total-war-series-comprehensive-ranking Strategy

A Comprehensive Ranking of Total War Games: A Closer Look at the Classics

The Total War games offer a fascinating insight into the beloved yet criticised world of strategy games. To understand the evolution of these games would provide memorable yet impactful insights. A ranking that looks at the impact and legacy of these games. More specifically, it ranks them based on the player impact, longevity and innovation.

total-war-series-comprehensive-ranking

Revisiting Total War: Rome – The Game-Changer

The Total War series made its first major visual shift in Rome: Total War, a game considered to be A tier. Many first experienced with Medieval 2 but Rome showed the impeccable technical prowess of the franchise combined with engaging gameplay even in 2004. With the ability to move army units fluidly across the campaign map, this installation paved the way for the Total War community.

The Pinnacle: Medieval 2 Total War

Medieval 2: Total War is an S tier game because it perfected the Total War formula nearly perfectly. While it wasn’t introducing anything new in mechanics, it was greatly increasing what made the game “Rome” such a classic. The medieval setting combined with events such as the Black Plague, invasions of the Mongols, and so forth keep the players hooked up and also lends substance to the game mechanics.

Empire and Napoleon: Diverging Paths

Empire: Total War is a C tier entry in our best Total War games tier list. It explores the 18th-century era and it brought some new stuff like decentralized provinces and gunpowder warfare. However, it was filled with bugs at launch which sort of ruined the experience. Overall, decent but with quite a few hiccups. “Napoleon: Total War” was a step up from its predecessor and snugly fits in the B tier. The game focused on the Napoleonic Wars, improved the gameplay, and scaled back the scope to Europe.

total-war-series-comprehensive-ranking

Shogun 2: A Return to Form

“Shogun 2 Total War” is in the low S tier. The game is highly polished due to its depiction of feudal Japan, balanced gameplay and more. Given the constraints of its history, it lacks a variety of factions. However, it remains well-regarded thanks to new features like a skill tree progression and excellent siege battles.

Warhammer Triumphs: A New Era

The series’ latest titles, ‘Total War: Warhammer 2’ and its successor, Warhammer 3, brings an extra ‘oomph’ to the series. Consequently, they have secured an S tier ranking. The Warhammer fantasy universe came with an abundance of options and replayability, which rejuvenated the game. Although it had a tough start, “Warhammer 3” has managed to become a brick of great depth and engagement. Its Immortal Empires campaign is also a vast one.

Historical Titles and Modern Challenges

“Three Kingdoms: Total War” is a notable modern historical title and falls in the high A tier. This title brought big changes to diplomacy and characters. It managed to hold steady despite CA moving away from this.  In contrast, “Total War: Troy” and “Total War: Pharaoh” rank lower for how the community wants more inspired content in these settings amongst other reasons.

Final Reflections

The Total War franchise is still quite the powerhouse in the realm of strategy games. While some submissions have received backlash, others made their mark through creativity or sheer pleasure. The conversation between creators and players is vital to the series’ evolution. “Total War: Warhammer 3” shows what successful iteration can achieve.

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