A Complete Beginner's Guide to Every Total War Game in 2023

[@AndysTake]

Wanna take down both demons AND rebel scoundrels as an American revolutionary war-inspired army with rifles and cannons? AND do it all with friends?! Then Arcane Wilds sounds like just the game for you! Check out the free playtest and wishlist the game on Steam right here: store.steampowered.com/app/1492050/Arcane_Wilds/

[@colinvandervoort8047]

We need better forts and towers in the new games. On the battle and grand campagne-maps!

[@chronosschiron]

they blew it with phaoroh , had they had the gods of egypt it would be a buy...as it doesn't its a meh whatever game if they did this for each region like UK/ireland and hte ancient celtic gods and then germany and its tribes and gods and maybe add nordic vikings and gods then it kinda is fun do like troy where you can have historic or myth that i bet they add this as several dlc for phaorah cause of the number of gods well shows the absolute greed that CA has become

[@Matt4412-j7o]

Love shogun 2 and ready to play one of the other games from the pre-guns era. Which game has the best fort siege gameplay? I'm leaning more towards Atilla, Rome 2 & three kingdoms for the larger maps and gameplay over thrones or medieval 2's heavy influence on religion

[@griffglowen5555]

I would love an Empire 2. The game had so much potential with the incredible world scale but loads of things that get in the way of enjoying it.

[@cal4310]

I think a lot of us would, but I honestly can’t see CA going near that time period given political correctness is the way it is today. I feel like they’d see it as opening themselves up to the firing squad.

[@sethanpayne6324]

I think Warhammer opened up a new light on Empire. Now, we could get a huge world map and not have problems. Maybe they we’re waiting until after it was tested to make a world sized historical game.

[@vietnguyenhoang5795]

A combination of Napoleon and Empire would be better.The grandeur and polished combat and minimalistic management of territories and grand scale would be awesome all in all.

[@ludvikisnes1628]

we got egypt instead :.(

[@justinaccount9920]

There will be a medieval 3 so I am down for that

[@Doweyyy]

One thing you didn't mention which is sorely missing from the newer Total War Games.. The "weight" of units. In Rome & Medieval 2 units on the battle map had real weight and you could almost feel them colliding. Units didn't glide around as they do in the later games.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

Those two were like particle physics simulations.

[@TheEtherGaming550]

You are delusional. As a person who never played these two old games in my childhood because I was more like RPG person back then, so I don't have any nostalgic feelings when I played Medieval 2 in current days I can tell you that this game don't make you feel weight of units at all, units touch, and that's it, there is no blood, mud or anything, animations are feeling like they were made out of wood and nails, this game is shit and the only way to change it is making Medieval 3, also the only way to save this shitty company. I don't judge your deep feeling of nostalgia because I'm the victim of nostalgia as well, but you need to open your eyes to flaws of old games you played back then.

[@TheShmrsh]

What a shame

[@akrav1983]

Great effort on this video. Though I do think that Shogun 1 and Medieval 1, can show how far we came in gaming in general. For me Medieval 2 will always be the best, but I recognize that adding a fantasy setting is a neat idea.

[@AndysTake]

Thank you for the kind words, my friend!

[@maksc3781]

On my wishlist are: Shogun 3 Medieval 3 Empire 2 Sometimes they should also improve what has worked and not always reinvent the wheel.

[@chengfei-ev9fb]

In foreign countries, as in China, Chinese players want to be able to play these games.

[@WowBlankpage]

were you able to get them?

[@d-boi9785]

Empire 2 is napoleon basically

[@niuiz796]

​@@d-boi9785 no.

[@cassianoeberhardt]

That's the dream 🥹

[@poorfinnishpeasant911]

In Attila, if you play as eastern rome, the key is to not use money because they have the trait of interest and in like turn 20 u have unlimited amount of money, very easy. And in Empire, the key is to send one cheap ship to each point, no matter if its destroyed or the spot is occupied but its a huge boost in money.

[@orangekitty377]

Just did a medieval 2 campaign last weekend and agree with all your points 100% can't wait for them to announce medieval 3

[@AndysTake]

Glad to hear it ;)

[@JuveVinny]

That would be a dream come true.

[@Bonjubu]

Medieval 2 was my first total war and I got instantly hooked.

