A Complete Beginner's Guide to Every Total War Game in 2023
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2024
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It is quite astonishing how many Total War games we have these days, and if you haven't been following the series, then it can seem daunting to dive in. But even if you have some experience and wanna try out other games, how would you know which ones are good, or what differentiates them or indeed, is similar between them? In this video, that's a question I'll be answering, as we'll go through every single Total War game and give you my opinions, recommendations and tips on which ones you should try and why.
From A Total War Saga Troy, Total War Pharaoh (soon) and Rome Remastered, all the way up the age of Medieval 2, Empire, Shogun 2 Fall of the Samurai and even the Warhammer series' fantasy universe, I showcase them all, so make sure to stick around or jump ahead to the game you're the most curious about!
If you have any thoughts on this video, if you found it helpful, or if you have any questions, make sure to leave them down in the comments, and make sure to leave a like and subscribe to the channel! :)
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We need better forts and towers in the new games. On the battle and grand campagne-maps!
they blew it with phaoroh , had they had the gods of egypt it would be a buy...as it doesn't its a meh whatever game
if they did this for each region like UK/ireland and hte ancient celtic gods
and then germany and its tribes and gods and maybe add nordic vikings and gods
then it kinda is fun
do like troy where you can have historic or myth
that i bet they add this as several dlc for phaorah cause of the number of gods well shows the absolute greed that CA has become
Love shogun 2 and ready to play one of the other games from the pre-guns era. Which game has the best fort siege gameplay? I'm leaning more towards Atilla, Rome 2 & three kingdoms for the larger maps and gameplay over thrones or medieval 2's heavy influence on religion
I would love an Empire 2. The game had so much potential with the incredible world scale but loads of things that get in the way of enjoying it.
I think a lot of us would, but I honestly can’t see CA going near that time period given political correctness is the way it is today.
I feel like they’d see it as opening themselves up to the firing squad.
I think Warhammer opened up a new light on Empire. Now, we could get a huge world map and not have problems. Maybe they we’re waiting until after it was tested to make a world sized historical game.
A combination of Napoleon and Empire would be better.The grandeur and polished combat and minimalistic management of territories and grand scale would be awesome all in all.
we got egypt instead :.(
There will be a medieval 3 so I am down for that
One thing you didn't mention which is sorely missing from the newer Total War Games..
The "weight" of units. In Rome & Medieval 2 units on the battle map had real weight and you could almost feel them colliding. Units didn't glide around as they do in the later games.
Those two were like particle physics simulations.
You are delusional. As a person who never played these two old games in my childhood because I was more like RPG person back then, so I don't have any nostalgic feelings when I played Medieval 2 in current days I can tell you that this game don't make you feel weight of units at all, units touch, and that's it, there is no blood, mud or anything, animations are feeling like they were made out of wood and nails, this game is shit and the only way to change it is making Medieval 3, also the only way to save this shitty company. I don't judge your deep feeling of nostalgia because I'm the victim of nostalgia as well, but you need to open your eyes to flaws of old games you played back then.
What a shame
Imagine WW1 as a total war game where you can dig your trenches front and back lines. Order men to attack in ranged combat using rifles or melee charge using bayonets. Also don't forget about fighter and bomber aircraft and helium balloons to see further behind enemy lines just like it was in this time period. Last but not least TANKS to crush enemy trench lines and destroying houses in villages that you can take as defense points.
Napoleon total war ww1 mod
The problem with WW1 is in the west it was mostly a trench war with practically no movement. Maybe a WW1 scenario in the east would be nice.
@@t.b.1568 Also in the east it was a trench war but it is way less spoken about compared to the western front. Just like in WW2 you know more what happened on the western front then on the eastern front. So yes maybe a game on the eastern front would be great but i believe that there was as much trench war as in the west. Its just not talked about.
@@tristanvanvalckenborgh4817 at the eastern front there was massive troop movement in comparison to the western front with big forward pushes.
