Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai is set against the backdrop of the Boshin War period in 19th century Japan, this new standalone campaign starts in 1864 during a time of growing resentment against the Western colonial powers which had chosen to ‘civilise’ Japan. Fall of the Samurai includes 39 new ground troops, ten new steam-powered ships, multiple nations ironclads, and three new agents who can be deployed on the turn based campaign map to disrupt enemy forces, flirt and even kill your enemies. Before you start your campaign you choose a faction. There are 6 standard factions, 3 who support the Shogun and 3 who support the foreign powers. During my first play through I decided to try out the new weapons and gadgets so I choose the Satsuma clan. The Imperial factions such as the Satsuma have immense European and American weapons of which to utilise. The new weapons really change the way this Total War game plays.The rules have changed and now it is considered polite to shell your enemy from the sea with giant naval gunnery. The range of the new late 19th century weapons completely changes the way you play the game. I have one battle where i literally stayed in the same place for half an hour and shelled my enemy from afar. This probably doesn’t sound like much fun but combine the new artillery with the new third person firing perspective and you have a recipe for fun.
‘You don’t want to be infront of the BIG GUNS!’
Due to the immense technological improvements that occurred towards the end of the 20th century Navies finally have real use on the campaign map. Unlike Napoleon and Empire before it, your Navy is now a tool at which you can wreak havoc to a nation’s trade, shell their cities or even bombard their armies from affair. Simply put, the Naval side of Total War is now a game changer. I’ve found myself in desperate struggles against the enemy to find myself being saved by those two crucial artillery salvos you get to unleash upon the unweary enemy. Its pretty cool when you hear the whizz of artillery shells overhead.
‘Ironclad warships vs wooden warships… who wins YOU DECIDE’
Along with more devastating artillery, Fall of the Samurai has an immense focus on hand-held firearms. The musket is replaced with the rifle, and damn does that thing do some killing. When am Imperial faction meets and Shogunate faction late on, there is usually only one winner. It’s that Last Samurai moment when Tom Cruise charges headfirst into a sea of Gatling gun fire. However you also got the opposite. Remember that brilliant scene in The Last Samurai, where the untrained army first encounters the Samurai in the mist and fog of the forest, well that quite regularly occurs here. Guns do not work well in forests and when you play as the Shogunate factions, they become a real ally in your war against modernity. Modernisation in the game breeds dissent among your citizens, but that’s easily a price worth paying for the firepower and gear you unlock. If you Modernise your clan effectively you’ll be able to train line infantry, equip marksmen with advanced carbines, unlock the devastating Gatling gun and eventually unlock Ironclad warships which literally wipe the floor with everything that floats. As ever the campaign map is a beautiful place to live, and indeed I know people who just play Total War on the campaign map and to be honest in Fall of the Samurai you can’t blame them. Smoke from the new steam trains billows across the land, whilst the waves of the sea hit the coasts and the sounds of distant cannon fire pass through the air. It is a truly beautiful map to enact carnage on. Not far into the campaign map as an Imperial faction you are asked to side with one of the European nations or the United States, doing so will unlock nation specific units which can be devastating on the game map, units such as the British Royal Marines and the American Ironclad add to the fun.
‘Poor little town’
The impact of new technologies and the changing world at which this game is set, are brilliantly portrayed and in my opinion have helped made this Total War the best yet. It still has the traditional problems of a Total War game. The end game still turns into a war of micromanagement as everyone declares war on you and the ai still turns on you when they are your protectorate. I mean seriously why would a little island that had been conquered and forced to swear allegiance to a nation, then declare war upon that nation which has conquered half the map. That’s just stupid. despite these usual flaws Fall of the Samurai is a swift and precise slice of strategy gaming and it makes me excited for future Creative Assembly titles in the series. What’s next?! WW1?!
