Total War: WARHAMMER

Warhammer convincingly teleports you into a fantasy universe where those miniatures that you used to spend weeks and months painting in anticipating of grand tabletop wargaming are able to come to life.

Creative Assembly has outdone themselves with the best concept for a Total War game since Rome with the biggest, varied and intriguing campaigns in the history of the franchise. The variety between the different races is enormous and the lore, upgrades and units are no slouch either. The tactical decisions you’re faced with are endlessly deep and everything looks stunning as well. This is a masterpiece.

Total War: Warhammer is not only a great Total War game, but one of the greatest strategy games of all time.

Total War and Warhammer are a match made in heaven and Creative Assembly’s latest release is a dream come true for the aficionados of both franchises. As a fan of Game Workshop’s tabletop original I have waited my whole life for this game. [07/2016, p.70]

This is one epic game. A great fantasy battle circus, the new CA title is quite the visual experience, while remaining tactically engaging.

Total War Warhammer is perhaps the best Total War we ever seen, offers all great features of Attila and brand new fantasy gameplay with the creatures and magic of Warhammer, one of the greatest strategy games of the year.

It is a shame Total War: Warhammer has not been made before because this game is fantastic in every way. All factions come to life, there are game mechanics that make every race different; they give the game personality. Thanks to the spectacular battles and four strong campaigns, this is the best Total War game we have ever played.

A richly-crafted recreation of the Warhammer world and the best Total War game in years. [July 2016, p.66]

Total War: Warhammer is a dream come true. The most complex and attractive way to dive into the Warhammer Fantasy world.

The fantasy setting of Warhammer provides the perfect canvas for the mass-scale battles of the Total War series. While very approachable to potential new players, it will appease the demands of seasoned veterans. Creative Assembly has managed to capture the essence of Warhammer and transfers its epic feel in their best iteration of the Total War series, yet. All this has been delivered in a stellar performance-optimized package. It's a title which should not be missed.

By building on a strong foundation, it allows its players the freedom of determining their own destiny, with little in the way of flaws holding it back. Sure, I may have some grudges that may never be removed from the great book, but in the end, this is the best experience I’ve had, bar none, when it comes to real time strategy games.

Overall, while this is indeed in some respects a new skin for the Total War series, it’s one that it wears with honour and pride.

TW: WH never slips into a routine, gameplay keeps player on tenterhooks from the beginning to the end. And thanks to the diversity of the factions – it’s quite replayable. At least five times. [Issue#210, p.86]

Total War Warhammer is the best of its genre, but it still has room to keep getting even better.

Total War has been striving to capture this feeling of Epic iteration after iteration and looking to a historical context for inspiration. But it's the realm of fantasy, the Warhammer universe and its wonderful storytelling, where I think the formula has found its true home. This is probably the best Total War game to date, and certainly the best Warhammer game. Put together the two make wonderful companions.

Total War: Warhammer manages to keep fans of both the Total War and Warhammer franchises happy, delivering excellent strategy gameplay and the best Warhammer video game to date.

Stunning tour of the Total War series into the fantasy world of Warhammer. Each of the four playable races offers a completely different experience in battles and on the strategic map. Innovation in the form of magic, heroes and giant monsters surprisingly fits well into the series style and refreshes it.

The gameplay is Total War at its finest, and the variety in factions and units allow for many ways to handle your short and long campaign objectives.

Total War: Warhammer seems like what the Total War franchise should have been all along, and after playing it I’m not sure I want to go back to the real-world Europe or Asia again anytime soon. Above all else, I don’t think I can stand losing the personality the battles have adopted. While it’s cool to see real historical figures and eras, games here just seem so much more alive. Total War: Warhammer has become the best of both of its worlds.

Warhammer is an excellent turn-based strategy that takes the best of Total War and Warhammer, and melds them together wonderfully.

The level of Warhammer-specific detail that has been translated into Total War mechanics is remarkable, ranging from the way in which different types of units compact each other to the way it’s incredibly risky and costly to venture too far into Vampire or Chaos territory.

Total War: Warhammer is a lot of fun, but keeps the complexity that can make Total War titles intimidating for new players.

Total War: Warhammer is a brilliant romance between an iconic tabletop game and one of the best strategy game-series ever made. New gameplay mechanics, epic fantasy battles and great variety makes Total War: Warhammer a highly replayable joyride.

