Medieval II: Total War - Kingdoms vs Shogun: Total War
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Medieval II: Total War – Kingdoms is the acclaimed expansion pack that adds four distinct kingdoms, each with its own unique campaign, units, and historical flavor. Players command armies on massive tactical battlefields while managing provinces, diplomacy, and economics in a turn‑based strategic layer. The expansion builds on the original game's robust engine, offering new factions, improved AI, and enhanced multiplayer modes, delivering a rich, historically grounded experience for strategy fans.
Shogun: Total War blends deep turn‑based strategy with massive real‑time battles, letting players manage clans, diplomacy, and economics across feudal Japan. Lead your samurai armies across detailed battlefields, employing terrain, morale, and unit types to dominate opponents. The game pioneered the Total War series, offering a historically rich campaign, robust AI, and a multiplayer mode that pits commanders against each other in strategic conquest.
- Deep, historically rich campaigns
- Massive, visually impressive battles
- Robust modding community
- Strong multiplayer options
- Deep strategic depth combining turn‑based and real‑time gameplay
- Highly detailed and authentic Japanese setting
- Robust AI provides challenging single‑player experience
- Active modding community extends replayability
- Steep learning curve for newcomers
- Occasional AI pathfinding issues
- Limited UI modernization
- Outdated graphics compared to modern RTS titles
- Steep learning curve for new players
- Limited multiplayer matchmaking options
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to Medieval II: Total War - Kingdoms
View all →
Conquer Europe as a fierce Viking warlord in epic medieval strategy
Alternatives to Shogun: Total War
View all →
Lead Alexander's conquests in a deep turn‑based strategy experience.
The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataMedieval II: Total War - Kingdoms is the safer default for modern PC/Linux players wanting larger battles and high-resolution graphics, while Shogun: Total War offers a higher critic score and a feudal Japan setting. The main trade-off is choosing between four distinct medieval campaigns with up to 10,000 troops (Product A) versus a 2000-era historical Japanese setting with dynamic weather (Product B).
Key differences
- •Setting and Scope: Product A features four new medieval kingdom campaigns with up to 10,000 troops on screen, whereas Product B focuses on feudal Japan with dynamic weather, seasonal changes, and historical events.
- •Platform Availability: Product A supports PC and Linux with high-resolution graphics and widescreen support, while platform details for Product B are not specified.
- •Release Date and Critical Reception: Product A was released in August 2007 with a critic score of 85/100, whereas Product B launched earlier in June 2000 with a higher critic score of 90/100.
- •Publishers: Product A is published by Sega and Feral Interactive, while Product B is published by Sega and Electronic Arts.
- •Multiplayer and Modding: Product A includes co-op and competitive skirmishes with an economy/religion system, while Product B supports up to eight players and features a detailed unit hierarchy including naval forces.
Gameplay & fun factor
Product A features four new kingdom campaigns and real-time battles with up to 10,000 troops, whereas Product B offers feudal Japan warfare with dynamic weather.
Platform availability
Product A explicitly supports PC and Linux with high-resolution graphics and widescreen support; Product B's platform availability is not specified.
Price & value
Both products are priced identically at $39.99 (paid, one-time purchase) and offer robust modding communities for extended replayability.
Multiplayer / co-op
Product B's multiplayer supports up to eight players in competitive or cooperative scenarios on the same map.
Content & replayability
Product A includes four distinct campaigns with unique units/objectives and detailed economic/religious systems; Product B features authentic Japanese setting with historical events.
Difficulty & accessibility
Both games share a steep learning curve for newcomers/new players and feature adaptive AI.
Graphics & performance
Product A highlights high-resolution graphics and widescreen support for modern displays, while Product B's graphics are explicitly described as outdated.
Choose Medieval II: Total War - Kingdoms if…
Strategy enthusiasts wanting modern widescreen support, Linux compatibility, and massive 10,000-troop medieval battles.
Choose Shogun: Total War if…
History fans seeking a highly authentic feudal Japan setting with a higher critic score.
Common questions
How do the prices of both games compare?
Both games cost $39.99 as a paid, one-time purchase.
Which game has better graphics or modern display support?
Medieval II: Total War - Kingdoms features high-resolution graphics and widescreen support for modern displays, whereas Shogun: Total War has graphics that are outdated compared to modern RTS titles.
What platforms are supported by these games?
Medieval II: Total War - Kingdoms supports PC and Linux, while the specific platforms for Shogun: Total War are not specified.