Total War: Warhammer

Total War has a long history delving in tumultuous eras from Sengoku Jidai in Japan (the Golden Age of Samurai) to the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages and up to the introduction of gunpowder. It has always aspired for historical accuracy, especially with the large-scale battles pitting pikes against bows, lances against two-handed swords. This has caused some of the series' veterans to suffer from franchise fatigue. There's nothing necessarily wrong with new iterations, but after this many years they may become too similar to previous games to be interesting and fresh.

Creative Assembly wishes to change all this with their new Total War: Warhammer, taking Games Workshop's popular fantasy-themed setting and running with it. I got the impression the studio was genuinely excited to be working with a somewhat different kind of theme this time.

We meet with three of the minds behind the title at the studio's Horsham office, which is currently undergoing some renovations. I interviewed Project Lead Ian Roxburgh, Battle Designer Simon Mann and Dev Manager (effectively producer) Mark Sutherns on various aspects of the upcoming title. After a brief introduction, we were shown the first ever gameplay footage of a Battle at Blackfire Pass. Twice in fact, first "as is" and then with the developers commentating and explaining the events, units and tactics involved. The battle itself was pre-recorded to some extent but running in real-time with the current pre-alpha engine.

The Blackfire Pass fight was dubbed as a "Quest Battle", something Ian Roxburgh hopes will provide the otherwise freeform game some needed narrative. I hope they release footage of it soon, as it was quite the marvel to behold. Two armies (Empire and Orc) clashed against each other in a mountain pass, showcasing several units and new unit types completely new to the Total War franchise.

Warhammer seemed to be a perfect match for the tactical and large-scale battles the series is known for with the added benefit of the deep roster of Games Workshop's offerings. We were shown not just halberdiers and huge Black Orcs, but also steam tanks, griffon riders, various cannons and flying units - a first in a Total War game. More as a gimmick, you can guide a Goblin Doom diver as he propels himself with a giant slingshot to soar briefly over the battlefield on a hangglider.

Your armies are commanded by especially powerful hero units such as Empire's Karl Franz or the Vampire Lord von Carstein. They can be defeated in battle with considerable effort, but never truly die. There are also a number of heroic units of slightly smaller stature, such as the War Priest, Bright Mage and Orc Shaman. You can also equip your main hero with magical gear to boost his, her (or its) effectiveness.

Magic and its fickle winds are also represented. Warhammer fantasy battles use a rather intriguing system for their "mana", where all your spell-casters share the same pool to fuel their curses, blessings and icy meteors. Bringing more arcane firepower might give you a wider selection of spells, but lessens a single mage's impact if the pool runs dry. The Winds of Magic replenish the pool with a random amount, so you're never guaranteed to get that crucial fireball off at the exact time you need. Magic is chaos.

Creative Assembly is definitely including some humour (especially originating from the goblin units) here, which seems appropriate considering the over-the-top nature of Warhammer. The miniature company has been handing out its IPs left and right over the recent years, so it was nice to see one landing on a grander-scale title instead of just throwaway mobile titles.

In addition to the varied roster comprised of four factions - namely Empire, Orcs, Dwarves and the Undead - Total War: Warhammer promises more fluid combat. Battle Designer Simon Mann dubbed this the "dynamic frontline", which means units have more flexibly in moving on the battlefield, especially during charges. In the gameplay demonstration we saw some of the Black Orcs jump on top of the frontline defenders and elsewhere, a heavy griffon riders' charge carry more momentum through a couple of defending units. Without testing for myself, it's hard to say if it's more than just a welcomed visual flair to emphasise the unit differences and fighting styles.

In regards to factions, Ian Roxburgh wanted to go deep rather than wide. All the races have a good selection of units, from lowly spearmen (or spear orcs) up to giants, magical shrines and goblins riding on a gargantuan spider. The team remained coy about DLC plans for more races, but I'd be willing to bet High Elves, Skaven and the rest are just around the corner, waiting patiently for a chance to join the battlefield after the main game has been released.

A lot was left hanging after the interview and the gameplay demonstration though. Any news on the grand campaign mode is apparently scheduled for later. At the moment we know only that it'll be most akin to the traditional Total War experience rather than something like the ancient Warhammer: Dark Omen PC title with its more linear and narrative-driven take on the subject. Hopefully the Quest Battles will provide the much-needed personality to your hero and the opposition. And as with pretty much every Creative Assembly game, polish and bug-fixing may be in high demand right around the release.

I came away from the press event more optimistic than I went in. The development team was visibly excited to be working with the Warhammer IP and to show the world what's coming up. This is always a good sign and managed to reinvigorate my somewhat diminishing interest in the Total War franchise. Warhammer seems like a perfect fit with its deep lore and roster. I certainly hope Creative Assembly can deliver a solid, enjoyable tactical game on a grand scale that both Total War and Warhammer fans both can enjoy.