@@t.b.1568 maybe but it was still a trench war
Medieval 2 and Shogun 2 were truly peak of Total War series. The amount of mods for Med2 is astonishing!
stainless steel mod brings medieval 2 to a whole new level
@@ScottishRebel I couldnt keep SS from glitching
How the hell do you install the mods???.. I'd buy the game but can't figure out how to do it
@@MyTardisGoWhoosh There is a lot of guides, it also depends on the specific mod, but there always should be guide with every mod you're downloading
On my wishlist are:
Shogun 3
Medieval 3
Empire 2
Sometimes they should also improve what has worked and not always reinvent the wheel.
In foreign countries, as in China, Chinese players want to be able to play these games.
Great effort on this video. Though I do think that Shogun 1 and Medieval 1, can show how far we came in gaming in general. For me Medieval 2 will always be the best, but I recognize that adding a fantasy setting is a neat idea.
Thank you for the kind words, my friend!
I think that a Lord of the Rings game would be best for the series. It will satisfy both fantasy and history fans because Lotr is what I would describe as “historical fantasy” with everything feeling more realistic. Hell, it’s even set in a medieval world
Lord of the rings is not historical fantasy. It's high fantasy.
Regardless, historical total war players won't be happy till the gameplay moves away from the arcade nonesene.
The problem is not about fantasy nor historical though. The issue is about the old mechanics (Shogun 2 and back) vs new/removed mechanics (Rome 2 and onwards).
It already exists : just google medieval 2 mods, the LotR one is so big that there are mods for the mod ^^
I know there is also one for attila or rome 2 but I don't know if it's been released or WIP
@@spiffygonzales5160 "historical players won't be happy"
There, fixed that for you, historical total war players are the most miserable fanbase I've ever encountered, a bunch of tedious moaners who complain every release that CA hasn't just released Medieval 2 again.
@@mildlyderanged
Nah. They just expect a decent game. Unlike Warhammer players, who legit buy individual pieces of plastic for a hundred dollars and act like it's a good deal
I just finished a short campaign from Shogun 1 from 2000, and it's still surprisingly playable and atmospheric. Though the battle mechanics have definitely aged worse than the campaign.
I'm a TW fan boy, and although I definitely have games I love more and less: I don't think there's ever been a really bad TW edition.
That's great to hear! Yeah the only truly bad thing about certain TW games I can think of is that performance can sometimes be trash, or that they shipped and remain rather buggy. And of course, from an "educated" point of view, there are things one can dislike and find disappointing. But objectively bad? Yeah I think you're right, Total War games do remain above a minimum level of quality which is nice to see.
I can't wait for shogun 1 and medieval 1 to be remastered. Do you agree guys?
@@AndysTake Yeah - they do definitely glitch now and again.
@@MsSirAndydefinitely would rather get medieval 2 remaster
Why Shogun 1 remastered when you have the excelent Shogun 2? Just finished a RotS and a FotS campaign, love the prep time before RD and LOVE the fast paced campaign where you can upgrade cities extremely fast turnwise.
2004 Rome Total War is an undisputable masterpiece
This is what we need
Hope it's useful to some people :D
Just did a medieval 2 campaign last weekend and agree with all your points 100% can't wait for them to announce medieval 3
Glad to hear it ;)
That would be a dream come true.
For me, Rome 2 was my first TW game so I love it quite a lot. Though i do recognize the great mechanics that the earlier games had too. They just gotta take the favorite bits of each one and make a game with that lol
In Attila, if you play as eastern rome, the key is to not use money because they have the trait of interest and in like turn 20 u have unlimited amount of money, very easy. And in Empire, the key is to send one cheap ship to each point, no matter if its destroyed or the spot is occupied but its a huge boost in money.
The best campaign memories I have from shogun 2. The most interesting factions are from warhammer . The most intense campaigns I had in attila . The most beautiful was three kindoms . But by far the greatest battles I have ever fought by a mileeee is .. napoleon . Dude that game , playing online was insaneee. Ive never felt anything since so intense so strategical so epic! Made me feel like a general in the 18 century .
Thats really nice, but j heard the ai on the other hand isnt really good right?
Shogun II / Fall of the Samurai and Empire are love! Wish we would get another game in these time periods.
