Shogun 2 deserved better

I blink and I've somehow spent another 30 hours in Shogun 2. Undoubtedly my favorite of the older Total War games—and I don't say that lightly as someone who also has big hour counts in Rome and Medieval 2—there's just something so straightforward about the second Shogun; an elegant simplicity complimented by a period where the Creative Assembly was clearly having fun experimenting with all sorts of ideas.

It's no wonder it chose to remaster the game despite the fact it's arguably the best aged Total War there is. I'd happily go back and play Shogun 2 over Rome 2, or even Attila, which I think speaks to how well it holds up. It's definitely nice to play Shogun 2 with improved visuals (if you like the new style), modern unit controls, and full Japanese voice acting, but I think Creative Assembly missed the mark in terms of the remaster's other additions.

To give it a fair shot, I started …