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Jan 22
How the first two games inspire the conclusion to the trilogy
Total War: WARHAMMER III
Creative Assembly’s Total War has been entertaining gamers for over two decades, so it was a real treat when they started their Total War: Warhammer trilogy in 2016. Introducing sword and sorcery elements from Game Workshop’s popular Warhammer Fantasy universe, the Total War series has been a hit with audiences and critics alike.
Total War: Warhammer III, the conclusion to the trilogy, is set for a February 17, 2022 release. Let’s take a trip back and see what elements of the earlier games might influence the latest chapter in the Total War: Warhammer saga.
By Mat Bradley-Tschirgi
TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER & THE CHAOS WARRIORS
Total War: Warhammer Chaos Warriors has the distinction of being the very first piece of Total War: Warhammer DLC; it also came out the same day as the game’s original release!
Adding a new race with its own playstyle to the core game, Chaos Warriors let players lead armies who worship the dark Chaos Gods of old.
Principal Writer Andy Hall, who has worked on the Total War: Warhammer series since the very beginning, notes in an interview with PCGamesN that Total War: Warhammer III features Chaos Gods that are “more like forces of nature.” Imagine what a wrinkle that can throw into the heady Total War mixture of turn-based resource management and real-time large scale army combat!
Total War™: WARHAMMER® - Chaos Warriors Race Pack - DLC
TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER II & THE GREAT VORTEX
Total War: Warhammer II’s intro cinematic weaves a tale taking place over a thousand years hence where a cadre of Elf mages created a Great Vortex to keep out the demons of Chaos. Nothing lasts forever, but as a setup to a story it leaves the mind reeling with possibilities of nasties chomping at the bit wanting to be let free.
Chaos Gods and their infamous penchant for destruction are a major driving force in Total War: Warhammer III’s narrative. Total War: Warhammer II had a much bigger focus on narrative than Total War: Warhammer. To truly appreciate the story of Total War: Warhammer III, you’ll need to see the seeds that are sown in its predecessor.
Hall stresses the narrative is a larger focus in Total War: Warhammer III than ever before: “We certainly go deeper into the motivations not just with the factions, but with their Legendary Lords, so the player understands why each character is participating. And we flesh out their relationship with the Advisor too. It’s not something we gloss over in this game as we have perhaps in the past – why is this old man advising Grimgor? I’ve implied why in bits of sundry fiction for the other games, but this time we go all in on those relationships.”
Total War: WARHAMMER II
BRUSH UP ON YOUR WARHAMMER LORE AND BUY THE TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER SERIES TODAY!
With Total War: Warhammer III coming out February 17, 2022, there’s no better time to get acquainted with the earlier games in the Total War: WARHAMMER saga!
Fanatical has the whole series on sale for a limited time. Complete your collection today!