You didnt cover Medieval I, but my favourite mechanic was that every unit had a named character leader. So if you lose the character you lose the unit. You can give titles to characters increasing loyalty and how well the region is administered. It was awesome and something I miss from subsequent games. Sure Rome I had individual units, but having those be named characters would be better. It also shows how hard it was to promote on merit when you have lower social status leaders with better stats have to serve higher status leaders.
thank you, i started total war last month and so far have only tried rome 2, shogun 2 (my fav) and warhammer 3 (so laggy for me) so this really helped me see what else to do
Great to hear, glad I could help! :)
You should try warhammer 1. This is my favourite warhammer between the 3 titles. I dont even like warhammer 3
Three kingdoms is the best total ever made in my opinion, it only lacks a proper horde mechanic for some factions, like Liu Bei for instance. If you don't know the setting get Dynasty Warriors 8 (not the 9) that it will tell you the whole history (or story) of the period. And then when you play three kingdoms everything will make sense, including the faction mechanics and the relationship between leaders.
Great game and actually very underrated but honestly the best game for me gotta be Rome 2
@@carlosvilleta9125 I have a lot of hours in Rome 2. It is fun, but to me it is too easy. After the early game it is mostly a steamroll. But yes, Rome 2 is fun. But if I had to choose a single total war game would be 3k for sure.
Tbh, me being a Chinese doubt what the Dynasty Warriors can show the history or story, but anyway Liu Bei as a horde faction, it depends on what period of the late Han Dynasty the game want to present you.
Lol ok
@@cheungchingtong i mean, to actually be able to change place as liu bei did in real history, in game as far as i know you can't lose everything and begin anew on the other side of the map as Liu Bei did.
I love all the changes Rome 2 made 🤷♂️
Damn, must be nice! What makes you love them then?
the only thing i really hate is the general/army shit
Phenomenal video! It made me want to just play every title more tbh
Thank you, Punggles! :D Honestly they're all good in their own ways. I just... I want a Medieval 2 remaster to be honest!
great video as usual Andy!
Thank you so much, bro!
very informative video and good effort
Such a nice summary. I played them all, except for Thrones. And I also played the first Shogun and Medieval.
Medieval 2 and Empire are my personal favorites, Medieval for the battles and music and Empire for the campaign ( though I wish there were more regions)
I think that the modern conception of DLC has shaped the way we see Barbarian Invasion. It honestly feels like a completely new experience compared to the original game, not just a side mode.
I actually like medieval 2’s delayed order response for stationary and engaged units. it makes it feel a little more like you are giving out orders and have to account for exicution time instead of hving turn on a dime omni control of movement in a really gamey sort of way.
Especially noticeable with crossbows because of the time they take to load their weapons.
@@LyricalDJ yah, I liked how I played different with them from archers. crossbows where a lot better turtling behind infantry while archer where better at skirmishing. Most crossbows dealing better damage and often having a higher defence to compensate.
Rome 1 is my all time favourite total war and I haven't played one yet that has surpassed it.
I’d love a Medieval 3 ….because come on, who wouldnt? But if im being completely honest, i kind of miss the guns and cannons from Napoleon, there was just something epic about lining up 10 cannons interspersed in your front line while the enemy marches towards you, getting utterly eviscerated by cannon fire!…. It was atmospheric as hell as well……. I can just imagine how awesome a Napoleon 2 would look with todays graphics tech.
Thrones is the only one I’ve played so far. I play with the Shield Wall and The Last Kingdom mods and have enjoyed it. I’d like to learn and get better and maybe even play some multiplayer but I’m not sure where to start
Great vid
About Shogun 2, I think you did it a bit dirty: the base roster is the same for *almost* anyone, but clan bonuses, locations and special units significantly change how you build your armies, sometimes even when everyone has ashigaru tier units. This is very, very important. With the clan that starts with warhorses and improved and cheaper cav, are you really not going to take advantage of that? The clan that has stupid good shock infantry: use it, it's better and cheaper. But little armour, so you best put that blacksmith you start with to good use.
The point of this is that each faction has a markedly different tendency branching out from a basic template which is fairly balanced, but no faction is really restricted to a specific playstyle. The odd exceptions here are Ikko Ikki, Hattori and to an extent Otomo.
