New on the scene will be America, Britain and France, whose arrival incites a ferocious civil war to decide the fate of the nation. You’ll be able to play one of six new playable clans, supporting either the Imperial throne or the last Shogunate.

In Fall of the Samurai, we’ll be supporting features like railway networks, ironclad warships, improved siege battle mechanics (with upgradable tower defences, each with their own speciality).

There will be whole new land and sea unit interactions, including the ability to call in offshore artillery support barrages. Coastal gun emplacements can conversely target enemy ships, bringing a new synergy to land and sea elements of gameplay. Players can even call in campaign map bombardments – bombarding armies and cities in adjacent coastal areas of the campaign map itself. It’s time to rethink your strategy…

You’ll also be able to get your hands on three new agent types: the Foreign Veteran, the Ishin Shishi and the Shinsengumi.

Mulltiplayer’s also had a major overhaul, ushering in the era of “Multiplayer 2.0”. Creative Assembly will be introducing a new Conquest map, reflecting the 19th century setting, bringing with it a brand new Fall of the Samurai avatar, including:

• Over 40 new retainers
• Over 30 new armour pieces
• A new 19th century avatar skill tree

Creative Assembly will also be introducing multiple avatars for the first time, allowing players to enjoy multiple careers and progression across Shogun 2 and Fall of the Samurai. This huge clash of eastern culture versus western culture promises to bring with it a vast new experience for players.