Muristek
It’s been a long time coming, but the Bulgarian gaming community finally has eyes on the new Total War: Warhammer III. The hugely popular turn-based strategy franchise has spent several years developing its third title in the Total War series, bringing hugely engaging real-time tactics gameplay to our desktop screens once more.
Total War: Warhammer II received largely favorable reviews from gaming critics, with both Eurogamer and Destructoid deeming it to be one of the leading releases in the Total War series. PC Gamer even named the title its Best Strategy Game for 2017. Has the five-year wait for Warhammer III been worth it? Let’s peek under the bonnet to see what the latest installment has in store.
Have Creative Assembly got it right again?Most critics believe Creative Assembly has put together the leading Total War title to date. It has been designing and building strategy computer games since the eve of the new millennium. The Total War series has been the making of the studio, which has its headquarters based in Horsham, England. Despite being acquired by Sega in 2005, Creative Assembly has continued to operate on its own terms and has sought to strengthen its operations by acquiring development expertise of its own. In 2017, it bought out Bulgarian-based studio Crytek Black Sea, which has since become its Creative Assembly Sofia subsidiary.
It's therefore highly likely that there will have been input from Bulgarian developers for Total War: Warhammer III. Bulgaria has become something of a hotbed for gaming software development, with a string of studios opening satellite offices in the country. For example, Sega Europe relocated its QA division to Sofia from its previous London home, where its new base has been fully operational since June 2020. In addition, Imperia Online still boasts a satellite office in Sofia, despite being acquired by the Swedish Stillfront Group in 2018.
Meanwhile, iGaming development studio Silverback Gaming is also based in the heart of the Bulgarian capital, despite its recent sale to GAN. Its exclusive slot titles like Aztec Luck and Mystery Stacks have been recently distributed to multiple regulated iGaming markets in Europe and are expected to compare favorably with the most popular online casino slots in the UK when they drop in the British market, too.
Total War: Warhammer III – a goldmine for multiplayer fansTotal War: Warhammer III contains a string of new battle types for multiplayer gurus, with the opportunity for eight gamers to team up in co-op campaigns. First and foremost, there are survival battles to be found in the single-player mode. As you move into every new Chaos Realm, you’ll enter a survival battle against the prince of each region. You’re tasked with attacking the realm’s fortress, building up supplies and ammunition to improve your offensives and claim objectives. Every Chaos Realm is a bespoke aesthetic, with some fascinating and immersive environments to explore and dominate.
Speaking of dominating, there are a string of ‘domination’ land battles to enjoy in multiplayer mode. These battles carry the same game dynamics, with objectives to complete, and supplies and offensive reinforcements to horde. When you battle for all but one of the Chaos Realms there is the opportunity to trigger the Storm of Magic feature. It’s weirdly satisfying seeing enemy units yield to your magical spells, which include the chance to trigger melee attacks across all units when lore is taking charge.
The campaign multiplayer is where things get really interesting, particularly if you enjoy co-op gameplay. The chance to play as part of a collective of eight human players instead of two is an impressive enhancement in its predecessor. Players get simultaneous turns to maintain gamer engagement. The campaigns are somewhat shorter than in previous titles, with Something Rotten in Kislev and Darkness & Disharmony offering a fast-paced alternative for casual players. The former campaign only allows a maximum of three cooperative players at a time. Nevertheless, there’s something hugely satisfying about organizing your army’s units in unison with your fellow players via voice chat. There’s nothing better than seeing a co-op plan come to fruition.
The jewel in the crown of the Total War trilogyIn summary, Total War: Warhammer III is already regarded as the pinnacle of the Total War franchise. It is refreshingly ingenious, whilst remaining loyal to so many of the series’ traditions. Enthusiasts of single-player campaigns will adore the chance to immerse themselves in the prologue and story campaign, which offers a more dynamic storyline and the chance to take it in multiple directions.
As for the multiplayer experience, aside from some issues regarding network reliability – including disconnections and load speeds – it offers a wholesome gaming environment for Warhammer fans young and old. The ability to tailor your army for each race and map is impressive. Casual gamers will like the ability to put together a roster for multiplayer matches with speed.
Many loyal Warhammer fans believe this latest iteration is ideally set up for a string of DLCs in the coming months which will only serve to add another dimension to the action.