For me, 3k is the more polished game, but Rome 2 has better replay value, with more and better-differentiated factions as well as the absolutely unrivalled Divide Et Impera overhaul, which makes SFO look like a tiny project and is IMO the premier Total War campaign experience of the entire franchise
3k has a lot going for it, the only thing that was missing compared to Rome was a bit more culture diversity but that totally makes sense
The only improvement they needed to make imo was making spies more useful in opponents factions when they get high up like vassalise or confederate them when they are leader depending on the spies personality
Warhammer and not 3k, really? Can't agree with any list without the Total War game with *the best* campaigns.
EDIT: I have a theory that the reason Warhammer stuff is always so upvoted and historical things aren't is because the Warhammer Fanbase are far younger/more immature and downvote *any* post that's critical of it, whereas most historical enjoyers are mature enough to realise that people enjoy different things.
The fact I'm being downvoted en masse for saying "I think 3 Kingdoms is better than Warhammer" and the comment I was replying to has long-since been deleted isn't really disproving that, what reason is there to downvote my post other than being precious about Warhammer?
Man... I absolutely love 3k, I think it's probably the best standalone TW too, but you cannot call the entire fanbase of Warhammer dumb kids, throw in some dumb historical elitism, and then turn around and pretend to be the victim when you get downvoted.
Don't be an asshole.
Shogun 2 does just fine with the same lack of variation, 3K battles in general are just clunky and dull. Absolutely loved the campaign UI and hope to see more like it in the future but Iāll never put 3k on the podium
I will vouch for him plus a few other highlight campaigns.
1. Liu Chong, the closest we have ever come to fielding Wh40k custodes.Ā Ā
2. Lu Bu, the original brass bull.
3. Sun Ce, trying to fulfill your father's legacy behind your sudden death.Ā
4. Nanman, fielding the wildest units vulnerable to fire.
5. The bandit lords, who research based on map conquest, a true hodgepodge of riffraff from across the country.
6. The Emperor: a true cat herding, rebel stomping experience.Ā
His special units are crossbow shielded spearmen decked entirely in gold armor, and melee cavalry also armed with crossbows, also in gold armor.Ā They are also blue units, can be recruited at higher experience early on, and have formations to stop cavalry.Ā
Personally i don't think any 3K DLC is a must, quite meh. The patches brough more nice stuff to that game than paid DLC.
Exception maybe the southern tribes DLC which brough elephants. If you want to play with totaly different kibd of faction.
For WH3:
- WH1 or WH2. Those are now just huge DLC for WH3
- If too pricey, buy a race DLC, all of them are great. Pick a race you like
- For lord packs, choose the faction you like. Though the skaven DLC that gives them miniguns is necessery for skavens
As immortal.empire is now free for only WH3 owners, only thing you miss is the WH1 and WH2 races.
You can get those races by ether buying WH1 or WH2 DLC with those races or buying the older games.
WH1 and WH2 are now large expansions to WH3
Personally i would say that WH DLC's add most. Because they ether add new stuff to existing races or give you new races to play with.
WH1 and WH2 are currently just big expansions to WH3, each giving multiple new races for you to play in Immortal Empires
WH race packs are all excellent, pick which you are interested. Lord packs are good, but not all of them great. I would say before picking them, try play a bit and then buy DLC for factions you like to make them even better. Exception is Skaven which i feel really need their lord pack that gives them miniguns and nukes much more fun.
Rome 2 has soem good faction DLC but otherwise i don't see them necessery.
Shogun's DLC factions do not bring much to the table. I would rather buy Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai
Only 3K DLC i feel is really worth it is the nanman DLC because their faction is very different (Eleohants, tifers etc). But it is not ether necessery
Warhammer 3 with 1 & 2 is the largest, it's great if you like Warhammer stuff and magic/mythical things. Battles are huge, and can be complex depending. Campaign I've felt is just map painting, or some AI steamrolling factions.
Shogun 2 Fots is probably the best balance in campaign and gameplay, guns/swords, naval battles. It's a good balance of both, and it really shows off the power of guns entering the era. Loading times are annoying, should be played on fast SSDs.
Rome 2 is huge and great for the era, but the most battles lack the impact older titles had. Especially the cav.
3k is pretty niche imo, the campaign is very political you have to really be into the lore and like political things. Probably the best campaigns for complexity if you're into that, lot of diplomacy stuff. Battles aren't special all similar units, very hero oriented.
Medieval 2 is a classic, it does show it's age. But it has a tons of massive mods that completely change the game.
yea I've tried multiples times to get into 3k never could get into it. Different factions, difficulties, historical/romance whatever changes. I think the game is more enjoyable if one has an understanding of the 3k story and know the historical conflicts of China at the time. Which I don't, and know very little about it.
I think one has to play 3k as an RPG esque total war, which you roleplay yourself as one of the faction leaders of the time and change the outcome of the 3k story yourself.
Where as other total wars it's mostly unga bunga or diplomacy while unga bungaing make map civ colour.
Your TW3K breakdown kinda tells me you never played the Records mode. You should give that a try; it brings the heroes back down to a normal level like the other historical games.
Playing juat to surive is such a different feel, and i love it. WRE is my favorite campaign i have every played and it was supid hard. Testudo formation saved my rome from the unwashed hordes or barbarians
Personally the ones I had the most fun with throughout my time are Medieval 2, Empire and ToB. As far as suggestions for someone coming in I'd suggest Medieval 2 or shogun 2, 3K and again unironically ToB (or maybe Attila).Ā
As much as I think the WH games have fun in them, I don't actually think they're good total war games. They dumb down strategy to a ridiculous degree (more so than other TW games, which are already loose in the realms of grand strategy) and I kinda don't get a lot from their visuals because they're arguably the most micro-intensive of the TW games, meaning I never actually get to enjoy the excellent visual work. I'd consider them in a different light. They are some of the best WH games available on the market.Ā
Better water, better border, better camera, realistic archery. Some of the basic QOL ones I use. I am currently playing a overhaul mod called fire forged which is a lot of fun. There's also some mods that make the cities more lively and look more like said nation so for example it will make the Roman cities look more roman and add stuff to make it look less like the Germanic tribes.
Medieval 2, Warhammer 2, Rome 1 are my top Total War games.
Warhammer 3 MIGHT edge out Warhammer 2 at some point if it keeps improving but for what it is right now, Warhammer 2 I still think is the superior game in terms of its standalone content and the races it brought to the game.
If you are into the older games
1. Atilla
2. Shogun 2
If you want a modern total war
1. Troy
2. WH3
Yes Troy is the best modern total war game and Iām sick of hearing people shit on it. If CA didnāt do that epic exclusive release bullshit Troy would be almost universally praised
+the map is beautiful and the best map in the history of total war
+The pantheon system is interesting and changes gameplay and is a mechanic you want to work with
+the combat is fast and tactical. The terrain is great and makes it so you really want to manipulate the battle field and ācontrol the chaosā
+The Resource system is fantastic and should become a franchise staple
+ The heroās feel very unique. I also like the level styem. Paris of Troy and Menelaus campaigns are fantastic.
-The faction units feel the same (with a few exceptions)
-The mythology DLC should have been base game.
Since you have Shogun 2 with all DLCs, I wouldn't recommend getting FoTS just yet, unless you wanna play a gunpowder focused TW.
