If you've yet to try a Total War game and happen to be a fan of strategy titles, you're missing out. All such games are built on a similar framework that really can consume each and every second of your life. Constructing an empire from nothing, while using diplomacy and aggressive tactics to seduce or take down enemies, will leave you wanting more when you're not at a PC. Unlike some other turn-based games, each move holds the potential to end the game.
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But it's not all good news when it comes to Total War. Some titles have been plagued by bugs, glitches, poor optimization and design decisions that leave fans of the series baffled. We take a look at the best and worst the Total War series has to offer.
This list is based on my personal experience with Total War and is the result of me trying to help a friend who started with Atilla and wanted to know what games to move onto next (as well as which ones to potentially avoid).
Let's start with the best and work our way through.
The great Total War games
Shogun 2
I have invested hundreds of hours in Shogun 2 ($29.99). This installment, in particular, holds a sacred place in my heart due to it being the first Total War game I actually played through many a night, but Rome was my very first exposure to Total War back in 2005. What makes Shogun 2 so fantastic, though, is the setting, matched with improvements on the origin of its name.
I have always recommended Shogun 2 to newcomers, particular because it feels fluid and intuitive to get your head around. Total War games can be confusing, and Creative Assembly did a solid job with the aesthetics, UI and other elements that make Shogun 2 as good as I believe the series has got to this very day. The main letdown of Shogun 2 is the fact that nothing new was added.
If you're looking to try out Total War, Shogun 2 is a must-have. The gorgeous world matched by good balancing and an easy learning curve make it an enjoyable entry into the strategic world.
Rome
I may catch some slack for having this entry so high up on the list, but Rome: Total War ($9.99) is a game I simply have to keep installed, as I often find myself firing it up every now and then. Sure, the AI was borderline awful, and everything that was implemented sort of destroyed the very essence of what Total War should be. It's just too easy to start a new game and lose hours without even realizing it. The game holds your attention so well, it deserves commendation.
Medieval II
I have a soft spot for Medieval II ($19.99), mostly due to the fact that it reminds me so much of Rome, and that's a good thing. But because of that, it also falls behind slightly due to it being so much like Rome but without the nostalgia. And it also has many of the flaws that plagued the great Roman empire. That said, it's a stellar game and one worth keeping on your short list.
The combat is also awesome.
Warhammer
Total War: Warhammer ($59.99) is a mash-up of the fantastic strategic series by Creative Assembly mixed with the powerful and expansive world of Warhammer. It's as though both were made for one another. CA did a solid job at taking what worked with Attila (and what didn't) to bring a quality Total War experience to the table with a massive array of units and other great improvements to the formula.
Interestingly, one will find themselves dragged into combat, regardless as to whether they make alliances or go it alone.
Honorable mentions
Attila
I get the love for Attila ($44.99), I really do, and it's one of the main Total War games I still play, but the massive imbalance and array of bugs just irk me. What I liked most about Attila (and what still keeps me playing) is the fact CA tried to do something new. You have the Romans trying to survive in what areas they still hold, tribes battling one another for more land, and the Huns burning everything in their path.
Interestingly, I always tend to play as one of the nomadic tribes, as opposed to Roman empires or barbarians. It's a game with actual consequences, and I like that.
Empire
I know a few people who will be surprised that I threw this one into the honorable mentions list and not the one below, but Empire ($19.99) is a fine Total War game. It's huge and allows for massive empires to be formed, but you'll need to be prepared to combat not only your enemies but bugs and a dodgy AI. Look past that and you have a wonderful European Total War that will allow for hundreds of hours to be invested.
Terrible Total War games
Napoleon
There's not a whole lot to say here about Napoleon ($19.99) aside from I didn't really enjoy it. If you happen to read online that it's essentially a 'copy and paste' of Empire: Total War, they're not far off the mark. CA did add some cool new things, however. The AI was improved, not to mention the excellent execution of the Napoleonic wars. It offers an interesting experience, thanks to the unique setting and looks of the game.
