SEGA Europe Ltd. and SEGA of America, Inc. today announced that the powerful in-game soundtrack for the critically acclaimed Total War title, Total War: SHOGUN 2 is now available in full on iTunes. Grab the links to download at the bottom of this blog!

Creative Assembly’s Composer & Audio Director Jeff Van Dyke, creator of previous BAFTA award winning soundtracks for the series said of the Total War: SHOGUN 2 soundtrack:

“Creating the Total War: SHOGUN 2 soundtrack was an amazing experience. The feel of the era, alongside working with talented musicians like Taikoz who performed the Japanese Taiko drums, and learning the subtleties of traditional Japanese instruments was truly inspiring.”

In addition to Total War: SHOGUN 2’s Japanese themed tracks, the classically inspired, soaring pieces of Napoleon: Total War are also available now. Having been nominated for a prestigious Ivor Novello award the Napoleon: Total War soundtrack is another truly stirring collection.

So whether you use your music to practice a little kendo, or sail the world’s oceans in an 18th century galleon pursuing global dominance, these are the soundtracks you’ll need.

Total War: SHOGUN 2 pushes forward the hugely successful Total War series by perfecting the features from previous games such as full 3D land and naval battles and a detailed campaign map, whilst adding an exciting new multiplayer experience. Total War: SHOGUN 2 was released in March 2011.

Grab the Soundtracks below:
Napoleon!
Shogun 2!

Today we’re very proud to announce that Total War: SHOGUN 2 is now available on PC! In honor of its launch, we have a brand new trailer from the game. This new video offers one more glimpse at the core gameplay and a small preview of just how epic the battles in SHOGUN 2 will get.

Total War: SHOGUN 2 pushes forward the hugely successful Total War series by perfecting the features from previous games such as full 3D land and naval battles and a detailed campaign map, while adding an exciting new multiplayer experience. Total War: SHOGUN 2 is available now on PC and can be downloaded through the Steam network.

Critical Acclaim

The reviews have been coming in and they have been quite phenomenal – so much so we want to share them with you on release day. What can we say, we’re excited to see reviewers enjoying the game!

Game Informer’s review came in at a 95! A good quote from the article shows it’s both for fans and newcomers to the series!

Less truly is more when it comes to Total War. Shogun 2, with a smaller scale and tighter focus, boasts the best gameplay and design of any entry in the franchise. I can’t imagine a realistic way that The Creative Assembly could have made a better case to win back fans put off by Empire (of which I wasn’t one, though I understand the complaints many Total War fans have of that entry). It has made the game more approachable to new players without sacrificing the franchise’s soul.

PC Gamer reviewed Shogun 2 with high praise and a 92! The article is quite a read and loaded with details from all areas of the game:

Shogun 2 demonstrates an admirable re-setting of Total War’s sights. It’s a tighter, more focused experience than the continental sprawl of Empire and Napoleon, sacrifices none of their intricacy, and brings improved AI to the battlefield. In the final count, it’s consistently thrilling, grand in scope, surprisingly atmospheric, and bloody hard to put down.

Kotaku also has a review up, but without the score as is their way. The review speaks for itself, with a lot to like and praise throughout, here’s a sample:

They say you can never go home again. Well, with Shogun 2 Creative Assembly has done just that. Shogun 2 may be re-treading familiar ground, but it’s doing so with a range of features and innovations both new and repaired that make this the most polished, focused and enjoyable Total War game to date.

Only a few more hours and Total War: Shogun 2 will be upon us; what are you doing to pass the time? To help ease the wait a bit, enjoy these Developer Diary Trailers straight from the good folks at The Creative Assembly!

Enjoy!

LONDON AND SAN FRANCISCO (March 10th, 2011) – SEGA Europe Ltd. and SEGA of America, Inc. today announced that in cooperation with Valve they will release eight in-game items for Valve’ online action game, Team Fortress 2 (TF2). The new items will bring Total War Shogun 2’s unique Japanese flavor to Valve’s TF2.

