The remastered version of the classic strategy game Total War: Shogun 2 has been heavily criticized by players. Alongside accusations of AI-generated graphics, numerous bugs and optimization issues have sparked intense backlash. On Steam, only 18% of the 1,855 reviews are positive. This is undoubtedly a disaster for the developers.
Total War: Shogun 2 is an absolute classic that has captured the hearts of countless strategy game enthusiasts since its release in 2011. On October 13, Creative Assembly, MATABOO, and Sega jointly released the Complete Edition of Total War: Shogun 2, a modernized upgrade of the nearly 15-year-old strategy game. In addition to all expansion content, the new version features updated textures, 64-bit processor support, improved controls, and over 50 new playable factions. Sounds good? Fans likely thought so too—until they actually experienced the remaster.
On Reddit, the remastered version of Shogun 2 faced severe backlash. A comparison image showed that after the graphical overhaul, the samurai's faces looked more like robots than humans.
Reportedly, the new artwork also features Portuguese soldiers with six fingers. Many Reddit users suspect the developers used AI technology to upscale the graphics with barely any review of the results.
User u/mr-english wrote: They must have used some very bad AI model from two years ago, because when I imported the original image into the current free version of ChatGPT, this is what I got:
However, the poor visuals seem to be just the tip of the iceberg. In Steam reviews, players reported numerous bugs, sluggish unit controls, and poor optimization.
Reportedly, the Complete Edition of Total War: Shogun 2 struggles to run smoothly even on high-end hardware. For example, one user reported achieving only 30 to 40 FPS at 4K resolution despite using an RTX 5090 graphics card. Additionally, the migration from the Steam Workshop to Mod.io has drawn criticism, as many older mods now require extra setup to function properly.
Frustratingly, the $40 Complete Edition has replaced the original game on Steam. The original might still be the better choice for most players; although it remains included in the Complete Edition, it is now much harder to obtain at a reasonable price.
