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...Wow...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 13, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I've played the demo, and it is astounding. This has to be the most realistic depiction of feudal Japanese warfare ever made. The visuals are staggering, and the ability to pan and fly around the battlefield is a godsend when one is trying to manage a thousand or so samurai. I eagerly await this game's release. If you are a fan of the genre, this game is a simple inevitability. If you are a fan of AOE-type games, including Starcraft, C&C, etc, you will also be well-advised to get this game. It's even reasonably priced!

Patience is a must

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 10, 2000
Author: Amazon User

As a resident of Japan, student of Japanese culture, language and history as well as a devout Kurasawa fan, this was the one game I've been eagerly anticipating for almost a year.

If you scroll through the many reviews presented here, you will find one complaint that everyone seems to agree on: the manual. Let me get my one complaint out of the way and agree with the other reviewers. The manual isn't very helpful.

That being said, you don't need to buy the strategy guide to learn to play. It did take me a while to master the many facets of the game, but after a couple of false starts and a little patience, this became one of my all time favorite games. It even inspired me to go back and read "The Art of War," and the "Book of Five Rings" which are excellent books even if you have no interest in this game.

The realism is your friend and you must learn to use the weather and terrain to your advantage or you will get nowhere. Also, be patient (an ongoing theme) and choose your battles wisely. Learn the teachings of Sun Tzu and do not raise an army twice. Do it once and get it right.

The Ninja element is one I especially love. I am a student of Taijutsu which is the fighting art of the Ninja, so I have a fondness for the original "men in black." Proper use of Ninja and Geisha can be decisive. Learn how to raise their kills and take out crucial generals and Diamyo for maximum results. I managed to eleminate several factions through assassination alone.

Your impulse will probably be to rush if you're used to playing games like Age of Empires and Starcraft, but you're going to have to wait and ensure you have the upper hand before attacking. This isn't the RTS you're used to, so don't be frusterated when you don't conquer the interface in a day.

The music and graphics of the game are excellent and the historical elements give it a level of class that no other game can come close to. The play takes some getting used to, but as I've said, be patient and learn through trial and error. Don't be afraid to start a new game even if you've been working with the same faction for a while.

Great game about 16th Century Japanese Clan Warfare.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: October 05, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I am a big fan of Kurosawa (Seven Samurai, Ran). I have also read Shogun by Clavell as well as Musashi and Taiko by Yoshikawa. I even play the board game by Avalon Hill - Samurai Sword, previously known as Shogun (check it out on this site). Of course, this is the period that the PC game Shogun: Total War is dealing with - 16th Century Japan. I have been playing it for several nights now and I can honestly say that my wife is getting just a bit ticked off with me because this is all I want to do when I get home - play this game! It's highly addictice if you get around all the game controls, but not in a Diabo II (mindless RPG) sort of way. It is addictive because it really sets up the atmosphere of 16th century Japan beautifully - from the basic military units, the special units (emissary, ninja, geisha, priest), to the music - kodo drums and all! One beef I had with the package was that the user manual was totally useless, something that somebody else mentioned in the reviews and which I could'nt agree with more. But you can easily get around this by picking up the Official Strategy Guide by Prima -trust me, you'll need it. Put it this way, you will be playing this game for hours/months - and with its level of complexity and depth perhaps even years, so if you invest that kind of time in the game, why not invest a few more koku (Japanese currency) on a strategy guide that is well written and highly helpful! All I can say is I love this game!!!

First, think Multi-player

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: July 15, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I really enjoy Shogun. The gameplay is, to say the least, challenging. However, it is not a game for everyone.

First, the cons. The campaign version of the game is LONG. Anyone who wants to actually controll their troops in the real-time battles that will take place will have to have patience. There have been times during the game where I just let the computer determine the outcome of a battle rather than take the time to fight it myself.

Another difficulty that I have had with the game is that the computer AI seems to be unstoppable if you don't go out of your way to keep ALL of the daimyos off guard and a little weak. I have played the full campaign version of the game (on Normal difficulty setting) three times now, and I've only won once. The other two times I lost because one of the opposing armies got so huge that there was no way I could have won (I would have to estimate that he had about 10-12,000 troops in just two of his provinces-admitidly this was the bulk of his force-while I had only about 1,000-2,000). Nedless to say, I lost.

Finally, some of the clans themselves are at a disadvantage. One of the clans I have been playing as has their starting provinces (you start out with 6) split up. What I mean by that is that 3 of my provinces are connected to each other (in that I can walk troops from one province to the next, to the next), and the other 3 are connected all the way on the other side of the map. This, obviously, presents a challenge for this particular clan. Although you DO have a port linking two of the seperated provinces together, you still have the problem that if you want to expand you have to worry about more enemies taking advantage of you while you attack.

