Total War: Warhammer Review Roundup

Total War: Warhammer challenges the traditional historical focus of the Total War franchise, opting instead to focus on a fictional conflict in the Warhammer universe.

The game features mythical beasts, swordplay, magic, and monsters in lieu of the roman battalions and firing lines we’ve come to expect from the Total War series.

Does this brave new take on Total War live up to the acclaim of its predecessors? Here’s what the critics had to say.

IGN – 8.6/10

“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.”

Gamespot – 9/10

“With the addition of irresponsibly large cannons, apparitions, gyrocopters, and powerful spells, the amount of time you need to spend learning what you and your foes can bring to bear on the battlefield is staggering.

But it’s worth it. Skirmishes are an artful dictation with two (or more) minds jockeying for control, prodding weak points, breaking lines, and exploiting new fronts of attack. These fights don’t get old.”

Game Informer – 8.8/10

“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.”

Destructoid – 8/10

“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.”

PC Gamer – 8.6/10

“The part of me that collected a High Elf army as a teenager wishes it was broader in scope (at least give us Skaven!) but there will be expansions to cover some of that and in previous games they’ve been handled well.

Anyway, the best Total War games have been the most focused, whether on a single nation or a single general. Total War: Warhammer takes in a continent but tells one story, and it’s potent because of that.”

GamesRadar – 9/10

“If you’ve ever had an imaginative thought about the Old World, Total War: Warhammer will fill in the blanks. There are some frustrations that inevitably come from a challenging campaign, but I don’t know what else I could ask of a Warhammer game, except for more of the same. ”

Game Revolution – 7/10

“When you walk away from Total War: Warhammer, you’ll feel like you’ve played yet another decent Warhammer game. It has the attention to detail and adherence to lore that fans of the IP look for, but without many of the compelling qualities that are needed to substantiate AAA games in a release-heavy year like 2016.”

What do you think of Total War: Warhammer? Let us know in the comments and forum.