Shogun: Total War
by Electronic Arts
Our Price: $39.99
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $5.49 (click here)
Category: Video Games
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Product Summary
Brand: Electronic ArtsFormat: CD-ROM
Release Date: 2000-06-15
Platform: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me
Model: 7987
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Accessories:
- PC Gamer [with CD] (1-year)
- Saving Private Ryan (Single-Disc Special Limited Edition)
- 100 Military Leaders Who Shaped World History (100 Series)
Video Game Reviews of Shogun: Total War
Customer Review: ... My god a game I love, and and and! *please read*
Summary: 5 Stars
This game gets my highest rating in the genre hands down, it's a fine example of what a video game can do for you. Put you in a time place and setting you could not possible encounter in real life, and while it's at it, you get to conquer a country one piece at a time using tactics, and battles. everything about this game screams wonderfulness if you like the genre, specificaly if you like fuedal Japan and strategy games, the graphics where impressive, the depth and immersion was right on, and everything about it told me I would be playing this game for months to come, and more than once at that... as there are a number of clans to choose from. so this game is not the flaw... the flaw is in the programming/design... the coding... this game is so unstable, in order to write this review and get what I did out of this game I had to reboot my computer once every ten minutes at best! it crashed froze and short of killing my computer, did everything a game of this callibur shouldn't do. In a few words... I was VEXED! I was forced to uninstall this game from my computer and keep the disks in a safe place until I get a better system, and my system is not that dated at all, in fact I beat every requirement this game has for it. the problem? this game has compatability issues that are not mentioned on the box, or documentation, even in the fine print. Electronic arts failed to test this game properly, and institute propper patches, and fixes. even the patches that are available, tend to make a difficult gaming experience worse, since for me the patches only made it so the game was unplayable since it crashed before I could even start the campaign. I have heard some rumors, and some facts, and it all boils down to bad coding and application of system rescourses. If you have a Voodo video card this game will likely frustrate you to tears, even with the final version of the now out of business 3DFX drivers. Whats more you can't control to much of a degree what form of hardware accelleration to use. and software mode runs slower than a dead walter hudson on most systems. if it even works. Electronic arts basically let down a large percentage of their customers on this title, not in the gameplay, graphics or other ways a game normaly fails, but in the worst example of a buggy game I have ever seen. I am no technowizard, but I do know a bit about computers, and trust me, if this game works on your computer, you are in the lucky 60% (my own estimate, since it hasn't worked on my friends older industry standard 2GIG processor, 2 gig RAM, demonic graphic rendering monster machine his father custom built for him so he could do special movie effects for the company he got hired into. and if it doesn't work on his machine, given his technical experience etc, within three hours of system updates and trouble shooting, it won't work on most peoples PC's), this game is as picky about what system you are using as your cat can be about eating what you put in front of him/her. sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't... mostly doesn't. Consdiering everything, I would say take the chance, if you like the genre, and the aspects mentioned about this game, if it doesn't work just return it, and don't even think about it. Me? I am a hopeless romantic, and am gonna wait till I get a new computer, with all kinds of compatable hardware before I give this game another try and then decide to use it for ultimate ... frisbie. I love this game and it pains me to say all this... I wanna play my game, one of my favs. but how can I? anyway! On a further note, after many hours of tearful frustration of rebooting, and sore knuckles from pounding my desk, icalled tech support at Electronic arts. They WHere helpful, so I tip my hat to them, but it was kind of funny, when I talked to the operator of the companies tech support line and mentioned what game I was having trouble with he sighed, and I could almost hear him mumble "Oh boy... another one..." somehow the 3DFX drivers, or direct x, or something about voodo, or even Geforce cards conflicts with this game. I don't know what systems they play tested this game on, but it wasn't one like a large amount of people have. This game was well made in the game aspect, but rushed on the race to put it on store shelves, rather than test it properly, and support it properly. money is the root of all evil I spose, second only to impatience... so buy this game if your a tech wizard, are lucky, or have a nice system, and cross your fingers. As I said, I would personaly estimate 20%-40% of you won't be able to fight one battle before you computer locks up and you have to do a hard reboot... (turn off the power without shutting down) hope this review helped somebody out there!
Description of Shogun: Total War
Thousands of loyal warriors stand before you, a nation lies ready to be conquered, in the shadows, ninja assassins await your orders. In Shogun: Total War you must display strength and cunning to conquer ancient Japan. In Mongol Invasion you lead the Mongol hordes on a bloody campaign to invade Japan and steal its riches.Inspired by the war epics of director Akira Kurosawa, Shogun: Total War perfectly captures the chaos, conflict, and beauty of ancient warfare. Shogun thrusts you into the unstable politics of 16th-century feudal Japan. You command thousands of loyal samurai and other troops against six other factions in massive battles that will determine the fate of Japan itself. You can learn the basics of the art of war by playing the included tutorial missions, hone and test your skills by loading historical battles, or enter the campaign mode and go for the ultimate goal: becoming shogun.
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
- Worthless manual
- Weak tutorial missions
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.
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