Shogun Total War: Warlord Edition ( PC M15 )

By PETER ELEY

(Herald rating: * * * * )

The Mongols were the scourge of Asia and Europe, massacring millions in a medieval holocaust unmatched until this century. One country they failed to subdue was Japan. It wasn't so much the Samurai warriors who were their match as a huge storm, known as the kamikaze, which devastated much of Kublai Khan's invasion fleet.

But you won't have that to save you in Shogun Total War: Warlord Edition — you'll need to fight off the Mongol horde with cold, hard steel.

Shogun Total War was released last year and won accolades as an intelligent game which mixed real-time combat and turn-based strategy.

The original storyline was set in the 16th century, when seven warlords fought each other to become Japan's supreme ruler, known as the Shogun. It captured the essence of Japanese culture, with elegant graphics and meticulously researched historical detail.

The key to the game was the classic Sun Tzu's Art of War and the principles set out in this book provide the rules for Shogun's artificial intelligence.

Warlord Edition, while essentially an add-on, also includes a copy of the original game and expands that with new units, buildings and terrain types.

There are four new campaigns, including the 13th-century Mongol invasion, eight historic battles and a new map and scenario editor. Multiplayer mode lets you play against other wannabe warlords. Electronic Arts say the artificial intelligence has been sharpened, too.

The title Total War is a bit of a misnomer as diplomacy, trade and subterfuge play important parts in the game.

peter_eley@nzherald.co.nz