Total War: Shogun 2 Review
Creative Assembly remakes the game that started it all.
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Creative Assembly remakes the game that started it all.
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Total War: Shogun 2 Review
- Thread starter Steve Butts
- Start date
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Haven't had the chance to play it yet, but rest assured the glowing praise it's received has only reinforced my iron-clad intent on making it a purchase very soon.
Haven't had the chance to play it yet, but rest assured the glowing praise it's received has only reinforced my iron-clad intent on making it a purchase very soon.
Truly a great, objective review.
I find that the management is too complicated for new players and maybe even veterans. It is just too much to deal with and make you lose all the hype you had from your last battle.
Another hype killing thing about the game is the really uncomfortable control during battles. I find it much more annoying than the previous games.
Other than that, the game is pure strategic fun that no strategy game can match.
I find that the management is too complicated for new players and maybe even veterans. It is just too much to deal with and make you lose all the hype you had from your last battle.
Another hype killing thing about the game is the really uncomfortable control during battles. I find it much more annoying than the previous games.
Other than that, the game is pure strategic fun that no strategy game can match.
OK, seriously Mr Butts...
At what point in time did a laptop with 1 gigabyte! of video memory become low-end exactly?
Yes, I know a low end graphics chip can have that much RAM and be a lot slower than a high-end chip with not a huge amount more than that, but that just proves RAM is not a defining performance feature.
(My desktop is hardly low end, and only has 1 gig of video RAM, and 2 gigs of System memory. (and a quad-core i5 processor). It's really not slow for all that.)
Anyway, nitpicks about that kind of comment aside, the game sounds pretty good, though I am always somewhat concerned when a long-running game series repeatedly fails to fix certain basic problems...
At what point in time did a laptop with 1 gigabyte! of video memory become low-end exactly?
Yes, I know a low end graphics chip can have that much RAM and be a lot slower than a high-end chip with not a huge amount more than that, but that just proves RAM is not a defining performance feature.
(My desktop is hardly low end, and only has 1 gig of video RAM, and 2 gigs of System memory. (and a quad-core i5 processor). It's really not slow for all that.)
Anyway, nitpicks about that kind of comment aside, the game sounds pretty good, though I am always somewhat concerned when a long-running game series repeatedly fails to fix certain basic problems...
I'm only going to say this one time.
Shogun 2: Total War.
Anyway, sounds good. The main bugs of the series don't really bother me all that much.
And here's a "moving large group of units" tip: If you group them, but don't choose a specific layout (like Single Line), generally they'll stay in the same formation when you hold right click move them.
Shogun 2: Total War.
Anyway, sounds good. The main bugs of the series don't really bother me all that much.
And here's a "moving large group of units" tip: If you group them, but don't choose a specific layout (like Single Line), generally they'll stay in the same formation when you hold right click move them.
I love this game because of it's complexity. There is nothing like seeing a plan coming together. Most times I find myself skipping the battles just so I can go ahead and move my pieces accordingly.
I gotta go.. I have 3 armies pressing around Kyoto while also have a fourth army in the west keeping the pressure on the heathen enemies. Not to mention keeping my main sea routes clear..
I gotta go.. I have 3 armies pressing around Kyoto while also have a fourth army in the west keeping the pressure on the heathen enemies. Not to mention keeping my main sea routes clear..
In order to move multiple units and have them stay in formation you need to put them in a group first. This first started with empire and I still have no idea why they implemented it. It does nothing but add complexity to a system that already worked. There's nothing worse than putting your units in formation before the battle, starting the battle, forgetting to group them, ordering them forward and watching as they decide to reform into one giant line.
Rome was always my favorite in this series even though the Greeks were imba at some parts imo. Finally I can retake my rightful place as lord of the Kwanto.
Umm what about Napoleon?
Also I've never had a problem moving units or with pathfinding. The biggest control issue I've had is chasing down fleeing units, which has been massively improved over the years.
The System memory is crucial and if you're running windows xp take 256MB off your system memory for the OS. If its Vista or 7 take off 512MB.
Also I've never had a problem moving units or with pathfinding. The biggest control issue I've had is chasing down fleeing units, which has been massively improved over the years.
