Back in my tabletop gaming days, I sported an impressive war host of Wood Elves, complete with treemen and hawk riders. But what I never achieved with dice rolls and detailed paint jobs was the epic scale that the Warhammer lore seemed to demand. There was something lacking in my painted figurines and styrofoam set pieces.
That’s why the Total War series has been such a boon to Warhammer fans. Utilizing the units, locations, and lore of Warhammer’s high-fantasy universe, TW:W2 brings the deep strategy of the Warhammer series to a real-time strategy platform.
At E3, I was able to get a hands-on demo with a familiar scenario to Warhammer fans: the High Elves, in their arrogance, have messed with forces they should not have, and now have to deal with the perhaps-cataclysmic consequences.
The demo started with a lengthy voiceover and aerial shot of one of the four continents featured in TW: W2. It’s a staggering world with numerous bays and coasts, an archipelago of lands controlled by the High Elves. While there was a little too much time spent discussing the importance of a magical vortex for my tastes, fans of Warhammer’s deep lore will appreciate the time that Creative Assembly has put into establishing the world.
In their campaign of conquest, players will have the choice to either excavate or build over ancient cities, granting players bonuses depending on the choice.
The lengthy narration then moved onto the tropical continent Lustria, a more chaotic land where I got my first glimpse of Chaos forces -- perhaps hinting that the Dark Elves are also present in this area as well. Lustria is also home to the Lizardmen, an ancient people who have their own grand plan that they’re hoping to enact. In their campaign of conquest, players will have the choice to either excavate or build over ancient cities, granting players bonuses depending on the choice.
In the scripted segment, I played as a defending army of Lizardmen who were tasked with repelling the meddling High Elves who had trespassed on some sacred ground. The pre-battle cinematic depicted a couple of lizardmen Terradons who unleashed boulders on the flanks of elvish spearmen before being struck down by an elvish dragon. After that, my army of dinosaurs and lizardmen started marching across a bridge to defeat the warhost.
Like any Total War game, pinpoint control of your units is essential for success. Once your armies meet their foes, the units have a tendency to disintegrate into a melee. Thus, a great deal of strategy relies on when and where to deploy your units -- something, on second playthrough, I had much more success at.
The first time I played the scenario, I let one of my units wander too far chasing some archers, only for it to get taken out by some wary elven cavalry. By the time I drove the High Elves from the battlefield, I only had a handful of units. The second time, I had my stegadon circle back to my enemy’s rear and immediately broke the unit. But I lost track of my commander who was getting worn down by two elven chariots.
Controlling the heroic units also feels great, with a size and power that fits their importance on the battlefield. I didn’t get a chance to unleash any special attacks -- one of the trademarks of the Warhammer franchise -- but I certainly was on the receiving end as the High Elves had both a mage and a dragon who unleashed devastating area of effect attacks. Needless to say, there were a lot of crispy reptiles in their wake. But ultimately, I had too many reinforcements, and by sheer numbers I quickly overwhelmed my foes.
TW: W2 is still releasing army details before its September release. My one quibble so far is that with Warhammer’s rich lore, excluding armies like Vampire Counts or The Empire would feel like an incomplete realization of the universe. Still, Total War: Warhammer II scratches the itch of players who want to epic fantasy battles in diverse, vibrant worlds. It was easily the most refreshing, old-school-and-proud game I played at E3.
Christian Holt is IGN's Custom Content Editor.
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