Total War: WARHAMMER II

Total War: Warhammer 2 is a promising sequel: it shows those lore based mechanics that differentiate factions taking centre-stage. We also see issues from the first game being streamlined and resolved. This makes me incredibly hopeful for The Mortal Empires campaign, combining both the first and second game maps (which is being released in a month or so). It also makes me hopeful for future DLC and the third game in the series, because if the gameplay is this good right now… how good will it be then?

Ultimately, it once again comes down to the experience of playing your first campaign. The excitement, strategy, conflict, uncertainty, and fantasy spectacle. The first dragon you take into battle. Crossing a vast body of water to formally introduce yourself to the strange Lizardmen that live in equally strange forests. Total War Warhammer II is a milestone release, for the simple reason that the campaign is both one the most intricately detailed and most open we’ve seen so far in a Total War game. Proving that a sequel can take a very different perspective, showcase a new part of the world, and be all the better for it.

Total War: Warhammer II takes the fantasy setting to its next logical level. Bringing in completely unique factions, giving them all a personality of their own in the franchises most focused campaign ever has led to an incredibly compelling game. The only problem is that the old Total War issues of poor AI with diplomacy still prevails and that the economy is easy to game to your advantage. Still, altogether an outstanding release.

Total War Warhammer II is a step forward for the saga, with a bigger and more exciting campaign, and new game mechanics that bring a greater depth to each and every adventure. Creative Assembly has managed to exceed something that seemed unbeatable.

Total War: Warhammer 2 is a fantastic love letter to both Warhammer fans and strategy game players alike.

Total War: Warhammer 2 is a couple of very large updates in a box, but anyone who loves the first game will have no regrets buying this. The new factions are great, the Campaign is more streamlined, interesting and clear, all the smaller adjustments increase the urge for yet another turn and the battles are incredibly spectacular. It would be an even greater accomplishment if more people could enjoy this, but for a game, this is very complex.

Although one could argue that TWW II is more of an expansion than a full title, Creative Assembly’s commitment to furthering the campaign map and the sheer excitement provided by the main campaign “quests” for each race, elevate its status to "must buy" title.

A worthy sequel, visually gorgeous and strategically engaging, that could have been even better if CA embraced a stronger drive to innovate.

A maximalist sequel that improves on almost every aspect of the first game.

The story and objective-driven campaign is a league above anything we’ve seen in the entire Total War series before in both design and presentation.

In short, Total War: Warhammer II offers plenty of content for fans of strategy games, Warhammer and Total Warhammer fans, and new starters to the genre. It is easily one of the genre's finest, standing alongside X-Com 2 as one of the best PC games of the last few years.

Honestly, this review could go on a lot more, but so much of it is attention to details and improvements on the prior title that it would miss the point. That point being that Total War: Warhammer II is a game where you can have a T-Rex throw down with a Wizard. There are great strategy elements, the new vortex victory is a great refresher from normal conquest types, and the new races are all great; but reading this review means missing out on the dino action. Still reading?

Great addition to an already great game. Total War at its finest.

A fantastic return to form that will only get better with the inevitable post-release content-drops. But even out of the box, this is Total War at its best. [Issue#267, p.54]

Total War: WARHAMMER II is one of the greatest real-time strategy games made to this date. And this is entirely because of the rock-solid and fully-earned reputation that Creative Assembly has built for itself over seventeen years and over fifteen Total War real-time strategy combat games. If you care about strategy, this isn't just a game, it is the game.

It's easily one of the best Total War experiences yet, which in turn makes it one of the best RTS games available. [Issue#194, p.73]

Total War: Warhammer II might not be a revolutionary and groundbreaking title that reinvents the strategy genre. However, it also does not aspire to be one. Instead, it takes the familiar and beloved formula and polishes it even more. The result is not only one of the best games in the Total War series, but an excellent strategy game in itself.

Play how you choose – delve into a deep engrossing campaign, experience unlimited replayability and challenge the world in multiplayer with a custom army of your favourite units. Total War: WARHAMMER II offers hundreds of hours of gameplay and no two games are the same.

Regardless of how its future looks, today we get to enjoy Total War Warhammer 2. With all its polish and rich Games Workshop lore, it’s the most well balanced and enjoyable Total War game so far, and that’s a strong accolade.

We can only critique the simple boss fight at the end, cause other than that this new Warhammer is excellent. Everything is working perfectly and the campaign is very entertaining.

It’s beautiful, hard, and fun.

Creative Assembly has been a busy studio in these last couple years between the releases of the first Total War: Warhammer and its downloadable content, but they did not rest on their laurels with the sequel. Total War: Warhammer 2 is one of the most engaging and awesome marriages of turn-based and real-time strategy out there. Whether you’re sitting on your high horse among the elven factions or unleashing primal fury as the bestial races, there’s a great deal of enjoyment to be had that will keep you busy hour upon hour through multiple campaigns, skirmishes, and battles. Total War: Warhammer 2 continues to hoist the bar even higher for both Total War and Warhammer.

