Given how diverse the existing armies are, this is a minor grievance, but more variety would have made this mix perfect. The only real failing here is a paucity of factions – four included, with a fifth available to download. It’s also full of loving in-jokes that fans of Warhammer lore will appreciate.
Mastering each faction and applying their individual skills to a hybrid of turn-based and real-time strategy is a delight. In the usual historical strategy, units may only vary slightly from each other, but here the hulking greenskins play completely differently to the dwarves, while vampire counts barely need an army. Adapting Warhammer’s fantasy setting rejuvenates the rigid Total War formula, while Games Workshop’s tabletop favourite benefits from a video game that’s actually, well, good. Thankfully for fans of both, the answer is yes, and brilliantly so.
Total War, meanwhile, produces great strategy games, albeit focused on real historical eras. Warhammer has a variable history in video games, with some horrendous outings attached to the brand.
