While religion isn't as relevant as it was in Medieval II: Total War, it can't be neglected by the player.

Ninja and geisha are also present in the game as assassins and spies. In addition to fighting, the player is able to engage in diplomacy, political manoeuvring and the use of special agents to gain the upper hand. The armies and units are organised and moved around the stylised campaign map by the player to carry out battles with other factions. In the campaign, the player needs to oversee the development of settlements, military production, economic growth, and technological advancement respectively. The player plays the role of both the clan leader and general, alternating between the campaign, where the player manages land and armies turn by turn, and the battles, where the player takes control of the army on the battlefield in real-time. Shogun 2's blend of turn-based strategy and real-time tactics gameplay is a staple of the Total War series. The campaign mode features a map of Japan with different provinces, agents, and armies indicated by figures A standalone expansion set, Total War: Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai, was released in 2012. Shogun 2 received critical praise from reviewers, often for its simplification and refinement of the series by returning to its roots. Compared to Empire which spanned almost the entire globe, the new installment focuses only on the islands of Japan (excluding Hokkaido) and on a reduced number of unit types. The game moves away from the European setting of previous Total War games and returns to the first setting in the Total War series, but making significant changes to core gameplay elements of Shogun 2. The limited edition includes an exclusive ninja clan, the Hattori, and a DLC unlocks a tenth clan, the Ikko-Ikki. The standard edition of the game features a total of eight factions (plus a ninth faction for the tutorial), each with a unique starting position and different political and military strengths.

The player takes on the management of one of these clans, with the goal of dominating other factions and establishing rule over Japan.

The country is fractured into rival clans led by local warlords, each fighting for control. Shogun 2 is set in 16th-century feudal Japan, in the aftermath of the Ōnin War during the Ashikaga shogunate. It is part of the Total War series and returns to the 16th-century Japan setting of the first Total War game, Shogun: Total War, after a series of games set mainly in Europe and the Middle East. Total War: Shogun 2 is a strategy video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega in 2011.

Fall of the samurai gameplay