Total War: Warhammer II
In short: Total War: Warhammer II is a strategy game released in 2017 by Creative Assembly, available on PC. Our score: 9.2/10 (highly recommended).
A fantasy strategy game combining grand-scale, turn-based empire management with real-time tactical battles. Players choose from various legendary lords and races from the Warhammer Fantasy Battles world.
Total War: Warhammer II is a turn-based strategy and real-time tactics video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It is the second title in the Total War: Warhammer trilogy and the twelfth title in the Total War series. The game was released for Microsoft Windows on 28 September 2017. The game is set in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy universe and features a campaign map where players manage their empire in a turn-based fashion, alongside real-time battles where players command armies of various races. The game introduces four new playable races to the series: the High Elves, Dark Elves, Lizardmen, and Skaven, each with unique lore, units, and gameplay mechanics. The core of the campaign revolves around the Great Vortex, a magical maelstrom created by the High Elves millennia ago to siphon off winds of magic. Each race has its own objectives and rituals to either stabilize or disrupt the Vortex, leading to a sprawling narrative that intertwines the fates of the different factions. The game also features a massive combined campaign map with the first Total War: Warhammer game, allowing players who own both titles to play an even larger campaign with all available races. Total War: Warhammer II received critical acclaim upon release, with critics praising its improved campaign mechanics, diverse factions, and robust real-time battles. The game's intricate diplomacy, engaging quest battles, and stunning graphical fidelity were also highlighted as major…
Game details
- Developer: Creative Assembly
- Publisher: Sega
- Release year: 2017
- Platforms: PC
- Category: strategy
Our review
Total War: Warhammer II builds upon the strong foundation of its predecessor, delivering an even more refined and engaging fantasy strategy experience. The introduction of new races, each with unique mechanics and compelling campaign objectives centered around the Great Vortex, adds significant depth and replayability. The turn-based campaign management is addictive, allowing for intricate empire building, diplomacy, and character progression. The real-time battles remain a highlight, offering epic clashes with stunning visuals and a wide array of units. While diplomacy can still be a bit opaque at times, and the learning curve for newcomers can be steep, the sheer amount of content, coupled with continuous support through DLCs, makes this a truly monumental strategy game. For fans of strategy and the Warhammer universe, this is an essential title.
Pros
- Deep and engaging campaign mechanics
- Diverse and unique playable races
- Epic real-time battles
- Stunning visuals and unit variety
- High replayability
Cons
- Steep learning curve for new players
- Diplomacy can be clunky
- Demanding on hardware
FAQ
- Do I need to play the first Total War: Warhammer to understand the story?
- While Total War: Warhammer II has its own self-contained story focusing on the Great Vortex, playing the first game provides valuable context for the larger Warhammer Fantasy universe and introduces some of the key factions. It's not strictly necessary, but recommended for a fuller experience.
- What are the main differences between the races?
- Each of the four main races (High Elves, Dark Elves, Lizardmen, Skaven) has vastly different gameplay mechanics, unit rosters, and campaign objectives. High Elves focus on diplomacy and influence, Dark Elves on slavery and aggression, Lizardmen on ancient prophecies and powerful dinosaurs, and Skaven on subterfuge and overwhelming numbers.
- Can I play multiplayer with friends?
- Yes, Total War: Warhammer II features a robust multiplayer mode, including both campaign co-op and competitive battles. You can challenge friends or other players online in various game modes.
- Is there a combined map with the first game?
- Yes! If you own both Total War: Warhammer and Total War: Warhammer II, you can play the 'Mortal Empires' campaign, which combines the maps and playable factions from both games into one massive grand campaign.
- What kind of DLCs are available?
- Total War: Warhammer II has a wide variety of DLCs, including Lord Packs (adding new Legendary Lords and units for existing races), Race Packs (introducing entirely new playable races like the Tomb Kings and Vampire Coast), and Free-LC (free content updates).
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Last updated: 01/04/2026