Total War: WARHAMMER II

 PC
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Sep 28, 2017
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 603 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 462 out of 603
  2. Mixed: 66 out of 603
  3. Negative: 75 out of 603
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  1. Cioby
    Sep 30, 2017
    0
    **** game, another disgrace to the Total War series. Same game copy/pasted into new cool looking unit. And that's it. Nothing else is good or "strategic" about this game.

    Some monsters are overpowered and can destroy everything, some monsters in other factions are expensive but weak. Did I mention you get 4 factions only? Can't wait for DLCs with 1 new faction for 15-20$. But    **** game, another disgrace to the Total War series. Same game copy/pasted into new cool looking unit. And that's it. Nothing else is good or "strategic" about this game.

    Some monsters are overpowered and can destroy everything, some monsters in other factions are expensive but weak.

    Did I mention you get 4 factions only? Can't wait for DLCs with 1 new faction for 15-20$.
    But fangays of this abomination will say that previous games were bad for giving 3 factions with new mechanics and scripts while they soak up this garbage.

    There is still no actual combat or strategy, just send units into other units, keep your chariots moving, cast spells that make no sense and are almost the same as the previous game.    … Expand
  2. Mikimax
    Nov 11, 2018
    3
    Once again we have a Total War game which is a waiting simulator. Loading after loading, turn waiting after turn waiting.
    I am sick and tired of waiting for an optimized TW game. Every single TW game wastes my time and it doesn't care.
    Screw this crap!
  3. Tecco
    Feb 11, 2019
    2
    Seriously, its like this game is designed to crash just before you are able to save. **** this.
    Had it been a WHTW 1 Mini dlc this would have been a nice addition, if the ridiculous bugs were ironed out.
  4. Dezrezen
    Dec 23, 2017
    1
    Complete lack of balance between the new factions.
    New factions have too many advantages over old ones
  5. Galgotit
    Sep 25, 2018
    1
    A blatant cash grab looking to milk the little bit of good will for the minorly bugged previous game. This review is authentic if not accurate.
  6. kukid1987
    Jan 21, 2019
    1
    Well, my score is a basic version. EA have to pay for each one more. Or at least fix the bug from the last update (almost two months of the game crash - not able to finish any campaign).
  7. D3D11
    Mar 1, 2020
    3
    This is my first Total War game so I can't compare it to the former ones. This game is very interesting and has a lot of mechanics which makes a strategy game a good one. Essentially this is Heroes Of Might And Magic with a decent battlefield and a deeper game mechanics.

    ONLY, it is completely ruined by bugs / mistakes. 1. The game AI is hard-core, even in normal, except if it has to    This is my first Total War game so I can't compare it to the former ones. This game is very interesting and has a lot of mechanics which makes a strategy game a good one. Essentially this is Heroes Of Might And Magic with a decent battlefield and a deeper game mechanics.

    ONLY, it is completely ruined by bugs / mistakes.

    1. The game AI is hard-core, even in normal, except if it has to help you. Then it becomes dumb.

    2. The loading screen is unacceptably long, even on SSD. This is a huge disappointment.

    3. There is the black-screen bug when start. You can fix this by constantly clicking the right and the left mouse button on the Windows panel while the game is loading (welcome to 2020).

    4. There is a black-screen bug coming back to the map from battle. You can fix this by completely disabling shadows.

    5. There is a sudden desktop crash during loading the battlefield. You CAN NOT fix this. I lowered the graphics to the lowest level to see if it has something to do with video memory (RX580 4gb), nothing has changed (not even the loading time). This is that frequent that it happening in every three battles. This is literally game breaking, since you have to restart the whole game and enjoy the loading screen. Completely unacceptable.

    6. Camera angle bug on the main map. All of a sudden, the camera angle has changed itself to be too vertical from horizontal. Changing options doesn't do anything. Thank you. Are you telling me that I going to play 100+ hours with a bad camera angle?

    I could forgive anything, except the 5. You can finish the game by auto-resolving every battle, but it can be boring after a while.

    If these bugs / mistakes were not present, this game will be a steady 8/10. But I literally had to abandon it because of them, and I can't see that these bugs going to be fixed, so I can't see I going to play it again or recommend this game to anyone.    … Expand
  8. avaro
    Mar 27, 2020
    2
    Hauling an overrated and boring fantasy setting that pales compared to others the unholy trio of CA, SEGA and GAMES WORKSHOP managed to create this abomination. There is hardly any reason to talk about the predatory and downright lititious DLC practices as everyone has already spoken about it, therefore this review is only about the gameplay.

    Technical: -Total War Warhammer 2 only    Hauling an overrated and boring fantasy setting that pales compared to others the unholy trio of CA, SEGA and GAMES WORKSHOP managed to create this abomination. There is hardly any reason to talk about the predatory and downright lititious DLC practices as everyone has already spoken about it, therefore this review is only about the gameplay.

