Total Annihilation

 PC
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 218 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 189 out of 218
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 218
  3. Negative: 11 out of 218
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  1. DEDE1973
    Sep 20, 2022
    10
    Look at that, I’m writing a review 25 years after the game was released and I give it a 10. This is a fantastic RTS game with dozens of units and buildings that you’ll most likely all use during the 50 single player campaign (both sides) in addition to a DLC called Core Contingency.
    I played the game when it came out in 97 but I was so sucked by C&C at the time that I refused to invest    Look at that, I’m writing a review 25 years after the game was released and I give it a 10. This is a fantastic RTS game with dozens of units and buildings that you’ll most likely all use during the 50 single player campaign (both sides) in addition to a DLC called Core Contingency.
    I played the game when it came out in 97 but I was so sucked by C&C at the time that I refused to invest time in another rts and I left it at that. 2 decades and a half later I can tell you that this game is much much deeper than C&C and has a lot more strategy. The battles, especially in later stages, are epic and can last several hours where you will have to take hill after hill and the AI in hardest difficulty is ruthless and will build units non stop by the hundreds unless you crash it to the last unit. I highly recommend this game, even 25 years later.    … Expand
  2. Woolee
    Sep 28, 2021
    7
    TA was, and continues to be the most innovative RTS until recently. Physics, terrain, weather, theatres of war, and map intel all contribute to TA's virbrant gameplay. Intuitive interface, unit AI, and order queue makes your massive army a breeze to command. The
  3. sermen1987
    Aug 16, 2020
    10
    Legendary RTS. Way ahead of competition. Technically incomparably better than Red Alert or StarCraft.
  4. maje90
    Jun 24, 2020
    10
    This game was the best!
    Really advanced for the time: real 3D, 3d units with 3d map, and you could really feel that during the gameplay!
    It adapts to any monitor resolution. 1996 version have no problem scaling up to 2020 monitors! Many older games still fails at that. The AI was stunning and you could have full control of anything on the map. No units limit, modding, huge maps,    This game was the best!
    Really advanced for the time: real 3D, 3d units with 3d map, and you could really feel that during the gameplay!
    It adapts to any monitor resolution. 1996 version have no problem scaling up to 2020 monitors!
    Many older games still fails at that.
    The AI was stunning and you could have full control of anything on the map.
    No units limit, modding, huge maps, streaming resources.

    We still need a new modern remake of that game.
    Supreme Commander was good but the engine wasn't that well programmed...    … Expand
  5. szgezu
    May 21, 2020
    10
    Best strategy game ever made! Detailed modeling of the shots, lot of viable tactic, customizable, runs great on any computer.
  6. ShellbyC__GT500
    Jul 9, 2018
    10
    10/10
    Best RTS ever made. Great soundtrack, graphics look alright 20 years later, tons of mods, and 1080p support. Better than overrated starcraft
  7. Rando1ph
    May 7, 2018
    10
    This game is really old now. I played it a lot back when it was new, and have come back to it a couple of times since. The thing that stands out is the amount of polish. Everything just works. You want to give a building craft a huge patrol that covers the map to pick up scrap metal, no problem, you want to assign some fighter escorts, do it. The game never gets in the way of itself whichThis game is really old now. I played it a lot back when it was new, and have come back to it a couple of times since. The thing that stands out is the amount of polish. Everything just works. You want to give a building craft a huge patrol that covers the map to pick up scrap metal, no problem, you want to assign some fighter escorts, do it. The game never gets in the way of itself which makes it really easy to get lost in.… Expand
  8. NotHerKnight
    Jan 18, 2017
    10
    The best strategy of all times. Father of all good RTS. The predecessor of Supreme Commander and Planetary Annihilation. A "must play" for every gamer!
  9. FTW89
    Apr 14, 2016
    10
    TA... epic game, you can say that it is an old game, but while playing it you will feel a real and intensive war and you will be so addicted, from the best RTS games ever released !!! really the producer of that game is a genius, this is the only thing i can say...
    Now an other version of it is released: TA escalation better balance more units up to 4th technologies but same game.
  10. GolovA
    Dec 6, 2015
    9
    So i think this came before Starcraft and after Dark Reign (both epitomes of the RTS genre) and brought quite some innovative ideas to the table (like recycling your own robots for scrap resources and actual 3D models). They were not revolutionary per se, but the game made everything work together to afford an unforgetable experience. Really played this games to the holes! :))
  11. Westord
    Mar 18, 2015
    7
    probably the best RTS game - until supreme commander came. especially when you compare it to newer games the AI and poor map construction completely let down the entire concept of the game. also, if you're going to actually play it you need to ramp up the speed to avoid 10 hour skirmishes.
  12. Dunger
    Sep 22, 2014
    10
    Its my favourite RTS ever. Innovative, with great music, campaign, lot of units, tactics, mods and everything. "I am imba" commander and climate of the game that is so addictive.
    Graphics after 17 years (!) are still good, thats really hard to believe how they did it.