[@damic3237]

Medieval 2 and Shogun 2 were truly peak of Total War series. The amount of mods for Med2 is astonishing!

[@ScottishRebel]

stainless steel mod brings medieval 2 to a whole new level

[@MarkNOTW]

@@ScottishRebel I couldnt keep SS from glitching

[@MyTardisGoWhoosh]

How the hell do you install the mods???.. I'd buy the game but can't figure out how to do it

[@damic3237]

@@MyTardisGoWhoosh There is a lot of guides, it also depends on the specific mod, but there always should be guide with every mod you're downloading

[@incurableromantic4006]

I just finished a short campaign from Shogun 1 from 2000, and it's still surprisingly playable and atmospheric. Though the battle mechanics have definitely aged worse than the campaign. I'm a TW fan boy, and although I definitely have games I love more and less: I don't think there's ever been a really bad TW edition.

[@AndysTake]

That's great to hear! Yeah the only truly bad thing about certain TW games I can think of is that performance can sometimes be trash, or that they shipped and remain rather buggy. And of course, from an "educated" point of view, there are things one can dislike and find disappointing. But objectively bad? Yeah I think you're right, Total War games do remain above a minimum level of quality which is nice to see.

[@MsSirAndy]

I can't wait for shogun 1 and medieval 1 to be remastered. Do you agree guys?

[@incurableromantic4006]

@@AndysTake Yeah - they do definitely glitch now and again.

[@christianlacroix4]

Why Shogun 1 remastered when you have the excelent Shogun 2? Just finished a RotS and a FotS campaign, love the prep time before RD and LOVE the fast paced campaign where you can upgrade cities extremely fast turnwise.

[@jaywerner8415]

@@MsSirAndy I admire your optimism. But NOT LIKELY! The graphics might be a little too out of date to really bring up to snuff. (its litterly sprite work) Im not saying its impossible but HIGHLY unlikely, they did Rome Remastered because it was the game that PUT TOTAL WAR ON THE MAP. And if they have any sense will do Med 2 next, then MAYBE a Empire Remaster with better Battle AI.

[@KaiserOfPrussia0910]

I think that a Lord of the Rings game would be best for the series. It will satisfy both fantasy and history fans because Lotr is what I would describe as “historical fantasy” with everything feeling more realistic. Hell, it’s even set in a medieval world

[@spiffygonzales5160]

Lord of the rings is not historical fantasy. It's high fantasy. Regardless, historical total war players won't be happy till the gameplay moves away from the arcade nonesene.

[@YuriSteiner04]

The problem is not about fantasy nor historical though. The issue is about the old mechanics (Shogun 2 and back) vs new/removed mechanics (Rome 2 and onwards).

[@armelior4610]

It already exists : just google medieval 2 mods, the LotR one is so big that there are mods for the mod ^^ I know there is also one for attila or rome 2 but I don't know if it's been released or WIP

[@mildlyderanged]

​@@spiffygonzales5160 "historical players won't be happy" There, fixed that for you, historical total war players are the most miserable fanbase I've ever encountered, a bunch of tedious moaners who complain every release that CA hasn't just released Medieval 2 again.

[@spiffygonzales5160]

@@mildlyderanged Nah. They just expect a decent game. Unlike Warhammer players, who legit buy individual pieces of plastic for a hundred dollars and act like it's a good deal

[@seloimperija]

2004 Rome Total War is an undisputable masterpiece

[@aalbero]

my childhood dream game

[@dannygld23]

For me, Rome 2 was my first TW game so I love it quite a lot. Though i do recognize the great mechanics that the earlier games had too. They just gotta take the favorite bits of each one and make a game with that lol

[@tristanvanvalckenborgh4817]

Imagine WW1 as a total war game where you can dig your trenches front and back lines. Order men to attack in ranged combat using rifles or melee charge using bayonets. Also don't forget about fighter and bomber aircraft and helium balloons to see further behind enemy lines just like it was in this time period. Last but not least TANKS to crush enemy trench lines and destroying houses in villages that you can take as defense points.

[@David3-j6z]

Napoleon total war ww1 mod

[@t.b.1568]

The problem with WW1 is in the west it was mostly a trench war with practically no movement. Maybe a WW1 scenario in the east would be nice.