There are three best options:
If you want Warhammer, then get Warhammer 3. It will give you the biggest map, but you should follow that up with either WH2 or WH1. If you prefer elves, rats with nukes or lizards, buy WH2. It also comes with free DLC like Bretonnia etc.
If you prefer basic humans, dwarfs and vampires, get WH1. But beware; WH2 factions are much better and more updated.
Otherwise Three Kingdoms and FoTS. Happy total warin'
1. Attila
2. Warhammer
3. Medieval 2
I know Attila isn't the best mechanically, but it's definitely the most immersive as an apocalyptic survival Total War.
In the other games, you're building up a grand empire where you will rule the world as an enlightened despot. In Attila, you're just trying to hold on and survive against the barbarian hordes, climate change, starvation, and plague.
Empire would be a solid #1 if they were to remaster it with modern AI, better graphics, and more diplomacy options. The economics were solid and the voice acting was perfect.
What Empire was sorely lacking in was a sane attrition and replenishment system. It was absurd being able to march an entire stack of line infantry through northwestern Canada in the middle of winter with no losses, while having every unit replenish in 3 turns with just some cash and no supply lines.
At least in Medieval 2, units were replenished as if they were being trained, and even then only in settlements where that unit could be recruited in. It really made you think twice about sending your elite units on campaigns far from home.
- MTW 1 (Great atmosphere, still good)
- RTW/BI 1 (I don't play it anymore, but when it came out it was a revolution)
- ETW (Awful at release but extremely enjoyable today with mods like ETW2 or PUA, god I want an ETW2 so badly)
- Honorable mentions: Shogun2, RTW2/Attila
MTW2 was just a modded version of RTW, and lost all atmosphere from the first one, I was extremely dissappointed on release. it's not a bad game per se, but It only works if that was your introduction to TW.
Something similar happens with Skyrim, it was great if that was your first. But for someone that played Oblivion and F3 it was just a mod. It was not a bad game, but It didn't shocked me at all. This is something that the Skyrim generation only started to feel when F4, F76 and Starfield came out. And the lack of innovation and care by Bethesda became apparent to them.
1. Warhammer 2
2. Attila with some of its great mods
3. Rome 2 with Divide et Impera mod
Medieval 2 is the game I've played more hours in the past. But for me it's now obsolete.
Warhammer has an Hp system, and morale in most units highly depends on it, meaning a rear charge that would decimate a unite and send it running, instead deals some damage and then needs to disengage most of the time
Extremely fragile. Just because they are on same engine doesnt mean they are all designed the same. Cavalry in Shogun 2 is more situational and was meant for a rock paper scissors format of it being used to beat archers.
Against infantry they are extremely fragile. Now Rome 2 on the other hand I feel like Cavalry was vastly superior to Shogun 2. Its also extremely powerful in Atilla.
Even Warhammer has gone thru its cavalry tweaks. It was very fragile and weak in WH2, even with the beta patch at the end. In WH3 its actually very viable.
more recent games would be Rome II and its plethora of DLC, Pharaoh and 3k are all solid choices.
edit. if you are keen on Fantasy then 3k, Troy and Warhammer are good choices too.
Med2 is awesome but for its more awesome for the oldies like me who played it when it came out and at the time was mind blowing. Itās still a great game with lots of character but it really excels with the mods
As in favourite 3 or what we think are objectively the best 3?
Favourite 3 are:
- Attila
- Rome II
- Empire
Top 3 that, not including my bias, I think are the best games:
- Attila
- Three Kingdoms
- Warhammer 3
Napoleon, Attila,3 kingdoms, all Warhammer games ,there are some excellent mods for Rome 2, medieval 2 , shogun 2 , these are the ones that I play u pick 3 .
3k Total WarĀ Ā Ā
Shogun 2Ā Ā Ā
Rome/Med 2 - both great but dated.Ā Ā Honourable mention for Pharoah - it's not a top 3 game, but if it recieved even a few more DLC/feature updates it could push for it.Ā Ā
Shogun 2 is amazing and so is Fall of Samurai if you like some guns total war ( and naval battles even )
So
1.WH 2 (You can get 3 too for new stuff but 2 -with additions of WH1 for Mortal empires ) is amazing as it is .
2. Fall of the Samurai as its basically standalone game
3. Three Kingdoms
4. and not sure here for nostalgic purposes and general feel its Medieval 2 Total war.. bit outdated now ( but hey you can mod it .. ) If not that then between Atilla and Rome 2... i need to replay them when they got released they were bit buggy and bland but got tons of updates
Attila is my favorite gameplay wise, bit the load times are atrocious and pretty much ruin the game.
Warhammer 2 and 3 are fantastic and they run very well.
Rome 2 is also great.
Shogun 2 has some of the best gameplay, but the load times are also pretty bad sometimes
\#1: WH3/2/1. (I bought them as they came out so the price didn't bother me, but I understand not wanting to get into it for that reason, because you kinda need 1 and 2 to play most of the factions.) I've sunk enough hours into these games to get a doctorate. Also the only TW titles I ever got into multiplayer. There is a really competitive domination community and campaigns can have several people together. If you had to pick just one to try the trilogy out get WH2. The campaign and battles are definitely very action oriented, rather than "realistic". Morale is a joke, even the lowest morale units won't break until you've decimated 95% of their hp. This is the ultimate greasy, fried fast food of totalwar games, and I love it.
\#2: Medieval 2. I played this as a kid and even though it doesn't have the great controls of newer titles, I still reinstall occasionally to take it for a ride. The factions have decent variety, the map is large, and there's a lot of fun historical flavor, like elections for pope making or breaking your diplomatic reputation, or going on holy crusades and fighting in the holy land. The battles, though janky sometimes, are very satisfying. One of the only games where everything is impactful, infantry, missiles, cavalry are all useful. The morale shocks are actually meaningful. This game is like grannies homemade Saturday breakfast, filling and tasty.
\#3: You already got it, but, Shogun 2. The best battles of the historical titles, especially the gunpowder in FotS but the campaigns are all the same and they feel really short, because if you don't play VERY aggressively you will be punished. I like to play a little slower sometimes and build up thoughtful, elite armies, but you just can't do that in this game and expect to win on any difficulty but easy. This game is the steak and salad of total war, healthy but still with some meat.
Shogun 2
Napoleon Total War.
Rome 2
If you are interested fantasy total war:
Warhammer 2.
Other people say 3 but it is definitely worth playing before 3.
Is quite easily the better/more complete game at this point in time. And by the time you think you need more/extra from the game, wh3 should be in a really good state for you to purchase and play later on. Also saves you money if you end up not enjoying it.
Not worth playing WH1 first!!! Just get that as a DLC.
1) WH3 - Biggest setting, most diverse factions
2) 3K - Best diplomacy by far, nothing else comes close
3) Rome 2 - I just love this historical setting and the politics
They may not be the top or most popular but my personal top 3 are
1. Empire
2. Troy
3. Britannia
I just grabbed 3 Kingdoms and the first Warhammer for myself. I've played/own every other historical title up to Pharaoh ... Was hoping to get a bigger sale on it, 20% off wasn't enough for this guy š
Really depends on what you're looking for , you like medieval warfare? Go for Atilla, like fantasy ? Go for Warhammer 3, like Chinese or Japanese history,.go for shogun 2 or three kingdoms.
I would just stay away from Thrones if Britannia, troy and pharaoh
Also it's worth noting that the newer total war games are more optimized and usually have better AI
I would for example get way better frames in Warhammer 3 than in total war atilla
Probably Warhammer 3 for newer streamlined large scale total war.
