Translating Shogun 2 posed unique problems. Japanese honorifics ( -sama , -dono ), ranks ( Daimyō , Shōgun ), and political concepts ( Honjin , Ronin ) have no direct English equivalents. The English .loc files solve this by retaining many Japanese terms but glossing them via tooltips. For example, a building description does not say “Headquarters” but “ Honjin – The Daimyō’s command post, improving reinforcement range.”
If you’ve installed a translation mod and want the original English back:
Shogun 2 manages its text, user interface, and audio through specific .pack files located in the game's data directory. Key Language Files
: You can include a custom_localisation.loc file in the data directory to add your own strings to the internal database without overwriting original files. Resource - Shogun 2 "Language" and "Encyclopedia" files total war shogun 2 english language files
: Steam will automatically download the necessary files (typically local_en.pack Verify Files : If the game remains in another language, go to Installed Files Local Files ) in Properties and select Verify integrity of game files Steam Community 2. Manual File Management
I can provide specific file sizes or script edits based on your setup. Share public link
For those looking to edit in-game text or unit names, the English files are the most flexible. Translating Shogun 2 posed unique problems
Download both language packs through Steam one after the other, backing up the local_XX.pack of your preferred text language first. local_en.pack Pack File Manager Delete the section within that pack. Add > From Pack option to import the section from your other language's file into the local_en.pack
If you are troubleshooting a manual installation or a backup, the specific files responsible for the English language are located in your game’s installation directory (usually SteamApps\common\Total War SHOGUN 2\data ). Look for these specific files:
Steam will compare your local files with the official servers. For example, a building description does not say
Total War: Shogun 2 is a masterpiece of strategy, but for many players—particularly those who purchased the game in a different region, bought a foreign physical copy, or installed a mod that altered game files—the game may launch in Russian, German, or simply display missing text ( #missing_text_... ).
The English voices in Shogun 2 are organized into multiple sound banks. For example, the EVENT_ADX_E.AFS archive contains dozens of .ahx files, each corresponding to specific voice lines for units, characters, and events. If you are creating new content and want to use existing English voices, you can reference the appropriate IDs from the game’s sound tables.