[@tristanvanvalckenborgh4817]

@@t.b.1568 Also in the east it was a trench war but it is way less spoken about compared to the western front. Just like in WW2 you know more what happened on the western front then on the eastern front. So yes maybe a game on the eastern front would be great but i believe that there was as much trench war as in the west. Its just not talked about.

[@t.b.1568]

@@tristanvanvalckenborgh4817 at the eastern front there was massive troop movement in comparison to the western front with big forward pushes.

[@tristanvanvalckenborgh4817]

@@t.b.1568 maybe but it was still a trench war

[@gm2407]

You didnt cover Medieval I, but my favourite mechanic was that every unit had a named character leader. So if you lose the character you lose the unit. You can give titles to characters increasing loyalty and how well the region is administered. It was awesome and something I miss from subsequent games. Sure Rome I had individual units, but having those be named characters would be better. It also shows how hard it was to promote on merit when you have lower social status leaders with better stats have to serve higher status leaders.

[@SWDarmanfan1998]

Shogun II / Fall of the Samurai and Empire are love! Wish we would get another game in these time periods.

[@AEspiral]

Three kingdoms is the best total ever made in my opinion, it only lacks a proper horde mechanic for some factions, like Liu Bei for instance. If you don't know the setting get Dynasty Warriors 8 (not the 9) that it will tell you the whole history (or story) of the period. And then when you play three kingdoms everything will make sense, including the faction mechanics and the relationship between leaders.

[@carlosvilleta9125]

Great game and actually very underrated but honestly the best game for me gotta be Rome 2

[@AEspiral]

@@carlosvilleta9125 I have a lot of hours in Rome 2. It is fun, but to me it is too easy. After the early game it is mostly a steamroll. But yes, Rome 2 is fun. But if I had to choose a single total war game would be 3k for sure.

[@cheungchingtong]

Tbh, me being a Chinese doubt what the Dynasty Warriors can show the history or story, but anyway Liu Bei as a horde faction, it depends on what period of the late Han Dynasty the game want to present you.

[@ViktoriousDead]

Lol ok

[@AEspiral]

@@cheungchingtong i mean, to actually be able to change place as liu bei did in real history, in game as far as i know you can't lose everything and begin anew on the other side of the map as Liu Bei did.

[@Derp_Moo]

This is what we need

[@AndysTake]

Hope it's useful to some people :D

[@ElderGod4]

The best campaign memories I have from shogun 2. The most interesting factions are from warhammer . The most intense campaigns I had in attila . The most beautiful was three kindoms . But by far the greatest battles I have ever fought by a mileeee is .. napoleon . Dude that game , playing online was insaneee. Ive never felt anything since so intense so strategical so epic! Made me feel like a general in the 18 century .

[@bernard3303]

Thats really nice, but j heard the ai on the other hand isnt really good right?

[@DavesDisco]

Thanks!

[@AndysTake]

Wow thank you so much, man, I really appreciate it!

[@Wltrwllyngaeiou]

I think that the modern conception of DLC has shaped the way we see Barbarian Invasion. It honestly feels like a completely new experience compared to the original game, not just a side mode.

[@vetabeta9890]

thank you, i started total war last month and so far have only tried rome 2, shogun 2 (my fav) and warhammer 3 (so laggy for me) so this really helped me see what else to do

[@AndysTake]

Great to hear, glad I could help! :)

[@123telamon]

You should try warhammer 1. This is my favourite warhammer between the 3 titles. I dont even like warhammer 3

[@MIloszKluski]

9:07 You are talking about Rome but this part of the video on the timeline is still marked as "Pharaoh"

[@centurion7398]

Rome 1 still has the absolute best soundtrack in total war.

[@tylerman39]

I love all the changes Rome 2 made 🤷‍♂️

[@AndysTake]

Damn, must be nice! What makes you love them then?

[@xer1858]

the only thing i really hate is the general/army shit

[@darkcognitive]

I’d love a Medieval 3 ….because come on, who wouldnt? But if im being completely honest, i kind of miss the guns and cannons from Napoleon, there was just something epic about lining up 10 cannons interspersed in your front line while the enemy marches towards you, getting utterly eviscerated by cannon fire!…. It was atmospheric as hell as well……. I can just imagine how awesome a Napoleon 2 would look with todays graphics tech.