The Peninsular War DLC was also really good, but it can't help draw me into it. Not when other Total War games are begging for my attention. Just because I didn't enjoy it doesn't mean you won't, but I can't see Napoleon taking top spots for those who have yet to play a game in the series.
Rome II
Oh, Rome — what did CA do to you? At launch, Rome II ($59.95 - Emperor Edition) was a disaster. Total War games have always had their split personalities, but nothing prepared series fans for Rome II. At one minute, you're locked in a fierce battle only to have a floating boat make its way through the terrain. Or perhaps you wish to zoom in on the action, only to realize that there is only the sight of horror (and that's not the gore, by the way).
It's bizarre how odd Rome II feels to play. Thankfully, the game has been patched more times than my battalion of fatigued legions, but that's only so you can experience an uninspired strategic game. Promises were made prior to release, but unfortunately, they fell flat, much like the title of this game (and the empire that stood hundreds of years ago).
What say you?
I love the Total War series and believe each installment has its place. You should one day play them all, but use this list as a guide if you're new to see how you should perhaps proceed down the path of greatness.
Are you a Total War fan? If so, sound off in the comments with your favorites from the series. Perhaps you agree with my experiences, or perhaps you feel Napoleon deserves a spot at the top of my Total War chart. Either way, let us know.
Lead image source: Kutaku
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Which war games are worth your time? It’s a tricky question to answer since war is sort of the default here in the world of PC gaming. The fighting in Counter-Strike will never cease, and Call of Duty will always find another geopolitical reason to nurture conflict. PC games are, as DC Comics eloquently once put, in a state of Infinite Crisis.
We’ve chosen to dig out the war games that don’t use conflict as a convenient backdrop, but treat it as a serious theme deserving of examination. Some of these greats recreate historical catastrophes in pedantic yet moving detail, while others concern fantastic beasts and wizards, but nonetheless simulate something real about the struggles of wartime.
This war games list also features a wide range of genres, so expect to find everything from indie adventures to grand strategy games, not to mention plenty of shooters. We also update our lists regularly to ensure the games presented below really are the best war games around.
The best war games are:
World of Tanks
Tanks play a pretty significant role in modern warfare, so much so that Wargaming has given the mechanical miscreants their very own multiplayer game. World of Tanks has been going for roughly a decade now and in that time the roster of classic tanks has ballooned to over 400, and even includes some armoured vehicles and other WW2 curios.
Those 400+ vehicles all boast unique stats and qualities that you’ll get to know over hundreds of hours of tank vs. tank deathmatch, where you’ll constantly be earning progress to the next shiny metal death machine on your chosen upgrade path. With seasonal events, a ceaseless flow of new hardware to unlock, and plenty of background changes to ensure the game feels fresh.
Want to try World of Tanks? PCGamesN has teamed up with Wargaming to give a free US tank – the M22 Locust and 600 gold to any new players who sign up using this link.
World of Warships
If tanks get their very own world than it’s only right that warships get the same treatment. World of Warships mirrors its tanky counterpart in terms of its progression mechanics, but the transition from war-torn cities to open waters creates a very different type of gameplay. Torpedoes and cannon barrages travel for seconds at a time before striking their target, creating a fascinating battle of feints and dodges. With very little cover to rely on, warship commanders need to become comfortable blasting from range and reading enemy shots.
Like World of Tanks, Warships is also subject to an unending tide of new ships, gameplay tweaks, and seasonal events that stave off any sense of stagnation. Plus it could soon be among the best submarine games as Wargaming has confirmed they’re working on bringing subs to the game.
Play nowWar Thunder
After seven years of continual updates and improvements, there are few multiplayer war games as complete as War Thunder. Whether you prefer aerial dogfights, tank combat, or naval battles, War Thunder is essentially three simulation games rolled into one. So you really don’t have to choose – recent updates have even added helicopters and modern military vehicles to the mix.
