Pre-buy Q : Shogun 2 vs Napoleon vs Empire

[tono4850]

I cant wait for Rome 2 and thats why I want to play some of other TW games. In general I am not interested in japanese history/ european late era as much as rome or medieval era, but I want to give it a try


Which one should I buy ? I have made a little research :

Shogun 2 has generally better AI, but a small campaign map, only japanese factions, small diversity generally

Napoleon: better AI than in Empire but still sucks, small campaign map, few factions

Empire : vanilla version almosty unplayable due to bugs and retarded AI,
pluses: lots of factions, a big map, I can rule the whole world

In general I am mainly looking for better AI, so I will probably buy Shogun (and DLCs). What do you think ? Thanks

[The Juggernaut]

If you're looking for a smart AI Shogun and Napoleon will give you a run for your money, Shogun especially. I personaly haven't played Empire in forever, so I can't tell you how the new mods are, but even with the last version of DarthMod I played it still felt clunky and small compared to Napoleon. Napoleon's map covers a smaller area, but in much greater detail, and the three campaigns are a bonus.

Shogun has a bit less replayability IMO because of the nature of the game; all Japanese factions with pretty much the same weapons and tactics. It's still a great game, the campaign is challenging, and you will get some practice for Rome II. If you don't mind that, however, and the large number of siege battles you'll probably auto-resolve, then Shogun is great!

[Artorias]

I recommend you to buy Shogun 2, it is the newest game in the Total War series and it feels more like RTW because you use mostly melee troops instead of line infantry with muskets. Shogun 2 also has much better graphics than Empire and Napoleon and the multiplayer is great too. You make your own general, rank up, train veteran units and earn skill points for them if they level up.

[Sharpe]

Fall of the Samurai is great for musket warfare as well - with the added features of Shogun 2.

The AI is so much better in Shogun 2, consolidated stacks attack, garrisons are used, alliances are much more trusty. It's very immersive as well, the art is fantastic as is the music and sounds.

Shogun 2 is the best Total War and that's coming from someone who has been playing since Medieval 1.

[Knight of Heaven]

Fall of the Samurai is great for musket warfare as well - with the added features of Shogun 2.

The AI is so much better in Shogun 2, consolidated stacks attack, garrisons are used, alliances are much more trusty. It's very immersive as well, the art is fantastic as is the music and sounds.

Shogun 2 is the best Total War and that's coming from someone who has been playing since Medieval 1.

Pretty much its no brainer shogun 2 is the best. I have been playing since shogun 1

[Baldos]

Fall of the Samurai is great for musket warfare as well - with the added features of Shogun 2.

The AI is so much better in Shogun 2, consolidated stacks attack, garrisons are used, alliances are much more trusty. It's very immersive as well, the art is fantastic as is the music and sounds.

Shogun 2 is the best Total War and that's coming from someone who has been playing since Medieval 1.

Agree 100% I have played all TW games since Shogun 1. Medieval 1 was also good, Then came Rome 1 and Medieval 2 both were great with mods still playable and fun just look at the number of Mods. I liked Empire better than Napoleon (and I am a big Napoleonic Wars fan... this was a bit of a let down ). According to Steam I played Empire and Mods for over 500 hours! But Shogun 2 w/ FOTS is by far the best AI and game play.

[Gnufan]

I agree that Shogun 2 is the best even if it lacks variety.

[Steward Denethor II]

I would get Shogun 2, and then Fall of the Samurai. After that if you want more then Napoleon would be a better buy than Empire. My biggest complaint with Napoleon is that its map covers a smaller area than Empire, other then that though it is surperior. Though getting a mod to unlock more factions is basically needed for much replayibility.

[AngryTitusPullo]

Steam summer sales is approaching so I say wait and you'll probably can get all 3 (4 including FOTS) for the price of 1 normal game.

[shadowflare1995]

I wouldn't call Empire unplayable. It was by far my favorite Total War. But it wasn't perfect due to the bugs and such. I like to think of it as CA's beta test of a new engine. It's a very, very good game if you can get past the bugs and such. Shogun 2 is great. It's not a small campaign map at all. There are about 65 provinces, give or take a few. The battles are wonderful (in my opinion. Obviously some people hate the speed, but then again I hate the speed of Medieval 2).

I hope this helped, because Empire and Shogun 2 are my favorite Total Wars by far.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

Automatically remove Empire from your list, it sucks pretty bad and the only bonus is that it has a world map, but if you want a game with guns then Napoleon is much better. Shogun 2 is by far the more superior of the two as agents seem to matter, there are melee battles if you like the original games better and the strategy aspect and AI are much better. Shogun 2 is also much more challenging but the map and geography really make you think. Unlike Napoleon where you just go out and kick an army's ass and then run around practically unopposed for most of the map, the AI in Shogun 2 is more opportunist and you really have to be careful about what provinces you take before you **** yourself over. The downside is that once you get realm divide (from conquering too many provinces) your diplomacy becomes nulled and everyone declares war on you, so you really have to think at how you expand unless your latest conquest puts you in a bad political situation and you are too strategically weak (like if you invade a province that is super easy to invade and your surrounded by strong clans, and then you get realm divide and you can't even hold that damn province).

For me my favourite Total War Games have been Napoleon and Shogun 2.

[Math2]

I'm pretty new to TW games, I bought the grand master pack in April since I'm a completist in regards to game DLC's and such. My favorite game was Rome by far, and MEdieval 2 was pretty good as well. I put off playing any of the later games at all for a while. I had no interest in Shogun when I bought it because I wasn't interested in Japanese history. Empire I thought was OK, didn't especially like it, same with Napoleon, slightly better. So a few days ago, I decided to give Shogun 2 a try, thinking I wouldn't like it. However, it's now my favorite TW game after ROme. Just so much fun. I guess I didn't like gunpowder, but Japan has an interesting history too. Definitely go for SHogun

[eXistenZ]

gamersgate had a sale for napoleon not long ago, just missed it

I would go for both Napoleon and S2 in the sale. Skipp empire

[M2TWRocks]

ETW to NTW to S2TW was essentially a progression of the same game. They're all the same engine, similar combat mechanics, similar naval strategies, similar diplomacy, etc. But, as I said earlier, it's been a HUGE progression from one game to the next. S2TW is BY FAR the best of the bunch. If you're just wholly adverse to playing something in a Japanese setting, then pick NTW. If you're not against playing a Japanese setting, then S2TW and FoTS both have everything you could possibly want from the game engine. S2TW is medieval style combat. And, FoTS is a much more enjoyable game in the gunpowder era than both ETW and NTW in my opinion. Being able to ram other ships and having a gatling gun mounted on the deck of an ironclad is enough by itself to warrant the purchase. But you add in naval bombardments, coastal defenses, sword and spear armed samurai charging musket armed soldiers, and it's a no brainer.

[TheRomanRuler]

Shogun 2 is best, but i advice waiting for Rome 2.

EDIT: I also hate lack of diversity in Shogun 2, but Empire and Nap also lack diversity, in Empire 2 there however should be plenty of diversity, and mods also add soem diversity to Empire.