[@midshipman8654]

I actually like medieval 2’s delayed order response for stationary and engaged units. it makes it feel a little more like you are giving out orders and have to account for exicution time instead of hving turn on a dime omni control of movement in a really gamey sort of way.

[@LyricalDJ]

Especially noticeable with crossbows because of the time they take to load their weapons.

[@midshipman8654]

@@LyricalDJ yah, I liked how I played different with them from archers. crossbows where a lot better turtling behind infantry while archer where better at skirmishing. Most crossbows dealing better damage and often having a higher defence to compensate.

[@cerdic6586]

Loved medieval 2. The morale system was the most realistic, especially with the fun dread attribute of generals. One thing I hate about later games, especially Rome 2, is the prevalence of situations where even an exhausted levy unit will hold after incurring 80% casualties. Breaking the spirit of an army with strategy is far more rewarding than a brutal brawl to the death.

[@audendavis9422]

0:21 I actually play Medieval 1. It's still a great game and there's something about old games that I like.

[@patgray5402]

Rome 1 is my all time favourite total war and I haven't played one yet that has surpassed it.

[@Matso444]

great video as usual Andy!

[@AndysTake]

Thank you so much, bro!

[@Kappaclaus46]

Technically the original rome total war is still buyable, the give you a copy of the original rome total war collection when you buy the remastered on steam

[@snowypods9812]

It's midnight in Australia, I will finish watching in the morning.

[@AndysTake]

Excited to hear your thoughts!

[@Punggles]

Phenomenal video! It made me want to just play every title more tbh

[@AndysTake]

Thank you, Punggles! :D Honestly they're all good in their own ways. I just... I want a Medieval 2 remaster to be honest!

[@dman1988]

I played almost all of them. Rome 1 and Medieval 2 were the best. It's not only about features and gameplay. The atmosphere counts as well. It's just those old games were much better at.

[@edgar-sama642]

I'm thinking to get Shogun 2, its less than 2 dollars on steam

[@xdeser2949]

medieval 2 is a fantastic game but its mod scene is really whats kept it legendary. DaC for Third Age Total War is the best lotr game hands down in addition to standing up to any mainline total war game in its own right (also good lord the Dunedain campaign is probably the hardest tw campaign that exists). I still think about the Stainless Steel 6.4 campaign I played like 5 years ago now when the Mongols made a B-Line for Paris right when they showed up when I was playing as France.

[@MyTardisGoWhoosh]

How tf do you install the mods???

[@stephengrigg5988]

​@@MyTardisGoWhooshI'm with you there. I have it on steam and am an idiot with a computer. It doesn't have the workshop like other games and that's as far as my computer skills takes me

[@noodle8881]

installing it is not easy indeed, i keep a zip file in case i ever lose it@@stephengrigg5988 drive.google.com/file/d/1zp9k5vYUsprMP4ygUwf_1BhVII4eDRhA/view?usp=sharing for nonsteam unzip here medieval II total war\mods, steam version /Steam/SteamApps/Common/Medieval II Total War/Mods when you have more question feel free to ask, not sure if i can provide official DL links

[@cloverraven]

The way you talk about Troy makes me so happy.

[@sdnnvs]

Synchronic hierarchy of the best TW to play TODAY, not at the time they were released: 3K > Empire > Attila > Shogun 2

[@FxnWaySheGoes]

I started with shogun 2 but its Rome 2 that really gripped me, i love the siege battles lol

[@darkranger116]

The best playing experience you can have with a total war game currently is with the Dive and Conquer Lord of the Rings mod for Medieval 2. If it was 2017 i might have said its the warhammer games, but after seeing where they went and what happened to them? I'm just sad at this point. Like yeah there are factions that play differently on the campaign map, but when it comes to actual battles nearly every faction plays almost exactly the same, or purhapse, another more accurate way of putting it, every "unit type" plays nearly exactly the same. Divide and Conquer has some crust to it sure, but the actual FEELING of being a commander and seeing your cockamamie plans actually work and win you the day? Really hard to find elsewhere outside of Napoleon and Shogun 2. I have 3000+ hrs between all the warhammer titles, and yet still, nothing ive done in those games has ever compared to holding Brandy-wine Bridge with nothing but lumberjacks, hobbit stone throwers and farmhand pikeman against an end game force of isengard urukai. There was no way my hobbits and farmers should have won, but hot damn by the power of Eru Ilúvatar, they were able to pull out a win because of my strategic insanity. I cant remember the last time a total war match vs AI made me feel like that, and thinking about it constantly makes me go back and play a campaign at least once a month.

