Total War: Attila Reviews
It's not without flaws, but this time those imperfections are forgiveable next to the wealth of quality on offer. Total War: Attila is the return to form that the series desperately needed.
Like its predecessors, Total War ATTILA is equal parts grueling and rewarding, a deep simulation of medieval warfare that lets you shift the tide of one of history's bloodiest conflicts. Unlike some of its predecessors, this game feels thoroughly polished, without any technical gaffes or design mistakes to speak of.
For fans of the genre, the highs of Attila will more than outweigh any lows.
The road to victory is a long one
Attila adds new layers of depth and complexity to Total War, and its dark, chaotic atmosphere does a brilliant job of breathing life into one of Europe's most troubled periods. The problem is that all that depth and complexity can make it a very demanding and – at first – unrewarding game. Keep at it, and the epic battles and challenging campaign mode make it well worth persevering. Overall, this feels like one for the fans, but is that really such an awful thing?
It is, across the board, an improvement on Rome II, despite some issues that have been carried over. And not just Rome II at launch, but even when comparing Attila with the Emperor Edition, the new kid puts on the best show. It's a confident marriage of setting and mechanics, with a historical and environmental narrative influencing each faction, pushing them into engaging situations. And you can burn the world, which is fun.
Creative Assembly's award-winning strategy now comes in a brand new flavor, and it bears all the hallmarks of a franchise rejuvenated.
Total War: Attila brings an under-explored time period to bare to create a great setting and system of mechanics for a strategy game based more on tearing down your enemies than building up your own empire, but it's still plagued with some issues inherent to the Total War franchise.
All things considered, this is a solid Total War game that, while being far from revolutionary and requiring just a little bit more polish before official release, will be far better than Total War Rome 2 can ever hope to be.
Perhaps it's best to think of it this way: If the occasional AI glitch or incoming onslaught of paid DLC gives you unbearable or unwanted flashbacks to Rome II, then you may want to avoid Attila altogether. But for everyone else, you'd be remiss to deprive yourself of a rich, captivating experience that, though not quite perfect now, will likely achieve true greatness via updates well before its successor arrives.
Attila is a satisfying simulation of a world in chaos
If you've played a Total War game before, you know what to expect. Despite some new mechanics and ways to play, the core is cultivating your expansive holdings or charging headlong into battle.
Only a minor evolution of Rome II, and with many of the same bugbears, but the stunning visuals and deep strategy bring a fascinating period of history fully to life.
By combining an improved UI with deeper strategic gameplay, Total War: Attila increments on Creative Assembly's formula to deliver a strategy game (almost) worthy of its namesake.
Total War: Attila is an adept refinement of Rome 2, with a great, harrowing campaign that sets it apart.
Creative Assembly's passion and dedication to their Total War machine is evident with ATTILA. It's not for everyone, but for those that enjoy the series, this has all the makings of a superb entry.
A barbarous twist on Rome II, with a handful of fixes.
Total War: Attila is a complex and diverse strategy game that will offer returning Total War fans their fair share of ups and downs. While some things remain faithful to Rome II and the Total War formula in general, Attila is a significantly better title in that it is a really good period piece with some thoughtful innovations on how to deal with the mobility and turmoil of the period. Plus, who doesn't like setting the world on fire?
Total War fans looking looking to experience the fall rather than the rise of Western Civilization should definitely invest some time into Attila. However, due to the scope of the campaign map, newcomers may want to approach with caution as the learning curve is even more severe than usual.
Total War: Attila is a triumphant return for the kings of PC battlefield strategy, and hopefully will usher in a new era of incredible Total War titles.