Total War: Warhammer Review (PC)
So it has been a while since I got stuck into a game on the PC, mainly because of time constraints and the ease, and comfort, of console gaming. And according to steamleft.com I really do need to spend some time on the PC with a whopping 6136 hours to complete all the games in my Steam library. Luckily for me one of the last games I did spend time with on the PC was a previous title from the Total War series so diving back in should be easy, right?
My first big concern was if my PC would even run a new game and on checking the required specs I was not surprised to see that I was in trouble. Video card no up to scratch apparently. What the hell, I’ll give it a crack and see how we go. And here we are, pleasantly greeted by a beautiful looking game running in full HD with around medium detail settings. Go the old PC! I have to admit, coming back to PC from consoles I was overwhelmed with all the details and intricacies’ put in front of me. But to fans of the Total War franchise this will be nothing new. And PC gamers who are on top of the upgrades to their machine will no doubt be greeted with an absolutely gorgeous game. Makes me want to get a new video card…
My limited exposure to the Warhammer universe has definitely been positive, with a great diversity of races and a really fleshed out history, perfect for the real time strategy of Total War. I dove straight in as the Dwarven race, a favourite of mine regardless of franchise, and quickly won the opening couple of battles. This is where I stepped into the deep end. The sheer amount of micro management of huge cities and castles all the way down to individual heroes is mind boggling! I’m a huge RPG fan so the kitting out of my heroes was natural enough but to also remember to maintain all the day to day running of each village as well got on top of me and I soon found myself being overpowered. Much more time needed to be invested into developing the resources and support of my armies.
As mentioned before, Total War: Warhammer looks great with the ability to get right down and in amongst the battles you can see the details of your individual soldiers. Unfortunately you won’t get far playing the game from this angle. Total War is all about the big picture, and the huge battles look fantastic from above. Assigning tactics to you different units, like softening up enemy infantry with your ranged units before sending in your own, is extremely satisfying. And it isn’t all ‘little ants’ running around the battlefield either, each faction or race has some truly massive units to call on. Just remember to research and upgrade to get the most out of all your units, and resources.
Closing Comments.
PC gaming is obviously still alive and well, and with the ease at which you can now hook up to your big TV and play with a wireless keyboard and mouse it might be time for me to sort something out. Total War: Warhammer gave me that warm fuzzy feeling I use to get years ago when I sat down at the PC with a new game. I guess now the difference is the lack of time I have to enjoy these types of games. And that is a shame. I love the Total War franchise and Warhammer is no exception. Maybe in 10 years when the boy has moved out I can return to the glory of PC games and really sink some time into them. Might have a bit of a back log by then but Total War: Warhammer will be near the top of the list, that is for sure.