To celebrate the imminent release of Total War: Shogun 2 the items will be made available as an exclusive pre-purchase bonus for Steam gamers and also as a separate TF2 item pack. Available from today, March 10, they’re the perfect way to ‘Samuraize’ your TF2 experience! If you’ve already pre-purchased Total War: Shogun 2 on Steam or you do so before release and ownTF2, you’ll automatically gain access to these unique items. Head over to the Steam Store today for more info!

Total War: SHOGUN 2 pushes forward the hugely successful Total War series by perfecting the features from previous games such as full 3D land and naval battles and a detailed campaign map, while adding an exciting new multiplayer experience. Total War: SHOGUN 2 releases March 15, 2011.

For more information about the game, please visit www.totalwar.com.

Lots of activity surrounding Shogun 2, we had the recent Demo release, two Developer Diaries, and a really enticing multiplayer trailer. Today, we’re happy to continue the trend of newness with some screenshots of the game to come.  They look amazing.

Fight for the Road
No-Dachi Samurai from the Chosokabe clan engage in fierce hand to hand battle with the Ashikaga Samurai for control of a key location on the battleground.

Naginata Charge
Units of Warrior Monks from the Tokugawa faction charge into battle against their Oda opponents surrounded by buildings and the blossom of spring.

Naval Battle
A large burning Bune is left stricken as its crew prepare to abandon ship in a huge naval battle off Japan’s coast. Total War Shogun 2 features Naval engagements with land geography for the first time.

Spring Campaign
This shot from an early phase of Shogun 2 in the Spring of 1549 sees the Mori clan defending their territory from an aggressive Kikkawa force that has massed on their borders.

Attack The Walls
Units of brave Ashigaru and Samurai from the Hojo clan scale the walls of a Uesgi fortress, pushing into the final phase of a decisive battle.

So good looking, the game never ceases to amaze me both in play and in media. Shogun 2 launches on March 15!

Today we’re proud to bring you a new developer diary from The Creative Assembly’s upcoming PC strategy title Total War: Shogun 2. 2010 was the tenth anniversary of Total War and this video is an opportunity to explore the origins of each major release, from the original Shogun to Empire: Total War. This dev diary features seven members of the studio from different departments – Art (Pawel Wojs, Kevin McDowell), Production (Ross Manton), Programming (Guy Davidson), Communication (Kieran Brigden), Writing (Mike Brunton) and Creative Direction (Mike Simpson) – all of whom give their opinions and discuss the Total War series to date.

Total War: Shogun 2 pushes forward the hugely successful Total War series by perfecting the features from previous games such as full 3D land and naval battles and a detailed campaign map, whilst adding an exciting new multiplayer experience. Total War: Shogun 2 will be available for PC on March 15, 2011.

We’re very excited to announce that the demo for The Creative Assembly’s upcoming PC strategy game Total War: Shogun 2 is now available for download on Steam! You will experience a small taste of Total War’s battles and Campaign game play in this demo, as you play through the Chosokabe tutorial campaign that introduces you to the feudal Japanese world of Total War: Shogun 2. Fight different types of land warfare with the tutorial battle stages and finally master the historic battle of Sekigahara, keeping in mind that all of this is just a small taste of the full Total War: Shogun 2 experience.

Download the demo on Steam now!

Total War: Shogun 2 pushes forward the hugely successful Total War series by perfecting the features from previous games such as full 3D land and naval battles and a detailed campaign map, whilst adding an exciting new multiplayer experience. Total War: Shogun 2 will be available for PC on March 15, 2011.

Fun new stuff for our upcoming Creative Assembly game, Total War: Shogun 2. New screens with detail that is absolutely unreal, you really have to head over to our Flickr page and view them in the original size. That said, we have them hear to enjoy in blog sizes to get a sample of what’s to come. Next is a fantastic Multiplayer Trailer for Shogun 2 that shows off 4 on 4 battles, coop, clan battles, and on and on. Remember, the Demo for Shogun 2 is coming next week – so let this be a sample of things to come!

