The DLCs used in this review include all up to 'The King and the Warlord' (and Grombrindal The White Dwarf)
I have been a fan of the Total War series since my first experience with TW: Empire. From then on I have been a steady follower, I absolutely adored Shogun 2, but Rome 2 turned out to be a letdown. It felt like a step back and I couldn't get myself to keep going more than 50 turns in each campaign.

And then Total War: Warhammer happened. Not only is this game backed by an incredibly prestigious IP that comes with a lot of appeal on its own (if you're into any sort of high fantasy content), it also resolved one of the most fundamental issues of historical Total War series - unit variety.
Every single race in this game feels different: the combined arms strategy of the Empire, the slow and steady approach of the Dwarves, the ferocious Waaaagh of the Greenskins, the magic heavy hordes of undead of the Vampire counts. Each and every playthrough gives you a completely different set of tools to solve the same problems with. The horde style gameplay of Chaos or Beastmen is perfect for those who don't want to bother with the city management component of Total War campaigns.
Each faction comes with unique powerful Legendary characters that lead their factions, together with choreographed quest battles that showcase key moments in the lives of these characters. Successfully finishing these questlines rewards the general with powerful unique items, but the quests also add game pacing and milestones to work towards to the grand campaign.
If you're more of a multiplayer guy/gal, you will adore the diversity of the different rosters. Each factions comes with their unique strengths and shortcomings, with a huge amount of viable builds and counter-builds.

If I had to pick a game of the year 2016, it would have to be Total War: Warhammer. It's the perfect combination of appealing universe, strategic challenge and impressive or satisfying moments. The mod support adds a ton of customization options and replayability, and the modding community is active and motivated.
With their open communication and highly commendable social media presence, Creative Assembly manages to keep in touch with the community and deliver a high quality experience both within and outside of the game. Big props to the CA community team and their charming presentation.

The DLCs used in this review include all up to 'The King and the Warlord' (and Grombrindal The White Dwarf) I have been a fan of the Total War series since my first experience with TW: Empire. From then on I have been a steady follower, I absolutely adored Shogun 2, but Rome 2 turned out to be a letdown. It felt like a step back and I couldn't get myself to keep going more than 50 turns in each campaign. And then Total War: Warhammer happened. Not only is this game backed by an incredibly prestigious IP that comes with a lot of appeal on its own (if you're into any sort of high fantasy content), it also resolved one of the most fundamental issues of historical Total War series - unit variety. Every single race in this game feels different: the combined arms strategy of the Empire, the slow and steady approach of the Dwarves, the ferocious Waaaagh of the Greenskins, the magic heavy hordes of undead of the Vampire counts. Each and every playthrough gives you a completely different set of tools to solve the same problems with. The horde style gameplay of Chaos or Beastmen is perfect for those who don't want to bother with the city management component of Total War campaigns. Each faction comes with unique powerful Legendary characters that lead their factions, together with choreographed quest battles that showcase key moments in the lives of these characters. Successfully finishing these questlines rewards the general with powerful unique items, but the quests also add game pacing and milestones to work towards to the grand campaign. If you're more of a multiplayer guy/gal, you will adore the diversity of the different rosters. Each factions comes with their unique strengths and shortcomings, with a huge amount of viable builds and counter-builds. If I had to pick a game of the year 2016, it would have to be Total War: Warhammer. It's the perfect combination of appealing universe, strategic challenge and impressive or satisfying moments. The mod support adds a ton of customization options and replayability, and the modding community is active and motivated. With their open communication and highly commendable social media presence, Creative Assembly manages to keep in touch with the community and deliver a high quality experience both within and outside of the game. Big props to the CA community team and their charming presentation.