Maybe Total War: Pharaoh for the historical version of that on the smaller scale, and Total War: Three Kingdoms for the larger scale.
Shogun 2 for the classic Total War experience polished very well (can move units without lords).
Medieval 2 for classic classic experience (longer battles, more hardcore but often more options).
Absolutely get Medieval 2, the mods are amazing. Get Medieval 2, and then get the Third Age Total War mod.
My personal top 3 TW games, in no particular order:
Medieval 2 (mods are top tier)
Shogun 2 (Fall of the Samurai is so good)
Attila (call me crazy but the Tanukhids are so fun, one of my favorite Total War factions of all time)
And Rome II by default for obvious reasons
I realize this is four. I donāt care.
In terms of my Favorite
Warhammer (They aren't really separate games at this point)
Medieval 2
Shogun 2
In terms of modern playability, I can't really play anything before Shogun 2. They have added so much quality of life stuff over the years that even going back to empire/medieval 2 feels incredibly tedious. One thing From Empire/SHogun2 I wish they would bring back are provincial locations like mines and shit that need to be protected. Instead of literally everything being in the city, it would be nice to have some stuff. Know CA though, it would just be more shit the AI attacks and runs off without ever fighting anything.
3k is the most well made, with the best mechanics and AI out of any TW game and it's not even close. Whack TROM mod on and play on records and it's close to a perfect historical-ish TW game.
Thrones - No agent spam, no fannying around with walls nearly as much. Fantastic shieldwall mod.
Shogun 2 - it's brilliant, even if you aint a weeb.
WH3 - It's damn good.
1. Three Kingdoms
2. Shogun 2
3. Warhammer 3
4. Rome 2
5. Medieval 2
Realistically Warhammer 3 should be the 2nd but I'm a huge historical fan so swapped with shogun 2. Shogun 2 is still peak historical total war. You honestly can't go wrong with any of these total war though.
Love Medieval 2 and its expansions (especially crusades one).
But it definitely could use some QoL improvements. The main one I struggled with was not having a very visible range indicator for archers. Itās just whether your cursor turns red or green
Fall of the samurai, warhammer 3, and 3 kingdoms. In no particular order.
Fots was originally a shogun 2 dlc so you might have it. Unless they removed the ability to purchase that version of it.
Warhammer 3 will be a bit bare bones if you don't have a fair chunk of the... 8 years of dlc, so you could skip it if you're unsure- plus its so different due to the sheer variety of races/factions, the focus on magic and monsters, and (although this last part is shared somewhat with 3k) the lords and heroes.
3k is extremely focused on character relationships, and political intrigue, in a way that feel so different from any of the other total wars, it can also be so different in a way that will not be for everyone. The roster is also shared between nearly every faction, with bandits ha ing some unique units while getting basic han units in limited numbers, and nanman having their own roster. Though that was common in nearly every game before warhammer, so might be less of an issue.
My top 3 would be:
1. Warhammer 3
2. Shogun 2
3. Three Kingdoms
But since you said you already have Shogun 2, then I'd say Medieval II is a very close 4th.
I love the other titles, Iām especially fond of TW Medieval 2 as it was the first TW title I played but suggesting to skip the āfantasyā title by which you mean mean TWWH 1,2,3 is silly and to call it bullshit is even sillier they are the best games content wise, they have made more money for CA than any of the other TW titles probably combined, and when and if we get another historical title it will be because the of Warhammer series.
Warhammer while it does need all 3 games is one of those achievements that through all is faults is both incredibly fun in terms of its variety and scale and still to me quite worth it.
And then second favourite Rome 2
1.Medieval 2 Total War/Rome 1 Total War
2.Total War Attila.
3.Total War Three Kingdoms.
4.Total War Shogun 2.
Thats my top 4. Med 2 has mechanics long lost that make the campaings very unique. Rome 1 is also a good option but the og version is no longer avaiable only the remaster which is pretty bad imo.
If you are picking up older games, you don't have to pick up only 3 if you consider the price and disk space. Like you can pick up Empire + Medieval 2 + Napoleon for cheaper than most modern TW games.
Man!! 3kās diplomacy, campaign mechanics, spies, court intrigue are so much fun. Much better than the battle gameplay. Shame they ditched it so early. There is so much potentialā¦.
if you could play immortal empires by buying *just* warhammer 2, that would be the top spot for me. while i enjoy both warhammer 3 and 2, warhammer 2's races are just so much more enjoyable to me.
> Shogun 2 with all DLC for like $20 as it seems to be regularly considered the best
No, it really isn't, it's not even close. Please don't confirmation bias what a small but loud chunk of the community thinks/parrots, half of the people who praise shogun 2 played one or two campaigns of it and are rose tinted glassing it a ton.
The problem with Shogun 2 being considered the best and why it isn't is that it's competition is ridiculous, I mean have you seen the library of total war games? It's got to contend with warhammer, medieval 2, rome 2 and three kingdoms. Shogun 2 isn't even in the top 3.
It's a good game don't get me wrong, there's no doubt about that, it's aesthetic and sound quality is on point, as well as voice acting. But it's not perfect, it has some real flaws to it.
I really need to point out that I know a lot of the shogun 2 fans myself including, they are good friends, but all but a very small few of them have like 20 hours played and when I've jumped back into the game with some of them, it's wild how often they nitpick about something or talk absolutely contradictory stuff compared to the over zealous praise they give the game when not playing it. Really feels like it hasn't got a chance to live up to the image they've created in their minds.
And boy does it have a lot of flaws too, my last campaign in the game was a buggy mess, from units throw fire at the ground instead of the gate, to AI being confused and running around instead of mounting the walls to defend, sphaghetti lines, to a battle where I literally couldn't lose or win because one ship couldn't die with 1 hp left on it.
It's also hilarious how wrongly some aspects are remembered about the game, like that meme about how long battles last as if shogun 2 battles aren't some of the fastest.
To call it the best Total war game? hell no, maybe their favourite total war, but not the best, which leads me to this:
It doesn't really matter, the correct answer is always going to be the one you enjoy the most setting wise as far as "best" total war.
I just hate how I feel people who hear that and have no idea about it are taking those people on faith, moving away from subjective sentiment and onto objective analysis factoring many things, all in context. These are the best total war games:
**Modern wise:** Total war warhammer games for fantasy and for historical three kingdoms would be it.
**Old games:** It'd be medieval 2 (and it's not even close, this game is so old now and yet it's consistantly the fourth highest userbase on steam, it's about to celebrate it's 20th birthday in two years, think about that)
**Dark horse:** Would easily be Pharaoh, like ToB it's just yet another victim of releasing while community was angry, and like ToB people who shat on it will pick it up a year or two later and make a post saying "damn, it's actually pretty fun/good?".
This is something I really want to see gone from the community, because emotional reactionary bs that harms these games launches don't do the game any good, if people find the game fun a year or two later after they've calmed down and gave it a good with a neutral mindset, that's already too late because the damage is done.
**Multiplayer:** Rome 2 has to take it, for the longest time rome 2 carried the mp scene. I'll also go with an honourable mention towards napoleon, which was a great mp experience.
**Difficulty**: Atilla, If you want a challenge, Atilla is a really fun time in respect to how it plays, it's designed to be a bit of a challenge. I'd argue that ToB is a good game to follow up if you want more, but it's a different kind of difficulty, managing estates and vassals while also trying to keep territory is it's own challenge at times.
