One of the best Total War video games to date is still largely regarded as Total War: Shogun 2.
Shogun 2 adopted a different strategy from most Total War releases, which tend to focus on enlarging scopes and generally making everything larger and more epic.
The initial Total War game was set in 16th-century Japan, and the Creative Assemble went back to their roots by visiting that time period once more.
These mods are unquestionably must-try additions for your upcoming playthrough of Shogun 2, regardless of whether you’re new to the series or a veteran seeking to rediscover an old favourite.
21. Last Alliance
The Galadhrim reside in the Valley of Singing Gold’s tree-lined valley. Many of them, including their leader Amdir, arrived here from the destroyed Doriath and still bear emotional scars from the Beleriand conflicts.
They have so walled off their nation from the outer world and long since lived in peace amidst the thriving Mellyrn.
The Galadhrim, however, are unable to remain silent when Middle-earth is once more enveloped in darkness and battle drums can be heard everywhere.
The rulers of Edhellond, Amdir and his son Amorth, must once more arm themselves and confront the gloom.
In the Akallabêth campaign, the Galadhrim now join the list of playable factions.
20. Extended Camera Minimod
Here is a straightforward quality of life mod that is simple to install as a starter.
Almost all RTS games now require it, and Total War: Shogun 2 is no exception.
Particularly in a game of this size, the Extended Camera Minimod makes things a little bit simpler to control and view while you play.
It enables you to slightly enlarge the camera’s field of vision, making it simpler to obtain a close-up of every unit you have deployed.
Naturally, you’ll also be gaining a better perspective of the surroundings and the battlefield, making it simpler to plan out your next course of action.
19. Shogun 2 Overhaul Project
Shogun 2 isn’t actually a new game, let’s be honest about that.
Although the graphics were quite good for the time, technology has advanced.
A lot, almost.
However, that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate a more attractive Shogun 2!
This Shogun 2 Overhaul mod is all that is required.
The update boosts the performance of the game overall while adding HD textures, premium models, and even better rendering quality.
18. Daimyos & Generals MOD
In comparison to many other games, this one has a considerable degree of scale.
The drawback of this is that repeatedly staring at copied-and-pasted units can quickly grow boring.
But hold on—a there’s silver lining in this!
That also implies that a little variety is beneficial.
You should begin updating that with one of your personal favourites, the Daimyos & Generals mod.
This mod actually consists of a number of smaller modifications, each of which has an impact on at least one of the playable daimyos in the basic game.
Once the mod is implemented, each daimyo will have their own, distinctive artwork that is both more historically accurate and better-looking than the originals.
17. Furinkazan: Comprehensive Art Rework
Furinkazan attempts to provide a distinctive portrait of every unit, agent, and historical figure, rather than just concentrating on daimyos and generals.
The mod essentially “transplants” Shogun 2 with artwork from a different, less well-known historical simulation game.
This is also an excellent approach to enhance immersion because the mod gives each individual a distinct personality.
16. FoTS Tactics and Uniforms
There are several mods available to aid in immersion, which is a hot issue.
essentially improving the realism and accuracy of Shogun 2 over the vanilla version.
FoTS Tactics and Uniforms is a variety mod that adds a tonne of varied variations to unit appearances, adding to the realism.
The update alters even the smallest elements to give many of the game’s units additional head variations in addition to new options for their uniforms, pants, and armour.
Japanese Military Uniforms 1841-1929 by Nakanishi Ritta served as the inspiration for the designs that may be found here.
So if historical accuracy is your thing, that should be a benefit.
15. Invisible Battle UI
Another excellent immersion mod is yobi uk’s Invisible Battle UI.
This really took inspiration from an older mod by well-known Shogun 2 modder BullGod, although that one appears to have been abandoned (as of this writing).
Anyhow, this one functions just as well! The battle menus no longer contain a lot of the clumsy UI features.
By retaining your focus on what is happening, this not only makes fighting more immersive, but it also makes the remaining elements much clearer.
Overall, it strives for a more minimalistic appearance, providing you with a more cleaner user interface.
14. New Japanese Speech Fix Mod v1
Not just the visuals can influence immersion.
Although it is more frequently disregarded, sound contributes significantly to the most realistic Total War experience.
Now that you know that, you might want to try out the New Japanese Speech Fix.
In several of the units’ Japanese recordings, Modder Wind found some mistakes.
So he decided to take it upon himself to swap them out for more precise sound files.
Even if you don’t speak Japanese, having this installed will at least improve the audio quality of the game.
13. GBJ Blood Mod: The Samurai Blood
The main focus of every game in the Total War series, despite the fact that there is a lot to discover and do, is always combat.
Many Total War aficionados like simulating significant battles with some pals even outside of playable campaigns.
Simply to have access to all the features that the games have to offer.
With Apis in Memphis’ GBJ Blood Mod: The Samurai Blood mod, battles appear a little bit more ferocious.
With the help of this mod, the blood textures on both units and other surfaces will look much more realistic.
Nothing vanilla can do to this!
12. One Turn Research Mod
When it comes to Total War, speed—or more specifically, how these games are paced—is one aspect that isn’t ideally suited for everyone.
The pace can be a little too slow for some people.
Some people want to play through games more than once to fully experience each campaign.
Whatever your preference, there are mods that can assist.
A good illustration of this is One Turn Research, which cuts down research completion times to just 1 turn.
Because the tech tree may be advanced through much more quickly, the game progresses much more quickly as a result.