    You MUST play this game!
  13. Nurgling
    Sep 10, 2014
    10
    The grandfather of RTS, the benchmark for everything that has and will follow in the genre, a masterpiece.

    Few can argue that even with the nostalgia goggles taken off that this is one of the finest games ever to steal money from our wallets. But enough with the compliments, lets explain why this game was superb from the ground up. Resource gathering, rather than the generic    The grandfather of RTS, the benchmark for everything that has and will follow in the genre, a masterpiece.

    Few can argue that even with the nostalgia goggles taken off that this is one of the finest games ever to steal money from our wallets.

    But enough with the compliments, lets explain why this game was superb from the ground up.

    Resource gathering, rather than the generic "pool" you are required to upkeep your 'economy' or 'eco' for short in metal and energy. This dynamic system which is drained and restored at the same time will allow you to build and queue many units as their cost is deducted from your stockpile over the course of their build time, if you run out the build time slows and if not it leaves you free to construct all the more units. Monitoring this economy is key to success and the glorious thing about it is that attacking your enemies metal extractors/generators can directly harm their ability to inflict pain on you.

    The trick is to maintain that eco while ensuring your opponent cannot do the same, real time STRATEGY. Unfortunately for you if you do not use this advantage to wipe your enemy out there is a strong chance that the wreckage left from the battle by destroyed buildings/units can also be extracted for resources, you are thus feeding the enemy which again is another thing to think about.

    The combat itself is fantastic and is supplemented by an amazing score by Jeremy Soule, the guy behind the OST of skyrim/oblivion. Vehicles explode leaving wreckage and flying debris going everywhere, (debris that can actually DAMAGE nearby units!), endgame final tier units and artillery cannons that can fire across the map, nukes... anti nukes? I can leave the imagination to picture that while trying to keep all your buildings switched on (yes, running out of power means a lot of buildings will not work).

    The music also changes from track to track depending on your situation in game, during the build phase you get some eerie foreboding music, when a fight starts the orchestral stuff kicks in and when the battle is done with unit wreckage strewn across the map you get a nice slow spooky song to go with your build units collecting resources from the dead. You can also switch that off and play what you want when you want it, put the game disc in a CD player to just play the music, boot the game and replace the CD with a DIFFERENT music CD and play that music?

    It has two campaigns for both factions, the Arm and the Core. Lots of mods are available to add new units and even lift the unit cap from 200 to whatever you feel like. The beautiful thing is that it is still actively played today and many servers are available to duke it out online.

    This came out back in 1997, you could probably pick it up for peanuts or find it online to download.

    While I do not feel my words do it justice it is definitely worth taking the time to play it, especially if you enjoyed SupCom.    … Expand
  14. apexearth
    Apr 8, 2014
    10
    This was a fantastic game in it's day. I grew up with this and still regard it as a fantastic game even after the many games I've played thereafter. It set the bar for future games. Even silly things like 100 stacked construction planes made the game awesome. Almost as awesome as being the guy who blows them all up with an AE shot. Played this on a 200mhz and it's in my heart and soul forever.
  15. Iracundus
    Feb 1, 2014
    8
    Ahead of its time, and utilizing a unique resource model that monitored rate of resource gathering as well as total reserves, allowing for deficit spending of previously gathered surplus. However as officially released it did suffer from key flaws that reduce its score. The developer clearly had a bias in favor of the ARM faction, as there are many CORE units in critical roles that areAhead of its time, and utilizing a unique resource model that monitored rate of resource gathering as well as total reserves, allowing for deficit spending of previously gathered surplus. However as officially released it did suffer from key flaws that reduce its score. The developer clearly had a bias in favor of the ARM faction, as there are many CORE units in critical roles that are clearly inferior whereas the few units that CORE has an advantage over the ARM are in less vital roles. There are also a lot of redundant or useless units that sound nice in theory but are obsoleted in competitive play by far more cost efficient units or units that require less micro-management.… Expand
  16. Toffenuff
    Jun 19, 2013
    9
    Oh my goodness. It's been more than thirteen years since I last played this game. When I found out they were making Supreme Commander essentially a modern reboot of Total Annihilation I may or may not have had to change my shorts... anyway, I am a big RTS gamer and I loved TA because of the shift of emphasis from a balance of resource gathering, unit building, and fighting to moreOh my goodness. It's been more than thirteen years since I last played this game. When I found out they were making Supreme Commander essentially a modern reboot of Total Annihilation I may or may not have had to change my shorts... anyway, I am a big RTS gamer and I loved TA because of the shift of emphasis from a balance of resource gathering, unit building, and fighting to more towards unit building and fighting.