Also, the economy seems more "malthusian". Growth is based on food above all, so get that surplus going and be careful with how much your buildings consume
rome total war was my first total war aswell, I got it for like 10 bucks on steam but didn't really play it, I also got three kingdoms but it wasn't until I got like warhammer 2 or medieval 2 that I actually played it and I have to say its great, definitely missing a lot but its really good for the first 3d game and 3rd game in the series, medieval 2 basically added everything you needed to fix rome and has so much more than every other game so its still my favorite
the music is already nostalgic for me and i'm pretty young, most people got into it as a kid back when rome or medieval 2 was coming out and are now adults but i'm still a kid and i'm nostalgic for like 1 or 2 years ago lol
war of kings is such a good song man jeff van dyck was cooking up heat bro holyyyyyyy in rome and medieval 2 the ost was banger
Rome 1 still has the absolute best soundtrack in total war.
When does RTW Remastered typically go on sale? I currently have Rome 2, so I can play that in the meantime, but I do miss playing the older game too
a GOT setting would be so amazing, I think it's perfect for total war. It would be the first to be both historical and fantasy.
It would make sense gameplay wise for everyone to kill eachother to access THE throne, maybe even an alliance and betrayal mechanic
The diversity of the factions, the rich Lannisters, the battle hardened northmen, the dothraki horde, the ironborns with their fleet and Island, the targaryans with their dragons, the wildlings raids, the white walkers and their undead army chaos invasion style
The rich lore ..
I've been thinking that for years, it lines up perfectly. Crossing GoT total war with Crusader Kings features has always been my dream game.
I would love that. Or even perhaps Mount and Blade of Thrones!
I feel like you made this video already? But here I am watching again just to listen to you vibe on Total War 👍
Thank you, Chocolate Rain! And no I haven't actually! I've previously made a compilation video of all the TW reviews I've made, but this is more of an introduction to each games with opinions tacked on, a bit shorter and meant for new players in particular :)
@@AndysTake love it, thank you!
The way you talk about Troy makes me so happy.
I started with shogun 2 but its Rome 2 that really gripped me, i love the siege battles lol
Rome 2 is definitely my favorite but honestly i love almost all of total war games😂
Thanks!
Wow thank you so much, man, I really appreciate it!
If you pkay CK3, get Attila. Theres a mod that allows you to play your CK3 battles in Attila (with the AoC DLC and the 1212AD mod). The CK3 mods name is Crusader Wars.
sorry for the selfpromo Andy ❤
This is exactly what I needed.
medieval 2 is a fantastic game but its mod scene is really whats kept it legendary. DaC for Third Age Total War is the best lotr game hands down in addition to standing up to any mainline total war game in its own right (also good lord the Dunedain campaign is probably the hardest tw campaign that exists). I still think about the Stainless Steel 6.4 campaign I played like 5 years ago now when the Mongols made a B-Line for Paris right when they showed up when I was playing as France.
How tf do you install the mods???
@@MyTardisGoWhooshI'm with you there. I have it on steam and am an idiot with a computer. It doesn't have the workshop like other games and that's as far as my computer skills takes me
installing it is not easy indeed, i keep a zip file in case i ever lose it@@stephengrigg5988 drive.google.com/file/d/1zp9k5vYUsprMP4ygUwf_1BhVII4eDRhA/view?usp=sharing for nonsteam unzip here medieval II total war\mods, steam version /Steam/SteamApps/Common/Medieval II Total War/Mods
when you have more question feel free to ask, not sure if i can provide official DL links
New music yaay thank you!
Haha! EVEN FOR THE TROY SECTION! Glad you noticed!
Huge fan of Rome remastered. Although I never played it, it's hard to ignore how big of a fan base medieval 2 has. When they remaster it, I'll buy it to give it a try myself!
They just need to make Medieval 3 already!
It's midnight in Australia, I will finish watching in the morning.
Excited to hear your thoughts!
Another great video (:
Which game is best suited for my MacBook pro from 2018, 2.4ghz, 16gb ram, 130gm free space. My favorite historical events and therefore, games, would be Rome and Napoleon. Thanks for any advice. Please be quick :) there is a sale for 3 more days. Also this will be my first total war game.
0:21 I actually play Medieval 1. It's still a great game and there's something about old games that I like.
