SHOGUN 2: TOTAL WAR

It's been over a decade, and The Creative Assembly is still burning the midnight oil with the Total War series. Rather than continue to build on previous versions of the revered strategy series and make bigger and more complex games with each release, Shogun 2: Total War is being slimmed down. It'll be a more manageable, focused game with some cool mechanics for progression on the battlefield. Also, considering the original Shogun is one of the most respected entries in the franchise, it's nice to a return to Japan with some updated visuals.

Shogun 2: Total War Battle Report

So far The Creative Assembly has been saying all the right things. This doesn't seem like an impossibly ambitious and all-encompassing project like Empire. Instead, it sounds like a welcomed back-to-basics approach that focuses on what's made the Total War series one of the best in video games. Coupling Civilization-style turn-based empire management with large-scale real-time tactical battles, Total War has always been a strategy fan's dream game. We're all hoping everything goes right with Shogun 2.

Developer: The Creative Assembly | Publisher: SEGA | Arrives: March 15, 2011
Key Characters: Warring Factions, Hero Units, Art of War AI

6

Not including Shogun 2, expansions and downloadable content, the number of Total War games released to date.

Succeeds if Creative Assembly delivers on what it's been promising so far.

Fails if it won't run well on anyone's computer and the AI randomly breaks.