Shogun: Total War - PC Games

Campaign play is divided into two portions--the strategic overview map where you manage your armies and provinces, and the tactical combat mode where battles are fought. The strategy portion isn't too deep. There aren't many buildings or unit types to build, and the diplomatic options are limited. It merely serves to provide a frame for the battle sequences, and that's where Shogun really shines.

Battles are fought on beautiful 3-D landscapes, with forests to hide in, fortifications to storm, and rolling hills to climb. Weather effects like rain and snow aren't just there for looks--they have a dramatic impact on gameplay. Wet conditions will render the match-lit guns useless and also decrease the range of archers because their bowstrings get wet. Troops get bogged down by wet gear, and high winds push arrows aside. Even the seasons affect battles, as longer or shorter days in the summer and winter determine how long you have to defeat your foe (or how long you must fend off an assault).

But weather and time are the least of your worries. Effectively managing your troops is the key to victory and also the toughest aspect of the game. There are dozens of formations to choose from and hundreds of tactical tricks to exploit. Keeping your archers, cavalry units, and various types of foot samurai all pointing the right way and effectively supporting one another is half the battle. The game interface and keyboard shortcuts make things easier, but Shogun's manual is just terrible. A simulation this fast paced and complex deserves thorough and accurate documentation, but you'll have to buy the separate strategy guide to get any worthwhile information. Fortunately, those with a little patience and an interest in the game should be able to figure things out, and they'll be rewarded with one of the most realistic and fun real-time war games available. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros: Realistic terrain and weather have an actual impact on gameplay Control thousands of troops at once using historical formations Strategy elements in the campaign mode complement the tactical battles and add to gameplay Includes footage from Kurosawa's classic Ran Cons: Worthless manual Weak tutorial missions

Amazon.com Product Description
Japan, 1542--a country in turmoil. The last shogunate has collapsed, leaving a nation divided into numerous factions, each led by a daimyo (feudal warlord). Each daimyo is out to scheme, murder, and wage war to become supreme ruler. The emperor is powerless--a puppet of whichever faction controls Kyoto. Into this melting pot come the first European explorers, bringing guns, religion--and disease. Out of this chaos will emerge only one daimyo who will master all the varied skills that make up the art of war: politics, economics, subterfuge, strategic warfare, and battlefield tactics. Only one will become shogun.