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Whichever battlefield you elect to play on, War Thunder’s realistic ballistics modeling and attention detail promise as authentic an experience as you could want. Every vehicle has been painstakingly modeled, inside and out, so every shot yields a different result based on factors like range, shell type, the angle of the enemy tank’s armour, its thickness, where the crew are located within the enemy tank, and much more. That damage modelling is consistent across the whole game, so whether you’re strafing the canopy of an enemy fighter plane or lining up the perfect torpedo strike you’ll need to do plenty of quick maths before pulling the trigger.
DEFCON
There are some political climates under which you don’t really want to play war games like DEFCON. This is perhaps the bleakest way you can while away an evening on Steam with your friends. Inspired by 1983’s cinematic cult classic Wargames, DEFCON is one of the oddest strategy games around, utilising multiplayer to pull on the paranoia and high stakes of the Cold War.
You’re cast as a general playing with the lives of millions from the safety of an underground bunker. You soon come to learn that mutually-assured destruction isn’t as simple a concept as it sounds, and that strategic nuclear warfare is a psychological game of intense pressure. You’re looking to wipe out your enemies and disable their capacity for retaliation, while knowing that doing so will expose the positions of your own silos and submarines.
Alliances form fast and break down quicker in the wake of terrible betrayals. But if you do it right, you’ll manage to exterminate your opponent’s civilian population while saving your own. Hooray?
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
Authenticity is a questionable ask for all the best war games – how can any immaculately recreated battlefield capture the experience of living through its horrors? The first Brothers in Arms made a great go of it, telling the true story of a parachute infantry regiment in the United States’ 101st Airborne Division, dropped behind enemy lines on D-Day.
Levels were designed around historical reconnaissance photographs taken in ‘40s Normandy, and research included both interviews with veterans and classroom lessons on combat tactics. The result remains the closest thing we have to an interactive Band of Brothers, and that most rare of things – a respectful shooter and one of the best WW2 games.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
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By the time a game’s given you a gun and sent you on your way, you’ve already been encouraged to start thinking in kill counts – to take on the opposing role in whatever in which you are involved. Valiant Hearts is different to most war games: a procession of gentle puzzles and occasional rhythm action that simply has you witness the Great War as it ravages France.
It is to Rayman’s Ubisoft Montpellier’s credit that Valiant Hearts doesn’t do the usual and try to capture the reality of combat – instead opting for cartoon abstraction. But don’t think it holds back on the harrowing detail due to its art style, as its environments are filled with snippets of shiver-inducing real-world history.
The principal characters in this sometimes heartbreaking adventure game are, without exception, just trying to find their way back to each other. Torn apart by the most widespread war ever fought, borders and battle lines are irrelevant to these soldiers and civvies, yet they are shook by them to a distressing degree.
This War of Mine
In war, not everyone is a soldier. That is the tagline of This War of Mine- a game based loosely on the experiences of the citizens of Sarajevo, who lived under siege for 1,425 days during the Bosnian War.
Practically speaking, that means you’re presented with a cross-section of charcoal-coloured buildings and an unflinching view of the people eking out an existence within. Sampling elements of survival games, you manage their lives, directing them to craft and trade during the day, and then – once the snipers are gone – sending them out to scavenge for food and medicine at night. Think of it as the war games equivalent of Fallout Shelter, but with less busy work and much more to say – as we found in our This War of Mine review.
There is no way for you to win this war or to contribute to it. Your role is simply to keep going, and somehow reconcile your needs with your conscience. This War of Mine isn’t fun, per se, but it’s uneasy brilliance makes it one of the most important videogames to confront war and has paved the way for Call of Duty: WW2 and Battlefield 1’s more thoughtful breed of war games in the process.
Battlefield 5
EA had its work cut out when it came to surpassing the seriousness of Battlefield 1’s Great War. Few war games have depicted the horror of that conflict as well as Battlefield 1 did, placing you in the boots of a series of young men as they each meet their untimely demise in a desperate last stand against against the Imperial German Army. Battlefield V continues this sombre tone as you gear up for the killing fields of World War 2. Each of Battlefield 5’s War Stories are single-player vignettes intended to “create feelings of despair”. With each death your character’s name, birth date, and death date loom out to remind you that this war game is about more than just entertainment.