[@craftsmenMC]

Medieval 2 and Empire are my personal favorites, Medieval for the battles and music and Empire for the campaign ( though I wish there were more regions)

[@MHGFTW]

14:40 I might come back to this game for that mod.

[@fouadalkhamy6413]

very informative video and good effort

[@carlosvilleta9125]

Rome 2 is definitely my favorite but honestly i love almost all of total war games😂

[@isken6593]

a GOT setting would be so amazing, I think it's perfect for total war. It would be the first to be both historical and fantasy. It would make sense gameplay wise for everyone to kill eachother to access THE throne, maybe even an alliance and betrayal mechanic The diversity of the factions, the rich Lannisters, the battle hardened northmen, the dothraki horde, the ironborns with their fleet and Island, the targaryans with their dragons, the wildlings raids, the white walkers and their undead army chaos invasion style The rich lore ..

[@stephengrigg5988]

I've been thinking that for years, it lines up perfectly. Crossing GoT total war with Crusader Kings features has always been my dream game.

[@ProudFilthyCasual]

I would love that. Or even perhaps Mount and Blade of Thrones!

[@brutaldom]

⁠@@ProudFilthyCasualthere is a mod for Mount & Blade 2 to basically make it into GoT. Same goes for CK3. Only reason I own both games haha. Still surprising to me how non-existence the GoT universe is within the gaming world. A game of that kind would break the world

[@LibeliumDragonfly]

Am I the only person still wishing for a Empire 2 that has the entire world?

[@zacflemo1994]

i have over 1100 hrs on rome 2, still enjoy the gameplay too this day

[@Welther47]

5:11 This is probably the ONE thing we never needed simulated in video games - the mood swings of the fairer sex :D

[@adammac4960]

Medieval 2 with its mods. I just wish it was enhanced. I’ve realised many fans are not bothered about too much of the graphics, AI etc. a lot like role play. A medieval 2 enhanced like stainless steel (But a lot more cities in Britain which breaks me!) with houses sigils like Westeros 5.6 with units that represent that house, chose your own faction heir and most of all pick how many turns per year because you literally do ten turns and most your characters are dead. Do that and you have a perfect mod ready. Also westeros total war needs to become a stand alone game. Same as lord of the rings. Nothing ever runs smoothly it’s either a pain in the arse to download or it crashes or something goes wrong. They could make a lot of money out of this. If they can make warhammer a then they can do it with game of thrones and lord of the rings.

[@chiefbigtoe7260]

There was something simplistic in MTW on the map that the new ones do not have. I liked the map actually looking like it was on a table in MTW1

[@chocolaterain5097]

I feel like you made this video already? But here I am watching again just to listen to you vibe on Total War 👍

[@AndysTake]

Thank you, Chocolate Rain! And no I haven't actually! I've previously made a compilation video of all the TW reviews I've made, but this is more of an introduction to each games with opinions tacked on, a bit shorter and meant for new players in particular :)

[@chocolaterain5097]

@@AndysTake love it, thank you!

[@jereboy2005]

There is a small technicality here. We have 3 saga games although fall of the samurai wasnt made that way initially. It is labeled as so now. Personally i am a big fan of rome. Both 1 and 2. I find mysekf trying every game but always coming back to rome

[@spiffygonzales5160]

A small correction to your small technicality. Pharaoh is also a SAGA title. It simply doesn't have the name. They're we have 4 SAGA titles

[@goobernator50k21]

Idk why FOTS is a saga either, it has the same campaign size as Shogun 2 and more things in it

[@ambitiousram]

I think Shogun 2 can honestly be compared to Thrones quite well but obviously the Samurai are more beloved than early medieval European heavy infantry. The factions in both games are very samey but both games give quite authentic views into their focus of history so if you like either era you will enjoy the games.