Now for the pros. The game has excellent terrain graphics. Also, I do understand people's problems with controlling the huge forces that become arrayed towards the mid- and end-game periods (where the computer seems to get a huge advantage since it can keep track of exactly what is going on and where it wants the AI troops to go-pause a LOT during these battles).

Another great thing about the game is the nasty things you can do. Nothing says I love you like a geisha. I love them-even though they take until the end-game to get. Ninjas are also a lot of fun to use. But I have to say that archers are a must. The only way I have been able to get out of some of the really ugly situations that I have found myself in (being attacked by twice my force)is by having archers on hand to rain arrows down on the attackers. These units are a must have in the begining since they can cut the smaller, beggining-game armies to pieces.

The game play is great too. One of the things that I like about the game is that the attacker has only a certain amount of time to seize the province. If they haven't routed or destroyed the defenders in that time, they lose (although they do not lose their troops for this). Furthermore, the snow, fog, rain, and wind add a good deal to the game. Your archers have a harder time shooting accurately in the rain and wind. Conversely, they are bettere when on higher ground.

Europeans and Christianity also play an important role in the game. Eventually, you will have to decide whether or not to become Christian. If you do, there is a downside. First, you are likely to experience what the game calls a "Religious Revolt", and what I call getting stabbed in the back (unless, of course, you planned for this and you built a bunch of churches at the same time). This ugly little event can come as a nasty surprise-especially since it usually happens behind your main defensive lines. Nothing is worse than having to move some of your front-line troops to a different province in order to put down a revolt while your neighboor is expressing some aggressive tendancies. Then again, you do get guns ;).

Finally, the real reason I got this game: Multiplay. Forget all of this stuff about the AI. The AI is great for strategic play: it builds HUGE armies as fast as it can in order to overwhelm an opponent (i.e. YOU). The real trick is outsmarting the person next door. This is where I think this game will shine for everyone. You can have LAN games, internet, direct connect, you name it. Forget Starcraft and Brood War, Shogun is the game I am going to enjoy the most against my friends.

Sengoku Jidai - The age of the country at war

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: January 30, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Welcome to 16th century feudal Japan, a beautiful, heavily wooded land of green, rolling, mist covered hills and wide rivers. A land of castles, peasant farmers and samurai warriors. That's the only welcome there is though because it's also the age of the country at war and as one of six competing Daimyo or warlords, your job in this game is to hold off your competition,defeat your enemies and unite Japan under your banner and thus claim the title of Shogun.

Easier said than done, but in achieving it therein lies the fun. The game is a well balanced mix of 3D real time strategy (RTS) and a turn based system. There are three game modes - custom battle, historical battle and where you'll probably spend most time, the heart of the game - the campaign. All three have the 3D RTS 'Battle View' in common. In Battle View you are pitted against other daimyo and their samurai armies on lush beautifully depicted terrain. The terrain and weather effects are not simply pretty, they affect battle. Learn fast their secrets or die. Elevation allows warriors with ranged weapons (musketeers and archers) to rain death on those below. Woods will protect you from this aerial assault and those foolish enough to send cavalry charging into the close confines of the forests will suffer accordingly. River assaults can be bloody affairs. The weather changes with the seasons. Snow slows and tires both footsoldiers and cavalry and rain dampens your bowstrings and rifle flintlocks making ranged weapons almost useless. Mist and the occasional rolling fogs of spring and summer affect visibility for all concerned.

To succeed you must field armies of mixed types. The armored Naginata and Heavy cavalry are what you need to assault those bridges or castle strongholds. Defend with your Yari (spear) warriors and ranged units to give the onrushing cavalry something to think about. Found a weakpoint! - attack with your shock troops - the fanatical warrior monks and the devasting No Dachi (two-handed sword) samurai. Your tactical situation is not solely a function of terrain and weather. You can adjust your army formations as needed. Loose formations help when the enemy is raining arrows down on you while a wedge formation provides the power to break those defensive lines.

The turned based element is a feature of the campaign game. You, as one of the daimyo's have access to a boardgame style map of Japan showing all the provinces and your game pieces. Decide what you wish to move where, sliding your pieces across the map like chess pieces. Build structures, train armies, see to your income generating activities and generally look after your territories, while plotting where to invade next. End your turn and see how the other daimyos respond. It won't be long before their response will be War, and then it's back to the 3D battleview again for some more beautifully rendered mayhem.

