Creative Assembly announces standalone Shogun 2 expansion, Fall of the Samurai

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Spinoff pits Samurai against steamships

Total War developer The Creative Assembly has announced a new expansion for Shogun: Total War 2, entitled Fall of the Samurai. Containing enough new content to warrant a standalone release, the title documents the clash between the Shogunate and a Japanese Imperial throne backed by Western military tactics and technology. If you remember 2003 movie The Last Samurai – or this expansion's own title, way back there in the first sentence – you'll know this doesn't go too well for the Samurai.

Set in the mid-1800s, 400 years after the events of Shogun 2, the title offers six playable clans: three rebellious and three loyal to the Emperor. Clans' relationship to British, American and French power-brokers will play a central role in the game over time, with the clash between foreign technology and traditional Samurai methods and weaponry forming much of the game's military drama. The game's map is also expanded and altered to reflect the state of Japan in the 19th Century, with railways making their first appearance in the Total War series.

A stack of other additional units, improvements and multiplayer options will be added to the standalone game, due in March. Browse Sega's own announcement page and see if you can ascertain whether this game could possibly provide a more accurate depiction of the war between Samurai tradition and foreign expansionism than the conflict's most faithful contemporary representation in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Turtles in Time.