    While I appreciate the resource gathering element of RTS games, because yes it does add another layer of complexity, I just want to get to the action. Give me my units and give me the terrain and I will deploy them how I see fit to best win. Did I mention I don't really like waiting around too long?

    There is of course still a resource element in that you need to manage mass and energy, but those are pretty much infinite/self-produced and that was another awesome thing about it. The best part of the game for me? The ability to speed up your production/building process by having multiple drones or your commander help out.    … Expand
  17. njkk
    Nov 15, 2012
    10
    Amazing, there are no other words to describe this game and its expansions. If you are an rts gamer through and through and have not played this game then you then you are missing out big time. I have played all the old rts games and a lot of the new ones and none of them compare to this. This is how i rate the game Music/Sound 10/10 unit diversity 10/10 graphics for the time 10/10Amazing, there are no other words to describe this game and its expansions. If you are an rts gamer through and through and have not played this game then you then you are missing out big time. I have played all the old rts games and a lot of the new ones and none of them compare to this. This is how i rate the game Music/Sound 10/10 unit diversity 10/10 graphics for the time 10/10 originality 10/10 game play 10/10. This game has next to no flaws and i rate it the best rts ever.… Expand
  18. Ade_the_Rare
    Jun 13, 2012
    10
    Nothing quite like it, before or since. Massive RTS with huge replayability value; add to that the sheer amount of customisation that can be done (the mods, the extra units, maps, etc which are all easily downloadable) and you've got a game of legend.
  19. Hellfire
    Dec 16, 2011
    10
    This game is a multiplayer action game. D-gun enemies into flying shards of burning metal, and construct that vehicle factory while surfacing from water to deploy fast Flash light tanks to immediately attack your enemy while bombers and fighters are battling for supremacy on the sky. This game is truly epic and deep. Playability 10. AI not so good but campaigns are well built. You canThis game is a multiplayer action game. D-gun enemies into flying shards of burning metal, and construct that vehicle factory while surfacing from water to deploy fast Flash light tanks to immediately attack your enemy while bombers and fighters are battling for supremacy on the sky. This game is truly epic and deep. Playability 10. AI not so good but campaigns are well built. You can build your own AI though. Over the internet 10 players can play simultaneously with a total of 10000 units on the field. Massive long range artillery will shell the battlefield while nukes blast away at wreckage over which high energy lasers are targeting enemy mechas and battle-vehicles.… Expand
  20. TheRealGaffer
    Sep 18, 2011
    10
    I had to pop over here and give this old title it's well deserved 10. I can't even believe how good this game still is when it's almost 15 years old. If there's an RTS you want to play with great units, balance and economy then this is it. There's even been a new engine (spring RTS) built with this game in mind, and you can download it for free! I don't know what else I can say other thanI had to pop over here and give this old title it's well deserved 10. I can't even believe how good this game still is when it's almost 15 years old. If there's an RTS you want to play with great units, balance and economy then this is it. There's even been a new engine (spring RTS) built with this game in mind, and you can download it for free! I don't know what else I can say other than I'm a fan of a lot of RTS games but this is the king of them all.… Expand
  21. stinky
    Aug 19, 2011
    10
    time and time again I compare more recent RTS games to this, and it is still far more enjoyable than almost all. the graphics are dated, the storyline is borderline non-existent, and the AI players are fairly terrible. but it (still) has some of the best unit AI (queue up orders and customise stances), true 3 dimensional GAMEPLAY (no shooting through hills, artillery and ballistictime and time again I compare more recent RTS games to this, and it is still far more enjoyable than almost all. the graphics are dated, the storyline is borderline non-existent, and the AI players are fairly terrible. but it (still) has some of the best unit AI (queue up orders and customise stances), true 3 dimensional GAMEPLAY (no shooting through hills, artillery and ballistic trajectories matter-something that is SEVERELY LACKING in even current RTS) and what was a very active mod community. hundreds of units to a side (as opposed to maybe 10 or 15 in star/war-craft, many, many different units, unit types, weapons even in the un-modded game, and it is a wonderful LAN game, especially with (now) older computers.… Expand
  22. kilmindaro
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    Sweet mother of god, this game is marvelous. Yes, it is a bit aged in the graphic department, but it makes it up a hundred times by the gameplay. I only picked it up recently, but I didn't have so much fun since the classic rts games from westwood of old. Add to that really nice pathfinding and unit behavior, bullets and missiles being actual physical obiects with calculated trajectories,Sweet mother of god, this game is marvelous. Yes, it is a bit aged in the graphic department, but it makes it up a hundred times by the gameplay. I only picked it up recently, but I didn't have so much fun since the classic rts games from westwood of old. Add to that really nice pathfinding and unit behavior, bullets and missiles being actual physical obiects with calculated trajectories, great music, atmosphere and two buckets of awesome, and you get this game.… Expand
  23. Ostrich
    Feb 25, 2011
    10
    I'm surprised so little is said about this game, the amount of mods that were available and the amount of fun I had playing this game is crazy. Even 13 years after its release, and I haven't had as much fun with any other RTS, not even SC2! TA is great by itself, but when mods are added, the gameplay changes so much, so many more units are made it's insane. Even the graphics are good,I'm surprised so little is said about this game, the amount of mods that were available and the amount of fun I had playing this game is crazy. Even 13 years after its release, and I haven't had as much fun with any other RTS, not even SC2! TA is great by itself, but when mods are added, the gameplay changes so much, so many more units are made it's insane. Even the graphics are good, explosions are awesome, they feel so much more intense then in all other strategy games. This is easily one of the best games of all time.… Expand
  24. Varaxis
    Oct 7, 2010
    10
    This game opened my eyes to the fun of creating sandbox style RTS with tons of units. This is responsible for many days of sleep deprivation, others mad that the phone line is tied up (dial-up), and excessive amount of money for fast PC to run it smoother.

