15.8.2016

Total war Warhammer is a very good game as it stands the first instalment into the Warhammer fantasy universe it captures the essence of the lore and world perfectly setting up an interesting campaign, play as 4 factions The Dwarfs, The Empire of men, the vampire counts and the green skins, All factions have unique playstyles and unit rosters, quest lines and faction specific traits that enrich the campaign and gameplay to interesting levels, unique units, technology/building trees faction heroes so on.Like in previous Total war the gameplay is split into campaign turn based and real time Battles, the unique units within the game add a quality depth and make battles very fun and interesting,the visual campaign map looks fantastic with different lands, mountain ranges weather effects, cities. Lets look at the pros and cons and I will get to DLC, But I just want to say I am pleased with the progress of this game from Rome two and Attila Creative assembly have created a unique visual and enriched gameplay experience that I am enjoying quite immensely but it does have some flaws.Pros-Rich Lore- unique factions, the world feels enriched- Unique visual units of the Warhammer fantasy universe that any total war fan and fantasy gamer alike will appreciate the visual and role playing fun of controlling legions, orcs, chaos demons, flying Pegasus, sacking cities, battles with beasts so on, on a side note the cohesion of units feels better the impact force of heavy units like cavalry feel excellent there is now definitely impact in the game.-Introduction of magic new to total war based on a manner system it adds new depth and enjoyable chaos within real time battles imagine a sweeping vortex of fire sweeping chaos through your line the visual appreciation of magic and practical use within the game are very well thought out and effective, not to strong not to useless, based on character level so it develops through the campaign.- Faction management is back to simple levels after the trial of politics system where by you felt nothing for your generals and leader now lords mean something in battle they are a unit on there own with unique character development trees all with better looking models, your leader within the game has there own backstory you feel something adds nostalgic depth to the gameplay and a death of a Lord does effect you especially legendary lords.- Unique faction quest lines that add levels of story and adds to the lore and understanding of the world so if new to Warhammer the situation gets explained pretty quickly for each faction recommend playing as empire first as it has a fairly comprehensive introduction to the universe.-optimisation of this game is fairly well done its complete, battles run smooth look great have tested from low settings to high and visuals still look pretty decent on even the lower graphics settings not like Rome 2 where it was pretty dreadful on lower settings, even on higher settings.- Overall simplified interface not to messy simple but effective in managing your empire, sticks to the province system makes it better easier to manage, great lore, better optimised, great visuals, just a game that I can tell there is passion and care into the detail of the game. 8/10Cons- only four factions available to play, well developed factions all very unique but still only four I get why because these factions represent each race so on and the others are fractured from them for instance the Human nations are provinces of the empire but its fractured, But yes a couple more game completion unlocks would have been nice.- Legacy engine is by far the worst total war engine ever it has bugs, always feels haphazard in the way it looks and feels that said this is the third title of that engine so have ironed out some of the issues and done the best it can be expect the new title to be on a newly created game engine I would be surprized if it wasn't.- Battle times this is personal taste but they do not last long even with massive stacks of troops, Don't get me wrong they feel epic but don't last long, leading to lack of tension sometimes.DLC, Right here we go let me just say I get DLC especially for PC games of a sizable budget as they are likely to sell less than a console triple AAA title not that they don't sell a lot just possible less unless its selling millions and also they don't have the option like Total war of having a console port.I just wanted to say that some DLC is allowed and the idea against DLC should not be about whether it should exist but the content value it provides so I will appraise each one. an example of good DLC is Bioshock infinite buried at sea chapter one and two which add new story elements and offer hours more content, another example is Creative Assemble alien isolation that has a perfectly completed highly quality game which adds a new story element and several new challenge scenarios within it's DLC, also Rome 1 expansion barbarian invasion and alexander campaigns,So BLOOD AND GORE no not exactable DLC should be a graphics option within the game, Chaos warriors possibly because it adds a new faction and quest line adding more depth to the game its debate whether a faction that already exists within the game can be DLC but I would say yes as long as it's priced right and only a few factions are DLC they have to be extremely unique and offer different playstyle to core gameplay factions they should not be samey Chaos warriors fits this profile.The new call of the Beast men again yes its got a new mini campaign again unique playstyle and is added to the campaign not already there but the price point is wrong it should be about £7.99 or less as it adds new campaign and faction but not worth £13,99 wait for a sale if you wish.Why isn't there a season pass at a discounted rate for purchasing all DLC if the intent is always to have DLC I do not know.what I will say for creative assembly is that they seem to be offering free content updates as well as patches such as new units so on which is quite good seems that they recognise that DLC isn't everyone's cup of tea especially after paying £40 for base game but I recognise that DLC can be beneficial at the right price point and optional such as new campaigns so the choice of not having it doesn't affect core game.Do I recommend Total war Warhammer yes its probably about 7/10 for effort of creating a unique fantasy universe, good optimisation, support levels for patches and new content including free content updates and further balancing of gameplay. Good Graphics, interesting gameplay.will update if I have thought of something else to add thanks for reading

