If you've got a strategy fan in your life, you might have noticed something odd about them of late: a wistful, far-off look in their eyes, a nostalgic grin on their face, and an insatiable drive to unite the warring clans of feudal Japan under their family banner.
Don't worry, it's all very normal. They're just excited about Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition, a new and enhanced version of the original SHOGUN 2 from all the way back in 2011. If you're not a Total War aficionado, here's what you need to know: SHOGUN 2 was an absolute banger.
It's a bonafide, hall-of-fame all-timer, and it has occupied a special place in the hearts of series fans for the last 15 years, thanks to its massive battles, deep campaigns, and an expert rendition of 700 years of Japanese history, from the first shogun to the last samurai.
The Complete Edition takes all that good stuff, then tweaks and polishes it for 2026. It's a modernised version of the classic that adds things like 1440p and 4K UI scaling; fullscreen borderless mode; better shadows, lighting, and rendering tech; and all sorts of other technical upgrades that make 16th-century diplomacy and warfare a lot more modern and accessible to today's players.
It looks swish as heck, too: whether you're staring at a map of all Japan and noodling over strategy in the game's turn-based bits or getting right into the action in the real-time battles, the new graphical updates combine to make it all look rather spectacular. Whether you're waging war on land or by sea, the new graphics tech makes it look sumptuous (and the new 2.5D movies, inspired by Japanese Ukiyo-e art, are pretty chef-kiss-worthy too).
It's not all about technological updates, though. There are gameplay goodies in here too, and it might be these that get Total War old hands most excited of all. For instance, SHOGUN 2 now has the modernised controls that many players have grown accustomed to over the last decade and a half of the series, so no more being betrayed by your own muscle memory.
There's also a new slider for the Realm Divide mechanic—that's the one that sees pretty much everyone go to war with you when you get too successful—that lets you tweak the difficulty or even turn it off altogether.
Oh, and did I mention the 50+ minor factions that are now playable? If there's one thing Sengoku Japan had a lot of, it's factions, and over the years modders have helped players unlock a bunch of them as playable in SHOGUN 2. In the Complete Edition, a load of them have gotten official support, meaning they're right there ready to be played the moment you launch the game.
Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition is a hell of a package, in other words, and that's even before you realise it also comes with all the original DLC—including the much-loved Rise of the Samurai and Fall of the Samurai campaigns, all of which has gotten the same careful treatment. There's never been a better time to get in touch with your inner daimyō, and guess what? If you already have the OG SHOGUN 2 on Steam, you can get the entire Complete Edition for 75% off for a limited time.