When it comes to gameplay, however, Battlefield V rivals the best FPS games on PC. Weapons feels refreshingly janky compared to the futuristic fare of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, offering up a satisfying rattle and kick with every shot you fire. The battlefields themselves change constantly throughout a match as destructible buildings are torn apart, showering players with rubble.
Battlefield V pushes graphical boundaries, too. Real-time ray tracing is only available on the dearest Nvidia graphics cards at the time of writing, but gives us a glimpse into the future of triple-A gaming. Hellish infernos glint nightmarishly in puddles and muzzle-flashes from a rifle reflect in nearby windows – it’s only natural that resident hardware nut Dave James chose Battlefield 5 as his personal game of the year for 2018. When it comes to big-budget first-person shooters, Battlefield V is the complete package.
Unity of Command
Unity of Command is a turn-based war game set on the Eastern Front of World War II, and one of the brightest lights in the genre’s recent renaissance. If you can find it bundled with the expansion campaigns, you’ll have access to everything from Operation Barbarossa to the Soviet drive into Germany.
Unity of Command is one of the best war games thanks to its merciless focus on your ability to manage supplies across distance. Winning is about reading the map and planning bold, decisive campaigns that will keep your army rolling, despite perilously long supply lines and the constant threat of being cut-off.
It’s a great introduction to the sub-genre of operational war games, and a welcome change of perspective for those of us wondering what really makes a war run. If they can’t be fed or equipped, it doesn’t matter how well a soldier is shooting.
Operation Flashpoint
Sometimes the most sobering thing you can do to drive home the vulnerability of battle in war games is to strip away everything we’re used to in a shooter – regenerating armour, piles of hit points, copious cover – and show how quickly we’d really last under fire. Operation Flashpoint is a concerted effort to do just that.
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At the start of each mission you’re presented with a briefing, handed a map, compass, watch, and notebook. Then you’re booted onto an unforgiving island in 1980s Eastern Europe. You might be guarding a base, engaging in reconnaissance, bearing down on an objective, or simply driving a truck – but all the time, you’ll be acutely aware of the sudden death that awaits you if you slip up. Bohemia’s Arma 3 is a successful (and far prettier) continuation of the same feel.
Company of Heroes
Carentan is a rural town in northern France with a lovely old church. It was also a strategic objective in the Second World War – perched as it was between Utah and Omaha beaches – and hosted perhaps the finest RTS level ever crafted in Company of Heroes.
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Relic spent many months pacing that one mission before pitching the demo to publishers. Evidently, THQ saw the game for what it was – a push towards making real-time strategy experiential rather than mechanical. The developers intended players to feel empathy for their enemies, even as – especially as – they encircled the Germans during the decisive Falaise Pocket. A number of real-life battles are rendered from above in Company of Heroes.
Company of Heroes is one of those war games where your concerns weren’t abstract resources but manpower, munitions, and fuel. For the first time, RTS encounters felt like desperate skirmishes rather than cold strategic manoeuvres. For the first time, they felt human. If you’re still looking to scratch that itch, Ancestors Legacy’s brutality is much inspired by Company of Heroes.
Panzer Corps 2
After nine years in development, Panzer Corps 2 is finally here. It’s been a wait, but the WW2 strategy game has arrived with plenty to show for it. There are 1,000 unit types, 61 single-player scenarios, and a random map generator for single-player and multiplayer skirmishes. If that’s not enough, there is 4K support, custom camouflages and insignias for units, and dozens of map skins for various locations, seasons, and weather.
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Hopefully this list has shown you there’s much more to war games than RTS strategy or scoring multiple headshots. Conflict is a huge part of games, and there as many ways of exploring it as there are games in the genre. So from thoughtful explorations of violence to intense firefights, the PC really does have it all when it comes to war games. If you prefer your fights a bit more mechanical, why not check out the best tank games? But until next time, make… videogames… not… war? Well, playing is almost like making, right?