The marriage of Total War and the Warhammer universe seemed like a match made in heaven. Fantasy units and armies running off of the Total War mechanics? What could be better? Of course, there was also the fear – would they mess this up, forever tainting both franchises? The game launches next week, and it looks like they did a good job.
IGN – 8.6
Total War: Warhammer is brimming with exciting ideas, interesting characters, and outright, skull-stompingly delightful units and faction mechanics. The current roster of starting positions in the campaign feels thin, but each army therein is a distinctly different experience. Some factions (Vampire Counts, Greenskins) are more fun than others (Dwarfs), but none feel underdeveloped or unfinished. Deep hero progression and a well-executed Chaos invasion round out a campaign that, while it has some flaws in set-up and pacing, fulfilled all of my deepest fantasies of seeing giant, impossible armies clashing amidst the shrieking of griffins and the glow of flaming meteors summoned from the sky. It’s just a damn good time.
Game Informer – 8.75
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.
Gamespot – 9
Everything here hasn’t just been improved, it’s been damn near mastered. Total War has always been about balance–between strategy and tactics, realism and engaging play. Warhammer’s characters, its history, and its creativity is a shot in the arm for a series. My complaints from a few years ago with Total War II’s camera still hold. When pulling the camera out to get a better view, you can’t go very far before the game switches to a full overhead view. That be somewhat troublesome and limit how much of any give battle you can see at once, but it’s a minor frustration.
When you’re in the middle of a siege and you’re coordinating an assault with a friend, Total War: Warhammer approaches perfection. You’ll be tested on all fronts and asked to manage complex battles with broad, nuanced outcomes. Every system and piece feeds into others, and your choices make all the difference. It’s a triumph of real-time strategy design, and the best the Total War series has ever been.
Destructoid – 8
Outside of Shogun 2, Total War: Warhammer is my favorite Total game to date. 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.
Metro – 9
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.
Pros: The strategic level map and real-time battles work as well as ever, but are greatly enhanced by the new role-playing elements and flying units. Excellent graphics and accessible controls.
Cons: The artificial intelligence can still do silly things and getting a good camera view can often be a bit fiddly.
Looks like a solid game that will make Warhammer and Total War fans very happy. Are you getting your hands on it when it launches next week?
Last Updated: May 20, 2016
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 20, 2016 at 09:13
I’m glad this looks good. Will be all the sweeter once I eventually get it after all the DLC and stuff has been released because I’m only interested in the campaign, not MP. Until then I’ll just have to WAAAAGHt.
Original Heretic
May 20, 2016 at 09:16
Now this is a game that makes me wish I could still play cool games on my PC.
Spy Master Tokashi
May 20, 2016 at 09:35
I can already start my pre-loading on steam! Man I cannot wait to start playing it!
For the Emperor!
May 20, 2016 at 09:43
Gonna get this game…but so much time going to be spent practising HotS with the team in the future…
Pariah
May 20, 2016 at 09:56
Good. Another game to add to the list of “Want but can’t afford”…
*cries*
miaau
May 20, 2016 at 12:25
Want, Laptop cannot play this. IF Rome Total War 2 is slow, what will this one do? I need a new gaming laptop by October, for Civ. Want. Does want = need?
Pariah
May 20, 2016 at 12:28
Want does not = need. But Capitalist society is based entirely off of want. So, want holds the power here, not need. Sad as that may be.
miaau
May 20, 2016 at 13:05
From 10 Things I hate About You, But I want to need it.
True, it is. based totally on want.
I think like this: I work very, very hard and give myself a lot of stress doing so, with some good job satisfaction. The point of that is to make money to get me some of the things I want. While this is not my money alone, my wife and child must also factor into these things. I want to be able to buy myself some toys. Whether or not we can afford a new gaming laptop, is a good point. But I feel that my current laptop adds so much value to my life, i.e. go away for the weekend (we do that a fair amount), wife and kid sleeping, I sit in dining area and play a game, that is how I de-stress. So, yes, this is quite important to me. Is it R25K important, to be able to play the newest games? Hmm. I can only answer that question later this year.
Pariah
May 20, 2016 at 13:18
Well I agree with everything you’ve said. No buts, simply an addition: I agree and when it comes to current markets, without a salary increase, money is becoming more and more tight. This means that I have to be selective over which de-stressers I purchase, and look to the free alternatives to fill in the gaps.
No Man’s Sky is the only thing on my to-buy list at the moment. I’ve budgeted, I’m ready. Does that mean it’s all I want? No. I want so much more. Well not so much. Just a few things. But more, indeed.
Pariah
May 20, 2016 at 13:19
*fixed
miaau
May 20, 2016 at 13:06
And you have some very definite, admirable ideas, on how you think the world and those around you AND most definitely you should behave and what is appropriate or not.
I like that.
HANDxOFxGOD
May 22, 2016 at 04:41
I want it but I don’t have time for it. Between school and all the other games I own and have yet to beat, I can’t justify picking this up at full price.
For the Emperor!
May 30, 2016 at 10:47
Oi – where is the Lazy Gamer review? This is by far the most fun I have had with a TW game EVER! Sure I loved Medieval, Rome and Shogun 2, but this one is so much more fun! Races are totally unique and I have not had a single bug or glitch running it at max settings!