    Technical:
    -Total War Warhammer 2 only seems like a beautiful game, yet even on ultra it is downright ugly with poor models.
    -This game has a myriad of bugs and glitches that have appeared in the first game raging from mere annoyance to downright game breaking (LOS bug for direct fire units the most insulting).
    -Crashes galore with no discernable reason and no crash report with the most common crash the "battle loading screen" one and best of all no solution to it.
    -Poor perfomance thanks to an old engine coupled with long load times.
    -Poor mod support, alas, don't expect Medieval II levels of modding in this.
    -No patch support as it exist only to accompany DLCs.
    -Ai does not play by the same rules even on normal difficulty, sustaining 2 stacks of troops with only one province.

    CAMPAING:
    -Plenty of unique races that in the end play the same and are just as boring.
    -Small selection of buildings and restrictive building slots since SHOGUN 2 any sort of complexity.
    -No Tax control, no population restiction (only growth) and easy asf to maintain Public Order.
    -No discernable choices in campaing.
    -No unit upgrades making the absurdity of existing 2 tipes of units, for example the High Elves have archer and archer with light (armor) with the latter only costing a little more with better stats (we had an entire system in ATTILA devoted to avoid unit redudancy and saturation while making technology more important).
    -Economy sucks beyond reason far too easy to be swimming in gold.
    -Most bare bones diplomacy in the series and out of place in this "grim fantasy" where everyone is an ****
    -Poor camera controls and UI making a drag to try and micromanage your lords and heroes.
    -Too many AI players doing their stuff resulting in long turn times and being forced to watch every single AI troop move his ass around.
    -On the topic of technology none of it unlocks new units, upgrades, buildings or changes the playstyle of a faction, on the contrary, they are all stats buffs.
    -Resources are not used as restrictions to build units or as means of improving them like in past games, this results in doomstack spam later in the game.
    -To avoiud the doomstack CA had the brillaint idea of making it impossible to have more than one army around (supply lines).
    -Armies are still bound to generals making movement a drag add to that how little movement points there are.
    -Armies still replenish automatically so good luck with guerrila warfare and wars of attrition.

    BATTLES:
    -Most bland total war game out there despite of the different factions.
    -Uses the poor new system of HP and armor which makes ranged weak unless you stack a bunch of bonuses.
    -Ranged units will not shoot because of LOS and obstructions.
    -Terrible selection maps that are also too damn small for any tactical play other than doomstack.
    -Terrain, apart from blocking ranged attacks, have little effect on the tactical play since there is hardly any difference in holding a high ground or not.
    -Battles are still too fast with units.
    -No unit formations as apparently in "grim fantasy" using one's brain to position one's troop is blasphemy.
    -Cavalry still sucks even the fabled Brettonia are eaten alive by the new monstrous units (blame this damn engine and its terrible fluidity) and still get stuck everywhere.
    -Leadership might not even exist as units barely rout in this one even the cowardly skaven will only rout when led by a level 1 lord, add to that fact that units get "broken" meaning they keep returning to pester the other side, because of this they fight to the death most of the time.
    -Not only that but attack on the sides and the rear no longer yields massive gains and quick routing (making ranged and cavalry even weaker).
    -The fantastical elements are no better since all that matters is stats check.
    -Lords are unbalanced with meele ones being unstoppable machines while ranged ones are weak asf.
    -Magic is either underpowered or overpowered with no middle ground.
    -No sea battles even though this game has vampirates.
    -Sieges are at its worst with no towns to fight on, to burn and civilians to kill ala ATTILA ( add to that no towers to aid the garrison).
    -Cities are a pain to siege thanks to overpowered towers, long siege-holdouts and instant ladders.

