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Shogun: Total War
by James Cobb

Multi-player modes are limited to LAN or Internet play on EA Play. These modes will be discussed in a later article,.

This product is not perfect. The tactical interface can be clunky for some things. Moving pieces on the campaign map can also be aggravating. Tactical battle could use a zoomed level and better graphics for arrows. However, Shogun’s major failing is its documentation. Although Sun Tzu’s philosophy of knowledge of self and enemy, the scrawny printed manual barely covers game mechanics and provides scanty insight into play. The on-disk “Way of the Daimyo” fleshes things out a bit but players should either buy the strategy guide or visit a fan site to get good basic information.

Shogun: Total War is the first game to combine real-time play with historical strategy. The design approach of “Something borrowed, something new” should be a model for developers. Gamers should just enjoy. This game has incredible depth and intricacy, not unlike Japanese Haiku. It will reside on many hard disks for a long time.

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