    After some patches and new unit releases and ultimately when the Core Contingency expansion was released, all those issues in the past    This game opened my eyes to the fun of creating sandbox style RTS with tons of units. This is responsible for many days of sleep deprivation, others mad that the phone line is tied up (dial-up), and excessive amount of money for fast PC to run it smoother.

    After some patches and new unit releases and ultimately when the Core Contingency expansion was released, all those issues in the past just became even more severe. That and hygiene and diet suffered--the house was being neglected and junk food became the primary choice of sustenance. No other game has done this to me. EverQuest comes close though.

    This led me to follow Chris Taylor to his other games, though SupCom FA is the only thing that has come close to recreating the experience of Total Annihilation. Got to love the old MPlayer crowd. TEN was cool for rankings, though I didn't do as well as I thought I should've (1900s). Heat was nice for casual games, but ELITE clan battles were pretty intense. Only remember Lazeroo and (can only think of a bear for some reason). I was always coming up with crafty stuff like Rapier rush comm snipes and was accused of cheating on more than one occasion. The truly good players focused on tactical micro such as early bombing runs on low resource maps like Coast to Coast. I always did well with macro, spamming the heck out of Hawks, Vamps, nukes, artillery, etc on a such a large scale...

    Ahh, memories.    … Expand
  25. Ruudie
    May 16, 2009
    10
    Simply put, Total Annihilation (+ Core Contingency expansion pack) is the best rts ever. Large scale land, sea and air warfare while building a giant base from which to launch your nuke strike or blast away with long-range artillery. Make armies of hundreds of units and sent them to a certain death against layers and layers of defence. Or play on a small map and micro every single unit Simply put, Total Annihilation (+ Core Contingency expansion pack) is the best rts ever. Large scale land, sea and air warfare while building a giant base from which to launch your nuke strike or blast away with long-range artillery. Make armies of hundreds of units and sent them to a certain death against layers and layers of defence. Or play on a small map and micro every single unit for maximum efficiency. An economy model that's very easy to learn but incredibly hard to master. Real 3d units on a real 3d map with real physics. Hundreds of very different maps and many more created by the community. Concerning gbarules2999 saying this game is about fast clicking with no strategy involved: this is a REAL TIME strategy game, so yes its about doing stuff fast (which is a good thing). But its also a real time STRATEGY game, meaning its impossible to beat your opponent if you dont have a better strategy. Furthermore when executing your strategy, you'll need tactics to make it work: yes its easy to move many units at once, but to make the most out of them its necessary to manage them individually. But whatever, sounds to me like you only played the campaign. And altough the campaign or a skirmish against the ai can be quite entertaining, i must say it's a pretty bad basis for judging this game. Its the multiplayer where Total Annihilation shines.… Expand
  26. mikebare
    Dec 13, 2008
    10
    i'll be honest, i bought this game at dollar tree. now i know i would have gladly payed full price for it when it came out, because it's one of the most complex, innovative and enjoyable rts games ever made. it's just plain fun, a true game with the feeling of a total war (not the franchise 'Total War' lol).
  27. IanMcPherson