11. 3 Skill Points per General Level
Similar to the previous mod, 3 Skill Points per General Level takes into account how generals level up as you progress through the game.
As you can probably infer from the title, every level your generals reach awards them with three skill points.
This is different from the vanilla version, which gave 2 skill points on levels 2, 3, and 4, allowing players to gain a maximum of 15 skill points rather than the original 12.
But enough math.
This is not a classroom!
In essence, the patch allows you to grant your generals more improvements overall, some of which are given at a faster rate.
10. Lakeside Castle
Playing through some of the custom maps that the community has made over the years is another fantastic way to enhance your Shogun 2 experience.
A fantastic illustration of a map that would be a tonne of fun to experiment with is Lakeside Castle, especially if you’re playing with buddies.
The background of the map is a vast mountain range with a lovely green landscape.
It’s intriguing because there is just one sizable castle at the base of the mountain, which you must of course defend from invading troops.
9. Expanded Japan
Don’t worry if none of your pals are interested in playing Shogun 2.
Additionally, there are unique maps that might enhance your single adventure.
The Vanilla Japan map has some historical provinces and factions that aren’t present in the Expanded Japan map patch.
You now have a lot more to explore thanks to the mod’s addition of 97 new places and more than 100 new factions.
The fact that some of the existing locations have been altered to better reflect historical authenticity should be sufficient to give you a unique Shogun 2 experience.
8. Additional Units Mod – Shogun (AUM-SHO)
Shogun 2 offers a tonne of enjoyment by discovering the numerous extra troops made possible by modding, just like every other Total War game.
One of the most well-liked packs, AUM-SHO, lets you make the most of almost 20 new troops in the game.
The units are a mix of previously unlocked and newly added units, and some even have new powers that make fighting even more exciting than before.
And the pack offers you more than just that! It also comes with a few fresh ships for you to experiment with.
7. DarthMod: Shogun II
The tiny modifications you’ve tested can soon become boring to you.
You might like something a little bigger.
If so, you will require an overhaul mod, and fortunately for you, Shogun 2 has a tonne of them.
One of the most well-liked mod categories in the entire Total War series is (perhaps) DarthMods.
Additionally, Shogun 2 has a separate version.
DarthMods are frequently renowned for their AI upgrades in addition to incorporating a few graphics mods and gameplay adjustments.
DarthMod is a fantastic place to begin if you want a more difficult playthrough.
Throughout your campaign, you’ll discover that the opponent AI is more difficult to outwit.
If you’re not careful, they could occasionally even catch you off surprise.
6. Zen
The first of the two realism upgrades on our list is Zen, a well-liked Shogun 2 mod.
According to the team:
“Zen is a makeover that seeks to balance all troops so that each has a specific purpose, as was the case with the first Shogun, and to produce a more historically realistic unit roster for both common and clan speciality units.”
You’ll have to experiment with new tactics to determine what works best with these fancy-shmancy revised stats because many troops have been changed to make each of them stand out more in combat.
5. Realism +
Another excellent mod for a more realistic experience is Realism+, which significantly modifies the Shogun 2 systems in favour of realism and immersion.
By lengthening battles, it gives them a more realistic feel and lets the mod show off some of its distinctive fighting animations.
The campaign has undergone numerous rebalances that affect anything from building stats to cultural factors.
The overall goal of Realism+ is to strike a balance between realistic gameplay and realism.
In either case, you’ll have a special experience here.
4. Ultimate Immersive Mod
Another fantastic revamp option is the Ultimate Immersive Mod, which is also an excellent place to start if this is your first time playing Shogun 2.
Ultimate Immersive wants you to enjoy an immersive experience, as stated by the modder himself.
However, it doesn’t want to make things too difficult so that everyone might enter.
A entirely new campaign is created by combining a number of lesser mods, including 12 Turns each Year, Expanded Japan Map, Diplomacy Tweaks, and Alternate General Skills Tree.
3. Radious Total War Mod – Fall of the Samurai version
Another well-known name in the Total War modding scene is Radious, and their Shogun 2 mod is among the most well-liked.
This makeover differs from the rest of the pack in that it is “modular,” featuring a variety of toggleable submods.
You can thus design a special Shogun 2 experience for yourself.
You may access a variety of options after fully installing the mod, and you can enable or disable each one in accordance with your preferences.
So go in and enjoy yourself!
2. The Rights of Man 3 – Road to Kyoto (TROM3)
TROM is another another well-liked overhaul mod that presents a distinctive perspective on the Shogun 2 campaign.
TROM adds some new units, battle mechanics, structures, and even technologies for you to find and explore, similar to other mods.
The purpose of this article is to improve your overall gameplay experience without substantially altering the vanilla version.
Additional topics covered include improved AI and fighting dynamics.
The campaign now spans to 1940, which distinguishes this mod from others.
To complete this one, you’ll be glued to a computer screen for days on end.
1. Master of Strategy
Master of Strategy is at the top of our ranking.
One of the most comprehensive rework mods available for the game is MoS.
By introducing a lot of adjustments to make systems and common battle mechanics even more complex than before, it will significantly alter your experience.
The mod also includes an expanded map, a tonne of new structures, units, and battle stats, as well as an entirely redesigned tech tree.
With MoS loaded, Shogun 2 will undoubtedly feel like a brand-new title. And you’ll spend just as much time learning about everything it has to offer, if not more.
