Total War: ATTILA
" Atmospheric strategy with unique factions and brutal battles but severe performance issues "
Total War: ATTILA Review
Total War: ATTILA is a dark, intense strategy game set during the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, emphasizing survival over conquest. The game offers a rich, historically immersive campaign with complex mechanics like climate change, famine, and political instability. Players experience vastly different playstyles depending on their faction, from managing crumbling empires to leading barbarian hordes. The tactical battles are brutal and visually striking, with improved unit behavior and siege mechanics. However, the game suffers from significant performance issues on modern PCs, with frequent crashes and lag reported by many players. The political mechanics, especially loyalty and civil war triggers, can be frustrating and overly punitive. Despite these flaws, the game is praised for its atmospheric graphics, challenging gameplay, and strong modding community, making it a rewarding experience for dedicated Total War fans and strategy veterans. It is less recommended for newcomers due to its difficulty and technical problems.ATTILA stands out for its thematic depth and survival focus, but technical and design issues hold it back from greatness.
Highlights
Players praise ATTILA's atmospheric graphics and moody, apocalyptic setting that vividly capture the era's bleakness. The gameplay mechanics, including unique faction asymmetry and improved tactical battles with realistic morale and siege warfare, are highly regarded. The campaign's historical depth and challenge, especially playing as the Western Roman Empire or barbarian factions, offer a fresh and engaging experience. The game's modding support is also a major highlight, greatly enhancing replayability and content variety.The blend of survival strategy and tactical combat creates a rewarding experience for Total War veterans.
Criticisms
Common criticisms focus on severe performance and stability issues, particularly on modern hardware, with frequent crashes and lag making the game unplayable for some. The political mechanics are often described as tedious and overly punitive, frustrating players with constant civil wars and loyalty problems. UI scaling problems on high-resolution displays hinder accessibility. Some players find the combat slower and attritional compared to other Total War titles, and the game lacks sufficient content variety and DLC support. Additionally, the campaign's punishing difficulty and sometimes clunky AI reduce overall enjoyment for newcomers.Technical flaws and design choices detract from an otherwise strong strategy experience.
Pros
- • Atmospheric graphics vividly capture the apocalyptic era and mood.
- • Unique faction asymmetry offers diverse and engaging playstyles.
- • Improved tactical battles with realistic morale and siege mechanics.
- • Rich historical depth and challenging survival-focused campaign.
- • Strong modding community enhances replayability and content variety.
- • Complex political and economic systems add strategic depth.
- • Detailed campaign map with dynamic climate and resource management.
Cons
- • Severe performance issues and frequent crashes on modern PCs.
- • Tedious and overly punitive political mechanics frustrate players.
- • UI scaling problems make the game unplayable on 4K monitors.
- • Combat can feel slow and attritional, especially late game.
- • Lack of sufficient DLC and content variety limits longevity.
- • AI can be super anti-player and sometimes uses unfair tactics.
- • Campaign difficulty is steep, deterring newcomers to the series.
Rating Criteria
Against a darkening background of famine, disease and war, a new power is rising in the great steppes of the East. With a million horsemen at his back, the ultimate warrior king approaches, and his sights are set on Rome… The next instalment in the multi award-winning PC series that combines turn-based strategy with real-time tactics,...
