against which type of unit you will wish to engage. Unfortunately the rules do seem to bend at times. I have lost encounters which according to these guidelines I aught to have won handily. This flaw in programming becomes more apparent when playing the game at HARD. All this means is that the rules of combat are at the whim of the computer AI. No matter how great your advantage, if the AI determines it is your turn lose it will happen. I don't appreciate having the rules applied on a random basis (cheating)and once you are aware it is going on it makes one question every subsequent engagement. My level of enjoyment diminished at that point. Also, at any one time only 16 units can take the field at once. All your remaining forces will be held in reserve. You do not have the ability to summon them as you need them which is a real drag, but what is more bothersome is that when they do appear they arrive from behind enemy lines where they are apt to be quickly butchered if the enemy has sufficient strength. I don't know why they designed it this way but I tend to avoid large armies for this very reason. Surprisingly, the most deathly unit is the Geisha who is invulnerable to attack but has the capability to eliminate all your heirs and Daimyo thus knocking you out of the game. It's a (...) way to win or lose, most bought this game to play samurai not Mata Hari. Where's the fun in that? Speaking of lousy, I have lost games because my Daimyo died of an illness without leaving any heirs. At what point the developers decided this was an attractive feature I can't fathom. All in all the combat saves the game but obviously there is much room for improvement.

Worth every penny

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 12, 2002
Author: Amazon User

As a relatively late convert to the Total War phenomenon, I just purchased the Warlord Edition for the bargain price of $20. It has proven to be worth that and more - it has better gameplay, greater replayability, and more style than any $60 game out on the market today.

Total War combines the addictive empire building gameplay of Civilization with the immensely satisfying tactical combat of Myth. If ever there was a perfect game for wanna-be kings and generals, this is it. No silly individual unit micromanagement ala Age of Empires, No frustratingly simplistic rock-paper-scissors combat ala the Civ. franchise... this is gaming at its best - proof of the good a computer can do for wargaming...

Now for a few caveats...

The stategic aspect of the game is relatively limited... a very simple economic model with a limited tech tree - not a game for any bean-counters out there. Fortunately, I'm more interested in the guns than the butter.

The tactical AI is left somewhat wanting. Even on the "expert" setting, the computer AI isn't to difficult to outflank and defeat (at least, if you are have any knowledge of sound military practice)... in fact, the only difference between difficulty settings in battle seems to be that the computer's units become tougher (an more numerous)--- they don't get any smarter. This is an area that too many game companies let slide, apparently assuming that everyone wants to play against human opponents online. As a member of the "silent majority" of Single-Player gamers out there, I think a more robust AI is needed for future Total War releases.

If, on the other hand, you are a twitch gamer, or one who found Myth, Myth II, Close Combat, Antietam, or Gettysburg to be too difficult, you will likely be quite challenged by the AI in Total War. By the way, if you enjoyed any of these games, you will certainly LOVE Total War.

I guarantee you will not find a better strategic/tactical game until Medieval Total War hits the shelves.

Watch Out! The Purchase could be tricky

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is certainly on my must own list. I have been playing this game for many years and although the graphics are out dated the game still plays great. It has a turn based element in it much like Master of Magic with a real time battle complete with units and tactics. All the elements are here for a great gaming experience, wonderful historic back drop with the warrior mystique created by Ninja, Samurai, and the Geisha cultures molded into a superb gaming package. I rated it a 4 overall because the graphics are a little dated, but for a great time it's worth the investment. The real issue here is that this is the real "Warlords Edition". The Shogun Total War Gold and Shogun Total War editions both seem to have fatal errors on my equipment. In the Warlords Edition there is a different opening video and there is no Thrown room and I suspect that the errors are based on the programing around this "Thrown room". Make sure that you are buying the Electronic Arts version "Warlords Edition" without the Thrown room interface to get a smooth running program. I had to go back and purchase the Warlords Edition after first making the mistake of buying the gold edition. Although the game would have been better had the Thrown Room actually worked, having to constantly try and trick your computer into playing the game past the fatal errors is tedious and time consuming, taking away much from the playing experience. This version rocks!
My homebuild is as follows: 32 bit prescott core intel p-4 at 3.06ghz, 1 gig of 400mhz (2x512 dual Channel)memory, onboard sound 5.1 surround, Intel 865perl motherboard, Nvidia 6800extreme 256 meg agp, and Windows XP professional. This machine is a budget gamer but with over 50 game titles in my library, from Call of Duty 2 to Dos titles like Ultima 7 The Silver Seed,I have very few games that have problems running on this machine in some fashion. Make sure you get the right version.

Great, but

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: October 27, 2001
Author: Amazon User

If you get this game, you must be committed to having a system that can handle it. Check out your video card and make sure it is compatible. Amazing game when you are in the real time battle mode. The newer version of the Warlord Edition is worth the upgrade.

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