I don't know what you're trying to say here. If it's about the name, they changed the name because everyone refers to the series as simply Total war.Double A said:
This game is highly processor and memory intensive. Especially memory. Every individual animation, texture, and model must be loaded into RAM. If RAM is not the issue then decreasing resolution or unit detail should help it run faster. If RAM is the issue then unit size should help.CrystalShadow said:
The System memory is crucial and if you're running windows xp take 256MB off your system memory for the OS. If its Vista or 7 take off 512MB.
Great review. I never really played the original Shogun, and having played Empire and a little of Rome Total War i'm more used to these epic grand scale conflicts, so this focus on smaller terrain would certainly feel a bit disjointed for me.
In all honesty, the actual battles are where i really gleam my enjoyment from the Total War games. I'm quite put off by all the management on the text based screens and large, bland map. In fact, most of my time spent on Empire was fighting the historical battles and other 'quick battles' as opposed to the campaign, because i didn't like dealing with that messy text-heavy interface where if you cock it up, things could go horribly wrong for you and your army in the next fight. It's for that reason that it gives me pause to consider whether Shogun 2 would really be worth a purchase for me. Creative Assembly has done some impressive stuff, though. They're worth all the praise and support they get, even if pathfinding is a little wonky and Empire kept deciding to crash to desktop now and then for no sodding reason.
In all honesty, the actual battles are where i really gleam my enjoyment from the Total War games. I'm quite put off by all the management on the text based screens and large, bland map. In fact, most of my time spent on Empire was fighting the historical battles and other 'quick battles' as opposed to the campaign, because i didn't like dealing with that messy text-heavy interface where if you cock it up, things could go horribly wrong for you and your army in the next fight. It's for that reason that it gives me pause to consider whether Shogun 2 would really be worth a purchase for me. Creative Assembly has done some impressive stuff, though. They're worth all the praise and support they get, even if pathfinding is a little wonky and Empire kept deciding to crash to desktop now and then for no sodding reason.
I think you've pretty juch nailed it on the head, Steve. Although one thing that's gotten me more than crashes (never been a problem) or the apthfinding (single player general), the unit selection is really, really sticky.
About half the time I try to change my selected unit, it doesn't take, and I end up ordering some poor sods halfway around the map before I realize that single clicks just won't register.
About half the time I try to change my selected unit, it doesn't take, and I end up ordering some poor sods halfway around the map before I realize that single clicks just won't register.
I loved the first 3 total war games, and would still play the original Shogun now, it was so awesome. Only just got into Medieval 2 (and enjoying it very much), so won't be picking up Shogun 2 just yet - definitely will in the future though.
I agree with the complaints about the series as a whole. Luckily I haven't gotten into multiplayer, so all the pathfinding issues in the battles can be remedied by pausing and re-issuing commands. It's just something I've come to expect.
And the excessive management does make the mid game onwards seem like a bit of a grind. I'm constantly scanning the map to make sure I haven't forgotten to move someone or build something, bit of a nightmare really. I've become really OCD about saving all the time so I don't screw something up, which means everything takes even longer to do.
The only thing I'll add is that some of the more extranious features aren't always implemented so well. I have really yet to find diplomacy and religion useful (at least in M2) - I can't really fathom how things work, and it all comes down to builing a huge army and stomping everyone else anyway, so I'm not really sure what the point is. The best use I've found for diplomats is killing the enemy's to train my assassins XD
I agree with the complaints about the series as a whole. Luckily I haven't gotten into multiplayer, so all the pathfinding issues in the battles can be remedied by pausing and re-issuing commands. It's just something I've come to expect.
And the excessive management does make the mid game onwards seem like a bit of a grind. I'm constantly scanning the map to make sure I haven't forgotten to move someone or build something, bit of a nightmare really. I've become really OCD about saving all the time so I don't screw something up, which means everything takes even longer to do.
The only thing I'll add is that some of the more extranious features aren't always implemented so well. I have really yet to find diplomacy and religion useful (at least in M2) - I can't really fathom how things work, and it all comes down to builing a huge army and stomping everyone else anyway, so I'm not really sure what the point is. The best use I've found for diplomats is killing the enemy's to train my assassins XD