The best playing experience you can have with a total war game currently is with the Dive and Conquer Lord of the Rings mod for Medieval 2.
If it was 2017 i might have said its the warhammer games, but after seeing where they went and what happened to them? I'm just sad at this point. Like yeah there are factions that play differently on the campaign map, but when it comes to actual battles nearly every faction plays almost exactly the same, or purhapse, another more accurate way of putting it, every "unit type" plays nearly exactly the same. Divide and Conquer has some crust to it sure, but the actual FEELING of being a commander and seeing your cockamamie plans actually work and win you the day? Really hard to find elsewhere outside of Napoleon and Shogun 2.
I have 3000+ hrs between all the warhammer titles, and yet still, nothing ive done in those games has ever compared to holding Brandy-wine Bridge with nothing but lumberjacks, hobbit stone throwers and farmhand pikeman against an end game force of isengard urukai. There was no way my hobbits and farmers should have won, but hot damn by the power of Eru Ilúvatar, they were able to pull out a win because of my strategic insanity.
I cant remember the last time a total war match vs AI made me feel like that, and thinking about it constantly makes me go back and play a campaign at least once a month.
i have over 1100 hrs on rome 2, still enjoy the gameplay too this day
15:16 it was a rising Kingdom soundtrack, braw
Hey man, which is the most similar game to attila ? But no gunpowder, I've tried shogun 2 it's really hard compared to attila 😅 and the ui is really confusing lol
it is a given Pharaoh might have a mythical DLC like Troy did and that would be awesome since imagine all the cool Egyptian gods that will take part in battle and campaign plus who can complain about Anubis being in your army
Loved medieval 2. The morale system was the most realistic, especially with the fun dread attribute of generals. One thing I hate about later games, especially Rome 2, is the prevalence of situations where even an exhausted levy unit will hold after incurring 80% casualties. Breaking the spirit of an army with strategy is far more rewarding than a brutal brawl to the death.
i picked up troy and i love it
I play primarily MTW2 bc all I have to play on is my iPad but I’m not upset by that either it’s been fun bc MTW2 is my absolute favorite TW game and I’m glad it’s on the iPad plays great very smooth and still a beautiful game despite its age my other favorite is napoleon specifically the NTW3 mod but I have no rig to play it currently been working on that though fingers crossed soon
Synchronic hierarchy of the best TW to play TODAY, not at the time they were released: 3K > Empire > Attila > Shogun 2
So which would you recommend Rome remaster or Rome II. I am pretty new to total war games
14:40 I might come back to this game for that mod.
9:07 You are talking about Rome but this part of the video on the timeline is still marked as "Pharaoh"
This just made me want to replay medieval 2 lol heck yeah
There is a small technicality here. We have 3 saga games although fall of the samurai wasnt made that way initially. It is labeled as so now.
Personally i am a big fan of rome. Both 1 and 2. I find mysekf trying every game but always coming back to rome
A small correction to your small technicality.
Pharaoh is also a SAGA title. It simply doesn't have the name. They're we have 4 SAGA titles
Idk why FOTS is a saga either, it has the same campaign size as Shogun 2 and more things in it
Warhammer is still my favorite experience. Yes it's missing some of the greatness of Rome 1, medieval 1 and 2, and shogun. But the campaign of immortal empires 3 has nothing else like it. And I love the asymmetric nature of the game
Let’s not forget Rome (BI and Alexander) and Med 2 + Kingdoms is on mobile!
What do you mean the original Rome is no longer for sale? 9:22 iirc if you buy Rome remastered you also get the OG game.
I find it weird they bundled it with the remaster when the OG game you could buy for dirt cheap.
Technically the original rome total war is still buyable, the give you a copy of the original rome total war collection when you buy the remastered on steam
Im gonna record a vid for yoall and the way i strategies my army if im against 600-1,400
I put archers angle sides in the bushes rally of arrows ambush
Then my horse archers front lines infantry front four other heavy horse archers galley around the back of the enemy army spread out my four unit archers hit em every angle should i do it ?
