Shogun: Total War

aka: Shogun, Taisho: Total War
Moby ID: 1692

Description official descriptions

Shogun: Total War is a real-time strategy game in which you play as a Daimyo, one of the warlords battling for the right to be called Shogun, ruler of a united Japan. The game is roughly split into two sections: a map-based planning stage and a 3D battle stage.

The map stage is where you build buildings in the territories that you own, organize forces, plan campaigns and generally deal with the running of your conquests. You can also research new technologies and train troops here, so it is very important.

When a conflict arises, you turn to the battle stage. Unlike almost all other real-time strategy games, Shogun's battles take place on a 3D battlefield with realistic terrain. Hills roll gently into the distance, scattered trees break up the horizon and your troops lie dead in a pile on the floor. Because in Shogun your men don't just disappear when they die, they lie there, bleeding. Up to 6 armies, each containing thousands of troops, can be displayed on screen at the same time. You can zoom in to individual companies of 100 (the smallest unit) or zoom out to view the battlefield as a whole.

Spellings

  • 幕府将军:全面战争 - Simplified Chinese spelling

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Credits (Windows version)

142 People (135 developers, 7 thanks) · View all

Audio Director
Studio Marketing Manager
Web Marketing Manager
PR
Legal Affairs
Business Affairs Assistant
Directors
Historical Consultant
Writing and Additional Content
Studio General Manager
Executive Producer
Associate Producer
Marketing
Public Relations
Product Manager
Localisation Project Managers
Documentation
Pack Design
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 84% (based on 29 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 43 ratings with 7 reviews)

Miniatures wargaming nirvana! A work of art

The Good
This is the game that every droopy-eyed grognard has spent years of his life slaving over basement battlefields trying to create. Shogun: Total War is, to put it bluntly, miniatures wargaming heaven. If you like pushing toy soldiers around miniature battlefields but could do without the pushing part, this is the game for you. Plus, if you happen to like full-blown campaigns and strategy on a grander scale, Shogun comes with an exceptionally fine Risk-like wrapper as well, guaranteed to suck you into the world of 16th century Japan and its clan-based conflicts like never before.

Beyond that, the game is beautiful (in an authentically Japanese way--the birds flying around the battlefield are origami birds!), and the music and other audio within it are excellent as well. In fact, everything about this game breathes quality and attention to detail--even the official web site, which is an impressive creation in and of itself. If you want to see a game done right, you must check out Shogun.

The Bad
I don't like the fact that you can't play the campaign game multiplayer--it's single player only. You can, of course, play any of the individual battles against other people, but the sense of continuity and roleplaying goes out the window in that case. Other than that, there's just not much to dislike about Shogun. Sure, the diplomacy's a little weak, and some units seem too limited in their abilities (shinobi, ninja), but that's not nearly enough to sink this game.

The Bottom Line
If you are even slightly interested in realistic battlefield tactics, particularly formation warfare, this is the game to get. There is no other. Overall, it is, in my opinion, the second best computer strategy game ever made (after Imperialism II), but that's only because I tend to favor strategic-level games over those that emphasize tactical-level conflict. In reality, if anyone wanted to claim that Shogun is, in fact, the best computer strategy-cum-wargame game ever, all I could really do is shrug and say, "Yep, you may be right!"

Windows · by Jim Newland (56) · 2001

One of the most addicting strategy games of its kind.

The Good
Being interested in this particular genre, I literally ran to the mall to buy this game. After the first few minutes of game play however I realized I was expecting something a little different, instead of jumping straight into a Samurai style battle, I found myself staring at a map of Japan, reminiscent of table top games such as Risk. However, within five minutes of game play I was hooked. Collecting provinces and fortifying my cities, by the end of my first campaign was opting for the computer to resolve battles, simply so I could continue with the strategic portion of the game, that being said, for those of you out there who just wanna fight, there are options for skirmishes (single player battles without the strategy component). And the whole process is well covered and the manual. For those of you who just can’t wait to challenge other players, Shogun comes complete with an online component. Though I and a few other people I know had a little trouble getting our accounts started.

The Bad
On the downside however, signing up online took quite a few tries. But this in no way subtracts from the games wonderful game play.

The Bottom Line
In short, this game has something for everybody, wether your looking for a strategy game to while away the hours, or just a quick fight against the forces of an apposing Daimyo. With multiple clans to select from, the game offers virtually unlimited replay value. My advice to you, buy this game ( through Moby Games of course:) and install it right away, you won’t regret it.

Windows · by Ivan Grant (3) · 2001

Classic warfare in feudal Japan.

The Good
It captures the feel of the board game "Shogun" by Hasbro (currently renamed Samurai Swords) very well. The visuals are stunning and the mood is decent. I loved the look of the strategic map, which looked like a rice paper map of Japan with the provinces outlined and army markers deployed.

The Bad
After playing three games, I've come to the conclusion that you always start the campaign mode with exactly the same setup. This just KILLS! replay value. It's virtually the same game every time. If they put out a patch to fix this it will truly be a great game. I haven't tried multiplayer yet, but it looked like from reading the manual that there is no strategic game, just one tactical battle, but i could be wrong.

The Bottom Line
If you played the similiar board-game by Hasbro and enjoyed it this game is worth picking up. It's only $20 bucks now too.

Windows · by Jeff Watts (18) · 2001

[ View all 7 player reviews ]

Trivia

The issue of flimsy hardcopy documentation for Shogun was further compounded by the fact that the European english release is an 88-page manual that contains more information and a poster technology tree chart, while the North American release weighs in at only 55 pages with no additional material.

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Related Sites +

  • Official Shogun: Total War Site
    A neat Shockwave animation introduces you to the world of Shogun. The site is pretty, but bare boned.
  • The Samurai Archives
    The definitive site on samurai and the Sengoku period, during which Shogun takes place.
  • Total War Wiki
    Shogun: Total War at the official Wiki.
  • TotalWar.Org
    One of the oldest, and the best run of Shogun Fan Sites. Has updates, modifications to the demo, discussion boards, helpful information, and links to many of the clans.

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 1692
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Matthew Bailey.

Additional contributors: Ray Soderlund, Unrealist, Zovni, Unicorn Lynx, Sasu.

Game added June 21, 2000. Last modified March 3, 2024.