Total War: Arena

Despite some invedent microtransactions, Total War Arena is a huge surprise, where the mix between RTS and MOBA's dynamics works perfectly. Beware: you have to make a close-knit and coordinated group of friends to play with, if you don't want to loose too many matches.

Although the series naturally lends itself to scale, it has often been observed that Total War is at its worst when bloat sets in. So perhaps it should have been no surprise that Arena finds victory in focus, accentuating just a handful of tactical elements so that they become the totality of the game. Then again, that is exactly what makes Arena so much fun: surprise.

Exciting battles with many different units which requires a massive grind. Balancing will be a permanent construction area.

I enjoyed Total War: Arena more than I thought, but I’m not sure if it has enough carrot at the end of the stick for me to keep playing long term. The grind to the higher tiers seems makes me wonder if it’s worth my time trying other factions, and the matches with the same units begin to feel repetitive. Without much more dynamic interaction during the actual battles, it’s hard to see myself staying engaged.

Total War Arena is a very different game compared to other Total War-games, but with its fast and tactical gameplay and ten versus ten players it's a good game in its own right. Unfortunately, it's near impossible to keep playing for free and leaves a sour taste.