    Feb 5, 2008
    10
    Anyone who gives this game less than a 9 is out of their mind. Out of the many new RTS games comig out today, Total Annihilation beats them several times over, and to think it was made in 1997! If you ask me, Total Annihilation is one of those games that shattered the standards for almost all games of its type to come, sort of like Diablo.
  28. TylerF.
    Jan 28, 2008
    10
    This is a true classic. Even today, TEN YEARS after it was originally released, the graphics look great on new PCs. I still have the original discs and the Core Contingency expansion pack. This game pioneered RTS games. All the modern RTS games still draw from TA...there have been few major features introduced since (in a decade of refinement!) other than realistic graphics. I still get a This is a true classic. Even today, TEN YEARS after it was originally released, the graphics look great on new PCs. I still have the original discs and the Core Contingency expansion pack. This game pioneered RTS games. All the modern RTS games still draw from TA...there have been few major features introduced since (in a decade of refinement!) other than realistic graphics. I still get a kick out of building up massive bases in TA, and the unit diversity as well as fantastic overall interface and incredible custom soundtrack just make this game a timeless masterpiece that can be played for years to come. I wonder if any game studio would be willing to take on the daunting task of (official) Total Annihilation 2? Revise the graphics, add new storylines, etc..but keep the heart of the game intact!… Expand
  29. IvarH.
    Oct 31, 2007
    10
    Total Annihilation... What to say? It's not only the best RTS game ever, but the best game ever as well.
  30. tro
    Oct 1, 2007
    10
    TA was, and continues to be the most innovative RTS until recently. Physics, terrain, weather, theatres of war, and map intel all contribute to TA's virbrant gameplay. Intuitive interface, unit AI, and order queue makes your massive army a breeze to command. The fully orchestrated soundtrack, 3D units, and fiery explosions brings the battle to life. The original game's massive TA was, and continues to be the most innovative RTS until recently. Physics, terrain, weather, theatres of war, and map intel all contribute to TA's virbrant gameplay. Intuitive interface, unit AI, and order queue makes your massive army a breeze to command. The fully orchestrated soundtrack, 3D units, and fiery explosions brings the battle to life. The original game's massive unit count is also supplemented by an equally loaded expansion as well as endless fan made content available for download.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best PC Game of 1997
3
#3 Most Discussed PC Game of 1997
8
#8 Most Shared PC Game of 1997

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Gamezilla!
    88
    Total Annihilation lacks one critical element that would have put it on my all-time list, and that involves immersion. In other words, the storyline and between-mission cinematics (which were somewhat lacking) did not suck me in as C&C did.
    Read full review
  2. Yahoo!
    90
    If you managed to afford that high-end system then treat yourself to a game that will keep you hooked for some time to come and that will have your friends' jaws dropping in awe. It's a fresh game and a deserved GDR Gold winner. The real-time ante has been well and truly upped.
    Read full review
  3. All Game Guide
    90
    An impressive contender in the real-time strategy genre. An easy-to-use interface, coupled with intelligent AI, establishes the game as one of the best of its kind.
    Read full review
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