Having come close to 100 hours of gameplay, and having completed a campaign with every single race, I think it's time I give my opinion on this game.

First of all, I am one of those who have been disappointed by the trajectory followed by the developers after Shogun 2. Shogun 2 was Creative Assembly at its best, a product that was so sharp and well polished that you could hardly point to any objective faults, even if you could dislike a couple of design decisions. But it is a masterpiece, I have no doubts about that. Rome 2 and Attila, in comparison, have been clunky, with many questionable design decisions and objective faults that we all know about, from performance issues to a laughable AI, to the very nature of copy/paste that was part of the "variety" contained in Attila's factions.

However, I am very happy to say that in Total War: Warhammer many changes have been made, and this truly feels like a return to form for CA. We have fewer factions available for the campaign than in any previous Total War, yes, but they never felt so different from each other as in this case. Each race is truly unique in terms of units and gameplay strategy, providing a fresh experience with every playthrough. They feel well balanced and polished, and each offers a unique angle to it that is both interesting and exciting. You get a feeling of possibility once again, of trying different tactics in order to achieve your goals, and that's what Total War should be all about.

The addition of flying units and magic also provide a whole new array of strategies at your disposal, and they add an element of surprise to each battle. Many units have no abilities of their own, unlike in previous Total Wars where some would have things like 'Berserk', 'Flaming Arrows', etc., as this micromanagement changed to the hands of your Lords and Heroes. These now have a use in battle other than their use in the campaign map, which is a welcome addition.

The soundtrack fits great, the graphics are top notch (and require a powerful machine to full enjoy them), and the multiplayer experience is simple but *works*.

There are things that I'm not too sure about, of course, although I can understand some of these decisions to fit with the lore of the Warhammer franchise. Regional occupation would be at the top of these concerns. I thought it would be worse, and fortunately there are mods which allow you to overcome this barrier.

All in all, this is the best Total War since Shogun 2, and I would certainly rank it at the very top with Medieval 2 and Shogun 2. This is Total War more exciting than it has ever been, and the Warhammer franchise has given it a touch of freshness that the series so desperately needed.

TL;DR: Best Total War since Shogun 2. Unique races provide dozens of hours of varied gameplay, and magic is exciting. Requires a strong computer to enjoy the beauty of its graphics at its fullest.

Having come close to 100 hours of gameplay, and having completed a campaign with every single race, I think it's time I give my opinion on this game. First of all, I am one of those who have been disappointed by the trajectory followed by the developers after Shogun 2. Shogun 2 was Creative Assembly at its best, a product that was so sharp and well polished that you could hardly point to any objective faults, even if you could dislike a couple of design decisions. But it is a masterpiece, I have no doubts about that. Rome 2 and Attila, in comparison, have been clunky, with many questionable design decisions and objective faults that we all know about, from performance issues to a laughable AI, to the very nature of copy/paste that was part of the "variety" contained in Attila's factions. However, I am very happy to say that in Total War: Warhammer many changes have been made, and this truly feels like a return to form for CA. We have fewer factions available for the campaign than in any previous Total War, yes, but they never felt so different from each other as in this case. Each race is truly unique in terms of units and gameplay strategy, providing a fresh experience with every playthrough. They feel well balanced and polished, and each offers a unique angle to it that is both interesting and exciting. You get a feeling of possibility once again, of trying different tactics in order to achieve your goals, and that's what Total War should be all about. The addition of flying units and magic also provide a whole new array of strategies at your disposal, and they add an element of surprise to each battle. Many units have no abilities of their own, unlike in previous Total Wars where some would have things like 'Berserk', 'Flaming Arrows', etc., as this micromanagement changed to the hands of your Lords and Heroes. These now have a use in battle other than their use in the campaign map, which is a welcome addition. The soundtrack fits great, the graphics are top notch (and require a powerful machine to full enjoy them), and the multiplayer experience is simple but *works*. There are things that I'm not too sure about, of course, although I can understand some of these decisions to fit with the lore of the Warhammer franchise. Regional occupation would be at the top of these concerns. I thought it would be worse, and fortunately there are mods which allow you to overcome this barrier. All in all, this is the best Total War since Shogun 2, and I would certainly rank it at the very top with Medieval 2 and Shogun 2. This is Total War more exciting than it has ever been, and the Warhammer franchise has given it a touch of freshness that the series so desperately needed. TL;DR: Best Total War since Shogun 2. Unique races provide dozens of hours of varied gameplay, and magic is exciting. Requires a strong computer to enjoy the beauty of its graphics at its fullest.