Good old-fashioned infantry, archers and cavalry form the backbone of your armies, with the odd clan-specific exception.
The defining characteristic of Shogun 2 is its refinement of troop variety from more recent games in the series. Monks, Geisha and Metsuke – the era's ninja-sniffing secret police – are also available to perform a range of covert offensive and defensive actions.
His Subterfuge and Assassination skills enable him to lock down an army for a turn or slay its general, and if you point him at an enemy castle, he can sabotage key production structures within, or its very gates – a beneficial precursor to a siege. After an experimental backstab, I spent a hell of a lot of turns paying for my land-grab with broken alliances, reduced trade and the resultant economy-hit, followed by civil wars as angry peasant-armies rose, and major hostility toward me from other clans.Īs with the earlier games, special agents can be recruited to tip the balance on the map, and their influence can be pronounced. Attacking an ally is deeply dishonourable, and while it may gain you territory and the production capabilities of captured cities, it also reduces your Honour, a factor contributing to your peoples' contentment and the way other clans perceive you. With alliances come serious responsibilities. They also gather bigger armies on higher difficulty, and are more proactive about expansion. It gives the clans a strong sense of personality: they come to you more frequently with offers, but they can be ruthless in their exchanges, and prone to breaking off relations. Even more so on higher difficulty settings, where you'll find the AI working the clans hard, and you even harder, with bullish demands accompanying every overture. A turn-based strategy layer, in which you manage your clan and decisions take seasons to play out, and a real-time battle mode, in which you lead your armies to victory or humiliating defeat.Įarly on, diplomacy is key. From the airy, atmospheric, intrigueheavy string-and-flute music of the campaign map, to the drum-andgong- and-grunting-Samurai martial accompaniment to battles, the sense of atmosphere is palpable.Īs ever, there are two phases of play. You can almost hear the spittle flying when your battle advisor yells, with great emotion: “Our troops are running from the field! A SHAMEFUL DISPLAY!!!” And the music matches pace. The accents and intonations of the campaign and battle advisors are also fantastic, especially when things get heated.
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