Total War: Warhammer 2 offers many, many hours of fun thanks to the High Elves, Dark Elves, Skaven and Lizardman, plus the campaign being a lot more exciting than ever before.

With Warhammer II, Total War doesn't reinvent anything so much as it iterates on the ideas that made the first so special. At its heart there's still the marriage of Total War's big-scale strategy and Warhammer's precise tactical play. But, through a thousand tiny tweaks, they've refined the experience into one of the most intriguing and exciting strategy games ever.

Creative Assembly has taken some risks with Total War: Warhammer II. This new game remains faithful to the first game, but at the same time lets us experience four new factions and an amazing new campaign.

An excellent follow-up that expands and improves on the original in unexpected and innovative ways. Plus, it has magic-wielding dinosaurs.

Total War: Warhammer 2 is the sublimation of both the Warhammer fans desires and the work in the previous game. With this second game Creative Assembly is expanding its universe to a major scale but we know that they can do it better (and they will with the subsequent DLCs).

With Total War: Warhammer 2, Creative Assembly nurtures and carefully develops the winning scheme from last year's success. A slew of exciting additions and a new take on the campaign, mixed with four awesome new armies, make this strategy-sequel a must-play.

There’s always something happening, constantly I have to decide, consider and proceed tactically – and sometimes even accept devastating defeat. A healthy mix of challenge, tension and reward is what makes a great game – Total War: Warhammer 2 is such a game.

This is a rich and thoughtful strategy game that is a joy to engage with at practically every level, and a new high-water mark of ambition and quality for Creative Assembly.

Total War Warhammer 2 is the highest point in the series, a spectacle of strategy and tactics that makes the most of the wonderful Games Workshop brand while delighting Total War veterans with new, interesting and entertaining ideas.

Warhammer’s long legacy in gaming has found a perfect partner in Total War. If you’re a fan of strategy games, chaotic rat-men, or rampaging dinosaurs, this isn’t one to miss.

Total War: Warhammer 2 manages to iron out almost all the rough edges from its predecessor while throwing in enough quality new content to keep things fresh and challenging. The result is a journey into the Warhammer fantasy universe that’s both engaging and infinitely fun to play.

Total War: Warhammer 2 is an amazing combination of Warhammer and Total War for all of us to enjoy for a long time.

Don't worry, Total War: Warhammer II it's not a simple big DLC. The game deserves to stand on its own and if you loved the first chapter you shouldn't think twice and buy this sequel instantly.​

Total War: Warhammer II improves over the predecessor in every possible way, from the polished art direction to a - finally - complete and engaging narrative campaign. It's a "more of the same", but a really good one.

This is a huge game, huge fun, and a huge time-sink too. In this case, bigger is definitely better. [Nov 2017, p.72]

It’s a deep game that you could play for hundreds of hours.

As weird as some the diplomacy and other mechanics can be, it’s an impressive title with a ton of depth to get stuck into. Now, I’d better get back to my current mission in progress — those enemy armies won’t eat themselves, after all.

Creative Assembly takes us on a breathtaking journey through four of Warhammer’s continents (the map is huge!) and serves all of its gameplay elements in right proportions. It’s a highly addictive game that will consume all your free time one turn at a time. [12/2017, p.48]

Total War: Warhammer 2's inability to solve some longstanding franchise-wide issues don't really dampen the sense that this is the biggest, and one of the best, executions on the same formula. Adding that this is only the second game in a planned trilogy ends up only making me more excited to see what's in store for Total War: Warhammer 3.

The areas in which Total War: Warhammer 2 improves on its formula are plentiful, resulting in one best put together Total War games to be released. While the fantastical Warhammer setting won’t appeal to some, particularly a few of those who’ve enjoyed Total War’s previous historical releases and were expecting more, it’s wonderful to see the wonderful world of Warhammer come to love so expertly and vividly. If you’ve played and enjoyed Total War: Warhammer 1, then it’s a near given that you’ll love what’s on offer here.

Sundered is another example of a good concept that was poorly realized. During the first five minutes the game is nice, but after that you have to force yourself to play it.

Total War: Warhammer II is a really well made sequel. It improves lots of tiny gameplay elements and, as a result, there is more fun to be had and you can really feel the strategic & tactical elements. Great map, cool world and quite a complex storyline make you forget about some inevitable simplifications.

If you like the first Total War: Warhammer you have no choice: you must buy this new Total War: Warhammer II

Even if Total War: Warhammer 2 was made in a short time, it is clearly better than its first iteration thanks to the four new races, the new story mode and the many gameplay improvements.