1. ROME 2
2. Shogun 2 FOTS
3. Three Kingdoms
Waiting for
Medieval 3
Rome 3
Empire 2
The only game I’ve played is medieval 2, I’m a bit of a history buff and am interested in a lot of these other games, can’t decide between Rome remastered or Rome 2
Been playing Med 2 and the worst part is the slow response of the troops on the battlefield
Would playing it on typical, new, Macbook Pro be worth it or not enough ass in the computer?
shogun 2 was my first (kinda only) total war, thats why im here. But i JUST LOST myself in that game. I was a very new interest in ancient japan and this game blew me away. Probably not everyones favorite, and i dont recommend it, if your not interested in japanese history, but one of my most favorite games ever!!
Please i wana know which one has most killing animations? And also has simple economic system
I knew nothing about medieval Japan but absolutely loved Shogun 2. The expansion was even better. I wish Rome II was as polished as Shogun 2.
what's the music playing in the background from 2:35 till 2:57
I've done so many Shogun 2 campains and I only won twice. That fucking realm divide
Med 3 and Empire 2.
Empire 2 and Medieval 3. With the same mechanics refined from the origijal games
For me medevil 2 total war them rome total war 1 and then shogun 2 total war and then warhammer 1 total war. I spent soo many hours as turks just so I could fight Mongols and that was one of most most favorite part!
Medieval 2 and his great mod called SSHIP, the best historical game ever!
Total war has ended on shogun 2 fots. Pinacle of TW to this day and forward. Theres only 1 thing i would like to tansfer to it from earlier, buliding and population mechanics from rome 1
Am I the only person still wishing for a Empire 2 that has the entire world?
Getting these Ws
Im pretty sure they removed the ability to move individual units because of the movement glitch they couldnt fix 😅 pretty sure Napoleon or empire was the last game to have to have it! Except rome remastered of course
chronological is a great idea - much easier for a new person like me
I want Total War for WW1, I think the Western Front game lays some good foundations for Total War, it would be superb & all the campaigns = awesomeness 😊
Never understood why DEI Roman’s need to run around everywhere in a combat stance once they’ve thrown their pila
One of the only things I hated about medieval 2, was how another faction would surprise attack me, and just as my counteroffensive is ready to smash them, the Pope pops up and demands a ceasefire.
If I agree, sometime later the same thing happens again and again. I get attacked, often hurt, and before I can take the fight to my enemy I'm forced into a ceasefire that gives them time to prepare their next attack.
It's frustrating to not be allowed to do much besides soak up their latest raids and invasions. That must be how Israel feels right now
I played almost all of them. Rome 1 and Medieval 2 were the best. It's not only about features and gameplay. The atmosphere counts as well. It's just those old games were much better at.
Where can I get warhammer 3 with dlc-s for the cheapest price?
Your opinion that icons should be images of the building they represent could not be more wrong
Rome 2 with DEI mod is the peak of TW.
Just buy med 2 , with it's incredible mods it is all in one , it has Warhammer in it , it has lord of the rings in it , stainless steal , EB2 , even a thrones of Britannia mod which i cant remember the name of but I do remember that it is incredible or buy Atilla because it has the second best set of mods ,
I'd argue for Rome Remastered over Med 2 at this point. You have the Rome time period, obviously. But the Chivalry mod turns it into a better version of Med II. Not to mention the Lord of The Rings mod, and others. It's much more moddable and modern than Med II.
How the hell do I install mods!!!???
@@MyTardisGoWhoosh from mod db
The real ranking
1) M2TW third age total war: best total war game of all time
2) Rome 1 with the RTR or Europa barbarism
3) empire total war darthmod
4) everything else except warhammer
I started with atilla. Fucking beautiful graphics, love the difficulty of the battles, and the diversity of the units. The mods are amazing as well. Played the Charlemagne dlc and didn't like it, way too easy. My first Charlemagne campaign had me easily conquer half the map and other factions kept asking me to make them vassal states. Wheres that old stubborn never surrender. I should need to offer my entire fucking treasury and quite a hefty amount of gifts. They didn't even have good relations with me, Spain was split in 4 and all the factions there wanted me to make them a vassal. Charlemagne sucked. Second favorite is total war Rome II
Medieval 2, Rome 1 and 2 and Shogun 2 are all you need to play until they make 3’s of each of those
Warhammer feels like such an amazing fit for Total War.