It is perhaps the best use of the Warhammer license that I’ve ever seen, easily rivalling the Dawn of War series (which is thankfully different enough that I don’t need to decide which is better or worse) and perhaps delivering a game that is dangerously capable of pleasing both Total War and Warhammer fans alike, because of how well it handles the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Total War: Warhammer is the most interesting, most polished, and most enjoyable Total War game to date. Depending on which camp you come from you may have a slight learning curve, but its definitely worth it as this game has plenty to sink your teeth into if you're a fan of strategy, high-fantasy, or both.

Total War: Warhammer is a lovingly-crafted representation of the Warhammer world that is ripe for players to forge their stories in. It’s a must-buy for every Warhammer fan and Total War aficionado and is potentially the best release from the studio since the original Rome: Total War.

Prepare for some frustrations with such a complex campaign, but also prepare to lose hours of your life as you wonder, “But what if I handled that like this…” as you reload your last save for the umpteenth time.

Quite possibly the most exciting strategy game to come out in a long time. It's a huge change for such a long running franchise, brings in so many new features that work so well, and looks downright stunning as huge numbers of fantastical creatures create all manners of havok across the battlefield.

Total War: Warhammer could have been a parenthesis in the TW series, an experiment in a different genre, but has instead become one of the best Total War games ever.

Total War: Warhammer is nearly perfect. The production value is sky high, you can immerse yourself in the world of Warhammer. The game is very well-balanced, even though magic is introduced and the Lords playing a big part in it. The game has a brilliant performance too.

Total War Warhammer is a another great success for Creative Assembly. The factions are extremely diversified and, although some beloved units are missing, the variety of strategies and playstyle is impressive. The RPG-Style hero management, the new flying units, the introduction of side quests and of a loot system: every feature intelligently expand the classic formula of Total War.

Total War Warhammer is not perfect, and not all the subsystems have gotten better, but the changes are there, and they bring a lot of new possibilities that fans of the Warhammer Universe and the Creative Assembly games will definitely love.

Without any groundbreaking innovation, this amazing franchise jumps now to the Warhammer universe with fury, magic and great battles.

A celebration of everything that is good about Total War and Warhammer Fantasy, a carefully orchestrated strategy game with lots of attention to detail that will make both camps happy.

Warhammer’s fantasy elements add colour to Total War’s already impressive framework, with a strategy game that is both deep and tactical but also fun and attractive.

Fans of Total War and Warhammer can now rejoice and form a pact as this is a game that blends the two franchises together beautifully.

A charismatic, challenging, intricate strategy game that brings the Warhammer world to life.

It's a triumph of real-time strategy design, and the best the Total War series has ever been.

Total War Warhammer is literally one of the best franchise combinations ever made. A huge amount of content, made real by unique gameplay features and a handy user interface, makes it a must-have for every strategy fan.

Total War: Warhammer is one of the best Total War games I’ve ever played, and fans of either franchise should find themselves with a winner here. Those looking for more historically rooted fare may find the fantasy over the top, but plenty of solid strategy lurks under the magic and mayhem.

A good amount of new additions, very few shortcomings and many hours of fun. Total War: Warhammer is a game strategy fans will enjoy no matter if they like the franchise it's based on or not.

Total War: Warhammer cuts out many features that fans of both franchises have come to expect. Personally, it doesn’t really bother me that sea-battles are now decided by the roll of a dice and sieges don’t include the entire city anymore, because the developers of Creative Assembly rather focused on more important elements. The enemy-AI behaves a lot more clever and battles have overall become way smoother. Obviously Total War: Warhammer never comes close to the complexity of a Civilization-game, but Warhammer’s real time battles definitely make up for that fact. What appears to be a bit of a weird decision by the developers though, is that you’re no longer able to paint your troops and cannot upgrade standard-units in any way or form.

Ultimately TW: Warhammer is a deep game with plenty to keep the fan of the genre committed. The learning curve is steep, but will prove rewarding once climbed.

Total War: Warhammer brims with exciting ideas, awesome characters, and delightful units and faction mechanics.

If you find real history a bit bland compared to glorious nonsense made up by strange British people then Warhammer is the Total War for you.

Total War: Warhammer is a match made in heaven. [June/July 2016]

Warhammer's enormous universe brings a fresh angle to Total War's slow and steady gameplay style. It is possibly one of the greatest ideas ever seen by the whole gaming industry. It has it's ups and downs but still, it's a great experience.