[@schnitzelhd3844]

3:07 Total War Saga: Troy 8:18 Total War: Pharaoh 9:01 Total War: ROME REMASTERED 15:13 Total War: Rome II 19:43 Total War: Attila 21:55 Total War: Three Kingdoms 23:52 Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia 25:02 Medieval II: Total War 29:36 Total War: Shogun 2 31:23 Empire: Total War 34:36 Napoleon: Total War 35:37 Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai 36:47 Total War: Warhammer titles

[@arturkot4108]

15:16 it was a rising Kingdom soundtrack, braw

[@willi.b.2587]

Huge fan of Rome remastered. Although I never played it, it's hard to ignore how big of a fan base medieval 2 has. When they remaster it, I'll buy it to give it a try myself!

[@TheJoshd3000]

They just need to make Medieval 3 already!

[@Piet-Schniet]

shogun 2 was my first (kinda only) total war, thats why im here. But i JUST LOST myself in that game. I was a very new interest in ancient japan and this game blew me away. Probably not everyones favorite, and i dont recommend it, if your not interested in japanese history, but one of my most favorite games ever!!

[@sewardquart9641]

Just buy med 2 , with it's incredible mods it is all in one , it has Warhammer in it , it has lord of the rings in it , stainless steal , EB2 , even a thrones of Britannia mod which i cant remember the name of but I do remember that it is incredible or buy Atilla because it has the second best set of mods ,

[@charlesmiv3842]

I'd argue for Rome Remastered over Med 2 at this point. You have the Rome time period, obviously. But the Chivalry mod turns it into a better version of Med II. Not to mention the Lord of The Rings mod, and others. It's much more moddable and modern than Med II.

[@MyTardisGoWhoosh]

How the hell do I install mods!!!???

[@sewardquart9641]

@@MyTardisGoWhoosh from mod db

[@russoft]

I knew nothing about medieval Japan but absolutely loved Shogun 2. The expansion was even better. I wish Rome II was as polished as Shogun 2.

[@theshnoz352]

When does RTW Remastered typically go on sale? I currently have Rome 2, so I can play that in the meantime, but I do miss playing the older game too

[@FauulaBoy]

Rome by far is the best total war game and it still holds up today. Shogun is great but campaign is way too short

[@LawrenceTimme]

This is exactly what I needed.

[@dfgfgh244]

What do you mean the original Rome is no longer for sale? 9:22 iirc if you buy Rome remastered you also get the OG game. I find it weird they bundled it with the remaster when the OG game you could buy for dirt cheap.

[@paulinasieron9261]

Total war has ended on shogun 2 fots. Pinacle of TW to this day and forward. Theres only 1 thing i would like to tansfer to it from earlier, buliding and population mechanics from rome 1

[@joshelguapo5563]

I've done so many Shogun 2 campains and I only won twice. That fucking realm divide

[@marcosmata8233]

If Total War games were a miniature war gaming experience like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, it would be an epic adventure! Here's a potential concept: Title: "Total War: Miniature Mayhem" Story: - Players are transported into a fantastical world, finding themselves shrunk down to miniature size. - They discover a mysterious game board, featuring a map of a medieval world. - To survive and return to the real world, they must navigate the board, battling armies, building empires, and solving puzzles. Gameplay: - Players use miniature figures to represent their armies, moving them around the board and engaging in combat. - Each army has unique abilities and strengths, reflected in their miniature design and gameplay abilities. - Players can recruit new units, build structures, and research technologies to aid their conquest. Miniatures: - Armies would be represented by detailed, painted miniatures, each with its own unique design and abilities. - Players could customize their miniatures with different weapons, armor, and accessories. Total War mechanics: - Players would need to manage resources, like gold and manpower, to build and maintain their armies. - Diplomacy and trade would play a crucial role, as players form alliances and negotiate with other factions. - Research and technology trees would allow players to upgrade their armies and unlock new abilities. This concept combines the strategic depth of Total War with the excitement of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, adding a unique twist to miniature war gaming. The result is a thrilling adventure that's full of surprises!

[@owainevans89]

The original shogun and medieval are better in some ways than new total wars.

[@dutch0770]

Rome 2 with DEI mod is the peak of TW.