    When you add the consumer unfriendly policy of CA , it is safe to say that the entire purpose of the Total War Warhammer series is to be a plataform for selling DLC and for this, I have no hope that the third entry in the seires will be any different.    … Expand
  9. nobugs
    Apr 9, 2021
    0
    Worst game ever made. thank god sega doesnt make consoles anymore. It is well known that SEGA implements AI that cheats if you are doing too well. They ruined Company of Heroes and Total War. They cant even make a decent sonic game anymore. If i ever meet a SEGA employee, i have 2 middle fingers waiting to flick you off! They should call is White Hammer since they hate nonwhite people soWorst game ever made. thank god sega doesnt make consoles anymore. It is well known that SEGA implements AI that cheats if you are doing too well. They ruined Company of Heroes and Total War. They cant even make a decent sonic game anymore. If i ever meet a SEGA employee, i have 2 middle fingers waiting to flick you off! They should call is White Hammer since they hate nonwhite people so much there isnt 1 man or woman character that is not white… Expand
  10. Gme
    Mar 18, 2020
    2
    The dumbing down of the franchise continues. Now with added bad performance.
  11. xorbane
    Aug 9, 2020
    4
    Playable only on mid difficulty level if you really want the Total War experience, which is a very bad thing for HC strategy games fans and for TW fans. All the higher difficulty levels are mostly about exploiting AI stupidity or using some silly cheeses so there is almost nothing in the strategy dimension, core units no longer have the passive/active skills that can turn the battle tides,Playable only on mid difficulty level if you really want the Total War experience, which is a very bad thing for HC strategy games fans and for TW fans. All the higher difficulty levels are mostly about exploiting AI stupidity or using some silly cheeses so there is almost nothing in the strategy dimension, core units no longer have the passive/active skills that can turn the battle tides, all melee units are the same garbage so this game on legendary difficulty level is just about getting some giant flying monster and support it with archers and artillery to harass the enemy for eternity while eating a sandwich and thinking about some Mia Khalifa.… Expand
  12. Tornan
    May 3, 2018
    0
    This full priced dlc is worth playing If you don't have Totalwar :Warhammer
  13. adrianho
    Oct 2, 2017
    3
    As a long time fan of Games Workshops’ IP’s Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k, when the Total War team announced they were using the Warhammer IP to create Total War: Warhammer I was ecstatic. Having over 200 hours logged into the first title, I was very much anticipating the hotly announced sequel – announced a year after the first game, and being released less than a week ago. TotalAs a long time fan of Games Workshops’ IP’s Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k, when the Total War team announced they were using the Warhammer IP to create Total War: Warhammer I was ecstatic. Having over 200 hours logged into the first title, I was very much anticipating the hotly announced sequel – announced a year after the first game, and being released less than a week ago. Total War: Warhammer is a fantastic blend of fantasy and large scale war simulating, and its campaign mode had me hooked. Creative Assembly uses their almost neurotic attention to detail to craft an aesthetically gorgeous display of war – every single person in their legion is unique and detailed. Even the artwork throughout the game lends a fantasy beauty that feels unique to Warhammer – but of course its derivative of Tolkien’s legendarium, which becomes obvious to anyone who is familiar with both canons.

    The old industry adage goes that ‘sequels never work’ – but this isn’t necessarily true, for example, look at the Godfather II, or the new Mad Max. When sequels succeed, it’s usually because they attempt something innovative, but still remain a homage to the original, and this is where Total War: Warhammer II fails horribly. When we examine feature AAA titles critically, critics tear apart IP’s like Call of Duty or sports games like Fifa for being derivative of its predecessors; the criticism isn’t important though, as, much like superhero films, they chain these releases because they guarantee a safe profit and return on investment, as commercial audiences want these releases based on the quality of the IP. Warhammer II more or less received nothing but critical acclaim, and objectively, it’s deserved. Warhammer II is a fantastic title with unique and re-playable gameplay and engaging characters and armies; a.k.a. a total delight for any fans of Total War or Warhammer. Warhammer II introduces new stories and four new races, but it feels like a glorified expansion/DLC.
    The user interface is completely the same, and the base image assets for every mechanical choice in the game is the same – everything down to the sound assets and loading screens borrow the exact same outline as its predecessor, so why did the game receive critical acclaim? It’s an arguably more polished version of the first one, and that makes it better. So why did Creative Assembly feel the need to release this a feature title with an MSRP of $71.99 CAD? Another age old adage is of course ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it’ and of course that rings true. But Firaxis rolled out patches for Civilization V that drastically changed the game until they felt it was right; and their sequel, Civilization VI not only changed almost every internal mechanic, but the aesthetic style as well. The game industry shouldn’t be monotonous and derivative like it is now – new and exciting experiences in gaming comes from innovation, so why don’t companies risks in their sequels – because of money. And hey, I love Warhammer 2, so I guess I’m just another sucker.    … Expand
  14. alex_dragon
    Oct 3, 2017
    0
    All of us needs to wait a month for the god damn Blood and Gore pack. its impossible to play without it. Battles dont feel immersive and lacking. And it was not mention Blood pack will not be in the release.

    Now all of us have to wait for it. Waited on 28th hoping to see blood for the blood god but nope. its cucked and now all that hype dies down. so the true release of the game is    All of us needs to wait a month for the god damn Blood and Gore pack. its impossible to play without it. Battles dont feel immersive and lacking. And it was not mention Blood pack will not be in the release.

