10 9 8
Rome 2
It says loads about Total War that the
lowest entry on this list isn’t a poor
game – it’s just not as good as people
hoped. The still-excellent original set
a high bar, but that wasn’t the only
issue: Rome 2 had a flawed launch and
played like an uneasy transition to a
more advanced system. Because of
that, it’s a harder game to love.
Truthfully, the game’s reputation is
a little unfair – the numerous bugs
and wobbly AI have been patched,
and when it works, it’s as deep and
rewarding as any other Total War.
It also has an amazing selection of
unique factions, making this feel like
one of the richest entries in the series,
if not the most revered.Medieval
There’s still loads to love about
Medieval, but much of it has been
refined and improved in the sequels.
It bravely expands the scope of
the, adding elements such as
loyalty, religion and espionage,
and because of this it feels like a
deft representation of the brutal,
tumultuous setting. It’s also the
game that really nailed the ‘feel’ of
Total War’s battle system – gleaming
armour, lines of armoured troops
smashing into each other, rousing
music and improved graphics. It
obviously looks simplistic when
compared to the recent games,
but the impact at the time can’t be
underestimated. Shogun started it
all and Rome refined it, but Medieval
expanded the series in a way that
belies the simple presentation.Shogun
Like the first Medieval game, Shogun
isn’t low on this list because it’s poor,
but because it feels like a thing from
a different era. It also suffers from a
sequel that stands out as one of the
most dramatic and compelling entries
in the series. But despite this, the
original Total War game has moments
that linger in the mind years after you
first played it – things like charging
into ranks of spearmen with a Kensai
sword saint, or the desperate crackle of
doomed musketeers resisting a cavalry
charge. If you want to play a Total
War game set in feudal Japan you’re
far more likely to play the sequel, but
this is worth playing for posterity – a
beautiful, stirring snapshot of the
series that followed.Empire
There was so much that could have gone wrong with Empire – the shift away from melee units,
the flimsiness of ranked rifle fire, the specificity of naval conflict – but it did an admirable job
of integrating systems that were alien to a game previously about hammering conflict and
cavalry charges. It took until Napoleon for those creases to be ironed out. The AI is weak and
the scale and scope can be troubling for anyone stepping up from Medieval 2, but it’s still an
incredible achievement. It embraces concepts that would be impossible in earlier games, and the
technology trees have a much more direct effect on the game (plus there’s something hopeful
about the abolition of slavery being the ultimate expression of enlightenment).
The battles lack the muscular impact of melee-focused Total War games, but the sound of
cannon roaring on a crowded battlefield is still exhilarating. And one final, very minor thing: the
theme tune from the main menu is incredible.
BEST WAR