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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →SHOGUN 2 and Fall of the Samurai are campaigns about different wars, not two versions of the same battlefield. SHOGUN 2 is the Sengoku Jidai struggle among clans using swords, bows and cavalry. Fall of the Samurai moves to the Boshin War, where rifles, artillery, Gatling guns, steamships and ironclads transform combat. Fall has its own campaign flow and clan selection, while the current Complete Edition packages both campaigns (plus Rise of the Samurai) as separate experiences. Storefront contents and mod compatibility are the other major differences for a new buyer.
The short answer
Choose Total War: SHOGUN 2 if you want a clan-war campaign built around Sengoku-era diplomacy, betrayal and conquest, with traditional armies dominated by swords, bows and horsemen. Choose Fall of the Samurai if you want the Boshin War and a battlefield shaped by industrial weapons, modern artillery, steam-powered ships and naval fire support.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Total War: Shogun 2 | $11.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Total War: Shogun 2 Gold - PC | $28.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Total War: Shogun 2 - PC | $22.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Total War : Shogun 2 | $10.85 | Buy on Amazon |
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Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai, Limited Edition - PC | $12.95 | Buy on Amazon |
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Fall is not merely a visual mode or a late-game technology branch inside the original campaign. It has a separate campaign start flow and clan selection. SEGA now presents SHOGUN 2, Rise of the Samurai and Fall of the Samurai as three standalone campaigns in the Complete Edition, spanning more than 700 years of Japanese history. The practical buying question is therefore which edition and storefront you use, rather than whether Fall requires you to replay the original campaign first.
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For the official setting descriptions, see SEGA’s Complete Edition FAQ. The detailed combat distinctions come from Feral Interactive’s official Fall of the Samurai manual.
#1 Best Overall
- Choose from 9 different clans and compete online and offline for the undisputed supremacy of Medieval Japan
- Play through the Main Campaign in single player or invite a friend online to play competitively or cooperatively in Campaign Multiplayer mode
- Developed according to Sun Tzu's principles in the Art of War, the Artificial Intelligence constantly analyzes its situation
- Build and govern cities, recruit and train troops, conduct diplomacy and manage your agents
- Improved land and naval battle gameplay, now with the ability to combine forces and attacks
Setting: two wars separated by centuries
SHOGUN 2 and the Sengoku Jidai
SHOGUN 2 depicts the Sengoku Jidai, the period of conflict in which rival clans compete to unite Japan. Its campaign identity is political as well as military: diplomacy, betrayal and conquest all contribute to the attempt to become shogun. The setting supplies the logic for the game’s traditional armies and for a campaign in which clan relationships can change as quickly as battle lines.
That setting also explains why the base campaign feels comparatively close to a classic medieval or early-modern strategy game. Your military decisions revolve around positioning traditional formations, using terrain and timing charges, protecting missile troops and choosing when to negotiate or attack. The period’s political fragmentation gives each territorial move a diplomatic consequence: an alliance can stabilize one border while creating an obligation or vulnerability elsewhere.
Fall of the Samurai and the Boshin War
Fall of the Samurai takes place during the Boshin War, when Japan is being pulled between established tradition and industrialisation. The central tension is not simply one clan against another. Foreign influence and new technology alter what military power means, so armies that still use samurai-era formations must contend with weapons designed for a very different kind of war.
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In practical terms, Fall asks you to manage an army in transition. Traditional troops have not vanished, but they operate beside firearms, field guns and new naval technologies. The campaign’s identity comes from that collision: the old order remains visible in the units and political factions, while industrial weapons alter the consequences of exposing troops or attacking a prepared position.
SEGA’s 2026 Complete Edition announcement describes the collection as three standalone campaigns covering more than 700 years: the Genpei War in Rise of the Samurai, the Sengoku Jidai in SHOGUN 2 and the Boshin War in Fall of the Samurai. That is the publisher’s description of the collection’s historical span, not a claim that either individual campaign lasts for a fixed number of turns or hours. The announcement is available at SEGA Corporation’s release page.
How the armies feel different
| Aspect | SHOGUN 2 | Fall of the Samurai |
|---|---|---|
| Historical conflict | Sengoku Jidai struggle among clans to unite Japan | Boshin War and the transition toward modern warfare |
| Typical battlefield identity | Swords, bows and horsemen dominate the period | Modern guns and artillery become decisive, including Gatling guns |
| Campaign emphasis | Diplomacy, betrayal and conquest among rival clans | Conflict between tradition and industrialisation, with foreign influence shaping the war |
| Naval and artillery systems | The cited official sources do not provide a full symmetric feature list for the base campaign | Steam-powered vessels, ironclads, naval fire support and direct first-person gunnery are documented |
| Campaign status | Original standalone campaign | Separate campaign flow and clan selection; included as a standalone campaign in the Complete Edition |
The manual summarizes the contrast this way: “Total War: SHOGUN 2 was set during a time when swords, bows and horsemen dominated the battlefield. Warfare in A Total War Saga: FALL OF THE SAMURAI is a somewhat different proposition: modern guns and artillery have little respect for courage and honor.” This is Feral Interactive’s description in its official manual, with Creative Assembly identified as the original developer and SEGA as the original publisher.
