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Few games have managed to combine RTS and grand strategy into a seamless orchestra of war and politics. Hence, the Total War series holds a special place in every strategy gamer’s heart. The only issue is that there are too many of them now to count. With the dwindling man-hours of chair-commander dads and employed bachelors out there, it’s only a strategic choice to pick favorites among Total War games.
So whether you’re into fantasy wargaming or historical revisionism, these are the best Total War games worthy of your time (and your turns).
10. Total War: Pharaoh (2023)
Once you see past the corporate acrobatics that hamstrung the support for Total War: Pharaoh, it’s actually a decent game. To date, Pharaoh has the most advanced graphics out of all the Total War games. It at least gave us all a glimpse of the Bronze Age in Creative Assembly’s vision.
And while the war theater choice might have been more limited due to the glaring lack of agile cavalry, Total War: Pharaoh actually made bold decisions to improve or overhaul some of the most dated mechanics in the franchise that existed as far back as Medieval 2. Also, Sea Peoples!
9. Total War: Warhammer 3 (2022)
Being the final entry in the Total War: Warhammer trilogy, Warhammer 3 had a lot riding on its shoulders. Unfortunately, it buckled under the weight of the expectations. There were also some harsh decisions such as barring a big chunk of the Immortal Empires factions for anyone who didn’t buy the entire $100+ trilogy collection (prior to current discounts).
Without Immortal Empires, Total War: Warhammer 3 can be a polarizing or even bare experience, especially for Warhammer fans. Still, Warhammer 3 also somehow managed to fix the rather derpy diplomacy of the previous Total War games while improving on the vast variety of Warhammer‘s asymmetrical warfare.
8. Total War: Rome 2 (2013)
Speaking of getting crushed under the weight of expectations and variety, Total War: Rome 2 is quite similar to Warhammer 3. It was supposed to be the belated improvement over the legendary Rome: Total War (more on that later). However, the launch was quite a nightmare and quite possibly the most disappointing in the franchise.
It took several years for Rome 2 to be polished. However, if you can forgive it for a rather troubled first impression, Total War: Rome 2 offers the most variety out of the historical Total War games. The epic scope and shiny graphics that aged well to this day make it harder to go back to the pre-2013 Total War titles.
7. Total War: Medieval 2 (2006)
Total War: Medieval 2 is an important jump in the Total War saga’s graphical development since it was the title that finally introduced individual soldier variation. Prior to Medieval 2, your armies were clones, and re-watching your replays was less immersive.
But more than that, Total War: Medieval 2‘s Medieval Europe and Mediterranean coasts were one of the most interesting historical playgrounds. You had the Pope throwing a tantrum if you didn’t retake Jerusalem, princesses as bargaining tokens, and of course, knights. It’s a shame Creative Assembly still hasn’t followed it up with an expectedly glorious Medieval 3.
6. Total War: Warhammer (2016)
By mid-2010, the historical Total War formula was becoming, well, too formulaic. Hence, Total War: Warhammer was the revitalization that the whole franchise needed. It brought Warhammer’s asymmetrical wargaming into Total War‘s scope and presentation, making it not just one of the best Total War games, but also one of the best Warhammer games ever.
The spell system, varied factions, and more immersive storytelling inadvertently made the historical Total War games feel like bland textbooks by comparison. Total War: Warhammer had enough Warhammer flavor to sate the wargamer fans while balancing it with the simpler tabletop factions to usher in the historical fans. The result is a near-perfect transition into a new horizon for Total War, one that changed the franchise forever.
5. Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019)
Total War: Three Kingdoms had to step up the game after Total War: Warhammer stole the historical fans’ hearts. For the most part, it was a success. Three Kingdoms is arguably the most polished historical Total War game. It even introduced some sorely needed, fresh mechanics and overhauls to diplomacy.
Moreover, the optional Romance mode — which allowed you to have Dynasty Warriors-style generals, ensured that there was something for everyone in Total War: Three Kingdoms. It’s a shame the support was cut short too early — a Mongol Horde or Genghis Khan DLC or expansion would’ve been amazing.
4. Total War: Empire (2009)
Say what you will about Total War: Empire‘s complexity, but save for the Warhammer titles, Empire is the most ambitious Total War game. The whole world was your war theater, and Empire was thus notable for introducing naval combat to the franchise. It wasn’t perfect or accessible, but it looked spectacular.
Total War: Empire also had its host of problems such as the factions feeling too similar — such is the case for colonial warfare. However, it’s currently the most modern take on the historical Total War formula and the only Total War game to give you the world as your playground. That’s quite the achievement.
3. Total War: Rome (2004)
Total War: Rome was what the whole franchise needed to become somewhat of a household name. At the time (2004), 3D graphics weren’t as ubiquitous in video games. So when Total War: Rome entered the scene with its fully 3D recreation of battlefields, it was like being teleported to the future of gaming and the past of humanity at the same time.
Total War: Rome was so groundbreaking back then that The History Channel used the game for its documentaries and shows, especially when portraying the battles of antiquity. The game itself was a masterpiece for the strategy genre that even Rome 2 — released a decade later, could barely live up to its predecessor.
2. Total War: Warhammer 2 (2017)
Out of all the Total War: Warhammer trilogy, Warhammer 2 is debatably the best among them. If you only have the budget for one game and none of the DLCs, Total War: Warhammer 2 will give you the least amount of regret (though I still recommend getting the whole trilogy for Warhammer 3‘s grand Immortal Empires campaign).
Warhammer 2‘s story, faction diversity, and polish on release were commendable, in hindsight. It was an improvement over the already praiseworthy Total War: Warhammer. Additionally, the focus on the Lizardmen, Tomb Kings, Vampire Coast, and Skaven makes Warhammer 2 feel relatively less generic.
1. Total War: Shogun 2 (2011)
One of the reasons why Total War: Rome 2 had a rough reception, was because Total War: Shogun 2 came before it and it was the quintessential historical Total War experience. It had the interesting Shogun campaign mechanic similar to the Papal overload in Medieval 2 and the minimalist Japanese aesthetic that made the UI a delight to experience.
Moreover, the unit animations were majestic. Watching thousands of fully armored and colorful samurai decapitate and dismember one another under a rain of cherry blossoms never gets old. If you get the DLC that adds more gunpowder warfare, then it’s a complete Total War experience since Shogun 2 also has naval combat. We can only hope that Creative Assembly paints another masterpiece with the rather timely Shogun 3. If and when.