Ran lives!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 31, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Wow!!! This is the best game I have bought in a long time. If you are a fan of Ran, or you are just facinated by sweeping epic battles on grand scales this game is for you. The Japanese war music that comes with it is to die for and really sets the tone for the battles. The mood is furthur set by well read voice overs using the text of Tzun xu etc., to describe events. Building and controlling vast sweeping armies has never been so challanging as you are forced to consider actual tactics rather than just outnumbering your opponent. Many times you will find yourself outnumbered and forced to use shrewd tactics involving the lay of the land, weather, etc. In the end you are left with profound understanding for the endless warfare of 16th century Japan, tactically, strategically, and even emotionally. 5 stars!!!!

A must have game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 01, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This is probally the best RTS right now, and probally will be for a while. Basiclly, the idea of the game is simple; try to take over Japan. But there's a little twist to the game. Instead of being non-stop action killing like the Command and Counquer series, Shogun:Total War puts you in control of the people who live under your control, the training and research of your soldiers, and most importantly, how to defeat the enemy. Defeating the enemy in this game gets rather difficult. Sometimes you are faced with hundreds more enemy units than your own. Either way...out numbered or equally as numbered...You need the terrain for tactical advantages. For instance; Spearmen move very slow thus making them excellent targets for your archers so you move the quicker archers back up onto high ground,and simply blow them away with hails and hails of arrows. Most of the units have greater advantages twords other units. Like the spearmen; the cavalry have no chance against them. Cavalry have their great advatage over the archers, archers over spearmen. You can also "Hide" your soldiers in the woods. If the enemy has a lot of spearmen, and you have a lot of cavalry, you'll want to hide some of the cacalry, making it look like they've run away. This is bascilly where an army wins or looses. When you've lured the enemy soldiers so they have their backs to your hiding troops, the ambush begins. Hundreds of cavalry come storming out of the trees, and WALLA!Victory is yours due to great planning and use of the terrain. This IS a must have game for all RTS fanatics...or even those just being introduced to the RTS games.

Outstanding But Not Quite There

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: February 09, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Electronic Arts' games are usually strong in action and detailed graphics and Shogun: Total War is no exception. I would only look at this game as only half a strategy game because, after all, most of the management you can do is in military controls. There is almost no micromanagement or whatsoever to speak of that would give you the satisfaction of building an empire.

As mentioned by other reviewers, the battle scenes are great and different from all other real-time strategy games. At last, we have a game that really takes human emotions into account. It's no longer the simple and mindless hitpoint calculation that would decide a battle. A horde of superior units would no longer guarantee a victory. I have to say this is one element of this game that really separate itself from the others. The background setting of ancient Japan also gives seasoned gamers a refreshing feel.

There can be more improvements in the campaign mode. Throwing in a few more controls over political and economic policies should bring this game to the very top of its category. As we all know, wars are not limited to on the battlefields.

In conclusion, Total War is a fun game that really stands out. My suggestion is that if you can wait, check out the sequel that is coming up in a couple of months first. If you are stuck in the boredom of playing too many Age of Empires-like games and looking for a break, get Total War now.

Sengoku Jidai

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 18
Date: May 29, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I like the history of Japan a lot and grabs anything that has something to do with it. I played a lot of games, mostly strategy games and mostly RTS (real time strategy) games. I always looked out for an game about the history of Japan, but the closest I got was Age of Empires 2 and that wasn't actually focused on Japan. But when I heard about the new game called Shogun: Total War, I went to every internet site that gives you information about Shogun: Total War and looked at everything. Every place said the same thing, "Shogun: Total War are going to be the game of the year." "Shogun: Total War is the first game that brings you really to strategy game play" Japan was for a long time a country of mystery, they produced a lot of our possetions, but still it wasn't a very popular country, until now. I think you all should go for this game, that you can experience the secret of the Japanese nation.

Best RTS game in a looooooong time!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: July 27, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game is the best! Aside from the regular RTS/strategy style, building castles and gaining money to build and upgrade your troops, the best I love the most about this game is using your ninjas to assasinate the enemy and friendly generals of other clans. By completing a successful assasination, your ninja goes up in rank and he can kill more higher grade generals and eventually the other clan's warlord! If anyone has played Warcraft and the like, then they will find all that building resources and upgrading troops a breeze; it is the same principle. But in this game, there are some clans that are specialized in certains that will be cheaper to produce and have a higher grade quality than the same type of troops of the other clan's. This you will have to find out for yourself. I think the controlling your own troops in battle is fun especially when you can set them up into positions and then have them crash the opposing forces. The graphic are very fun to watch during the battle scene and also in the throne room when the other clan's comes to you for alliances and traders come to trade with your clan.

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