The jewel in the crown of land battles in the original Shogun 2 campaign (and multiplayer) was fortress assault and defense, but, as most walls can now be blown to smithereens in short order, battles concern themselves more with open-field maneuvers rather than battening down the hatches. All of these little things build up to a significantly different, but still highly enjoyable, wargaming experience. Heck, you can even take control of a fort (or ship)'s guns manually and aim them a la Toy Soldiers, although how practical this is while you're controlling your entire army on a battlefield is a question of how good your reflexes (and aim) are.
The introduction of gun-based warfare completely changes the tactics from the original Shogun 2, as well: artillery (including naval support) is now a genuine force to be reckoned with, and cavalry become much more a mobile infantry force (as you'll often ride them somewhere and then dismount them to fight) than a cadre of mounted knights. There are some differences, strategically, as well, since warships play a predictably bigger role in the affairs of an island nation than they would in the U.S., and railroads and other logistical infrastructure are less widespread. The Boshin War was contemporaneous with the American Civil War, and weaponry, troop types, tactics, economic options, and the constant fight to keep foreign powers out of the war all hearken back to the War Between the States - although the game never loses its uniquely Japanese flavor. The game's main campaign is set in the Boshin War, a relatively short and bloodless conflict in reality that will be anything but once you get your hands on the reins. south dynamic is an interesting coincidence, as much of Fall of the Samurai's strategic and tactical gameplay mirrors games that are set in the American Civil War. In Fall of the Samurai, you choose to align yourself with one of two the pro-Shogun side or the pro-Emperor side, which more or less equates to the north of Japan versus the south, respectively.
It still takes place on a map of Japan, but all of the fiefdoms have changed to reflect the 200-year time period that has passed since the original Shogun 2 campaign. While the core game is unsurprisingly the same, it's really amazing just how much is changed apart from that basic game engine. Watch Shogun 2 Gameplay Commentary Total War: Shogun 2's new standalone expansion, The Fall of the Samurai, attempts to give us a glimpse of how Japan's transformation actually took place – and a chance to rewrite history while we're at it.
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