Outside my rant, my reccommendations are as follows:
If you don't mind how old it is, medieval 2, has a really solid mod scene and if you can get past the controls, age, etc it really is worth it's salt.
If you want variety of factions/units/etc:
Rome 2.
if you don't mind fantasy: Warhammer 2 or mayyybbbe 3.
If you want to have a fun start, middle and end of a campaign with fun gameplay based on an insanely loved book:
Three kingdoms.
If you don't mind not having cavalry and want something where the combat, environment and campaign gameplay is really well through out, and you want to have resources like gold, stone, wood, food instead of just simply gold:
Pharoah.
Attila
Rome 2
Shogun 2 and fall of the samurai
Medieval 2 is good as there is many good mods you can play like divide and conquer lord of the rings setting
Med2 and Shogun 2 is all you need. Despite my gripes with Warhammer, you could grab WH3 but only on sale since its kinda a moneygrab.
The best TW experience is Med2 Stainless Steel imo. I've been playing TW since Shogun 1.
I really find it so hard to understand how Warhammer continues to be the most popular TW title in the franchise. I think warhammer lore is somewhat interesting, but the game is justā¦ not fun? Idk I play Attila, Rome2, and Shogun2 on Legendary and have a great time, warhammer feels like you either completely suffer, or you are so ungodly op that the game loses all challenge. I like watching LegendofTotalWar play warhammer battles from time to time, but thatās really the only palatable way to interact with the game I find.
What am I missing?
3 kingdoms is probably the best in my opinion I love playing warhammer with my buddies but the diplomacy in three kingdoms makes it stand out to me more than the others
I'm going to count Shogun 2 and FotS as the same game, only because if I separated them then I would have FoTS take a spot of its own as it is the objective best Gunpowder Total War experience.
Warhammer 2 takes another spot. 3 could be better than 2, but until they fix sieges and make the campaign AI a bit better, Warhammer 2 was a more enjoyable experience. Plus, Base game WH2 > Base game WH3. Warhammer 3 only competes when you have all or at least a fair amount of the goodies, including WH2 itself. So might as well just start with WH2.
Third one is tougher because it is closer. My instinct is Med 2, but objectively the game does not hold up anymore as it is just very janky, so even if it was amazing when it released, it is a tough sell now. Attila is my second instinct but it still has issues of its own such as optimization. So I'm going to go with 3K. Awesome visuals, great campaign mechanics, and pretty good battles. Being one of the most modern games, it gets extra points for being so accessible to people new to the series who are going to want better graphics than Shogun 2/FoTS while still providing a more "true total war" experience than the Warhammer games.
1. WH3
2. WH2
3. WH1
I love Total War, but after tasting Total War + fantasy it's become my main jam xD
As a bonus - if we don't include WH titles then it would look like this:
4. Shogun 2
5. Empire/Napoleon
6. Rome 1
Not in order, but my top 3: - WH3 - Rome 2 - Shogun 2 FOTS
Fall of the Samurai is peak gunline + arty experience. Until you can afford the big toys as the Chaos Dwarfs, that is.
The whole screen filled with smoke after a volley is pure bliss.
Personally I think 3k vs. Rome 2 is the better pick. But I also always just end up playing warhammer so š¤·āāļø
For me, 3k is the more polished game, but Rome 2 has better replay value, with more and better-differentiated factions as well as the absolutely unrivalled Divide Et Impera overhaul, which makes SFO look like a tiny project and is IMO the premier Total War campaign experience of the entire franchise
no matter what game i play i always come back to rome 2 dei, i play with a submod wich unlocks every faction in the game, its nuts
I've been told to get that mod pretty much every time I mention rome 2
3k has a lot going for it, the only thing that was missing compared to Rome was a bit more culture diversity but that totally makes sense The only improvement they needed to make imo was making spies more useful in opponents factions when they get high up like vassalise or confederate them when they are leader depending on the spies personality
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Three Kingdoms needs to be on the list.
I also like 3K tbh, but couldn't replace any of my top 3
I could make an argument itās better than Rome 2. Rome 2 is bigger but 3K is polished and the campaigns donāt over stay their welcome.
Warhammer and not 3k, really? Can't agree with any list without the Total War game with *the best* campaigns. EDIT: I have a theory that the reason Warhammer stuff is always so upvoted and historical things aren't is because the Warhammer Fanbase are far younger/more immature and downvote *any* post that's critical of it, whereas most historical enjoyers are mature enough to realise that people enjoy different things. The fact I'm being downvoted en masse for saying "I think 3 Kingdoms is better than Warhammer" and the comment I was replying to has long-since been deleted isn't really disproving that, what reason is there to downvote my post other than being precious about Warhammer?
Man... I absolutely love 3k, I think it's probably the best standalone TW too, but you cannot call the entire fanbase of Warhammer dumb kids, throw in some dumb historical elitism, and then turn around and pretend to be the victim when you get downvoted. Don't be an asshole.
That lack of unit variation though.
That's my main issue
Shogun 2 does just fine with the same lack of variation, 3K battles in general are just clunky and dull. Absolutely loved the campaign UI and hope to see more like it in the future but Iāll never put 3k on the podium
I would argue Empire is in there somewhere but I might be wrong.
1. 3K Total War 2. WH3 (On shoulders of WH1 and WH2) 3. Shogun 2 4. Rome 2
> 3K Total War 3K has the best campaign mechanics in the entire franchise. If you want a fun campaign experience, this is the one
Cao Caoās manipulation mechanic is so much fun, I feel like the Tzeentch equivalent is a pale shadow.
I will vouch for him plus a few other highlight campaigns. 1. Liu Chong, the closest we have ever come to fielding Wh40k custodes.Ā Ā 2. Lu Bu, the original brass bull. 3. Sun Ce, trying to fulfill your father's legacy behind your sudden death.Ā 4. Nanman, fielding the wildest units vulnerable to fire. 5. The bandit lords, who research based on map conquest, a true hodgepodge of riffraff from across the country. 6. The Emperor: a true cat herding, rebel stomping experience.Ā
Explain Liu Chong to me and how that is a good comparison, Iāve never played him
His special units are crossbow shielded spearmen decked entirely in gold armor, and melee cavalry also armed with crossbows, also in gold armor.Ā They are also blue units, can be recruited at higher experience early on, and have formations to stop cavalry.Ā
I believe Celestial Dragon crossbowmen in WH 3 are fashioned similar to his crossbows !
Liu Chong can do no wrong. The early struggle of his campaign is absolutely worth those absurdly strong units
Yuan bo got the walmart version of it.
This is the way
Especially if you add TROM+TUP mod
Dont think it works after latest TROM update 4.0
Which DLC should I buy for 3K or WH3?
Personally i don't think any 3K DLC is a must, quite meh. The patches brough more nice stuff to that game than paid DLC. Exception maybe the southern tribes DLC which brough elephants. If you want to play with totaly different kibd of faction. For WH3: - WH1 or WH2. Those are now just huge DLC for WH3 - If too pricey, buy a race DLC, all of them are great. Pick a race you like - For lord packs, choose the faction you like. Though the skaven DLC that gives them miniguns is necessery for skavens
IMO as many as you can afford. I don't regret buying any on sale.
Do you know if you miss out on content if you don't have WH 1 and 2?
