It also does a great job of folding in more complicated elements, such as weather and guerilla warfare-perfect for anyone more used to the simple clarity of earlier Total Wars. It’s not just about fighting: Attila is game of politics, feasting, famine, desolation, and migration, set during one of the most fragile and fascinating periods of history-Europe still feels like a unformed concept, ready to be shaped or smashed as you see fit. Attila is the first successful attempt to weave these stories into the game itself.

The most characterful moments from classic Total War games usually happen organically-the brave mercenary army on the edge of your empire, the feckless offspring of crusading generals. But whichever ones you prefer, they all offer that same mix of conflict and conquest, failure and domination. I'm always drawn back to Fall of the Samurai, Attila, and Rome 2, for example, and that's different for everyone.

Total War is also uniquely nostalgic for a lot of people, and so it's always fun to periodically revisit games throughout the series depending on what you feel like. You can dip into whichever you want and always find crossover. One of the central appeals of Total War is that despite the differences, there's a cohesion that runs throughout them all. With Total War: Warhammer 3 introducing survival battles, the announcement of a new Three Kingdoms game, and Total War Saga: Troy trying mythology on for size, more than ever before, the series is developing in many directions at once.

Troy total war steam download free