Total War: Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai is a standalone expansion to the strategy video game Total War: Shogun 2, released on 23 March 2012. Taking place 300 years after the events of the base game, Fall of the Samurai is set in mid-19th century Japan during the Bakumatsu and the Boshin War, which pits supporters of the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate against supporters of the Emperor, who wish to overthrow the Shogunate. The time period coincides with arrival of the Western powers, which forced Japan to modernize and eventually abolish its traditional samurai-based society and adopt modern technologies. The players takes on the management of one of the many domains on either side of the conflict and must help their side win the Boshin War.  

The game was rebranded and released as a separate product Total War Saga: Fall of the Samurai on August 13, 2019.

Gameplay

Starting in the year 1864, the player is tasked with developing their domain and adopting modern technologies to help their side—Shogunate or Imperial— win the impending Boshin War. At the start of the campaign, the pro-Shogunate domains control both Kyoto (the traditional capital of Japan) and Edo, the seat of Shogunate power. Control of these two cities and dominance on the campaign map will cause one side or the other to win the war. The campaign map has been altered and expanded from Shogun 2 to include additional provinces, including the previously absent in the island of Hokkaido in the north, as well as on the islands of Tanegashima, Tsushima, and Gotō in the west.   

To reflect Fall of the Samurai's the shorter time period compared to Shogun 2 (spanning a maximum of just twelve years from 1864 to 1876), the number of turns per year has increased from four to twenty-four, and armies on the campaign map move slower per-turn than in the base game, typically requiring several turns to traverse just a single province. To compensate, the player can construct and use railways in certain provinces to rapidly speed up the movement of armies.

At the start of a campaign, the player is largely limited to recruiting traditional samurai warriors and levies reminiscent of Shogun 2, but through adopting modern technologies and military buildings can also recruit western-style units, such as rifle-armed line infantry and artillery—including both cannons and gatling guns, which largely render traditional units obsolete. Warships are now western-designed—equipped with steam engines and broadside cannons—and naval battles are fought more akin to those in Empire: Total War and Napoleon: Total War. Warships are additionally capable of attacking enemy armies and provinces on the campaign map (as well as providing fire support during battles), which can be countered by defenses in ports and increasing the level of castles in provinces. New to the Total War series is the ability to manually operate artillery units and warships in battles, where the player uses their mouse mouse to aim and fire from a first-person perspective. 

The research tree from Shogun 2 remains divided between civil and military reforms, but is now vertically divided into four tiers of research, where each tier's reforms can only be unlocked if the player's domain has a sufficient level of modernisation—accumulated through constructing western-style buildings. Unlocking latter tiers of research allows the player to unlock powerful units and buildings, at the cost of increasing discontent from modernisation in provinces. 

Religions from Shogun 2 have been replaced with allegiances. Conquering a province with an allegiance (pro-Imperial, pro-Shogunate, or pro-Republic) other than that of the player's faction will result in increasingly negative public order, which must be countered with buildings and agents that increase the player's allegiance. The player (as well as computer-controlled factions) have a one-time option to swap their clan's allegiance from Shogunate to Imperial, or vice versa, in the early (but not the later) stages of the campaign. 

Realm divide, a feature first introduced in Shogun 2, returns in Fall of the Samurai with some differences. When the player gains enough fame by capturing enough territories and winning battles, they're given the option of either becoming the "vanguard" domain for the Emperor or Shogunate, which causes all factions on the opposing side to declare war on the player and prohibits the player from declaring war on allies, or alternatively, they may forego their side entirely and found a new republic (based on the historical Republic of Ezo). This latter option will result in all other clans declaring war on the player one-by-one.

Graphics-wise, the game utilizes an improved Warscape engine, adding enhancements to the campaign map, improved water effects and more. This engine update has also added numerous performance improvements. 

Including all of the Fall of the Samurai DLC, there are a total of ten factions—five Imperial and five Shogunate domains—that the player may choose from, all of which have particular advantages in certain areas, to give a variety of play style with each.

Shogunate Factions

 Aizu Domain, starting in Fukushima, are traditionalists who can recruit traditional units for cheaper and with more experience. They also have reduced costs for constructing castles and actions by shinsensumi. They can recruit a unique militia unit known as White Tiger Force, and unique line infantry units known as Black Tortoise Force, Azure Dragon Force, and Vermillion Bird Force.
 Nagaoka Domain, starting in Echigo Province, are tycoons with increased income from business buildings and have a bonus success chance with actions by geisha. They specialise in modern units, and can recruit them for cheaper, and their rifle units they can reload faster than those of other factions. 
 Jōzai Domain, starting in Kazusa Province, are guerilla fighters whose armies can replenish losses in enemy territory (except during winter). They can also inflict greater casualties from sabotage and harassment actions by agents, and all their units move slightly faster in battles. They can recruit a unique light infantry unit known as Yugekitai.  
 Obama Domain, starting in Wakasa Province, are overseers who have increased tax income, a reduction in the upkeep costs of all land units, bonus experience to garrison units in siege battles, and has additional repression to manage public order in provinces.
 Sendai Domain, starting in Miyagi, are negotiators with a bonus to diplomatic relations with all factions, a reduction in public order penalty in provinces with differences in allegiance as well as from resistance to occupation, and can force a besieged enemy province to surrender in a shorter number of turns.
Additionally, all Shogunate factions are able to recruit a unique sword unit known as Shōgitai and a unique line infantry unit known as Shinsengumi Police Force. 

Imperial Factions

 Satsuma Domain, starting in Satsuma Province and Osumi Province, have reduced costs for administration and actions by foreign veterans, an increased radius of influence by generals, and is the only domain that starts with two provinces instead of one. They can recruit a unique line infantry unit known as Black Bear Infantry.
 Choshu Domain, starting in Nagato Province, have reduced costs from actions by ishin shishi and constructing modern military buildings and units, and gain additional money from looting enemy provinces. All of their units furthermore have increased charge attack damage. They can recruit unique line infantry units known as White Bear Infantry and Kiheitai. 
 Tosa Domain, starting in Tosa Province, can recruit warships with more experienced crew, and have greater range for bombarding enemy provinces and armies. They also have a bonus to diplomatic relations with all factions, and their conquered provinces experience reduced resistance from occupation. They can recruit a unique light infantry unit known as Tosa Riflemen and a unique line infantry unit known as Red Bear Infantry. 
 Saga Domain, starting in Nagasaki, begins the campaign with established trade with the Western powers, experiences increased province growth from industry, and can build and maintain warships cheaper. They can also recruit artillery units with additional accuracy. 
 Tsu Domain, starting in Iga Province, can recruit additional Kisho ninja, have reduced costs for ninja (agent) actions, and are more effective in converting enemy provinces to their allegiance. All of their units additionally have a bonus to their melee defense.

Development

Reception

Notes

References 

2012 video games
Japan in non-Japanese culture
Linux games
MacOS games
Real-time tactics video games
Sega video games
Video games with Steam Workshop support
Creative Assembly games
Total War (video game series)
Turn-based strategy video games
Video games about samurai
Video games set in feudal Japan
Video games with expansion packs
Windows games
Video games set in the 19th century
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Feral Interactive games
Video games scored by Jeff van Dyck
Video games developed in the United Kingdom