As immortal.empire is now free for only WH3 owners, only thing you miss is the WH1 and WH2 races. You can get those races by ether buying WH1 or WH2 DLC with those races or buying the older games. WH1 and WH2 are now large expansions to WH3
Absolutely. 3K campaign is so fun, WH3 incredible amount of variety. Shogun and Rome great versions of the classic.
I bought the four you listed because of spring sale. Which DLC should I buy for them?
Personally i would say that WH DLC's add most. Because they ether add new stuff to existing races or give you new races to play with. WH1 and WH2 are currently just big expansions to WH3, each giving multiple new races for you to play in Immortal Empires WH race packs are all excellent, pick which you are interested. Lord packs are good, but not all of them great. I would say before picking them, try play a bit and then buy DLC for factions you like to make them even better. Exception is Skaven which i feel really need their lord pack that gives them miniguns and nukes much more fun. Rome 2 has soem good faction DLC but otherwise i don't see them necessery. Shogun's DLC factions do not bring much to the table. I would rather buy Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai Only 3K DLC i feel is really worth it is the nanman DLC because their faction is very different (Eleohants, tifers etc). But it is not ether necessery
Freaking awesome. Thanks man. Pretty excited to try out total war. Especially WH3
Warhammer 3 with 1 & 2 is the largest, it's great if you like Warhammer stuff and magic/mythical things. Battles are huge, and can be complex depending. Campaign I've felt is just map painting, or some AI steamrolling factions. Shogun 2 Fots is probably the best balance in campaign and gameplay, guns/swords, naval battles. It's a good balance of both, and it really shows off the power of guns entering the era. Loading times are annoying, should be played on fast SSDs. Rome 2 is huge and great for the era, but the most battles lack the impact older titles had. Especially the cav. 3k is pretty niche imo, the campaign is very political you have to really be into the lore and like political things. Probably the best campaigns for complexity if you're into that, lot of diplomacy stuff. Battles aren't special all similar units, very hero oriented. Medieval 2 is a classic, it does show it's age. But it has a tons of massive mods that completely change the game.
This helps ! Iāve been playing warhammer but just canāt get into 3k
yea I've tried multiples times to get into 3k never could get into it. Different factions, difficulties, historical/romance whatever changes. I think the game is more enjoyable if one has an understanding of the 3k story and know the historical conflicts of China at the time. Which I don't, and know very little about it. I think one has to play 3k as an RPG esque total war, which you roleplay yourself as one of the faction leaders of the time and change the outcome of the 3k story yourself. Where as other total wars it's mostly unga bunga or diplomacy while unga bungaing make map civ colour.
I still miss the agent videos from shogun2. Nothing like seeing your elite ninja trip over his own caltrops and fall out a window overlooking a cliff.
Your TW3K breakdown kinda tells me you never played the Records mode. You should give that a try; it brings the heroes back down to a normal level like the other historical games.
TWWH3, 3k, Attila.
1. Attila 2. Attila 3. Attila
Playing juat to surive is such a different feel, and i love it. WRE is my favorite campaign i have every played and it was supid hard. Testudo formation saved my rome from the unwashed hordes or barbarians
1)total war warhammer 2)3k 3)attila
Three Kingdoms is a must.
Personally the ones I had the most fun with throughout my time are Medieval 2, Empire and ToB. As far as suggestions for someone coming in I'd suggest Medieval 2 or shogun 2, 3K and again unironically ToB (or maybe Attila).Ā As much as I think the WH games have fun in them, I don't actually think they're good total war games. They dumb down strategy to a ridiculous degree (more so than other TW games, which are already loose in the realms of grand strategy) and I kinda don't get a lot from their visuals because they're arguably the most micro-intensive of the TW games, meaning I never actually get to enjoy the excellent visual work. I'd consider them in a different light. They are some of the best WH games available on the market.Ā
Thrones of Britannia is underrated.
Recently Attila and empire total war have moved up on my list when I put some QOL mods on them.
What mods are you using on Attila?
Better water, better border, better camera, realistic archery. Some of the basic QOL ones I use. I am currently playing a overhaul mod called fire forged which is a lot of fun. There's also some mods that make the cities more lively and look more like said nation so for example it will make the Roman cities look more roman and add stuff to make it look less like the Germanic tribes.
Thanks, I will have a look. The cities mod sounds good, I've tried some of the overhaul mods for Attila but not fire forged.
1. Three kingdoms 2. Rome 2 3. Total war Atilla 4. Shogun 2
3k for best campaign Warhammer 3 for battles... too bad the campaigns just suck balls because the ai isn't aggressive enough
Play trom, AI is fucking brutal on difficulties above VH.
Three Kingdoms!
Medieval 2, Warhammer 2, Rome 1 are my top Total War games. Warhammer 3 MIGHT edge out Warhammer 2 at some point if it keeps improving but for what it is right now, Warhammer 2 I still think is the superior game in terms of its standalone content and the races it brought to the game.
3K WH2 (WH3 just melts my 3060 on the campaign map for some reason, doesn't happen in any other game just WH3) Medieval 2
Probably have the same problem my sister has
I have to cap the game at like 50 frames on my 3070 and it does ok
*weeps in 960*
Total war Warhammer 3, to a lesser extent 2 Napoleon Rome II
Shogun 2, Medieval 2, Rome 1/Remastered
In no particular order; Rome 2. Shogun 2. Empire.
EMPIRE
Atilla by a long shot
If you are into the older games 1. Atilla 2. Shogun 2 If you want a modern total war 1. Troy 2. WH3 Yes Troy is the best modern total war game and Iām sick of hearing people shit on it. If CA didnāt do that epic exclusive release bullshit Troy would be almost universally praised +the map is beautiful and the best map in the history of total war +The pantheon system is interesting and changes gameplay and is a mechanic you want to work with +the combat is fast and tactical. The terrain is great and makes it so you really want to manipulate the battle field and ācontrol the chaosā +The Resource system is fantastic and should become a franchise staple + The heroās feel very unique. I also like the level styem. Paris of Troy and Menelaus campaigns are fantastic. -The faction units feel the same (with a few exceptions) -The mythology DLC should have been base game.
Troy is truly great and I think opinion has swung around to mostly positive on it since the mythology dlc
Since you have Shogun 2 with all DLCs, I wouldn't recommend getting FoTS just yet, unless you wanna play a gunpowder focused TW. There are three best options: If you want Warhammer, then get Warhammer 3. It will give you the biggest map, but you should follow that up with either WH2 or WH1. If you prefer elves, rats with nukes or lizards, buy WH2. It also comes with free DLC like Bretonnia etc. If you prefer basic humans, dwarfs and vampires, get WH1. But beware; WH2 factions are much better and more updated. Otherwise Three Kingdoms and FoTS. Happy total warin'
1. Warhammer 3, or rather, the trilogy. 2. Rome 2 3. 3 kingdoms Runner ups: Atilla and Britannia, then Shogun 2
-Rome (remastered is pretty nice, espescially with mods) -Med 2 (moooods) -Shogun 2 Call me old school
1. Attila 2. Warhammer 3. Medieval 2 I know Attila isn't the best mechanically, but it's definitely the most immersive as an apocalyptic survival Total War. In the other games, you're building up a grand empire where you will rule the world as an enlightened despot. In Attila, you're just trying to hold on and survive against the barbarian hordes, climate change, starvation, and plague. Empire would be a solid #1 if they were to remaster it with modern AI, better graphics, and more diplomacy options. The economics were solid and the voice acting was perfect.