After more than 70 hours spent with Total War: Warhammer I can confidently say that it is one of the best strategies of the year (and the year isn't over yet). Creative Assembly has used its experience and applied well known solutions but there's a ton of new stuff that freshen up the Total War brand in a very good way.

Even though there is little progress in terms of the opponents’ troop movement, to me this is the most impressive Total War in a long time. The races are varied and even with the AI shortcomings the battles are as full of visual effects as they are of challenge.

Total War: Warhammer mixes computer and tabletop effortlessly into a fantasy bloodbath. With four diverse races, plenty of character and a promise of much to come, it’s hard to not recommend this to anyone who’s ever dreamed of playing armchair general in the High Fantasy realm.

Warhammer: Total War: Warhammer brings the fresh air that the series created by The Creative Assembly needed. It offers hours and hours of fun and a very well-designed game.

The new fantasy setting offers huge and spectacular battles and new strategies, but the world map has been greatly simplified.

Total War: Warhammer is an excellent beginning for the new franchise from SEGA. You can see the game as a traditional Total War on steroids, where everything is more powerful and more spectacular. The gameplay changes drastically depending on the race you choose, and that's a really nice addition for everyone eager to experiment a little bit, or for newcomers to the series.

Despite performance quibbles and a repetitive endgame for the campaign, Total War: Warhammer is an exciting strategy game that stands on its own. The four factions offer unique playstyles with compelling strategic options, and the hero units, fantastic creatures, and monstrous enemies make for spectacular battles that are almost as much fun to watch as they are to command.

Whether you are a fan of Total War or a fan of Warhammer you will find something to love in this game. This might truly be the best of both these franchises worlds. This may even rival the great team up of peanut butter and chocolate.

A slightly flawed version of each, but still an epic combination of two great franchises. [Issue#252, p.54]

A great blending of two franchises. [Issue#175, p.74]

Total War with better battles is better Total War, and Warhammer brings exactly that to the table.

Total War: Warhammer is a great addition to the Total War formula and the most radical departure from the series yet, and the differences between each group offer more replay than anyTotal War before it. Unfortunately, a tiresome endgame comes too early and kills the pace of each campaign. If Creative Assembly can find a way to deal with that issue, this entertaining entry will be truly outstanding.

Total War: Warhammer wears its high fantasy outfit and sets off to new gameplay and setting horizons. It breathes fresh air to a –somewhat- tired franchise, thanks to the implementation of flying unit, the inclusion of asymmetrical and distinctive factions as well as the use of magic. It also brings back the series’ always-prevalent questionable A.I. (in both the strategy and the battle map alike) while also maintaining an oversimplified campaign and city management model.

Warhammer’s world is sketched out by an ocean of rules, obsessed with the collision of fantasy with the specter of realism.

Total War Warhammer takes all the best from The Creative Assembly's IP and skillfully mixes it with the background of Games Workshop's game.

Total War: Warhammer redefines the series with this great fantasy entry, but not without caveats. While the battles are arguably more spectacular than earlier and the campaign is based on the traditional Total War formula, it does take some time getting into. The game focuses on few factions and more linear campaigns than ever before, but what is present is undeniably exciting, and bodes well for the future of the series.

But it’s so much more than just Total War. Even with Attila making good on some of Rome II’s promise, I found myself dreading drawn-out engagements and increasingly bored with the Total War formula. Total Warhammer doesn’t tamper with much, but it injects enough personality to revive a series that’s been steadily collapsing under its own weight.

Total War: Warhammer is a successful entry in the storied franchise, its biggest advantage being the opportunity to guide perfectly recreated units from the tabletop original. This diversity encourages to try and finish all the campaigns, even though the differences between armies should have been emphasized a little bit stronger.

There's no denying that Total War: Warhammer is an enjoyable and accomplished title. But it's also one that takes few risks, and so a sense of what could have been occasionally floats over its crowded battlefields.

Total War Warhammer is a classic Total War game with some magic, heroes and monsters. It offers few factions to play with and needs a more sophisticated interface to help the newcomers into the series.

Fantasy tabletop warfare meets historical strategy simulation in a game that should be inaccessible but ends up exciting.

Developing this project must have been a massive undertaking, because it somehow manages to not sacrifice the core tenets of the series while staying true to the ever-expanding source material of the Warhammer universe. After nearly two decades of historical battles, having the chance to command a magical undead army is a breath of fresh air.

With four strikingly different races, Creative Assembly have done a fantastic job in bringing the Warhammer tabletop game’s fantasy setting, variety and tactical trade-offs to life.