From the outside looking in, it may seem like Total War: Warhammer is just a superficial combination of two large franchises. We see games like this every now and then, games where the spirit of each respective franchise is nowhere to be found and the game relates only in name. Fortunately enough Total War: Warhammer is nothing of the sort. What you have here is a game that leverages the strengths of two properties and creates something that manages to transcend them both. Something that we got to check out in a hands-off demo.
Total War is a popular game series. The strategy required to claim victory is one of the best in the business, but after so many years there is only so much a studio can do. No matter how you look at it, the Total War games have always been based on humans against humans, and with that limitation options for expanding the gameplay are severely limited. The addition of Warhammer sweeps all those limitations to the side and opens up the floodgates for what is quite possibly the best entry in the series to date.
Without the limitations of solely human combatants, the folks over at Creative Assembly were able to introduce new layers of strategy to Total War: Warhammer that just couldn’t be achieved before. Now battles consist of human, orcs, goblins, giants, mythical beasts, trolls, mages, shaman…the list goes on. These offer new ranged capabilities, devastating troop-clearing tactics, new ways to control the battle, and fantastical aerial combat.
There is also a new level of unparalleled detail that permeates every single aspect of the game. How much detail you ask? The bellies of all of the giants in Total War: Warhammer jiggle. That may seem trivial, but its this insane attention, on something most wouldn’t even notice, that shows the developer’s dedication to delivering an authentic Total War experience at the highest level detail.
Oh, and the sheer level of control present in Total War: Warhammer is also something that shouldn’t be overlooked. For example, at the beginning of the demo, a goblin donning a winged suit was loaded into a catapult and then launched across the battlefield. While in the air though, complete control was given to the goblin allowing the player to deliver a precision strike to the front lines.
Dog fights in the air, wyverns taking out humans, mages blasting magic, giant arachnids eating soldiers, and more brought the entire battle to a fever pitch. At the end of it all I couldn’t help but want to see even more. And if that’s not a sign of something great, then I don’t know what is.
What we saw was very early footage so we are still a bit of a ways off which is the only unfortunate part of Total War: Warhammer. But, if what was seen with these eyes  is any indicator, what is on the horizon is more than worth the wait.
So, are you excited for Total War: Warhammer? Coming for the strategy, or to see your favorite Warhammer characters come to life? Feel free to let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to check out our E3 2015 wiki for news, features, previews, and more.
Published: Jun 17, 2015 02:24 pm