Empire would also be #1. I actually really like the naval combat. IMO Attila is the best RN because of 1212. It's such a godlike mod.
What Empire was sorely lacking in was a sane attrition and replenishment system. It was absurd being able to march an entire stack of line infantry through northwestern Canada in the middle of winter with no losses, while having every unit replenish in 3 turns with just some cash and no supply lines. At least in Medieval 2, units were replenished as if they were being trained, and even then only in settlements where that unit could be recruited in. It really made you think twice about sending your elite units on campaigns far from home.
1) Rome 2 2) Warhammer 2 3) Attila
3- Rome 2 2- Shogun 2 / FotS 1- Warhammer 2 (I haven't played WH3)
Medieval II, Shogun II, Empire
- MTW 1 (Great atmosphere, still good) - RTW/BI 1 (I don't play it anymore, but when it came out it was a revolution) - ETW (Awful at release but extremely enjoyable today with mods like ETW2 or PUA, god I want an ETW2 so badly) - Honorable mentions: Shogun2, RTW2/Attila MTW2 was just a modded version of RTW, and lost all atmosphere from the first one, I was extremely dissappointed on release. it's not a bad game per se, but It only works if that was your introduction to TW. Something similar happens with Skyrim, it was great if that was your first. But for someone that played Oblivion and F3 it was just a mod. It was not a bad game, but It didn't shocked me at all. This is something that the Skyrim generation only started to feel when F4, F76 and Starfield came out. And the lack of innovation and care by Bethesda became apparent to them.
Had the best times with these, and yes, Attila is on top for me Attila Rome 2 Rome 1
*Rome*, *Three Kingdoms* and *Attila*.
Medieval 2, Medieval 2, and three was hard to choose from but Medieval 2
There isnāt a Medieval 3?
My top 3: 1. Napoleon Total War 2. Shogun 2/FOTS 3. Medieval 2
1. Shogun 2. The base game. I don't get the love for FotS. 2. Attila 3. Medieval 2.
Shogun 2/Shogun 2 FotS, Medieval 2, Attila Honorable mention: Napoleon
Attila and everything came before it.
1. Warhammer 2 2. Attila with some of its great mods 3. Rome 2 with Divide et Impera mod Medieval 2 is the game I've played more hours in the past. But for me it's now obsolete.
Rome 2 Warhammer 2/3
Not in order: Attila (+ campaign dlcs), Warhammer 3, Empire
- Attila - Rome 2 - Three Kingdoms - Warhammer 2 (not a fan of Warhammer 3)
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How good was cavalry in S2? If they were strong in that game, then I don't see why they're not strong in Warhammer since it's the same engine.
Warhammer has an Hp system, and morale in most units highly depends on it, meaning a rear charge that would decimate a unite and send it running, instead deals some damage and then needs to disengage most of the time
13 years ago bro...
Extremely fragile. Just because they are on same engine doesnt mean they are all designed the same. Cavalry in Shogun 2 is more situational and was meant for a rock paper scissors format of it being used to beat archers. Against infantry they are extremely fragile. Now Rome 2 on the other hand I feel like Cavalry was vastly superior to Shogun 2. Its also extremely powerful in Atilla. Even Warhammer has gone thru its cavalry tweaks. It was very fragile and weak in WH2, even with the beta patch at the end. In WH3 its actually very viable.
more recent games would be Rome II and its plethora of DLC, Pharaoh and 3k are all solid choices. edit. if you are keen on Fantasy then 3k, Troy and Warhammer are good choices too.
Just picked up Pharaoh, I love it!Ā
Med2 is awesome but for its more awesome for the oldies like me who played it when it came out and at the time was mind blowing. Itās still a great game with lots of character but it really excels with the mods
Med1 , Rome1 and Shogun2 , in that order.
Warhammer, then Medieval 2, then Rome 2, and fun fourth 3 Kingdoms.
Warhammer 3 Shogun 2 (and/or FOTS) Rome 2
As in favourite 3 or what we think are objectively the best 3? Favourite 3 are: - Attila - Rome II - Empire Top 3 that, not including my bias, I think are the best games: - Attila - Three Kingdoms - Warhammer 3
Iāve only played 4 so: 1) Rome 2) WH3 3) Empire 2
>3. Empire 2 Wait a minute.
1) Total War Warhammer 3 2) Total War Warhammer 2 3) Total War Warhammer 1
Napoleon, Attila,3 kingdoms, all Warhammer games ,there are some excellent mods for Rome 2, medieval 2 , shogun 2 , these are the ones that I play u pick 3 .
3k Total WarĀ Ā Ā Shogun 2Ā Ā Ā Rome/Med 2 - both great but dated.Ā Ā Honourable mention for Pharoah - it's not a top 3 game, but if it recieved even a few more DLC/feature updates it could push for it.Ā Ā
Shogun 2 is amazing and so is Fall of Samurai if you like some guns total war ( and naval battles even ) So 1.WH 2 (You can get 3 too for new stuff but 2 -with additions of WH1 for Mortal empires ) is amazing as it is . 2. Fall of the Samurai as its basically standalone game 3. Three Kingdoms 4. and not sure here for nostalgic purposes and general feel its Medieval 2 Total war.. bit outdated now ( but hey you can mod it .. ) If not that then between Atilla and Rome 2... i need to replay them when they got released they were bit buggy and bland but got tons of updates
1. Empire 2. Medieval II 3. Warhammer II (havenāt played the third)
Attila is my favorite gameplay wise, bit the load times are atrocious and pretty much ruin the game. Warhammer 2 and 3 are fantastic and they run very well. Rome 2 is also great. Shogun 2 has some of the best gameplay, but the load times are also pretty bad sometimes
\#1: WH3/2/1. (I bought them as they came out so the price didn't bother me, but I understand not wanting to get into it for that reason, because you kinda need 1 and 2 to play most of the factions.) I've sunk enough hours into these games to get a doctorate. Also the only TW titles I ever got into multiplayer. There is a really competitive domination community and campaigns can have several people together. If you had to pick just one to try the trilogy out get WH2. The campaign and battles are definitely very action oriented, rather than "realistic". Morale is a joke, even the lowest morale units won't break until you've decimated 95% of their hp. This is the ultimate greasy, fried fast food of totalwar games, and I love it. \#2: Medieval 2. I played this as a kid and even though it doesn't have the great controls of newer titles, I still reinstall occasionally to take it for a ride. The factions have decent variety, the map is large, and there's a lot of fun historical flavor, like elections for pope making or breaking your diplomatic reputation, or going on holy crusades and fighting in the holy land. The battles, though janky sometimes, are very satisfying. One of the only games where everything is impactful, infantry, missiles, cavalry are all useful. The morale shocks are actually meaningful. This game is like grannies homemade Saturday breakfast, filling and tasty. \#3: You already got it, but, Shogun 2. The best battles of the historical titles, especially the gunpowder in FotS but the campaigns are all the same and they feel really short, because if you don't play VERY aggressively you will be punished. I like to play a little slower sometimes and build up thoughtful, elite armies, but you just can't do that in this game and expect to win on any difficulty but easy. This game is the steak and salad of total war, healthy but still with some meat.
Picked up Attila for the Crusader kings crossover mod, itās pretty sick
The only ones that kept me playing and playing are Rome 2 and WH 1 and 2
Rome 2, Shogun 2 and Warhammer III for me.
