Shogun: Total War

Rating:
Summary: A great game with useful history
Review: What can I say - the game is simple but with nueances. Historical battles that took hours to fight you can resolve in 20-30 minutes. I think parts of it are overly mechanical - for example the fighting monks are always the toughest units - but in real life they were crushed by the Samurai. Yes, some fighting monks had great skill - however the bulk of their troops were not as well trained or disciplined. Also, the fact that you can just trade rice and get Samurai works as a game mechanic but it isn't really very historical. What makes me overlook those issues and a few others is that the end results feel right for the period. I read many books (many available here at Amazon) on Japanese history and this game gives a good feel. Also, the linear tactics in this game could easily be transfered over to Seven Years War and other similar games. Excellent game. I should note I played all the way through on Easy and I am going to do it again with the next level. I feel the game has great replay value.

Rating:
Summary: Myth times Age of empires minus infinite building nonsense
Review: I had this game preordered for a long time. It was even better then the demo. The AI is amazing, Online is smooth, but requires a fast connection. Is it original? No, but is has been done to perfection. Bugfree (sofar)and stable. Strong replay value. Highly strategic, very realisticly showing you the choas of warfare. An instant classic.

Rating:
Summary: RTS genre was needing some new ideas. Shogun is one.
Review: As a fan of most RTS games out there, I was getting tired of the "me-too" RTS games set somewhere in the future. Several are fun to play but I was hoping someone would bring a new idea to the table. Shogun is a great example of adding a historic, and largely ignored, perspective to an RTS game. Shogun is very fun to play, even if it doesn't get everything right. Shinobi and other non-combat pieces should have had a bigger role to play. I'd like to see Shogun's engine tried with other historic wars.

Rating:
Summary: The best $50 game you'll ever buy for $35
Review: This is the best computer game I have played for at least three years. The battlefields are beautifully rendered, and the cut scenes, while brief, are some of the smoothest and best CGI animation yet produced for a game. But eye candy is the least of this game's virtues. In addition to being a challenging strategy game, the developers made the dangerous marketing decision to produce a realistic historical simulation rather than just another hack-and-slash. They went for the quality product rather than the quick buck, and their gamble has paid off richly for gamers. Shogun's strategic game is much like chess in that the system is simple, but its ramifications make for a complex, thought-provoking challenge. The tactical game is a marvel, and the player must make the best use of troop types, troop quality, ammunition, fatigue states, weapon and armor quality, weather effects, leadership factors, and the hilly terrain of Japan. And while every AI has a bad habit or two, Shogun's is the best I have yet seen. It knows when it has an advantage, and capitalizes upon it. While the strategic map could be more informative, it is adequate, so if Shogun has a flaw it is that the manual's coverage of the strategic side of the game leaves much to be desired. However, these are minor flaws in an otherwise superb product. Mastering Shogun will keep you highly entertained for a long, long time.

Rating:
Summary: Solid strategy game
Review: I have played both the demo version of this game and the full version. This is a review of the full version which has only been commercially available since mid-June. It breathes life into the real time strategy genre by adding a unique environment (feudal Japan). The designers have eschewed the use of unrealistic resource collection during battle in favor of a simple strategic campaign system to tie the battles together. One thing I would like to emphasize is that this game will appeal to people who enjoy playing miniature, historical wargames. Until now, most RTS games have been skirmish level in scale (notable exception being Microsoft's Close Combat series). We can now play battles that actually have realistic force levels. While the strategic game is very simple (think Risk)it does give a great backdrop to give meaning to the battles your troops fight. The hard core wargamer in me winces at the missed opportunity to add a detailed strategic layer though. The learning curve for control of units during battle was steep. The uniqueness of Japanese feudal combat is modelled as well as any I have seen in tabletop gaming. The strategy game retains the Japanese feel also. Shinobi play their spy roll historically. Ninja and Geisha even get a nod (I thought Ninja WERE Shinobi) as they pull strings behind the scenes. What really matters in the game is Koku...he who manages his financial resources the best stands the best chance of winning the war if not the battle. The single player game is challenging though not addictive. The computer AI makes for a good though uninspired opponent. I have yet to play multi-player, and can't wait to try it out. My biggest complaint about the game is the horrible manual. I was sad to see that Shogun is following the trend in computer gaming where the true manual is published apart from the game. The manual that is included is too brief to show you how to play the game competently. Aparently, I have to plop down another $12-$18 for the 'strategy guide' to find that out. My kudos to the design team for making a great game. My only real disappointment with the title is the manual.

Rating:
Summary: Looks aren't everything!
Review: Okay - enough about the fabulous graphics and the great way it represents history - its all true. But what about the game? I waited months for the game to finally come out - I played (and got frustrated) with the demo, and then the game arrived two days go. Well I have played two games in two days, so I think I can comment on the game at this point. Its fun but not the game of the year (if it is I hope 2001 gets here soon!) I will probably keep playing for a while but this will probably not have me up late at night and then up again at the crack of dawn. First, the game is too simple on the economic level. Second, the "information" booklet that comes with the game is not informative, I have many more questions than it could ever dream of answering (which means shelling out an additional $15-$20 on the stratgey guide.) Third, the game interface is confusing and poorly explained by the inadequate instructions that come with the game - I am learning by trial and error. On the military level you do no get enough information to adequately control your troops. Yes, you get thousands of them - so what? The tactical display is wonderful but even if you have great strategies what good does it do if you can't get your troops into formation? It also needs some sort of scouting element - I spent one day wondering around the battle field looking for the enemy - this may be historic but is it fun? And that's the point here, graphics and everything else aside. This game is three stars worth of fun, maybe four if your bored but this is NOT the game of the year.

Rating:
Summary: Game of the Year
Review: I couldn't wait for this game to come out and by the time it finally arrived, my expectations were so high I anticipated that the real game would let me down. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The strategic elements are thrilling by themselves, but the FMV scenes and incredible battlefield elements make this game the best in its genre.

Rating:
Summary: ...Wow...
Review: 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!

Rating:
Summary: Finaly a game that is addictive and fun
Review: Alright, let me first say this: Total War is one of the greatest strategy games I have ever played. Now, I'm not an expert or anything on Japanese history or what makes a good game, but mostly the only games that I play are RTS games and I've never been satisfied with them because they focus way too much on rescouce management and not the thrill of war (leading thousands of samurai across a battlefield to go and totally slaughter the other army). Shogun gets it right. This game is addictive as anything and will be one of the greatest games of the year. Also, I can guarantee that you wont throw the game away in three weeks. This might not be the most helpful review you have ever read, but I just had to get my opinion in here. I love this game and I bet that if you are interested at all in Military/Historical RTS games than you will love Shogun: Total War.

Rating:
Summary: Shogun: Total War, An Excellent Combat Game
Review: Shogun, Total War is exactly as the title says: total war. I've played the demo, and I immensely enjoyed the gameplay, graphics, sound fx, and, of course, the fighting. But (this is why I gave it four stars) it is missing the aspect of feudal Japanese lifestyle and empire building. All the game seems to have is fighting, no city building whatsoever. Althought this actually doesn't affect the game itself, it would be a better game if it had some city building. Then the entire concept of conquering Japan would be complete. Thus, although I will probably buy the game when it comes out, I will have enjoyed it more if it had a truly strategic empire building factor.