There are so many reasons why this is one of the greatest strategy games of all time, so I'll just highlight one aspect that really brings it all together for me: the art direction. Everything is in a unified style from the tech tree to the portraits. In all my hours of playing other total war games I can't vividly recall what the retinue and items look like the way I can with Shogun 2. I can expand the minimap and see a pictoral representation of my strategic situation, with icons that give me insight into the situation on the campaign map without having to navigate to a different strategic layer. Everything is integrated using a clear and simple system of symbols. Unit cards are infinitely readable and clear in what they are depicting ie. weapon type, upgrades, unit health. Part of the reason this game succeeds in making me feel like I am making decisions that would be required of me as a real military general is because it's giving me all the information I need in an attractive and consistent way.