What changes during a Fall of the Samurai battle?
Guns and artillery punish exposed formations
In SHOGUN 2, the period’s defining weapons are melee arms, bows and mounted forces. Fall introduces firearms and artillery as central battlefield tools rather than occasional support. That changes how an advance is evaluated: courage or a successful charge does not by itself solve a problem created by concentrated gunfire. The presence of Gatling guns makes the industrial-era shift especially clear.
This does not mean every traditional unit disappears. Fall’s manual states that Boshin-era land units can be mixed with SHOGUN 2 units in battles. The result is a campaign in which older and newer military systems can appear together, rather than a clean switch where one technology instantly replaces everything that came before it.
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The mixed-era option is useful for understanding the relationship between the campaigns. Fall is historically later and mechanically more modern, but it is not sealed off from every earlier unit type. The manual’s point is that the eras can coexist in battles, while ships follow stricter balance rules. Do not read the ability to mix land units as proof that every unit, faction or campaign rule is shared across both games.
Direct control for artillery and ships
Fall lets you directly operate an artillery unit or a ship and fire in first-person mode. That is a meaningful change in how a battle can be managed: instead of issuing only strategic orders from the normal battlefield view, you can personally aim and fire selected modern weapons. The manual also says that up to 40 units may be controlled in a battle.
This direct-fire option is best understood as an additional layer, not a requirement to play every engagement from a first-person view. You can still command the wider army, but taking control of a gun or vessel lets you influence a critical shot yourself. That makes artillery placement, target selection and naval timing more interactive than the period-appropriate weapon list alone would suggest.
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Because the sources do not provide a matching unit-control specification for the base SHOGUN 2 campaign, it would be inaccurate to claim a precise one-to-one advantage for either game. The safe distinction is that Fall’s documented first-person artillery and ship gunnery give its battles an additional direct-fire layer.
Steamships, ironclads and naval fire support
Fall’s naval systems are built around industrial vessels. Many modern ships are steam-powered, and ironclads resist most attacks from traditional vessels. Nearby fleets can provide naval fire support during land battles, allowing a fleet’s weapons to influence a fight on shore rather than remaining confined to a separate naval engagement.
That support changes how a coastal battle can be planned. A fleet is not only a transport or a separate fighting force; when positioned nearby, it can contribute fire to an engagement on land. The manual documents this as a Fall feature, so it should not be assumed to describe the base campaign’s naval systems in exactly the same form.
The manual cautions that the two eras’ ships cannot fight each other in the same way because the matchup would be unfair. That is a balance rule for the documented mixed-era situation, not evidence that the base campaign and Fall have identical naval rosters. The official manual is the source for these ship, ironclad and fire-support mechanics.
Is Fall of the Samurai a DLC or a separate game?
For practical play, Fall is a separate campaign experience. Its manual shows a dedicated Fall campaign start screen and clan selection, so you do not enter it as a late chapter of the Sengoku Jidai campaign. You select its historical conflict and campaign systems directly.
Rank #3
- Choose from 9 different clans and compete on and offline for the undisputed supremacy of Medieval Japan. Gain experience to level up your own character-warlord as well as your generals and agents.
- Play through the Main Campaign in single player or invite a friend online to play competitively or cooperatively in Campaign Multiplayer mode.
- Developed according to Sun Tzu's principles in the Art of War, the Artificial Intelligence constantly analyzes its situation and reacts to your every move with greater precision and variety.
- A streamlined User Interface makes management of your kingdom much easier. Build and govern cities, recruit and train troops, conduct diplomacy and manage your agents - each feature is now introduced with comprehensive tutorials
The current Complete Edition groups three campaigns—SHOGUN 2, Rise of the Samurai and Fall of the Samurai—under one modern edition while keeping their campaign identities separate. That packaging should not be confused with one giant campaign map covering every period. The evidence establishes separate campaign flows, not a single continuous timeline in which a Sengoku clan survives into the Boshin War.
For a returning player, this distinction matters because owning or finishing one campaign is not presented as a prerequisite for opening another. Fall’s own start screen and clan selection are the relevant entry point. The Complete Edition is a package containing the campaigns, not a conversion that merges their maps, dates and factions into one save.