19.8.2016

I was a fan of Games Workshop for many years, up until their marketing of the last version of 40K and the release of the underwhelming Age of Sigmar turned me off. I started playing Warhammer in 1993 when 4th Edition was released and have owned most of the major armies over the years. I have also played, and been a fan of, most of the Total War games, missing only Attila and Shogun 2. So it was with great excitement that I greeted the announcement of this game. I love the old PC Warhammer games, Shadow of the Horned Rat and Dark Omen although Mark of Chaos was a bit disappointing. I waited a few months after release to get the game as I am sick of getting games on the day of release only to find they are broken and virtually unplayable (Yes Empire,I'm looking at you!) and got the DLC to go with it, including the new Warriors of Chaos and Beastman factions. I was not disappointed!Each of the factions, more than any other Total War game, have their own flavour and playstyle. The Empire are the jack of all trades, the Dwarves are a defensive army, the Orcs are their usual mix of weird and wonderful and unpredictable, the Vampire Counts are a shambling horde of zombies (but don't get your general killed), the Chaos factions are brutal and aggressive. They have implemented them all well. Magic, which could have been a game breaker, is done well with spells being powerful but not WMDs. Some magic users are better than others, at least in the Empire, Celestial wizards I find are the least useful. Balthazar Gelt can become very powerful. The way that character leveling is dealt with is also an improvement, you can choose whether your heroes will be death machines or have a wider effect on the global map. As well, at least your general is now a distinct character on the battlefield, not just a member of a unit who is subject to random death as with previous Total War games.Agents now have far more uses, for instance you can use them to increase/decrease (depending on your faction) Vampire and Chaos corruption. On the subject of Chaos and Vampire corruption, as this increases the map changes spectacularly to reflect this, either becoming dark and brooding in the case of Vampire or messed up with heaving land and lava flows in the case of Chaos.Battles are the usual style of Total War games but can be a bit short, the longest one I have had so far is about 15 minutes. Gone seem to be the epic hour+ games I used to have in other versions. AI is still a bit patchy.All in all the game plays very well and is certainly one of the best Total War games released. So why not a 5 Star review? Well it comes down to a few things, none of them on their own are major but add up to reduce the overall score.Firstly, for me, it's a fluff thing. Why no Elves? I can, to a point, understand the omission of High and Dark Elves due to the locations of Ulthuan and Naggaroth respectively and the game being set in the Old World, but no Wood Elves? For those who don't know, the Wood Elves are from Athel Loren which is that big impassable forest in the eastern part of Bretonnia. While they would be awkward to implement as a playable race they could have been included as a NPC race. Then there is the other human races. With the exception of Bretonnia, who are implemented as they appear in the tabletop game, they are just clones of the Empire. While not a lot of background has been written about Estalia and the Border Princes are usually described as an offshoot of the Empire so their unit roster can be somewhat forgiven, Tilea and Kislev have both had their own tabletop armies with a distinct flavor. Kislev having things like the Winged Lancers and Tilea being the Dogs of War units. This just smacks of either a bit of laziness on CAs part or they were under orders from GW to use only the latest army lists.Secondly no naval combat. Again not a big deal but they could have used Man O War as a reference which had fleets for most of the Warhammer factions. In fact they did as when you move units on to water you will see that the model changes to a Man O War ship, the Empire having a War Galley, the Norsca factions having a Longship, the Dwarves having a Nautilus, Orcs having a Bigchukka and Chaos Warriors use a Chaos War Galley.Diplomacy is still a bit hit and miss but this isn't a unique issue to this game and has plagued Total War games for years. Having said that, the ability to form a confederation is one of the best things to happen to a Total War game. And when Archaon rears his head everybody wants to be your friend!Finally, and this is really my fault, but I tried to apply Warhammer army selections to the game but it doesn't quite follow the tabletop version. For instance things like halberds and great weapons provide strength bonuses and increase armour penetration as a result whereas in Total War they only provide an amrour piercing bonus and actually seem less effective. Some units in Total War are far better than their tabletop counterparts. Dwarf Ironbreakers in the game are the ultimate Dwarven unit but in the tabletop version are not that useful and rarely used whereas Hammerers in the tabletop version are far better but not as good in the game. These differences caused me problems in my first few games until I got my head around it.It is a good game and highly recommended, even if a lot of the DLC probably should have been included in the initial release.