    Now all of us have to wait for it. Waited on 28th hoping to see blood for the blood god but nope. its cucked and now all that hype dies down. so the true release of the game is actually a month later.    … Expand
  15. StrangerMerso
    Jun 19, 2021
    0
    **** retarded garbage with broken gameplay
    0 balance
    100 random ****
    also waiting simulator
  16. noglitcheandbug
    Jan 11, 2020
    0
    This game is a waste of time. They could have done better. This is no better than total war was 10+ years ago. I can whole heartedly say **** TOTAL WAR! THIS IS THE WORST TOTAL WAR GAME EVER MADE. PREDATORY AND GREEDY! FAME IS RIGGED WHERE KILLING A FACTIONS WHILE ARMY AND ALL BUT 1 SETTLEMENT, THEY CAN MAKE A GIANT ARMY LARGER THAN YOURS AND TRANSPORT IT ACROSS THE SEA ALL IN 1 TURN.This game is a waste of time. They could have done better. This is no better than total war was 10+ years ago. I can whole heartedly say **** TOTAL WAR! THIS IS THE WORST TOTAL WAR GAME EVER MADE. PREDATORY AND GREEDY! FAME IS RIGGED WHERE KILLING A FACTIONS WHILE ARMY AND ALL BUT 1 SETTLEMENT, THEY CAN MAKE A GIANT ARMY LARGER THAN YOURS AND TRANSPORT IT ACROSS THE SEA ALL IN 1 TURN. WARHAMMER 2 IS RIGGED!… Expand
  17. CAsucksballs111
    Nov 21, 2017
    1
    there are tons of different factions for this game after the Mortal empires patch, but if you are not Skaven you lose in multiplayer. Nuff said. GL playing trash tier factions such as beastmen/WE/VC(yes they are trash after nerf) and expect to win LMAO. awful multiplayer, no skill based matchmaking totally random. can either match you with a complete newbie one game and a cheese spammingthere are tons of different factions for this game after the Mortal empires patch, but if you are not Skaven you lose in multiplayer. Nuff said. GL playing trash tier factions such as beastmen/WE/VC(yes they are trash after nerf) and expect to win LMAO. awful multiplayer, no skill based matchmaking totally random. can either match you with a complete newbie one game and a cheese spamming pro the other game. LOL no skill required to win either, just spam things the other factions cannot deal with and last minute faction switch to gain the advantage since this game does not hide your faction choices. LOL. CA devs are terrible at multiplayer and clueless about balancing. Be prepared to spend more money for OP dlc units/lords like they did with warhammer 1. Yes im looking at you boris/red duke.
    Singleplayer is fine but you are still at disadvantage if you dont have dlc since ai will acess to all the DLC units regardless if you have brought the DLCs    … Expand
  18. GrumpySarcasm
    Jun 20, 2023
    4
    I feel very conflicted about this game. I have spent over a 100 hours in this game but the longer you play the more the faults of the game shine through.

    My main complaint is that the campaign AI is TERRIBLE. In order for the AI to be competitive they receive massive bonuses to everythin. Some examples: The AI cannot be relied upon to build the correct buildings so they will just have    I feel very conflicted about this game. I have spent over a 100 hours in this game but the longer you play the more the faults of the game shine through.

    My main complaint is that the campaign AI is TERRIBLE. In order for the AI to be competitive they receive massive bonuses to everythin. Some examples:
    The AI cannot be relied upon to build the correct buildings so they will just have the ability to recruit whatever units they want no matter the buildings. They get enormous bonuses population growth and happiness. These are just a couple of examples, and this means that a strategy to make the enemy populace rebel is just impossible because the AI gets such a huge bonus to population happiness.

    Only one map. I get that this is the warhammer world map. But the game would just be infinitely more replayable if it was not the same map every time.

    Diplomacy is useless and only serves to be annoying. The mod "no diplomacy" is basically a requirement to play this game without going insane.

    Units and combat tactics are very poorly balanced.

    This game is fun in the beginning, but the more you play the more the problems with the game become obvious. In my opinion the DLC monetization model has failed this game. Instead of improving the game they are adding more unique lords and unbalanced units.    … Expand
  19. Deathseller
    Feb 17, 2022
    0
    The game is just crashes on the launch. I tried all the fixes that are proposed on the Internet and non of them helped.
  20. APBLVHC
    Jun 14, 2022
    2
    Very weak optimization. Intel cpu based game only. A shame. A game of 2017, running poorly on a 2020 pc. Absolutely shameful.
  21. Gover
    Aug 5, 2022
    0
    This game is pretty good, not the biggest fan of RTS, but I can enjoy this game for its value.
  22. taylor50737
    May 26, 2023
    2
    Very buggy. Worst game in the whole series! Very greedy company, dont buy their game.

Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best PC Game of 2017
31
#31 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
14
#14 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 69
  3. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. The Digital Fix
    Mar 25, 2019
    90
    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.
    Read full review
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 16, 2018
    100
    An innovative, original structure built on the solid foundations of the first game has exceedingly succeeded. Who was afraid that at second Warhammer developers will lose their breath, was terribly mistaken. [Issue#279]
  3. GameCritics
    Jan 23, 2018
    85
    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.
    Read full review
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