Buying the games in 2026: storefront differences matter
SEGA’s FAQ gives different contents depending on where you buy the Complete Edition. It also records a transition away from selling the original SHOGUN 2 as a standalone Steam purchase.
| Purchase route | What the official FAQ says is included | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Steam Complete Edition | Complete Edition, the original SHOGUN 2 and its associated DLC | Blood Pack is excluded because of age-rating requirements |
| Epic Games Store | Complete Edition only | Use the Complete Edition package rather than expecting the separate legacy Steam contents |
| Microsoft Store | Complete Edition only | Use the Complete Edition package rather than expecting the separate legacy Steam contents |
| GOG | Complete Edition only | Use the Complete Edition package rather than expecting the separate legacy Steam contents |
| Existing standalone Steam owners | Original game remains playable; missing original DLC is to be supplied at no cost | This concerns the original game, not automatic conversion to the updated Complete Edition |
The FAQ says standalone SHOGUN 2 stopped being available to purchase on Steam at 16:00 UTC on September 28, 2026. Its Steam page remains available and existing owners retain play access. If you already own the original, that access is not removed simply because the newer edition exists.
SEGA’s FAQ scheduled the Complete Edition’s PC launch for October 13, 2026 at 16:00 BST / 08:00 PDT / 23:00 CST / 00:00 JST on October 14. Those are the announced launch times; the official page’s timestamped information was captured before the 16:00 BST launch on October 13. Check the relevant store listing for current availability and regional timing.
There is no single price or universal contents list established here, so compare the live listing in your region rather than assuming that a sale price or a legacy bundle applies everywhere. The confirmed difference is the package structure: Steam includes the original game and associated DLC with the Blood Pack exception, while Epic, Microsoft Store and GOG list the Complete Edition alone.
What the Complete Edition changes technically
The Complete Edition is an updated version rather than only a bundle label. SEGA’s materials list the following changes:
- Improved visuals.
- Interface scaling for 1440p and 4K displays.
- Modernised controls.
- Japanese and Chinese voice acting with full text localisation.
- More than 50 newly playable minor factions.
- Mod.io support.
- A 64-bit upgrade.
These changes affect presentation, accessibility and the technical foundation, but they do not erase the historical distinction between the campaigns. A new interface or higher-resolution scaling does not turn Sengoku armies into Boshin-era forces, and the added factions should not be interpreted as a promise that every faction is available in every campaign.
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There is an important mod boundary. Original SHOGUN 2 mods are not compatible with the Complete Edition. Mods for the original game remain unchanged for that original version, while the updated edition uses its own Mod.io support. If a particular mod is essential to your setup, decide first whether you are staying with the legacy game or moving to the Complete Edition; do not assume an existing mod list will transfer.
Which campaign fits your preferred play style?
Pick SHOGUN 2 for traditional clan warfare
- You want the Sengoku Jidai rather than the Boshin War.
- You prefer battles framed by swords, bows and horsemen.
- You are most interested in diplomacy, betrayal and conquest among rival clans.
- You want the original campaign identity without Fall’s industrial naval and artillery systems.
Pick Fall for the industrial-era transition
- You want the Boshin War and the clash between tradition and industrialisation.
- You are drawn to firearms, artillery and Gatling guns.
- You want steam-powered ships, ironclads and naval fire support.
- You would like to aim artillery or ship weapons directly in first-person mode.
- You are interested in mixed battles where Boshin-era and SHOGUN 2 land units can appear together.
If your main interest is diplomacy and the political contest among Sengoku clans, the original campaign is the more direct fit. If your priority is watching traditional forces collide with industrial weapons and using ships or artillery as active battlefield tools, Fall is the more direct fit. These recommendations describe mechanical and setting preferences; they do not establish a universal ranking.
These are fit recommendations, not a claim that one campaign is objectively better, easier or more historically important. They follow the official setting descriptions and the mechanics documented in the manual.
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- Identify your storefront. Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store and GOG do not advertise identical contents for the Complete Edition.
- Confirm whether you need the legacy game. If you already own SHOGUN 2 on Steam, you retain access to it. If you are buying now, the standalone Steam listing is no longer sold separately.
- Read the package contents. On Steam, the FAQ specifies the original game and associated DLC, except the Blood Pack. Other listed storefronts provide the Complete Edition only.
- Choose your mod environment. Legacy SHOGUN 2 mods do not work with the Complete Edition. Keep the original installation if a particular old mod is required.
- Select the campaign from its own menu. Fall’s separate campaign start and clan-selection flow means you can begin with its Boshin-era systems without completing SHOGUN 2 first.