31.5.2016

Despite the 1 star brigade's best efforts TWW is a good game and it is going to sell massively. I found my weekend evaporate in a Football Manager esque fashion which can only mean this is one heck of a game but it does have its drawbacks hence the 4 rather than 5 star.The game loses a star for two reasons:Firstly it is more of the same, the very, very familiar same. I warmed up for the last few weeks on Napoleon and bar the musket infantry TWW plays the same and for me looks the same on the battlefield. The units move, sound and act in a similar fashion to Triarii (I can't be the only one who still says 'Triarii' out loud in the game voice) or whatever random spear unit you care to pick even from over 12 years ago.

7.9.2016

It's a Total War! How could it not be great? It's not my favourite, because I'm not a great fan of Warhammer, but it still managed to guide me easily through the intricacies of this fantasy universe.The gameplay is similar to its immediate predecessors in its basic aspects and graphics.However, the changes are many and worth noticing:- the factions belong to racial groups, and every group has a different play-style (traditional kingdoms-style for the Empire, Attila/nomadic-style for the Chaos, magic for the non-dead Vampire Counts, non-magical for the Dwarves...), completely different units and buildings, different special abilities, different goals, different bias towards other factions,

10.6.2016

Probably the best total war game I have played since Shogun 2. With the spectacular mod support CA is encouraging the game is easily tailor-able to fit your perfect play-style using the already huge choice of mods to subscribe to via the steam workshop.Many people grumbled about Chaos not being playable on day one and I will have to remove a star for this practice as they should have been playable from day one no question.Also I feel the grumbles a few had about units being omitted from the game is unfounded as the vast array of different units in the warhammer universe would be extremely had to balance and play-test in a game with so many unique races (possibly future DLC)

24.5.2016

Well what can i say? Creative Assembly return to previous form with this absolute peach of a game. This is definately the refreshing change that the totalwar franchise was crying out for, and boy have they delivered. The variety and uniqueness of the various races is truly wonderful to behold, missions are back in the campaign which make you feel like you are actually striving towards a goal. Not just capture any and every settlement in your path. Upon completion of said missions the gane rewards you with loot, such as money, weapons, armour ect ect which is a nice changes. Skill paths have been streamlined but in a good way, i never felt like i wasnt sure which path to take for my play style.