[@olegchernyak1741]

Such a nice summary. I played them all, except for Thrones. And I also played the first Shogun and Medieval.

[@manetho5134]

what's the music playing in the background from 2:35 till 2:57

[@Toshiro_Mifune]

easy, if you like good strategy games with excellent battles you can start with shogun 2 and everything before that. If you like mediocre strategy games with terrible battles you can start with rome 2 and everything after that.

[@IslamistSocialist371]

Nah man, empire total war is not great but with the help of modders it became good enough.but still, the melee battle still sucks ass

[@Toshiro_Mifune]

@@IslamistSocialist371 you know what, you're right. total war sucks. :(

[@elWhiteNinja1]

Warhammer is still my favorite experience. Yes it's missing some of the greatness of Rome 1, medieval 1 and 2, and shogun. But the campaign of immortal empires 3 has nothing else like it. And I love the asymmetric nature of the game

[@AndromedaWay81]

could not listen to this past the reverse order this should be enjoyed by new comers to Total War. $$ for this post.

[@LOLMAN9538]

The only Total War game I have really been into is Three Kingdoms

[@turul1188]

New music yaay thank you!

[@AndysTake]

Haha! EVEN FOR THE TROY SECTION! Glad you noticed!

[@BlackGold-fc7tu]

Been playing Med 2 and the worst part is the slow response of the troops on the battlefield

[@justlogan6979]

Thrones is the only one I’ve played so far. I play with the Shield Wall and The Last Kingdom mods and have enjoyed it. I’d like to learn and get better and maybe even play some multiplayer but I’m not sure where to start

[@m.hughmungus121]

I would endlessly re-buy NTW if, every few years, the devs updated the graphics and made the AI smarter

[@jamesholder5638]

Never understood why DEI Roman’s need to run around everywhere in a combat stance once they’ve thrown their pila

[@Erik-um8nv]

Which game is best suited for my MacBook pro from 2018, 2.4ghz, 16gb ram, 130gm free space. My favorite historical events and therefore, games, would be Rome and Napoleon. Thanks for any advice. Please be quick :) there is a sale for 3 more days. Also this will be my first total war game.

[@botox.7136]

Bro thought he was gonna get personalized advice

[@KillerPsycho101andGames]

I started with atilla. Fucking beautiful graphics, love the difficulty of the battles, and the diversity of the units. The mods are amazing as well. Played the Charlemagne dlc and didn't like it, way too easy. My first Charlemagne campaign had me easily conquer half the map and other factions kept asking me to make them vassal states. Wheres that old stubborn never surrender. I should need to offer my entire fucking treasury and quite a hefty amount of gifts. They didn't even have good relations with me, Spain was split in 4 and all the factions there wanted me to make them a vassal. Charlemagne sucked. Second favorite is total war Rome II

[@specioustest4321]

Let’s not forget Rome (BI and Alexander) and Med 2 + Kingdoms is on mobile!

[@APDM_Analysis]

Without all the nostalgic lens, Three Kingdoms is objectively the best Total War mechanically. Its gameplay is far more in depth than anything before it and after it, and it’s the only game in the past ten years from CA that truly innovate on massive scales. It’s the combination of everything CA has learnt in the series and they put in one game. It’s the only game where diplomacy has more than 700+ modifier for character personality, traits, historical relationship etc for AI to determine its action. It’s the only game where more than 1000 historical characters spawn on the map according to their real-life birth date and all have correct personality and background info recorded in history. It’s the only title with a functional spy system that allows the players to gain control of other factions via covert operations. Good cav charges, good unit balance. Unique factions and arts. The unit is simplified to a certain standard, real Han armor is more complicated than what's depicted in the game, but many visual mods are available. Lots of feature in this game just make sense. Of. Course other factions will remember you release their POWs and respect you. Of course, there should be supplies for the Army. Of course, your attack on certain parts of the city will affect some buildings, But not all. This game is beyond intuitive in its gameplay design, with far fewer head-scratch moments than other titles. Nothing in this series, mechanically, comes close to this title. Unless you have a massive hate boner for Chinese history, this is as close to a perfect Total War experience as you can get.

