Total War: Warhammer 3 Review – AN EPIC FINALE?

Have you ever thought to yourself “Man, I wish we had a Total War game with Gods, demons, and every evil thing under the sun”? Well, if you have, then you’re in luck! Total War: Warhammer 3 takes everything you know and love from the previous entries and builds on it with a great story and interesting game mechanics.

Warhammer 3’s Dark Narrative

The story for Total War: Warhammer 3 is actually quite good, if at times a little vague. Playing the prologue first is kinda necessary to get a good understanding of what has happened. Even though it can take a while to work through the prologue, it sets up the events of the main game perfectly. Well except for the seer, not quite sure where he came from.

You start the game as Yuri, a Kislevite warrior looking for his God, Ursun. In the prologue, you follow his quest to discover what happened to Ursun. In the main game, however, you choose to play as 1 of 8 factions as the story picks up after Yuri’s quest has concluded. Each faction gives you a slightly different story. The ultimate goal always remains the same. However, the way each faction achieves that goal differs. This is just expertly done. Each faction has their own traditions, tactics, and intricate systems and you have to play the game according to the faction you choose.

Now even though the story is very intriguing, in the prologue it kinda takes more of a back seat in the main game. Honestly, it’s not a bad thing. You still get bits and pieces here and there, directing you where to go or who to conquer. But once you’re in the main game, you’re 100% sure of what you need to do… Well, 90% sure.

Letting You Play How You Want

When it comes to gameplay, Warhammer 3 is mostly great. To start off with, maneuvering around the map and systematically taking out your enemies reminds me of one of my favourite games, Crusader Kings 3. Except Warhammer 3 has a much better-looking map and a less intricate diplomacy system. The ability to make several armies so you can chase down an enemy and corner them is just so satisfying.

The added benefit of Total War: Warhammer 3 is that you can go into the battle and personally control your units. This has its good and not-so-good points. The good thing is that being tactical actually helps with defeating your enemy. Things like hiding cavalry in the trees till the last moment or claiming the high ground are very useful. The problem is that once the fighting starts, it can very quickly turn into a brawl and become stagnant. There is however, a couple of game mechanics to help with this. Like speeding up time or making groups of several units to help with deploying your troops. However, you will still find that 95% of the time it just turns into an all-out brawl.

The best thing is that you can play to however you want. Whether you wish to actually fight the battles or worry more about placing your armies in strategic positions, it’s all up to you. The only downfall with Total War: Warhammer 3 is the loading screens. Going into a new campaign, battle, travelling to the realm of Chaos – it all takes a long time to load. Meaning, even with some great gameplay, lore and story, the game can become a little frustrating.

The Gorgeous Art Design of Warhammer 3

Now comes the art design of Total War: Warhammer 3. Honestly, I love it. The clips aren’t your high-budget cinematic clips, and you know what, they are perfect. The art design in them is awesome and ties in perfectly with the look of the main game. Each clip you get when you start a campaign with a new faction is just so enjoyable to watch. Not to mention how awesome the map looks with the different locations and their different environments.

However, my favourite part of the whole game is how you can customize the different characters. Even though most of the characters in the game can’t be customised, there is one character who can and he is awesome.

Decision

If you enjoy top-down real-time strategy games, then Total War: Warhammer 3 is a must-play. The story is intriguing and stock full of lore. The gameplay is reminiscent of other great real-time strategy titles with its own flare, and the art design looks incredible. Honestly, there is so much more to the game than what I have covered here, with its intricate systems and gameplay. Even though the loading times can make the game frustrating, once you’re actually playing it’s a lot of fun.

By Dillon Van Der Putten – Reviewed on PC

Excellent

Total War: Warhammer 3 Builds upon everything set out in the previous titles. It expands on the lore with an incredibly intriguing, yet dark story and keeps all the game mechanics you know and love from previous Total War games. The freedom to play exactly how you want is incredibly enjoyable, peppered in with some awesome artwork showcased in the maps and cutscenes.

This game was reviewed using a download code provided by SEGA. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.