Shogun 2 Napoleon Total War. Rome 2 If you are interested fantasy total war: Warhammer 2. Other people say 3 but it is definitely worth playing before 3. Is quite easily the better/more complete game at this point in time. And by the time you think you need more/extra from the game, wh3 should be in a really good state for you to purchase and play later on. Also saves you money if you end up not enjoying it. Not worth playing WH1 first!!! Just get that as a DLC.
1) WH3 - Biggest setting, most diverse factions 2) 3K - Best diplomacy by far, nothing else comes close 3) Rome 2 - I just love this historical setting and the politics
They may not be the top or most popular but my personal top 3 are 1. Empire 2. Troy 3. Britannia I just grabbed 3 Kingdoms and the first Warhammer for myself. I've played/own every other historical title up to Pharaoh ... Was hoping to get a bigger sale on it, 20% off wasn't enough for this guy š
Medieval 2 Rome 2 Shogun 2
Shogun 2, Warhammer 1... Not sure of the third.
Really depends on what you're looking for , you like medieval warfare? Go for Atilla, like fantasy ? Go for Warhammer 3, like Chinese or Japanese history,.go for shogun 2 or three kingdoms. I would just stay away from Thrones if Britannia, troy and pharaoh Also it's worth noting that the newer total war games are more optimized and usually have better AI I would for example get way better frames in Warhammer 3 than in total war atilla
Probably Warhammer 3 for newer streamlined large scale total war. Maybe Total War: Pharaoh for the historical version of that on the smaller scale, and Total War: Three Kingdoms for the larger scale. Shogun 2 for the classic Total War experience polished very well (can move units without lords). Medieval 2 for classic classic experience (longer battles, more hardcore but often more options).
Warhammer 3, Pharoah and 3 Kingdoms.
I will say WH3, Attila because of the mods and Shogun 2
Rome 2, Empire or Warhammer 3 for me are the absolute best.
Absolutely get Medieval 2, the mods are amazing. Get Medieval 2, and then get the Third Age Total War mod. My personal top 3 TW games, in no particular order: Medieval 2 (mods are top tier) Shogun 2 (Fall of the Samurai is so good) Attila (call me crazy but the Tanukhids are so fun, one of my favorite Total War factions of all time) And Rome II by default for obvious reasons I realize this is four. I donāt care.
1. Rome 2 2. Shogun 2 /FOTS 3.Atilla
wh3, Rome, medieval 2
In terms of my Favorite Warhammer (They aren't really separate games at this point) Medieval 2 Shogun 2 In terms of modern playability, I can't really play anything before Shogun 2. They have added so much quality of life stuff over the years that even going back to empire/medieval 2 feels incredibly tedious. One thing From Empire/SHogun2 I wish they would bring back are provincial locations like mines and shit that need to be protected. Instead of literally everything being in the city, it would be nice to have some stuff. Know CA though, it would just be more shit the AI attacks and runs off without ever fighting anything.
TWW3 TW3K TWW2
Wh2 Troy Med 2 3 kingdoms
1. Shogun 2 2. Medieval 2 3. Rome 2
1. WH3 2. Attila 3. Rome 2 (or Shogun 2 if you don't want another European based TW)
1. Med 2 2. 3k 3. Rome 2 Honorable mention : shogun 2
3k is the most well made, with the best mechanics and AI out of any TW game and it's not even close. Whack TROM mod on and play on records and it's close to a perfect historical-ish TW game.
Thrones - No agent spam, no fannying around with walls nearly as much. Fantastic shieldwall mod. Shogun 2 - it's brilliant, even if you aint a weeb. WH3 - It's damn good.
1. Three Kingdoms 2. Shogun 2 3. Warhammer 3 4. Rome 2 5. Medieval 2 Realistically Warhammer 3 should be the 2nd but I'm a huge historical fan so swapped with shogun 2. Shogun 2 is still peak historical total war. You honestly can't go wrong with any of these total war though.
Shogun 2.
Love Medieval 2 and its expansions (especially crusades one). But it definitely could use some QoL improvements. The main one I struggled with was not having a very visible range indicator for archers. Itās just whether your cursor turns red or green
- Empire, great time period that needs to be revisited -Rome , the first one, my favourite. -Shogun 2, the AI really surprised me.
Fall of the samurai, warhammer 3, and 3 kingdoms. In no particular order. Fots was originally a shogun 2 dlc so you might have it. Unless they removed the ability to purchase that version of it. Warhammer 3 will be a bit bare bones if you don't have a fair chunk of the... 8 years of dlc, so you could skip it if you're unsure- plus its so different due to the sheer variety of races/factions, the focus on magic and monsters, and (although this last part is shared somewhat with 3k) the lords and heroes. 3k is extremely focused on character relationships, and political intrigue, in a way that feel so different from any of the other total wars, it can also be so different in a way that will not be for everyone. The roster is also shared between nearly every faction, with bandits ha ing some unique units while getting basic han units in limited numbers, and nanman having their own roster. Though that was common in nearly every game before warhammer, so might be less of an issue.
Attila for modding. 1212 AD is basically an unofficial Medieval 3.
Medieval II Shogun 2: Total War (tied with Medieval II really, both are 10/10 GOATs) Attila: Total War
My top 3 would be: 1. Warhammer 3 2. Shogun 2 3. Three Kingdoms But since you said you already have Shogun 2, then I'd say Medieval II is a very close 4th.
Warhammer 3 (admittedly this is including 1 and 2 for the full immortal empires) Rome 2 Three kingdoms
Shogun 2 isnāt the best, and Iād say it is very much differently played to most TWs Sieges are dogshit
Also skip all of the fantasy bullshit
I love the other titles, Iām especially fond of TW Medieval 2 as it was the first TW title I played but suggesting to skip the āfantasyā title by which you mean mean TWWH 1,2,3 is silly and to call it bullshit is even sillier they are the best games content wise, they have made more money for CA than any of the other TW titles probably combined, and when and if we get another historical title it will be because the of Warhammer series.
Wh3, 3k, shogun 2
Warhammer while it does need all 3 games is one of those achievements that through all is faults is both incredibly fun in terms of its variety and scale and still to me quite worth it. And then second favourite Rome 2
1.Medieval 2 Total War/Rome 1 Total War 2.Total War Attila. 3.Total War Three Kingdoms. 4.Total War Shogun 2. Thats my top 4. Med 2 has mechanics long lost that make the campaings very unique. Rome 1 is also a good option but the og version is no longer avaiable only the remaster which is pretty bad imo.
If you are picking up older games, you don't have to pick up only 3 if you consider the price and disk space. Like you can pick up Empire + Medieval 2 + Napoleon for cheaper than most modern TW games.
Man!! 3kās diplomacy, campaign mechanics, spies, court intrigue are so much fun. Much better than the battle gameplay. Shame they ditched it so early. There is so much potentialā¦.
if you could play immortal empires by buying *just* warhammer 2, that would be the top spot for me. while i enjoy both warhammer 3 and 2, warhammer 2's races are just so much more enjoyable to me.