- Check localization and display needs. The updated edition lists 1440p and 4K interface scaling, modernised controls and Japanese and Chinese voice acting with full text localisation. Those are Complete Edition features, not reasons to expect the legacy installation to change automatically.
- Plan for saves and mods separately. Treat the legacy game and Complete Edition as different technical environments. Preserve a working original installation before experimenting with an updated edition or replacing a mod setup.
Common points of confusion
“Fall has samurai, so is it just SHOGUN 2 with a new map?”
No. The shared historical vocabulary does not make the campaigns equivalent. SHOGUN 2 is defined by Sengoku clan warfare and traditional arms. Fall is defined by the Boshin War’s collision with industrial weapons, modern ships and foreign influence.
“Does owning SHOGUN 2 automatically mean I have the Complete Edition?”
Not according to the purchase guidance. Existing owners retain the original game and are to receive missing original DLC, while the Complete Edition is a separate updated version with its own visual, control, 64-bit and mod changes.
“Can I use my original mods after upgrading?”
No. The official compatibility information says original SHOGUN 2 mods are not compatible with the Complete Edition. Original-game mods remain available for the original version.
“Are the sales figures specific to these games?”
No. SEGA’s September 16, 2026 announcement reports more than 48.3 million copies sold for the Total War series across the franchise. It does not provide an individual sales count for SHOGUN 2 or Fall of the Samurai.
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No campaign-order requirement is established. Fall has its own campaign start screen and clan selection, and the Complete Edition describes the campaigns as standalone experiences. You can choose the Boshin-era campaign directly.
Best Value
- The American, British and French nations played an important part in the story of the Boshin war and your relations with these foreign powers will be integral to unit recruitment and to advancing your technology trees.
- Thirty nine new land units, including modern ranged units - such as the Gatling gun and Armstrong gun - controllable in a new third-person mode.
- New port siege battle type, this new battle type triggers when attempting a naval assault on an occupied enemy port. The attacking fleet must sail into the harbour and capture the port, running the gauntlet of coastal gun defences.
- New land and sea unit interactions, during a land battle, armies can call in offshore artillery support barrages.
- Campaign map bombardments: offshore naval units can bombard armies and cities in adjacent coastal areas on the campaign map itself.
“Does the Complete Edition combine all three periods into one map?”
No. The package spans more than 700 years through separate campaigns: Rise of the Samurai covers the Genpei War, SHOGUN 2 covers the Sengoku Jidai and Fall covers the Boshin War. The historical span describes the collection, not one continuous save or timeline.
“Is Fall only about naval battles?”
No. Its defining change is broader: modern guns, artillery and Gatling guns reshape land battles, while steam-powered ships, ironclads and naval fire support add a naval layer. The manual also documents direct first-person operation of artillery and ships.
Bottom line for choosing between them
SHOGUN 2 is the choice for a focused Sengoku Jidai campaign in which diplomacy and traditional clan armies define the struggle. Fall of the Samurai is the choice for the Boshin War’s technological rupture: guns and artillery on land, steam-powered ships and ironclads at sea, naval fire support and direct first-person gunnery. Both are distinct campaign experiences, and the Complete Edition’s storefront contents and mod incompatibility are important enough to check before purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fall of the Samurai a standalone campaign?
Yes. It has its own campaign start flow and clan selection. The Complete Edition packages it alongside SHOGUN 2 and Rise of the Samurai as separate campaigns.
Which game has guns and artillery?
Fall of the Samurai foregrounds modern guns, artillery and Gatling guns. SHOGUN 2 represents the Sengoku Jidai, when swords, bows and horsemen dominated the battlefield.
Can land units from both eras appear together?
The official Fall manual says Boshin-era land units can be mixed with SHOGUN 2 units in battles. Naval matchups between the eras are subject to different balance rules.
What does Steam include?
The Complete Edition purchase on Steam includes the updated Complete Edition, the original SHOGUN 2 and associated DLC, except the Blood Pack because of age-rating requirements.
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No. The Complete Edition uses Mod.io support, while original-game mods remain tied to the legacy version.
Do existing Steam owners lose SHOGUN 2?
No. Existing owners retain access to the original game, and the FAQ says missing original DLC will be supplied at no cost. That does not automatically convert the installation into the Complete Edition.
The Bottom Line
Choose SHOGUN 2 for Sengoku clan politics and traditional armies; choose Fall of the Samurai for Boshin-era firearms, artillery, steamships and ironclads. Fall is a separate campaign, not a chapter you unlock by finishing SHOGUN 2. In 2026, verify the storefront package and mod compatibility before buying or installing the Complete Edition.
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