Total War 2: Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai Arrives on March 23

Video game publisher SEGA has announced that it has set a worldwide launch date of March 23 for Total War: Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai, the stand alone expansion that will push the Japan-based strategy title in the XIX century and will reveal a new host of conflicts.

The launch date comes one year after the developers at The Creative Assembly and SEGA launched the core Shogun 2 experience and the team working on the game promises a number of improvements and a new and engaging campaign.

The game will use the same campaign and battle layers, but there is now more diversity on the battlefield as Japan comes into contact with the Western world and clans are choosing whether to stay loyal to the Shogun or whether to jump, feet first, into the maelstrom of modernization.

The campaign map now features new clans with new starting positions and there are new technologies to research and new traits and retinue members for the generals of each clan.

Expect to see quite a few battles that pit traditional samurai and ashigaru forces against newly recruited regiments, armed with muskets that evoke the atmosphere of The Last Samurai, the Tom Cruise vehicle from some years back.

John Clark, the director of digital distribution at The Creative Assembly, stated when the announcement was made that, “We’re delighted that the fans have resonated so positively and quickly towards the latest excellent installment from Creative Assembly. Shogun 2 has built an incredible audience over the last 12 months and now Fall of the Samurai will continue to build the enjoyment.”

The Creative Assembly says that the number of pre-orders for Total War: Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai is steadily rising and that gamers who are ready to pay now will be able to get access to an extra clan of their choosing to play, each with a distinct personality and their own stance towards modernization.