Total War: Warhammer II improves the proffer with more options at our disposal without breaking the essence of the Game Workshop license.

An overall improved successor and great RTS - if one ignores its most important innovation as far as possible.

Total War Warhammer 2 is a worthy successor. A better story, Skaven and Lizardmen as interesting factions and graphics to drool over. Without doubt one of the best fantasy RTS games of the moment. Unfortunately the same problems from TWW 1 return as well.

The problem of Warhammer II’s campaign is that it’s not a grand-campaign. Traditionally, numerical Total Wars offered an expansionist gameplay, while intermediate games experimented with things like special victory conditions and new mechanics – and stuff that works best found its way into next numerical installation. With Warhammer II, Creative Assembley eschews that practice in favor of from drawing board straight to the game approach. [Issue#224, p.64]

The Magical Vortex that serves as the focal point for the campaign proves to be the spark of life that was missing from the series’ first venture outside of historical realms, and alongside a host of other tweaks and refinements, makes Total War: Warhammer II a strategic success that any fan of the series should be able to get behind.

You might feel there aren't enough additions to justify that "II" in the title, but it is a very solid game anyway, and if you enjoyed the first one, we're sure you'll enjoy this sequel.

In terms of variety this is the best Total War yet. But with stagnation on so many other levels Warhammer 2 wasted the opportunity to become a true masterpiece. Nonetheless this is exciting strategy with powerful battles.

It is clear that Creative Assembly is trying to "break" the tradition of the series, introducing structures that have never found a place in the Total War brand.

All in all, Total War: Warhammer II is nothing revolutionary, but it certainly improved from the previous game. Solid story and the ability to choose from tons of different races will keep you busy for a long time.

Taking the familiar end-game in a much needed new direction and introducing four new races, Total War: Warhammer 2 is packed with fresh content, with more yet to come. Although some of the additions are more annoying than engaging, the overall experience delivers strategy and style in spades. A must-have for Warhammer tabletop players and Total War fans alike.

Warhammer II is a worthy successor to its older brother, and fans of either series will relish the chance to throw themselves into its immersive world. However, those same shop-worn Total War tropes that were pretty past it last time have surely well and truly earned a peaceful retirement now.

Pairing the tactical brilliance of the Total War series with the rich lore of the Warhammer universe is a natural fit, and Total War: Warhammer 2 fulfills the promise of that combination. It is a deep and challenging experience with an epic story to tell. It is also one of the most overwrought games of the year, a game where complexity seems to be piled on for complexity's sake.

While many Total War fans might scoff at playing with elves when they could be conquering Europe or Japan with historically accurate techniques, Total War: Warhammer II is the best place for the typical gaming nerd to start. It succeeds on that long promised, but never really delivered idea of taking part in battles akin to Lord of the Rings.

Some lingering series quirks persist, but other smart lessons from the first game have been applied to Total War: Warhammer 2. Another four mechanically diverse factions, each pursuing a singular campaign goal on a richly detailed map, make this a powerful sequel.

If you’re looking for a Deep RTS without the insane speed of StarCraft II, I highly recommend Total War: Warhammer 2.

For fans of the original game, Total War: Warhammer II is a great follow-up. Creative Assembly has created something both new and familiar, keeping that central core intact while transporting players to a part of this universe ignored in previous video game adaptations. That change of setting and the narrative drive of the Great Vortex will be enough for most, alongside a suite of smaller, more subtle changes. There’s also the exciting prospect of new armies, campaigns, and other features that are no doubt just around the corner.

Fans of Total War series are sure to love this Warhammer 2. As an added bonus to the people who already own Total War: Warhammer, you’ll have access to a new, global campaign that involves the new lands and races from this title it alongside those from this new iteration. What’s not to love?

Think of it less as a sequel to Total War: Warhammer, more a second chapter with a different pace and style. This one makes even more of the hybrid gameplay that made the original so exciting, with new races and additional mechanics that freshen up the campaign even for those who played through the first campaign with several different factions. Despite more work on accessibility, this is a dauntingly vast and complex strategy game, but it’s one with an equally huge sense of fun.

It’s a bit weird to laud a sequel for a simple scale-up of its scope, but in case of Warhammer 2, this is the most drastic change. Thanks to it, the campaign feels like a full-fledged Total War game, rather than an amusing experiment.

Total War: Warhammer II is not a new game but an extension. Very good mechanics and very good AI, but not enough content to call it as a NEW game. Despite that, when Warhammer III will be released, the three games will probably be the best Total War never made.

Total War: Warhammer 2 is more spectacular than its predecessor, but fails to innovate when it comes to depth and strategy. The Vortex mechanic is wonderful and the factions diverse, but with the game's extreme dedication to fantasy, it might be a tough sell for the traditional fans of the series.