New Trailer – Multiplayer

New Screenshots

Autumn battleground
A large besieging force masses outside the castle walls of a province in autumn. The changing seasons have a real effect on the outcome of battles.

Autumn campaign
Large armies mass on the campaign map outside of the Japanese capital Kyoto. In the distance other cities and other clans burn to the ground. War is coming.

Blade to blade
Katana Samurai in full armor battle against long sword-wielding No-dachi Samurai. A true duel of the swords.

Fighting the general’s bodyguard
Units of Naginata (Bladed spear) Samurai engage the mounted bodyguard of a General. The bodyguards wear distinctive colored wicker back decorations. These identify them as elite bodyguards on the battlefield.

The charge
A huge number of Katana samurai charge heroically at a defending force of No-dachi samurai, amidst the beautiful blossom of spring. The units will pair off and fight individually motion captured martial arts duels.

Total War: Shogun 2 pushes forward the hugely successful Total War series by perfecting the features from previous games such as full 3D land and naval battles and a detailed campaign map, whilst adding an exciting new multiplayer experience. Total War: Shogun 2 will be available for PC on March 15, 2011.

If you can’t wait for Total War: Shogun 2 to hit the shelves, well maybe you don’t have to. We’ll be running an exclusive community event in New York City, New York on February 23rd, 2011. In attendance will be The Creative Assembly’s Community Manager Craig Laycock, who will be on hand to answer your questions about the game.

In addition, you’ll get to go hands on with the Single Player and Multiplayer areas of the game. This exclusive opportunity will only be available to a select few participants, so read on to find out how to participate.

Who Can Attend? I Want to Participate!

Almost anyone is welcome to attend, when we say almost, we’re excluding those who are lucky enough to be involved in the BETA group. These lucky individuals already have a chance to play Shogun 2 on a semi-regular basis, and that’s just not fair to anyone who is looking for a chance to take a look at the game. Those that do attend will have a chance into this exclusive club, so bring two forms of ID, your birth certificate and prepare to give blood on command – no no, just kidding, we only need an ID, a smile, and a willingness to play more of Total War.

Please note, you must be available and able to get yourself to NYC on the day of the event.

We’ve got 6 spots available for anyone* to drop in and play, so sign up by posting a comment below! We’ll reach out directly (make sure your email is accurate) and set you up with either session.

When, Where, How?!

The event will be held at a secret location in the heart of New York City. As noted, we have spots available for up to 6 people, so you’ll have to act fast to participate. Here’s the scoop:

When: February 23rd at 11am – 1pm (Session 1) & 2pm to 4pm (Session 2) and 5pm-7pm (Session 3)
Where: A secret location in New York City
How to Attend: Sign up and express your interest in the comments below!

SEGA of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced that the eagerly awaited demo of the next title in the critically acclaimed Total War series, Total War: Shogun 2, will be available on Steam on February 22, 2011.

SEGA and The Creative Assembly are proud to let gamers everywhere know that a demo for Total War: Shogun 2 will soon be available on Steam. The demo will allow all armchair samurai to test their skills in epic land battles and on Total War: Shogun 2’s gorgeous new campaign map. By pre-ordering the game through either Best Buy or GameStop, Total War fans will be able to enhance their Shogun 2 experiences with retail exclusive in-game content.

• Players who pre-order at GameStop (online or in-store) will unlock and take part in The Historic Battle of Kawagoe. Set in 1545, the Battle of Kawagoe saw the Hõjõ clan launch a successful night time counter-attack against the besieging Uesugi, eschewing heavy armor and the collection of heads in favor of speed and stealth.

• Those who pre-order at Best Buy (online or in-store only) will unlock 1,000 Koku, the currency used in Total War: Shogun 2. Player’s campaigns will begin with 1,000 Koku, allowing them to purchase new buildings, train new units and upgrade their towns.

Total War: Shogun 2 pushes forward the hugely successful Total War series by perfecting the features from previous games such as full 3D land and naval battles and a detailed campaign map, while adding an exciting new multiplayer experience. Total War: Shogun 2 will be available for PC on March 15, 2011.