The recent release of Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition, marketed as an updated and enhanced version of the 2011 grand strategy title, has ignited player fury. As of the last 24 hours, the game holds an 82 percent negative review score on Steam, with many players decrying its performance issues, bugs, broken mod support, and graphical degradation, allegedly due to AI upscaling.
Originally lauded as a high point in the Total War series, earning widespread critical acclaim and high ratings, Shogun 2 has long been a favorite among fans. Its recent re-release, intended to modernize the game for contemporary systems, has instead become a point of contention. The new version currently sits in the Overwhelmingly Negative category on Steam. Compounding player frustration is Sega's decision to delist previous versions of the game from the platform while simultaneously increasing the price of this new iteration. Although some users report receiving the original version when purchasing the Complete Edition, access to the older game has proven problematic.
The installation size has ballooned from 3.85GB to 45GB, with little perceived benefit for players. This contrasts sharply with the game's critical reception among a handful of press outlets, which have collectively awarded it a Metascore of 86.
Visual Degradation and AI Upscaling Concerns
Players report a degraded visual experience, characterized by jagged camera movement and a peculiar blend of old and "less old" art assets that appear blurry and dated rather than modern. A significant point of criticism is the suspected use of AI upscaling for the game's unit cards, an enhancement that was not disclosed on the Steam page. Comparisons between the original game's artwork and the new version reveal a noticeable decline in quality.
In some instances, the AI upscaling process has distorted details, such as misinterpreting parts of a boat's structure or rendering figures poorly, leading to a loss of fine detail. The flags on units have been particularly affected, with specific emblems replaced by amorphous shapes, and character models appearing malformed. The AI's inability to properly interpret original details has resulted in a significant visual downgrade, with one example showing a figure seemingly merged with wooden slats.
Another example shows smoke plumes from gunshots rendered as abstract shapes, while unit flags display a confused, art-deco jellyfish-like emblem. The human figures also suffer, with one character appearing to be unnaturally positioned within structural elements.
In the case of the General's Hatamoto unit, the AI upscaling failed to render the facial details beneath the helmet, resulting in a robotic or automaton-like appearance. The lack of transparency regarding the use of generative AI for artwork may also contravene Valve's platform rules. Developers Creative Assembly have not yet responded to inquiries regarding the use of AI in the artwork's enhancement.