Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech.
Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics.
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Summary
- The Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition launched with worse performance and bugs, with the original removed from sale.
- Users report AI-upscaled assets, new bugs, and loss of Steam Workshop support.
- Launch reviews are Overwhelmingly Negative (19% positive); discount for owners is time-limited.
If you're going to release a remastered version of your game, you have to make sure that it performs and looks better than the game you're remixing. If you can't guarantee that, leaving the original up for people to play helps a lot in the long run. It seems
Creative Assembly didn't quite get the memo, as its release of Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition reportedly adds whole new bugs, with supposed AI-generated scaled-up assets, and $10 more than the original, which has since been taken down.
Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition hits Overwhelmingly Negative reviews on launch
A shameful display
As spotted by GamesRadar, the complete edition for Total War: Shogun 2 is off to a very rough start. It's advertised as an upgrade to 64-bit computers, with "Improved visuals, updated lighting, shadows, and textures," alongside 50 newly playable minor factions. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to deliver, as the score is currently sitting at an abysmal 19% positive, making it Overwhelmingly Negative.
So, what went wrong? Well, who better to ask than the people who played it? One reviewer, called Xukaku, shared their thoughts:
The whole point of the community wanting these 'old' games ported to 64-bit is better stability and performance, which this game fails miserably at. Instead, they gutted the game of Steam Workshop support and it runs noticeably worse than other modern titles (3K and WH3). They delisted the original game and repackaged it as a new “Complete Edition” at a higher price. The “discount” is also time-gated to 1 month for previous Shogun 2 owners so there is no guarantee they will fix all the issues before it runs out. Absolutely shameful.
Xukaku also reports a decent 60FPS during battle scenes, but a less-than-stellar 40FPS on the campaign screen. They noted that this was measured in the early game, before factions had begun building up their armies, meaning that FPS can only go down the longer the game went.
Over on the Total War subreddit, people are pointing out that the textures may have been upscaled with AI. Someone posted a particularly telling example where someone's face has seemingly melted into a metal triangle. Very strange.
Unfortunately, until all the negatives are fixed, it seems that Shogun 2 is a complete no-go for newcomers; there isn't even an old version people can grab instead. Here's hoping the developers can fix all the bugs soon.