[@lavabeard5939]

I don't agree with the decision to do it chronologically through history. there's references in the script to prior titles that the audience would have no way of knowing about if they are new to the series and want to check it out. also I'm pretty sure three kingdoms would be between rome and attila.

[@Stinkyremy]

Great vid

[@EggManBeater]

Rome 2 was my first game, its by far my favorite of all the games

[@lunsen402]

Main reason i can´t get into Attila is the damn preformance issues. Even after upgrading my computer it still have a FPS of like 30 tops often lower, even when warhammer gets up to like 90 fps on the regular... Its abysemal. And its a darn shame couse Attilla has some of the more intressting european cultures accesable to be played from that period of history (like saxons and slavs... not to mention the hymiars (think thats how their name is spellt)

[@AndysTake]

It's a shame indeed..

[@Deadsmegma]

Empire 2 and Medieval 3. With the same mechanics refined from the origijal games

[@Chris-cf2kp]

I think a total war game for the Witcher could be cool - with unique units such as the Witcher or the sorcerers or other characters, and many of the infantry and siege engines seen throughout your journey in the games as the Witcher - while in the midst of battlefields - plus the monsters that are found in that universe added in, say for specific factions. So a series similar to the warhammer set in terms of fantasy, but with more medieval and folklore elements as a foundation.

[@Skillionaire005]

chronological is a great idea - much easier for a new person like me

[@solemnsilence3650]

Medieval 2, Rome 1 and 2 and Shogun 2 are all you need to play until they make 3’s of each of those

[@MrPinballWizzard]

small humble correction - every army is kinda different unit wise aswell as mechanic wise in total war warhammer series. just saying.

[@Tom-sd2vi]

Here I am, waiting forever for the medieval 2 and empire remasters.

[@allpixelsmatter5471]

it is a given Pharaoh might have a mythical DLC like Troy did and that would be awesome since imagine all the cool Egyptian gods that will take part in battle and campaign plus who can complain about Anubis being in your army

[@Bulgaria9]

If you haven’t played a total war game I would get total war Rome 2 or Attila but if you like fantasy then get warhammer

[@MsSirAndy]

Every Total War game? You forgot original Shogun and Medieval... Give some respect to the originals goddamnit! These are Total War as well, no matter how aged they are!

[@AndysTake]

I specifically mentioned in the intro that I didn't include them and why, so I definitely didn't forget!

[@MsSirAndy]

@@AndysTake Oh, okay sorry. But these are not aged, they are still very fun in their own way in 2023. These are not bad games, without those we wouldn't ever have games from Rome and upwards! You have to remember that.

[@tobytomada3501]

aged game

[@fountainwater9]

​@@MsSirAndy hard pill to swallow but shogun 1 and medieval 1 are purely nostalgia nowadays, their successors are far more accessible to new players and even then, m2tw still suffers from older looking graphics which turn away new players

[@MsSirAndy]

@@fountainwater9 well, they should be remastered anyway for the sake of nostalgia as many other old games got remastered

[@cinnamontoast9999]

The only game I’ve played is medieval 2, I’m a bit of a history buff and am interested in a lot of these other games, can’t decide between Rome remastered or Rome 2

[@osakueogbebor4890]

Which one is the best to try for a new player, interested in graphics and play

[@andreus618]

Your opinion that icons should be images of the building they represent could not be more wrong

[@Stinkyremy]

I watched the whole thing (again) and goes without saying you missed shogun 1 and med 1 but as someone who also started with rome 1 I dont think they even warrant playing now unless someone wants to try them just to see how the franchise has grown. Saying that though, every game from rome 1 onwards is worth playing, but only if you like the periods. You are not missing out on anything by skipping a game because you don't like the period or setting and nearly every game adds to the whole experience to make the game feel fresh, with a few exceptions like R1 and M2, then R2 and atilla feeling very similar. Because of that there is a game for everyone. I personally only like historical settings so I will never play warhammer, but even then I don't like firearm combat so didn't like FotS and have still not played empire or nepoleon (I do own empire though) For me, R1 is the best as I love roman period, followed by R2 and Med 2 as the best games in the franchise. Though I also did not like all the changes they made in R2. I just see R1 as a more simplified streamlines rome campaign and R2 for a more complex grand strat campaign. Just really want Medieval 3 next.