Game profile
Total War: Shogun 2
A historical strategy game set in feudal Japan that combines turn based realm management with massive real time battles. Samurai clans fight to unify the land through diplomacy, economy and military tactics.
Affiliate link. If you buy through it, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
What kind of game this is
At its core this is Strategy, set in a historical period. Visually it is going for realism, and the overall tone stays dark throughout. The world is open, so wandering off and ignoring the main path is part of the deal. It rewards long uninterrupted stretches more than quick check-ins.
The difficulty is moderate and fair, demanding attention without punishing you for it. Story exists mostly as background texture rather than a reason to keep going. Competitive play against other people is part of the package. It is available on one platform. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- feudal Japan
- massive real time battles
- clan management
This fits you if
- you enjoy being made to think
- you are after a proper adrenaline rush
- you can sit down for a proper long stretch without interruptions
- you like getting lost and ignoring the main objective for hours
- you enjoy competing against other players
- you are watching your budget
Look elsewhere if
- you do not have 60 hours to give a single game
- you only ever get short bursts of play time
- you want something light and easy going
- competitive lobbies stress you out
How long is Total War: Shogun 2?
About 60 hours in total. At three evenings a week and two hours each, you will be busy for roughly 10 weeks, or 30 sessions.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 88 out of 100, which puts it above 78 percent of the 1276 games here and at rank 281 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Strategy averages 82 points across the database, so this one sits 6 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 212 collected ratings.
Released in 2011, which makes it 15 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 2011
- Genres
- Strategy
- Playtime
- approx. 60 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Moderate, fair
- Story weight
- Background flavour
- Play with
- Solo, Competitive
- Setting
- Historical
- Visual style
- Realistic
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- PC
- Critic rating
- 88 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total War: Shogun 2 | 2011 | approx. 60 hrs. | 88 | Budget |
| Hearts of Iron IV | 2016 | approx. 120 hrs. | 84 | Mid price |
| Battle Brothers | 2017 | approx. 60 hrs. | 80 | Mid price |
| Transport Fever 2 | 2019 | approx. 60 hrs. | 78 | Mid price |
If you liked this, try these
- 84/100 Hearts of Iron IV Shared: Strategy, Historical, longer
- 80/100 Battle Brothers Shared: Strategy, Historical
- 78/100 Transport Fever 2 Shared: Strategy, Historical
- 78/100 Company of Heroes 2 Shared: Strategy, Historical, shorter
- n/a Tempest Rising Shared: Strategy, Historical, shorter
- 87/100 Sid Meier's Civilization VI Shared: Strategy, Historical