I do not know how many people have played the Total War franchise of games, but it used to be one of my favourites. Strategy games have always been one of my favourite gaming genres over the years. Trying to fool and outsmart your enemy is a thrill and I still remember the first strategy game I ever finished, the Classic Age of Empires.
The first Total War game I ever played was Rome. I received the game as a birthday gift when I turned 14. This was as the Gold edition was released..
Rome: Total War
You play as one of three powerful Roman families--the Julii, the Bruti, or the Scipii--attempting to increase the size and glory of Rome and shore up your faction's power and influence. As all three factions are Roman, there's literally no difference between them in terms of units and building types, though they do have different responsibilities.
This game was epic. The way in which the world map displayed your empire and the way politics and economy are handled.. This was very new to me. Then the battles started. It was incredible! For the first time, I truly felt like a General leading his troops to victory. Instantly hooked.
A feature of this game that ensured longevity was that the factions you conquered became playable to give a very different tactical perspective.
Medieval 2: Total War
When Medieval released, I was in the row waiting for my copy at release. The impression that Rome left gave me an overwhelming hunger for more. When I loaded up my first game playing as the English, I knew I was in for a hell of a game.
Medieval 2 introduces a few new twists to the established formula of the original game. Settlements come in two flavours now, towns and castles. Another one that stuck with me was the prisoner system. This added depth to the game that was pleasantly welcome.
Oh and:
Empire: Total War
With this title, I was initially struck with terror when I realised that I had to run it on Steam. This was after the Orange Box and I knew it meant updates. At the time, I had only 2 GB capped internet monthly as in South-Africa the price of being connected was crazy. This meant I was only able to play the game 3 months after release as I chewed through my cap to get it updated.
But man was it worth it!
Not just Europe but 3 theatres of war, Trade posts, in-depth politics and colonial troop tactics.. I was stunned. I was lost for words, but most importantly, I was confused! For the first time, the learning curve for the new game was more complicated than expected. It took a while to fully understand the mechanics, but when I finally did.. Best game!
Shogun 2: Total War
Bile slowly started rising in my throat as I realised that my relationship with Creative Assembly was starting to sour. Who the hell has to PAY EXTRA for Blood and Gore?
Oh, the setting was amazing and the tactics and balance was fantastic, but where the hell did this greed come from? I hated that CA was starting with the DLC model but reluctantly I bought the DLC Factions.
Rome 2: Total war
What the hell is this piece of shit? The game was broken on release. The balance was terrible. Content was gutted and the greed just seemed to get too much. I am sad to say I pre-ordered the game, but It was my last ever purchase to the TW franchise..
..But not the last I played.
ATTILLA: Total War
Now this game was what I paid for when I bought Rome 2. A supposed new game with the same engine and theme, but with all the content that was gutted. I absolutely loved this title and still play it.
Total War: WARHAMMER
I will not even justify this trash with a review opinion