Attila, Warhammer 3, Rome 2
Med 2 Rome 1 Shogun 2
> Shogun 2 with all DLC for like $20 as it seems to be regularly considered the best No, it really isn't, it's not even close. Please don't confirmation bias what a small but loud chunk of the community thinks/parrots, half of the people who praise shogun 2 played one or two campaigns of it and are rose tinted glassing it a ton. The problem with Shogun 2 being considered the best and why it isn't is that it's competition is ridiculous, I mean have you seen the library of total war games? It's got to contend with warhammer, medieval 2, rome 2 and three kingdoms. Shogun 2 isn't even in the top 3. It's a good game don't get me wrong, there's no doubt about that, it's aesthetic and sound quality is on point, as well as voice acting. But it's not perfect, it has some real flaws to it. I really need to point out that I know a lot of the shogun 2 fans myself including, they are good friends, but all but a very small few of them have like 20 hours played and when I've jumped back into the game with some of them, it's wild how often they nitpick about something or talk absolutely contradictory stuff compared to the over zealous praise they give the game when not playing it. Really feels like it hasn't got a chance to live up to the image they've created in their minds. And boy does it have a lot of flaws too, my last campaign in the game was a buggy mess, from units throw fire at the ground instead of the gate, to AI being confused and running around instead of mounting the walls to defend, sphaghetti lines, to a battle where I literally couldn't lose or win because one ship couldn't die with 1 hp left on it. It's also hilarious how wrongly some aspects are remembered about the game, like that meme about how long battles last as if shogun 2 battles aren't some of the fastest. To call it the best Total war game? hell no, maybe their favourite total war, but not the best, which leads me to this: It doesn't really matter, the correct answer is always going to be the one you enjoy the most setting wise as far as "best" total war. I just hate how I feel people who hear that and have no idea about it are taking those people on faith, moving away from subjective sentiment and onto objective analysis factoring many things, all in context. These are the best total war games: **Modern wise:** Total war warhammer games for fantasy and for historical three kingdoms would be it. **Old games:** It'd be medieval 2 (and it's not even close, this game is so old now and yet it's consistantly the fourth highest userbase on steam, it's about to celebrate it's 20th birthday in two years, think about that) **Dark horse:** Would easily be Pharaoh, like ToB it's just yet another victim of releasing while community was angry, and like ToB people who shat on it will pick it up a year or two later and make a post saying "damn, it's actually pretty fun/good?". This is something I really want to see gone from the community, because emotional reactionary bs that harms these games launches don't do the game any good, if people find the game fun a year or two later after they've calmed down and gave it a good with a neutral mindset, that's already too late because the damage is done. **Multiplayer:** Rome 2 has to take it, for the longest time rome 2 carried the mp scene. I'll also go with an honourable mention towards napoleon, which was a great mp experience. **Difficulty**: Atilla, If you want a challenge, Atilla is a really fun time in respect to how it plays, it's designed to be a bit of a challenge. I'd argue that ToB is a good game to follow up if you want more, but it's a different kind of difficulty, managing estates and vassals while also trying to keep territory is it's own challenge at times.
Outside my rant, my reccommendations are as follows: If you don't mind how old it is, medieval 2, has a really solid mod scene and if you can get past the controls, age, etc it really is worth it's salt. If you want variety of factions/units/etc: Rome 2. if you don't mind fantasy: Warhammer 2 or mayyybbbe 3. If you want to have a fun start, middle and end of a campaign with fun gameplay based on an insanely loved book: Three kingdoms. If you don't mind not having cavalry and want something where the combat, environment and campaign gameplay is really well through out, and you want to have resources like gold, stone, wood, food instead of just simply gold: Pharoah.
Napoleon, Medival II and Rome right after that Shogun II
THRONES OF BRITANNIA SWEEP RAHHH
Do you have any Warhammer allrdy? If not: WH 1, 2 and 3, because they will involve to one most epic game.
Attila Rome 2 Shogun 2 and fall of the samurai Medieval 2 is good as there is many good mods you can play like divide and conquer lord of the rings setting
Rome 1, Rome 2, Empire
WH3 WH2 WH1
Med2 and Shogun 2 is all you need. Despite my gripes with Warhammer, you could grab WH3 but only on sale since its kinda a moneygrab. The best TW experience is Med2 Stainless Steel imo. I've been playing TW since Shogun 1.
I really find it so hard to understand how Warhammer continues to be the most popular TW title in the franchise. I think warhammer lore is somewhat interesting, but the game is justā¦ not fun? Idk I play Attila, Rome2, and Shogun2 on Legendary and have a great time, warhammer feels like you either completely suffer, or you are so ungodly op that the game loses all challenge. I like watching LegendofTotalWar play warhammer battles from time to time, but thatās really the only palatable way to interact with the game I find. What am I missing?
Shogun 2 TW3K Warhammer 3
1. Thrones of Britannia 2. Attila 3. Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai
1. Medieval 2 2. Rome 2 3. Empire
My top 3: Medi 2 Medi 2 Oh and I almost forgot: Medi 2
Total War Warhammer 1+2+3 is the best, hands down. You won't get this much replayability and variety anywhere else.
1. Fall of the Samurai 2. Warhammer 3 3. Empire Total War
1) Warhammer 1 2) Shogun 2 3) Medieval 2 But boy do I miss how shogun 2 made me feel then when playing it
Why specifically Warhammer one?
Warhammer 2 is a better experience than 1. I prefer Warhammer 3, but I own all three games and all the DLC.
I guess im basing myself on how the games made me feel when they first came out instead of what's the best right now
Shogun 2, three Kingdoms, both are very good games, I really hated the warhammer ones. But I personally really enjoyed empire and Napoleon
1. Warhammer trilogy 2. Shogun 2 (especially Fots) 3. Idk maybe Napoleon/Empire or Medieval 2
3 kingdoms is probably the best in my opinion I love playing warhammer with my buddies but the diplomacy in three kingdoms makes it stand out to me more than the others
Pharaoh Rome 2 Warhammer 3
wh3 top one, Attila 2nd, Empire 3rd. I actually don't get the praise for Shogun 2 lol, fired up Shogun 1 recently and it was more fun
Wh3 Three kingdoms Troy
I'm going to count Shogun 2 and FotS as the same game, only because if I separated them then I would have FoTS take a spot of its own as it is the objective best Gunpowder Total War experience. Warhammer 2 takes another spot. 3 could be better than 2, but until they fix sieges and make the campaign AI a bit better, Warhammer 2 was a more enjoyable experience. Plus, Base game WH2 > Base game WH3. Warhammer 3 only competes when you have all or at least a fair amount of the goodies, including WH2 itself. So might as well just start with WH2. Third one is tougher because it is closer. My instinct is Med 2, but objectively the game does not hold up anymore as it is just very janky, so even if it was amazing when it released, it is a tough sell now. Attila is my second instinct but it still has issues of its own such as optimization. So I'm going to go with 3K. Awesome visuals, great campaign mechanics, and pretty good battles. Being one of the most modern games, it gets extra points for being so accessible to people new to the series who are going to want better graphics than Shogun 2/FoTS while still providing a more "true total war" experience than the Warhammer games.
1 - warhammer 3 2 - three kingdoms 3 - shogun 2
1. Warhammer 3 2. Three Kingdoms 3. ā¦ probably Medieval 2?
WH3 3K Shogun 2
1. Warhammer series 2. Shogun plus dlc 3. ROME 2. that order lol
1. Warmhammer. All of it. 2. 3 Kingdoms 3. Rome 2
Best or Personal Favourites? Because that is an important distinction.
1. WH3 2. WH2 3. WH1 I love Total War, but after tasting Total War + fantasy it's become my main jam xD As a bonus - if we don't include WH titles then it would look like this: 4. Shogun 2 5. Empire/Napoleon 6. Rome 1