Total War: SHOGUN 2 Complete Edition Review - The Best Total War Game Gets Even Better

Shogun 2 was already the best game in the Total War series, and the Complete Edition only furthers that legacy.

It's always a little weird going back to review a new version of a game that you've already played so much of for a number of reasons, not least because to give it as fair of an appraisal as possible, you have to forget most of what came before. That's very difficult to do with Total War: Shogun 2, a game which got the franchise's signature formula down to a fine art.

When it first released back in 2011, it was also a bit of a technical marvel and it has held up remarkably well since, though the visuals of newer releases in the series have aged it a little. That's where the Complete Edition comes into play, a one-stop-shop for the base game and all of its DLC, all packaged with a bunch of technical advancements that are designed to thrust the game forward visually and mechanically.

In news that will likely come as a relief to those who have already sunk hundreds of hours into the original, the developer has done all of that with aplomb, and delivered what has to be the definitive Total War experience in the process.

Better Across The Board

The first thing to say about the game is that it looks absolutely spectacular, and right at home among the most recent comparable releases in the genre. The lighting and shadows add significant atmosphere to battle scenes, while the textures on the unit models, foliage on the world map, and scenery in general, all look considerably better.

Outside of the battle map, everything in the campaign has also been updated from a visual standpoint as well. The parchment campaign map, radar maps, loading screens and unit recruitment all look better, and tie in to the theme more closely, rather than being the more generic Total War efforts that they were before.

All of these efforts are underlined by the little differences that really show how much care and attention the development team have put into getting everything right. As an example, when the campaign map's seasonal changes occur, the whole world really does change, and the small details can be viewed by the player heading into Winter or Spring.

The game also features further nods to Japanese culture, which feels very appropriate given how much effort they have put into rendering this period of Japanese history. The coolest example of that (by some distance) is the new 2.5D movie style inspired by Japanese ukiyo-e art, while players can toggle between those and the classic movies in a further testament to how much choice this version of Shogun 2 provides.

A Campaign For The Ages

Anybody that plays Total War will know that the individual games in the series live and die by how well they deliver their main campaign. In the original Shogun 2's case, Creative Assembly really showed how this should be done, and this latest version makes tangible improvements while retaining the visual and mechanical identity that made it so spectacular in the first place.

The headline act this time around is the Realm Divide slider, which allows the mechanic to be retained, intensified or disabled entirely. The Realm Divide mechanic is an endgame system where the sitting Shogun notices what you've been up to and lives in fear of your potential power. This causes other AI clans to declare war on you in what becomes a conflagration for the ages. It's a ton of fun, but having the option to not force it to happen in every campaign run is a welcome change.

You also get a lot more options this time round from a campaign perspective, as the development team have made more than 50 minor factions playable for your next run (which were taken from options previously added by fan-made mods). Sure, it remains very fun to pick the Oda Clan and bulldoze through everyone in your path, but rising up as a smaller force and taking Japan for yourself is arguably more rewarding.

The battles within the campaign are also a lot closer to what the modern Total War player will be expecting going in, and while there is a world in which some might prefer the original, the changes made do seem sensible. They now include modern control options for moving units, while players also have access to birds-eye battle maps and overlays to better understand the landscape they'll be fighting in.

A Triumphant Experience

There have been other changes to the overall quality-of-life in the game as well, particularly via the implementation of fixes, some of which fans have been calling for. Fatigue now affects infantry combat statistics as well as morale, while balancing changes include Hattori and Tokugawa Kisho Ninjas now having improved statistics over normal Kisho Ninjas. At the same time, Mori port recruitment, ship fire chance in rain, campaign movement and unit spotting values have all been amended to make them as cogent as possible.

Many of the foibles that previously held the game back slightly have also been corrected, including ensuring that units receive the bonuses they are supposed to have, as well as campaign-effect interactions and Officer Assignments functioning as intended. There have also been a lot of accessibility changes, including color adjustment presets and separate voice and text language settings.

Lastly, the developer has taken a really admirable approach with mod support on this release, opening the game up to player creations while retaining all of the hard work that went into the original. Mod support for the original version of Shogun 2 will remain as is, allowing players to continue everything they have built up over the years.

At the same time, integrated Mod.io support is planned for the Complete Edition as it progresses, which should theoretically make it easier to mod than ever before. They haven't shared full details and mod integration information just yet, but we can expect to hear more about that shortly after launch.

All in all, Total War: Shogun 2 didn't have to do a lot to deliver a great game, considering just how competent its foundation is. That said, it really is impressive just how respect the development team has paid to the original, modernizing where needed while retaining that original essence that made it so magical in the first place.

It's a spectacular, enormous experience that strategy fans will undoubtedly be happy to play for hundreds of hours, and it should serve as the definitive introduction to the series for new fans moving forward. Is it the best Total War game of all time? Though I definitely have a soft spot for the original Rome release, it's fair to say that this is just about as good as it gets in the genre.