Choose Total War: SHOGUN 2
Choose Total War: SHOGUN 2 if you want the Valve Anti-Cheat enabled side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 92.5% positive across 21,382 reviews.
Total War: SHOGUN 2 vs Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition
Total War: SHOGUN 2 and Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition both land in Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Strategy games on Steam. Total War: SHOGUN 2 (2011) is 2 years older than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (2013). Total War: SHOGUN 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (92.5% positive) than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (85.3% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition
Choose Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition if you want the Surround Sound side of the pairing. 31,620 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Total War: SHOGUN 2 and Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Total War: SHOGUN 2 |  Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2013 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 59.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92.5% positive (21,382 reviews) | 85.3% positive (31,620 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | CREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux) | CREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Total War: SHOGUN 2 (2011) is 2 years older than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (2013).
- Total War: SHOGUN 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (92.5% positive) than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (85.3% positive).
- Total War: SHOGUN 2 is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (29.99 USD vs. 59.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Total War: SHOGUN 2 vs Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition — FAQ
- Which is better, Total War: SHOGUN 2 or Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition?
- On Steam reviews Total War: SHOGUN 2 scores higher (92.5% positive) than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (85.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Total War: SHOGUN 2 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Total War: SHOGUN 2 or Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition first?
- If you want chronology, Total War: SHOGUN 2 (2011) came out before Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (2013). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Total War: SHOGUN 2 and Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition similar?
- They overlap on Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both Total War: SHOGUN 2 and Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Total War: SHOGUN 2 ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.