17.6.2016

Have played this at a Strategic level only so far. Greatly enjoyed the lore and the game has all the characters from the game.A few of the Empire States are different from what I remember but that could be my memory.The map is good and the troops look ecellent, nicely rendered .Game play is pretty easy and absorbing, although you soon run out of cash and cannot leave much in the way of garrisons and have field armies. WhatI did find frustrating was if a state was absorbed via Military or Political means, the new state only seemed to add debt , it was not clear where , if any, new troops/ leaders were that joined you, I would have expected the old state troops to make themselves known.

10.4.2017

TOTALLY AwesomeMany people have waited a long long time for TW and Warhammer to come together.After nearly a year of owning this game I am still playing this as often as I can, have racked up over 600 hours of game play and still haven't played every race to it's conclusions, have finished Empire, Dwarf, Beastmen but couldn't get the hang of Vampire Counts at all and am currently starting out on an Orc campaign.With Warhammer 2 on the horizon and the maps being stitched together this is a game where I will eventually "waste" over 2,000 hours of my time.Don't bother with the physical box (unless you want shelf clutter / display)

3.11.2016

Despite merging Total War and Warhammer, this is a Total War game first and formost. The Warhammer element certainly adds a veneer of interest to the Total War series, but not enough to add any lasting enjoyment. If you are a huge Total War fan, then you'll probably love this game, but personaly I've been bored of the series since Rome. If you are a Warhammer fan then you're going to be disapointed, because this isn't Warhammer. Sure, its got the Warhammer races and setting, but not the familiar gameplay. So, for Warhammer fans I'd suggest you stick to the tabletop game, or try and get hold of and run the now ancient Dark Omen,

25.5.2016

Great game, probably the best of the series as it stands.The balance doesn't seem to be a problem which is a pleasant surprise, just have to play slightly differently with the different races.Different mechanics in each race make each playthrough unique, even Empire the most (common) of a total war game.The mods are ready to download to conquer the whole map and extend the Lords to more factions but honestly I am enjoying playing a lore friendly run. Even though I will play with them eventually.Multiplayer had an issue (mainly due to everyone jumping on it first) but this was resolved 6 hours into release.Some people have said UI flicker, (haven't experienced that at all)

27.5.2016

Ignore the 1 star haters. Moaning about the download is pointless as it is the way of the world. Wake up to the 21st century. The game takes all that was ace about medieval 2 and adds magic whilst plopping it into the warhammer world. Mechanics work well and i have no issues with performance. You can be horde armies or traditional build and conquer. There is so much to this game it will provide many hours of fun. Cant wait for the extra facrions but 4 supplied (five with high king edition) provides several different dynamics and scope to play. Its just brilliant!

22.3.2017

An excellent game and genre to choose for the Total War franchise. Performance wise the game is a little slow, but looks amazing though. I've only really played the campaigns and must say it is a fun, quality product that has hours of fun to be had. Each race have their own strengths and weaknesses and although it is a bit flawed and predictable sometimes it's still one of my favourite games over the past few years. I would like some other features and variety, but we can't get everything...will be playing this for years personally....

24.5.2016

A lot of hard work and dedication has gone into this game, and they've really pulled it off. It is by far the best TW since Medieval 2. and the dx12 update in June will make it even better. The physical copy takes some time to finish downloading on Steam. This is due to game discs being unable to store the amount of data required for modern games, it's annoying but it's just the times, it's no reason to down vote the game itself, as some reviewers are doing.

11.8.2018

For what there is in the game you have to give it 5 stars, so many factions and plenty of days playing. I have found that later down the campaign line the dwarves had too much Power and I couldn't keep defending their continual attack, I therefore used a no upkeep mod which made it more enjoyable as I was getting a bit fed up with it at that point. I have played the empire so far and the battles are great. Would highly recommend

4.6.2016

One of my favourite of The Total War series, if you can get your head around that it is fantasy and not the usual history flavour then you should enjoy it, it's gorgeous to look at and probably the best optimised at launch Total War I can think of. My only criticism would be the AI, it's not bad, it's just predictable but then I've been playing these since the first game. Highly recommended.

Total War: Warhammer (PC) - Reviews

Info

Analysis

Detail