Total War SHOGUN 2 Gold Edition is a collection of expansion packs for one of the most successful grand strategy games, TW: Shogun 2, developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It contains the base game, additional playable clans, units, scenarios, as well as 2 big DLCs released for the title in 2011 and 2012 – Rise of the Samurai and Fall of the Samurai, respectively. The game is available on PC (Windows, macOS, Linux).

Story and time period

Total War: Shogun 2 focuses on a Sengoku period when the land of Japan was divided between daimyos – lords leading numerous clans fighting for power against each other. The game, however, does not feature a clear story to follow and simply gives the player the ability to play the role of one of the daimyos commanding his clan struggling to unite Japan under his banner. The game also allows playing multiple predefined historical scenarios. 

Gold Edition includes two expansion packs that take the player to other eras of Japanese history – Rise of the Samurai and Fall of the Samurai:

• Rise of the Samurai focuses on the Gempei War between families of Taira, Minamoto, and Fujiwara, which took place in the 12th century. The expansion offers a different experience with the introduction of new agents with entirely different skill trees: seductive Shirabyoshi, discrete Monomi, inspiring Sou and disciplined Junsatsushi.

• Fall of the Samurai, on the other hand, offers to lead one of the clans in the more modern times, 400 hundred years after Sengoku Jidai, at the time of a Boshin War. The expansion requires a different approach and a new strategy, as the gunpowder is much more common, railways are spread across the land, steam-powered ships are introduced, and influence from the western empires grows stronger.

Gameplay and game modes

Total War Shogun 2  combines the real-time strategy battles with turn-based nation management. In the turn-based part of the game, you will take care of diplomacy and economy, develop towns and strongholds, recruit soldiers and agents, and send troops for battle. Then, in the real-time part of the game, you will be able to manually resolve declared battles – flank enemies with cavalry, rain arrows on the unsuspecting soldiers, hold the position with heavily-armored melee troops or prepare an ambush in the forest.

DLCs included in the Shogun II Gold Edition expands the content by adding even more playable clans to the base game. Each of the clans has their own unique strengths and excel in different areas, making the experience even more diverse. For example, the new Ikko Ikki clan has access to cheap but effective Loan Sword Ashigaru melee unit, Otomo clan starts with bonuses to gunpowdered units and can convert towns with different religions much faster, and Hattori clan focuses on hidden units and ninjas, utilizing the kisho ability which allows much more freedom in placing units on the battlefield before the battle starts.

The game offers both single-player and multiplayer modes, as well as historical battles acting as predefined scenario challenges. In multiplayer you can battle other players to develop your online avatar, which gives access to more powerful units. It is also possible to create custom battles, where you can choose the map, weather, type of battle, and all the participating units.

Total War: SHOGUN 2 Gold Edition content

TW: SHOGUN 2 Golden Edition includes the base game, as well as the following content:

• Dragon War Battle Pack
• Hattori ‘Ninja’ Clan
• Ikko Ikki ‘Warrior Monk’ Clan Pack
• Otomo ‘Gunpowder’ Clan Pack
• Saga Clan Pack
• Obama Clan Pack
• Tsu Clan Pack
• Sendai Clan Pack
• Saints & Heroes Elite Unit Pack
• Sengoku Jidai Elite Unit Pack
• Rise of the Samurai DLC
• Fall of the Samurai DLC

Reception

Total War: Shogun II received very positive reviews with the game being generally considered an upgrade to and a worthy successor of the Shogun: Total War. Critics praised the smart AI, polished multiplayer, impressive graphics, massive battles, and developers’ attention to details.

Summary

Shogun 2 Gold Edition is available to buy in the form of a digital product key. The key can be activated on the Steam platform, from where the game can be directly downloaded. If you are interested in RTS games, you can also look for similar titles.

Key features:

• Unite Japan under your rule in each of the 3 rough eras of Japanese history – Gempei War, Sengoku Jidai, and Boshin War
• Take command of new clans, units, and weapons, and utilize their strengths to conquer your rivals
• Enjoy the stunning visuals while managing thousands of soldiers on the battlefield in real-time
• Play the game in both single-player and multiplayer – develop your online avatar and unlock new units as you progress